FAQs - phpAuction.net: web based auction software

How do I?

• All user's interface messages, the error messages and e-mail messages are stored in text files.
  The files that must be translated are:
  

  
  
  • User's interface messages in includes/messages.inc.php
  
  
  • E-mail messages files in includes/.
    The number of files varies depending on the version. You can get the complete list using the following command: ls -l *mail*.*
  
  

  
  For Multilingual support, please follow the instructions to set up languages available at the installation manuals section.
  For 3.0 versions translating content such as categories and FAQs is done in the admin back-end.

  How do I translate Phpauction package into other language?

• Cron is usually available in all Unix/Linux installations. It is a "daemon" which allow you to schedule programs and scripts execution. If you want to read something more about cron, go here:
  
  http://www.aota.net/Script_Installation_Tips/cronhelp.php4
  
  If you have your domain hosted within a share server, please skip the next instructions and go to the last section in the bottom: "IF YOUR DOMAIN IS HOSTED IN A SHARE SERVER"
  
  We will assume you know what cron is and how it works. The first dilema depends on your PHP installation:
  
  * Compiled CGI
  * Apache module
  
  
  ** Compiled CGI **
  The first thing is to add the necessary command to your crontab file. Edit /etc/crontab (or wherever your crontab file is) and add the following line:
  
  * * * * * php /path/to/your/cron.php
  
  execute the following from the command line:
  
  Shell> crontab crontab
  
  Be sure cron.php has the necessary permissions to be executable.
  This will run cron.php every minute.
  
  
  ** Apache module **
  If you have PHP installed as an Apache module the approach is quite different.
  First of all you need access to lynx (be sure it's installed on your server).
  You simply have to edit your /etc/crontab file and add the following line:
  
  * * * * * lynx -dump -TERM=VT100 http://www.somedomain.com/cron.php
  
  Note you generally have to specify the compete URL: depending on your lynx configuration the URL should be a relative one but I suggest to always use the absolute reference like in the example above, since it always works.
  Save /etc/crontab
  
  Again execute the following from the command line:
  
  Shell> crontab crontab
  
  That's it.
  
  
  IF YOUR DOMAIN IS HOSTED IN A SHARE SERVER
  
  If you have your auctions site hosted within a share server, most likely you have tools to create cronjobs in the Web Based Domain Manager such as Plesk or cPanel. In this case, some servers does not respond properly. In this case, please ask support to your hosting company in order to set the cronjob pointed to the cron.php file
  
  

  How do I set up a cronjob to run cron.php periodically?

• The files and directory that need written permission (chmod 666) are: uploaded/ the folder and all its content
  uploaded/cache/purge
  admin/backup/ the folder and all its content
  includes/countries.inc.php
  includes/currency.inc.php
  includes/categories.inc.php
  includes/categories_selectbox.inc.php
  includes/invoices_footer_text.inc.txt
  includes/invoices_header_text.inc.txt
  includes/membertypes.inc.php
  
  If you are using a version previous to 2.5 also give written permission to counter/ folder During the installation the file that also required written permissions (chmod 666) are:
  includes/passwd.inc.php
  includes/config.inc.php
  
  This information is also available at the installation manual of each product. If you are using a FTP program, depending on the program the name of the function to edit the permissions could be: permissions, attributes, etc. The permissions are restricting to read, write and execute for user, group and other. Depending on the server settings you might need to chmod 777.

  How do I set the proper permissions for Phpauction files and directories?

• If your provider provides you cpanel to administrate your server, you can still use Phpauction's install script but you must first setup the database through the following steps.
  

  • login into cpanel
  
  
  • access the MySQL administration page
  
  
  • create a new MySQL user entering username and password
  
  
  • create a new database
  
  
  • grant privileges for the user you created for the new database

  
  
  Now you start the install script as described in the Phpauction install manual. When you will be requested for the MySQL database information, select Using an existing database and enter the host (usually localhost) and the username and password of the user you created in cpanel. The database name is the one you also created in your cpanel MySQL administration page.
  
  Complete the install script as described in the Phpauction Installation Manual.

  How do I proceed to install Phpauction considering I am using cpanel to administrate my server?

• Customize the look and feel of Phpauction will depend on your html and web design skills. If you are not familiar with html and web design, we will recommend you to use the graphic customize options available at your admin back-end to perform a Basic customization. With these features you will be able to upload a logo, edit colors and fonts, etc. If you are used to web design and html editors you could customize the html templates for an Advanced customization.
  
