Getting started with HikaShop

I am using Joomla 2.5.6 with HikaShop 1.5.8. I need some help with getting HikaShop set up. I am switching over from VirtueMart because I understood this to be an easier product to work with, but I have already spent twice as much time trying to set up a very simple store and I still don't have it right. Are there any simple, straightforward instructions for setting up a store with one main menu item on the front end that takes the visitor to a page that contains ten products with pictures and descriptions? The instructions I have found don't seem to work. I assume I'm missing something but I can't seem to get it. My site is www.goldengazebo.com . The "Shop For Products" menu item is the VirtueMart product listing I am trying to replace with HikaShop. I am also hoping that HikaShop will give me more flexibility in formatting this product page to look better. Can you direct me to the appropriate instructions for setting up a menu item that links directly to a page showing 10 products along with pictures and descriptions? Thank you in advance for any help you can give me!

Hello,

If you just want to create a menu that shows your products you'll have to :

- Go to "Administration->Menu Manager->menu items->new"
- Set the "Menu Item Type" to Products listing and name your menu Products for example
- SAVE one time
- Edit your Hikashop menu through the " HikaShop Options " link

Hope this will help you to get started.

Thank you for our response. I have followed your instructions which create a main menu item (which I called Products, and then followed the HikaShop Options link on the right-hand side of the page, to Menu settings. I then click on the Products>Add a New Product link, where I have added two products with descriptions and images for each. When I view my site, the main menu item (Products) is there as it should be, BUT clicking on it brings me to a blank page--no products. Apparently my Products page is not linked to my main menu item for Products, but I don't understand what I need to do to link the two so my products will show when the menu item is clicked. Can you help?

Hello,

Can you show me a screenshot of your "Hikashop->Display->Content menu-> 'Product'" page ?

Here are two screen shots. The first is: HikaShop>Products>Display>Content Menus. The second is: HikaShop>Products>Display>Content Menus>Products. I hope this is what you asked for. If you go to the site ( www.goldengazebo.com ) you will see that there is a "HikaShop Product Listing" main menu tab, but that link leads to a blank page. Any thoughts?

Did you create some Hikashop products ? at "Hikashop->Products"

Yes, per attached.

And here is Product-1 setup

In the hikashop options of your menu, please enter a value for the fields "number of columns" and "number of items".

The rest is properly configured.

I entered 3 for the number of columns and 10 for the number of items but when i click on Save, these two values disappear. Should they disappear or stick to the imput boxes when saved?

They should be displayed in the box after saving.

So it seems that you have a problem on the save of the options.
Can you try to save the options with another browser ? Can you try with the "debug mode" option of the configuration of joomla turned one ?

In any event, after entering values for "number of columns" and "Number of items" and clicking "Save" the values disapear from the screen and the products still do not appear on the website.

I have been using Chrome and will try with Internet Explore. I am not familiar with "the "debug mode" option of the configuration of joomla turned one". Can you provide more detailed information?

By "In any event", do you mean that you tried with the debug mode and another browser and it was the same ?

The same options are present in the configuration of Hikashop in the Display tab. Can you set them there ? They will apply for new menus your create. So you could always delete the menu your created and create a new one which should use the options from the configuration as default values.

OK. I think we are making progress! Using Internet Explorer rather than Chrome, the values in columns and items stuck. Also, the products appear on the webpage. Do you find that your product works better with IE? Also, although the products are now appearing on the correct webpage, the formatting is not good. Can you direct me to information regarding formating product listing pages?

Also, is it possible to remove the "HikaShop , Joomla!™ Online Store Component" footer?

Sorry. Found the setting.

Hikashop works the same with any browser.
You might have a temporary problem with the joomla session and your browser's cache/cookies. Just flush your browser's cache/cookies and it should also work with it.

For the display options of your listing, they are all there:
www.hikashop.com/media/kunena/attachment...enus-ProductList.JPG
So you already know where they are since you're the one who did that screenshot
If you want to know more about each option, you can click on the Help button at the top of the screen.