Copying updates between test/live/customer sites

[Greg Kendall]

I'm using Developer v7 and am confused about the use of Snapshot and Import/Export.

I have a site with three versions to maintain as follows:

1 - Production version on my PC
2 - Test version on my PC (created from 1 via Snapshot facility)
3 - Customer copy on customer's PC (for use with Order Manager)

I have just added an additional range of products to the test version, uploaded the site to a test website for the customer to okay etc. Now I want to 'copy' this new product range to the production and customer sites for live use.

How do I do so without affecting the orders/shipping info etc. etc. - I.E. all I want to copy is the new products?

Do I use a full snapshot? Do I use the export (catalog) facility? What's the difference between them?

I'd appreciate some clarification - thanks.

[James M SellerDeck]

Hi Greg

The snapshot facility enables you to import and export the site as a whole - running through the wizard you are prompted to 'overwrite orders in target installation', this will determine whether you overwrite the orders or not.

The import and export facility enables you to import and export csv files, which you can edit and amend in another programme (excel for example).

An export will create a hierachical file of your catalog, which you can edit once exported.

The import can import heirachical and flatfiles... the flatfile being the more simpler one, good for imported products to update your catalog.

Samples of all these import files can be found in the site1 folder, in a folder called common, so you can see the structure and layout of them.

Hope that helps