  Basic customization
  

  • Logo: To upload your logo first check you have the necessary permissions at the upload folder. At the admin back-end in the Custom setting option for 2.0 versions, or at Graphic Interface for 2.5 and higher versions. Click on the General Layout Settings, in this page you will have the option to upload your file. Please note that the files should be .gif or .jpg and not exceed 50 Kb.
  
  
  • Page width and alignment: This options are related to the most external box in your sites pages. At the admin back-end in the Custom setting option for 2.0 versions, or at Graphic Interface for 2.5 and higher versions. Click on the General Layout Settings, in this page you will find the Alignment and Page width option. We recommend you to define width value as a percentage of the browser's windows and not settle any value below 770 px or 80%.
  
  
  • Page background: This option is available at 2.5 and higher versions, in the Graphic Interface option. Click on the General Layout Settings, in this page you will find the option to upload a file that will be the background in your pages. Also you set the repeat pattern. Please note that the files should be .gif or .jpg and not exceed 50 Kb.
  
  
  • Fonts: At the admin back-end in the Custom setting tabs, click on Fonts. At this page you will have the options to edit all the fonts display at the site: color, type and size. For color you can use the color pallet available or enter the html color code.
  
  
  • General colors: At the admin back-end in the Custom setting option for 2.0 versions, or at Graphic Interface for 2.5 and higher versions. Click on Colors. At this page you will have the options to edit the colors display at the site: border, backgrounds, links, etc. You can use the color palette available or enter the html color code. You can obtain html color code form the Web browser safe palette available at our site in E-resources section.

  
  
  Advanced customization:
  To perform an advanced customization you will need to have an html editor such as Macromedia Dreamweaver or TextPath. We will recommend you to first use the graphic customizations options available at the admin back-end before starting to edit the files. Set up with these features the basic guidelines and then start with the html edition. For 3.0 versions you will also need CSS skills since this file contains all the web site style.
  
  The files required to edit the look and feel of Phpauction packages are: header.php and footer.php at the root installation directory and the html templates. The templates are stored in the templates directory for 2.5 versions and previous. In 3.0 version they are stores in themes/ folder with his correspondent name. For a good customization usually is only necessary to edit header, footer and index template.
  
  For 3.0 versions, please download the Phpauction Themes & CSS Tutorial available at the Manuals section for a more detailed description.
  
  

  • header.php: It includes the header displayed at every page. This file opens the but it is really important to note that it does not close it and you must not do it. The content is arranged in 3 tables.
    2.0 versions: The first one includes the PHP command which display the logo and the PHP command which display the banner if it is enable. The second table includes the navigation bar, if you want to change the text display you must edit the corresponding message at includes/messages.inc.php. Also you can change the PHP command that contains the message for an image. The third table includes the search, browse options and the PHP commands to display the users, date. etc. The 3 tables had their own settings which you can edit: align, width, bgcolor, cellpadding, etc. some of them are set by PHP commands. Beware and not delete any necessary information.
    2.5 versions: The first one includes the PHP command which display the logo, the PHP command which display the banner if it is enable and the PHP commands to display the users counters, date. etc. The second table includes the navigation bar, if you want to change the text display you must edit the corresponding message at includes/messages.inc.php. Also you can change the PHP command that contains the message for an image. The third table includes the search, browse options. The 3 tables had their own settings which you can edit: align, width, bgcolor, cellpadding, etc. some of them are set by PHP commands. Beware and not delete any necessary information.
  
  
  • footer.php: It includes the footer displayed at every page. Is one table that includes the navigation bar as the header. Also the Copyright information and webmaster e-mail link.
  
  
  • templates/ directory: Contains the information displayed between the header and the footer. All of them are related to the name of the php file display at the browser. IE: For the registration, the file display at the browser is register.php, the template related is template_register_php.html.
    Note that in some cases there are different templates per each file since its insertion will depend on the settings established. IE: for the user menu page, there are two related templates at 2.0 versions.
  
  
  • template_index.html: It start as continuation of the first table define on the header, beware of not close it neither edit it. The content is showed in a table with 3 columns. In the left column you have the categories table. At the center, also arrange in tables are all the featured items. In the right column also in tables the different options such as language, login and my control panel -that will show up depending on the situation-, help and news arranged in this order. To change the background color or ad a background in this table check that editing the table directly is enough, sometimes (this applies for all templates) this settings are established in the tabledata or tablerow that contents the specific table.

  How do I customize the look & feel of my Phpauction site?

• For multilingual support feature available in our products detail instructions are available at the installations manual, please check them at www.phpauction.org.
  
  For product with out this feature check the next How do I? answers:
  

  • How do I change the user interface text and error messages?
  
