does anyone know of a dictionary or glossary of terms defintions ...I'd be more willing to find out what all the acronyms stand for that way, than asking one by one, here, and annoying everyone..

In the past few days, I have wrestled with terms common to most, I am sure.... PHP vs ASB...MySQL....co-location...a whole second tier of basic definitions would have to do with compatibilities and incompatibilities..example: PHP is mostly connected to Linux server programming, and ASB for Windows?

my brain is going to explode.

just a thought..I know it is a forum, and no one in particular is charged with ensuring basic , fundamental educating ..so I think all you folks offering replies are doing God's work ... thanks

Hello,

Click Here (http://www.cartikahosting.com/glossary.php)

Nice work Gargoyle, that is a great idea.

Hi kevinL,
You might also find this site useful:
http://www.hostinghelp.com/

From what I can glean by those two excellent referrals to basics above, is that , osCommerce is probably not for us, and I say that with some regret. Our site is being scripted by my partner as she learns HTML ( site is up and begun, at least) but she needs to work in Windows. She is using windows based programs to help her get the inner pages all up and linked, etc.

If all of that is useless on osCommerce, or if she had to learn a whole new language and re-do what she has already completed, it's a no-go. Still studying all this tho, and appreciate the leads to basic answers, even if they appear to some to be self serving ! I will take help from any quarter, gladly. Thanks again.

Unix and Linux distinctions still not so clear. I wonder what future generations will say about these days in computing.

It is like a person wishing to be a pilot , first having to learn to mine iron ore...then smelt it...then pound it into steel...then shape a plane...then build an engine ..make windows..(no pun) make the radios..learn rubber making for tires. etc etc etc

Is this the way our oriental competition does things also?? rhetorical only

Hi Kevin,

There are many ASP based carts available as well. Rather then scripting one from scratch, you may want to consider using one of the pre-packed solutions and look at modifying to meet your objectives.

osCommerce is not the end all and be all solution for every business. You have to find out what will best suit your needs and go from there.

Here's a couple good ASP cart solutions for you to consider

http://www.vpasp.com/
http://www.urlogy.com/asp/ashopkart.asp (this one is free)

Hope this helps...

Kevin, when you mentioned your wife using Windows and therefore not being able to use OSCommerice, explain what you mean a little more.. What exactly is she using and why do you think that means OSC is out of the question?

If I'm reading what you've written correctly, I think you might have missed something and therefore OSC could still work for you.

Hi Kevin,

letsgo brings up an excellent point, however if your partner is not at all familiar with php, it still may not be a viable option for you.

But, def worth looking into a little more...

it is my partner in another state who is scripting the site using HTML...she is not scripting a cart, as we intend to buy a "canned" cart and integrate it onto our site. Researching carts with all these questions , now.

She has taught herself ( very bright lady) HTML and has created the home page, such as it is, but health problems have put a temp halt on it all . My contribution to this was to try to get new hosting, a useable, practical cart merchant acct, SSL, etc, so she will not have to worry about those when she returns to this soon. She'll be handling newsletter editing/publishing, product selection, etc, so I don't want to have her burdened with the mechanics of online marketing also.

The name of the program that she WILL be using to help her organize the other facets, pages, links, etc is unknown to me.

My comment was more to the fact that if we decided we liked osCommerce, neither of us knows how to write PHP, to keep the cart maintained, fresh, current, and changing. That is why it occurred to me that we probably ought to stay with a cart with Windows based language...there's going to be enough stuff to digest besides having to learn new scripting.

I DO note that in some of my reading , I saw a sentence that said osCommerce could be used with Windows, but then it also said it is Linux based, as opposed to Windows. Confusing to me still, but onward and upward. Thanks for your replies.

Hi Kevin,

I think I better understand what you're trying to accomplish and I feel you're a lot closer then you think.

First off, let me stress, we are osCommerce hosts and make money off of hosting and supporting this package, so my opinions may be biased. Having said this, I will try to explain your current situation and terminology in plain English and present you with a solution that I believe will fit your requirements.

osCommerce is php/MySQL based - which is a fancy way of saying it runs on Linux (php is the particular language its written in and mysql is the database which stores information)

osCommerce can be maintained from a windows PC. Meaning you or I (I and most people here use a windows PC's as well - even though a majority of us are Linux hosts and run Linux servers), can access the control panel for osCommerce (which resides on a linux server) and make all the changes needed (ie - adding products, adding categories, checking your reports, changing or creating tax zones, etc - essentially everything involved with running an online store)

HTML will run on every server, windows or linux. If I understand this correctly, you are looking to have a few "static" html pages (home page, about us, etc..) and have a link to your online store. If this is what you're trying to accomplish, then I believe osCommerce is a perfect fit for you.

I would recommend that you find a host that specializes in osCommerce to host your site. They often include a higher level of support for osCommerce with their hosting packages. They also offer upgraded support packages - so that you can pay 1 relatively low rate and receive hosting and "premium" support. Most of these companies will also offer merchant services and free configuration as well as SSL certificates and free installation.

Again, I concede the fact that we are biased towards this type of solution (since this is what we do), however, I do believe this solution will fit your requirements and allows you the ability to run your business, rather then manage your IT environment.

I dont think you should limit your search to just osCommerce. For your situation, I feel that any php/mySQL cart would fill your requirements (as would most ASP carts - though hosting and support on an ASP solution tend to be more expensive). I would recommend you take a look at all the available carts and decide which one you think fits YOUR business the best before choosing a hosting provider.

Hope this helps...

Awesome technical term encyclopedia:

http://www.webopedia.com/