The import/export tool is very useful within Magento. Being that there is limited documentation on the topic, I thought I would add my .02.

Basically you can use the import/export tool to do mass imports of products. It makes it much easier if you would like to add 50 products all at once, you would just create a csv or xml file with the matching fields for the database, add your information and then use the import tool to import the products. You can retrieve a sample csv or xml file, but doing an export.

Doing an export is very easy, and allows you to export all of your products out of your website. You might want to do this, if you are moving your website or need to reinstall or upgrade your website, and need to get the products out.

Its a very useful tool.

I have been learning Magento for the past few months, for a client’s website that I have been working on. Its a pretty robust Open Source Ecommerce plaform that is built on the Zend PHP Framework. At first, it was rather daunting trying to find my way around the software - its pretty robust and the documentation for creating a theme feels rather incomplete. It’s nothing like WordPress which I would take in a heartbeat, if they had a solid enough Ecommerce plugin, I have been spoiled by the WordPress Theme engine for quite some time now.

To make my way around Magento, I have been finding bits and pieces of information scattered across many websites. To make it easier for others, Im going to try to assemble the basics here for you.

The hardest piece for me to grasp has been the folder structure, you have to bounce between two places to build a theme, here is a rundown.

http://www.magentocommerce.com/wiki/Magento-folder-structure/

• /skin// / - is where design package css and images are
• /app/design is location of design packages (layouts, templates, translations)
• /app/design// - theme customizations
• /app/design// /layout - .xml files that define block structure for different cases in website flow
• /app/design// /template - .phtml (html with php tags) templates
• /app/design// /translate - Zend_Db compatible translation files

Common Template Path Hints

<?=$this->getSkinUrl('css/styles.css')?>
<?=$this->getJsUrl()?>

Online Resources

• Magento Message Boards
• Magento Wiki
• Book: Guide to Programming Magento

Recommended Reading for Entrepreneurs/Startup Junkies

I love reading books and there are so many great books out there for us to learn from. Books are a great way to unwind from the day and learn about the world. When I was younger, I loved to read Travel Books. It started with A Walk in the Woods, by Bill Bryson. From there, I read every book by Bill Bryson, then on to other similar travel books - I learned so much about other cultures.

Recently, I have taken the same path with Startup/Entrepreneurial Books. I also read books about code, but if I read those in bed, I tend to fall asleep rather quickly. So I have been sticking to business related books. I get so excited when I order a new one in Amazon, I cant wait to read it. Over the past few months, I have read 4 great books - but my list is growing. Below is a list of the books I have read and what I wish to read next.

Recently Read

• The Art of Start by Guy Kawasaki
• WikiNomics
• Getting Real by 37signals

Currently Reading

• Founders at Work by Jessica Livingston
• Crossing the Chasm

Wishlist

• Getting Things Done by David Allen
• Web Analytics: An Hour a Day by Avinash Kaushik
• Word of Mouth Marketing by Andy Sernovitz

Ah Finally, after about 3 months of being in the Sandbox for Google Search Results, Im out. I was in the sandbox as result of my wordpress install being hacked and hackers using SQL injection to place spam text in my posts. I was getting 200-300 uniques a day, which dropped to about 5-10 uniques a day after being placed in the sandbox, amazing how much our lives depend one search and Google. Im back to being ranked high for “actionscript 3.0, xml, flash slideshow”. Its good news all around!

Greetings from the new WordPress iPhone app. I was waiting for wordpress to release an iPhone app and it looks like they have come through. Stay tuned for more posts from the road.