  
  • How do I modify the text of the e-mail messages automatically sent to my users?

  How do I add an additional language?

• Phpauction has 3 different systems to get paid by users: pay, prepay and invoices. This is brief description of how they work.
  
  PAY
  Every time you sell something, you will be asked to pay your fees via Paypal. The operation is made sequentially: input or sell data - payment - sell confirmation. If you don't make the payment, nothing happens. This mode is not very used, if none at all, because paypal fees becomes too high in front of the low fees that normally are applied on the site.
  
  PREPAY
  You have an account of, say, 10$ on the site. You then try to sell something, and - selecting home page feature, reserve fee feature etc - you reach fees for, say, 12$. In this case your auction, at submission, becomes SUSPENDED, and you have (and you are normally noticed) to charge your account (with your control panel) with a certain amount of money, at your preference. In this example from 2 $ to infinite. At that point you can by yourself (as an user) to reopen your suspended auctions; the system controls the consistence of your account in front of
  the auctions you are trying to reopen. In prepay, at the end, you pre-pay your future fees; than, every fee you ask
  for makes a withdrawal on your account.
  IMPORTANT: normally, a new user is "pre-charged" with a free bonus; the bonus amount is decided by the admin in an apposite section.
  The user can control its account status via the control panel.
  
  INVOICES
  This is the preferred mode for professional auctions. There are neither blocks nor suspensions. When an user posts a sell, one or more new invoice rows are written in user's account. Every "X" days, the administrator has to go in the ADMIN/INVOICES section and control if there are pending invoices. An invoice is pending when it reaches a certain amount (that has to be set in settings administration). An apposite script generates pending invoices and sends them to the users. It is very simple. In then meantime, every user can control its dues via the control panel. When receiving the emails, users have to pay (via PayPal) the pending invoices, the admin receives the PayPal confirmations and then sets the "paid" flag on the invoices. Naturally this mechanism needs more work to be done by the administrator, but is largely the preferred, because is very user-friendly and tends to
  fidelize users. When invoices is selected, PAY and PREPAY becomes inactive.
  
  Practically, you have to go in the FEES admin section, and switch to PAY if you want a PAY mechanism instead of the actual PREPAY, to avoid the "suspension" flag to be set. Or go to ADMIN/INVOICES section and set INVOICES as your fee payment system.

  How do I set the best payment system to get paid by my users?

• Access your admin back-end and click on the tab Fees for 2.0 versions and Fees-Invoices for 2.5 and higher. You can set different fees for different profiles: registered users, buyers fee, sellers' fees and others such as featured items and listing options. Each option can be enable and disable separately.
  

  • For the registered users fee, you can charge users a Sign Up Fee. It is a fixed amount expressed in the currency you selected in the Currency Settings page.
  
  
  • For the buyers and sellers fees, you can charge a fix amount or a percentage of the value for final values settings or picture gallery (if applicable).
  
  
  • The fees grouped as Other fees are charged by a fix amount.

  
  
  Check your admin back-end to know better all the possibilities available.

  How do I set users fees? Not applicable for GPL

• To change the user interface text, error messages and e-mails you should edit the corresponding file, this also apply if you want to translate it.
  Note: If you are using a product with multilingual support remember each language has its own messages files like includes/messages.EN.inc.php check the installation manual available at www.phpauction.org for more information about adding languages.
  
  In the case of the interface text it is stored at: includes/messages.inc.php. To change it check in the corresponding file the messages variable and edit it in messages.inc.php
  
  IE: The Copyright note at the footer. Open footer.php with an html editor, check the variable number: $MSG_260, open includes/messages.inc.php and look for the message, substitute Copyright 200X, PHPAUCTION.ORG with your own copyright text.

  How do I change the user interface text and error messages?

• To change the user interface text, error messages and e-mails you should edit the corresponding file, this also apply if you want to translate it.
  Note: If you are using a product with multilingual support remember each language has its own messages files like includes/messages.EN.inc.php Check the installation manual available at www.phpauction.org for more information about adding languages.
  
  The e-mail messages files are in includes/. The number of files varies depending on the version. You can get the complete list using the following command: ls -l *mail*.*
  
  IE: To change the text of the message your customers will receive as a confirmation for the posted auction. Edit with an html editor the corresponding file includes/auctionmail.EN.inc.php

  How do I modify the text of the e-mail messages automatically sent to my users?

• Access your admin back-end and click on the option Contents. For 2.0 in the Other Contents section you have a link to Terms & Conditions Page, for 2.5 and higher versions it is in the submenu. At this option you can activate the option, which will show a link in the footer of your pages.
  
