There are two links that can be used to display specials at your site. They are:
- epcgetspecials.epc
- getspecials.epc
Both links (epcgetspecials) use your inventory file (wws_items.dbf) and the following fields (columns) of data.
category1
categories
level3
price
special
image
The easiest link to use is getspecials.epc which has only a few possible settings. The settings you can adjust in 'edit store settings' are, the rows and columns displayed [specrow/speccol], the sort order [specialsrt], and the location of the item images if not directly specified in the inventory file [itemimgsrc].
If you use epcgetspecials.epc you will have much greater control over the results and an added bonus of being able to 'drill' down through the data stored in the inventory file. Furthermore, there is a template file which you can download and edit to adjust settings such as the ones above, and:
Page Title, No Specials Comment, specification of which fields to use when drilling, and most importantly you can insert your own HTML to format the results. This means you can add images and or text as you wish. Lastly, the fields in the inventory file are available to you as well by using the corresponding field names in the inventory master. Here are some popular ones you might insert:
list, stock, weight, url, colors, size, and minqty
The proper way to refer to these fields is: <%=alltrim(colors)%>
The template to edit is called - [specialtplt.htm] and is stored in your templates folder.
The first three fields above manage how the site will 'drill down' to the items on special. The idea here is to organize your data efficiently so that a customer can find specials based on specific categories. Consider using the category1 field for MAKE, categories for MODEL, and level3 for product CATEGORY (not description). The customer will then be able to select, VOLVO, 240, BRAKE and see all BRAKE parts on special. The results are returned in a paged view with thumbnail images that are clickable for additional details.
The epcgetspecials link is configurable as well, so you will want to have a look at the admin link in the MISC section called 'Specials Configuration'. Most of the entries on this screen are self explanatory.
Once you have entered your data into the inventory master file, you can test the link by entering it in your browser: www.yoursite.com/epcgetspecials.epc. If you have duplicate information it is because when you entered the information in the inventory maintenance you typed specific information differently. For example entering Volvo on one record and VOLVO on another is not the same thing.
The second link getspecials.epc, uses the same method of returning final results (rows and columns) but does NOT have the drill down method as described above. It simply looks in the inventory file for all items with a 'special' price and the 'onspecial' field set to T (also displayed as .T.). This method is preferred for a small amount of items on special that fit many if not not all makes and model vehicles.
The images you will want to attach to your items should be stored in the 'itemimages' folder of your website, and should be named the same as your sku's (part numbers). For example, part number or sku 03001 should have a corresponding image filename of 03001.jpg, and it should be stored in your itemimages folder. If you uploaded the image correctly the link to see this image would be: http://www.yoursite.com/itemimages/03001.jpg.