  The text by default is the standard text of Phpauction.org, edit the text or replace it with yours in the form field. HTML tags are allowed, also each new line character will be converted to BR HTML tag.

  How do I change the Terms & Conditions text?

• Access your admin back-end and click on the option Contents. For XL, Reverse and Classifieds 2.0 n the Other Contents section you have a link to About Us Page, for XL 2.5 it is in the submenu. At this option you can activate the option, which will show a link in the footer of your pages.
  
  The text by default is the standard text of Phpauction.org, edit the text or replace it with yours in the form field. HTML tags are allowed, also each new line character will be converted to BR HTML tag.

  How do I change the About Us text?

• Open the file you wan to edit with an html editor, check the advanced customization description for a better knowledge of the template files. Add your own links and images, since the templates are called from the .php file the path should be for the .php file.
  
  IE: I want to add an image located at images/ to the index, open templates/template_index.php, add the image. The path will be ../images/image.gif as mention before since it is called from the index.php file the correct path is: images/image.gif
  
  If you are using any module and you want to add images and/or links to the footer and header, add before the correct path the following Phpauction variable <?=$SETTINGS[siteurl]?>.

  How do I add my own links and images in my site pages?

• Access your admin back-end and click on the option Contents. For 2.0 is available in the FAQs Management section. For 2.5 and higher versions it's available at the Help submenu.
  You have 3 options:
  

  • FAQs categories: To add, edit and delete FAQs categories. Insert the name of a new category and create it. Once is created you can edit its name. Only categories with no FAQs can be deleted.
  
  
  • New Faqs: To add new FAQs, select the category, add the text question or title and the text answer, HTML tags are allowed.
  
  
  • Manage FAQs: From the manage FAQs you can edit an existing FAQ, clicking on it and editing the text and/or category, and delete it.

  How do I add and administrate FAQs?

• Access your admin back-end and click on the option Contents. For 2.0 is available in the News Management section. For 2.5 and higher versions it's available at the News Management option in the main submenu.
  At this option you can:
  

  • Add a new: the date displayed will be the current by default, add the title and the content, HTML tags are allowed. You can choose if is activate -available on-line-, or not. All fields are required.
  
  
  • News list: you can edit or delete them.

  How do I add and administrate news?

• For 2.0 versions you should edit index.php file with an html editor. On line 23 you will see:
  
  $query = "select * from PHPAUCTIONXL_categories WHERE parent_id=0 order by sub_counter desc";
  
  change it this way
  
  $query = "select * from PHPAUCTIONXL_categories WHERE parent_id=0 order by cat_name ASC";
  
  For 2.5 and higher versions, it is an option available at the admin back-end at Preferences option, Categories Sorting.

  How do I edit the categories list so they appear in alphabetical order in the home page?

• The Words Filter option gives you the possibility to eliminate undesired words from:
  

  • TITLE and DESCRIPTION of the auctions.
  
  
  • Messages posted to the message boards

  
  
  Access your admin back-end and click on the option Tools, then click on the Words filter option. Enter the undesired words one per line (max. 255 characters per line). Note that each line will be treated like "one word" and enable it.

  How do I prevent my users to use undesired words?

• Phpauction has a basic statistics feature available. Access your admin back-end and click on the option Stats for 2.0 versions or Static for 2.5 and higher versions. The general information displayed with counters are: Active Users, Inactive Users, Registered Users, Active Auctions, Closed Auctions, # Bids. Also Phpauction can generate access statistics for your site, for it you should enable the option. The type of statistics the can be generate are: User access statistics, Browser and platform statistics and Domain name access statistics.
  
  For more complete information about access statistics we recommend you to use the statistics created by your web hosting provider.

  How do I see my site statistics?

• Access your admin back-end and click on the option Custom settings for 2.0. For 2.5 and higher versions, click on the option Graphic Interface. At this section you will have one option per each:
  

  • Fonts: you will be able to edit the font face, size and color of the text display on the site. There are different settings depending on its use such as: Standard font, Error font, Navigation Font, etc.
  
  
  • Colors: you will be able to edit the colors of the website. There are different values such as: border color, header background color, tables' header color, etc. Some of this values are also use for other reasons such as the border color which is displayed as the color of the footer and the top navigation bar.

  
  
  To change the color palette display by default, edit includes/fontcolor.inc.php and follow the instructions. A browser safe color palette is available at the e-resources section at www.phpauction.org.
  
  For more information about 3.0 customizations please check the Phpauction Themes & CSS Tutorial available at the Manual's section.

  How do I change fonts and colors?

• You cannot change by yourself you key file information. Please contact the support team through the Help Desk available at your account page and ask them to change it. Do not forget to mention the exactly new URL and the reasons why you need this modification.

  How do I change my key file information?

• Upload the new key-file in the includes/ directory and replace the old one.

  Where should I upload the key file?

• Redirect the secondary domain to the primary domain (the one with the key file) with a file. It's important to redirect it with a file not DNS.

  How do I run the same Phpauction installation under two different domains using a domain redirection?

• To buy a new key-file login to your account page and you will have the option to buy one, per each license you can have 3 key-files extras.
  
  Remember to register the exact URL when ordering it or it won't work.

  How do I buy a new key-file?

• Just comment the link related to sell.php in the file:
  /installation_directory/themes/your_current_theme/header.php.html
  
  
  i.e. If you are current theme it is phpauction_yellow, the accurate file would be:
  /installation_directory/themes/phpauction_yellow/header.php.html

  How do I take off the Sell an Item link?

• Each mail that is sent, has this kind of structure:
  
  mail($TPL_email,"$MSG_000",$message,"From:$SETTINGS[sitename] <$SETTINGS[adminmail]>\n"."Content-Type: text/html; charset=$CHARSET");
  
  where $MSG_000 could be any different message variable.
  
  You just need to find out the variable message in the file:
  
  installation_folder/includes/messages.XX.inc.php
  
  where XX could be: EN, ES, DU, DE, SK, PT, etc. It means your language and other language you handle in your installation.
  
  
  

  How do I change the subject and body text of emails sent by the system?

• The user should login in the site's user account. In the control panel select the Buying tab, click in the Wanted Items and select the options: Post a new ad (wanted item)

  How do a user post a Wanted Item?

• Just edit the modules/stores/includes/themecolors.inc.txt.
  
  And put the name and the colors code that you want like this example:
  
  1 Navy #2644A4 #78CAE9
  2 Grass #009933 #68EA89
  3 Wood #993300 #E9A578
  4 Red #FF0000 #FFB9B9
  5 Purple #CC3399 #EDB6DB
  6 Grey #999999 #CCCCCC
  7 test #FFFFFF #E9A578 <- the new line
  
  Between the text and the color code, just give one space with the "Tab" key
  
  

  How do I include new theme colors for web stores?

• Login on your admin back-end (www.yourauctionsite.com/admin/)
  In the the menu, select Preferences / Currencies Settings
  
  Select the site currency and money format.

  How do I change the money format?

• Login on your admin back-end (www.yourauctionsite.com/admin/)
  In the the menu, select Users / Users sign up settings
  
  Select the fields in your sign up and if they are optional or mandatory.

  How do I set the users sign up settings form in my site?

• If you are not going to provide multilingual support just edit "includes/languages.inc.php"
  
  and change the following lines:
  
  $LANGUAGES = array (
  
  "EN" => "English"
  
  "ES" => "Espa?ol"
  
  );
  
  with
  
  
  $LANGUAGES = array (
  
  "EN" => "English"
  
  );
  
  Then rename the file /includes/messages.ES.inc.php to /includes/messages.ES.inc.phpno

  I just want to use one language, how do I remove the choose language selection in the home page?

• Open the file /themes/YOUR_CURRENT_THEME/header.php.html and check the following code
  if($SETTINGS['banners'] == 1) {
  view();
  } else {
  print " ";
  }
  ?>
  This function shows your banner in your header section.
  If you are interested in add more or change it, copy this code and place it in the template file in the position selected.

  How do I change the ads (banner) positions in my site?

• If you have XL Premium, Classifieds, Reverse or Trading it is the standard feature "Unique seller". Login on your admin back-end (www.yourauctionsite.com/admin/) In the the menu, select Users / Registered Users / Unique seller settings.

  I want to be have only one user selling products. How can I do it?

• Open the file /includes/googleadsense.inc.php adn add the line google_ad_slot = "XXXXX"

  How do I can add the ad_slot Google variable?

• 
  There is an initial bid of $1

  
  User 1 place a maximum bid of $15

  
  phpAuction save the $ 15 bid as maximum bid. But the winning bid is the minimum required, in this case $1. Why? Because phpAuction Auto-bid for User 1 until an other user place a higher bid.

  
  User 2 place a maximum bid of $2. phpAuction auto-bid User 1 to next bid since it is still in the maximum bid range. User 1 'bid' $3 and he is the winner. This is the proxy bidding process.

  
  This process continues until you reach the maximum bid. 

  <p>How does proxy bidding works?<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre"> </span></p>