Reference Guide

User Interface

Frameworks

Frameworks are used to copy pages into a store. A Framework is a package file, like a zip file, that contains one or more store pages. The general process for using Framework files is:

1. Create the Framework file.
2. Add one or more pages to it
3. Upload the Framework file to your store server
4. "Paste" the pages in the Framework file into the store.

You can use Framework files to copy pages from one store to another, but you can also buy third-party Framework files containing custom pages and paste those pages into your store.

If you have an older Miva Merchant store, it was probably created with MMUI, which was the original Miva Merchant look and feel. It may have been upgraded with the Miva Merchant CSS Framework, which added CSS and other features. Your Frameworks screen might look like this:

These Frameworks contain legacy store pages. If you are creating a new store we recommend that you create the store using CSSUI and then your Framework options would look like this:

Notes:

• If your store uses MMUI, then you cannot copy an MMUI Framework to a store that uses CSSUI, or vice versa.
• There is no "undo" after you have applied (pasted) the pages from a Framework file into your store. The safest thing to do is to create a "backup" Framework file containing all pages before you apply any new pages. See To Apply a Framework File to Your Store.
• You cannot edit a Framework file. If you create a Framework that doesn't have the pages that you want, you must delete it and create a new one.
• Modules cannot be installed or copied from one store to another using a Framework file. For example, if you want to clone a store that has custom modules, you would use a Framework file to copy pages from the first store to the second, and then install the custom modules into the second store. If you are copying pages from a store that has custom modules, the second store must have the same modules.
• Once you copy a Framework file to another store and apply those pages to the second store, the Framework file is no longer needed. You may delete it or keep it, but i is not actively used for anything.

To Create a Framework File

1. In the Frameworks tab, click on Save Framework .



2. In the Save Framework screen:

   2.1. Enter a Framework code. The code is used to create the Framework filename. For example, if you enter "test" as the code, the Framework file path on the server will be something like: /mm5/frameworks/00000003/test.pkg

   Note that the "00000003" is the store number. If you only have one store this will always be "00000001", but if you are in doubt as to your store number, you can sftp/ftp to the server and search for the filename "test.pkg".

   2.2. Enter a Framework name. The name is used to identify the Framework file in the Miva Merchant admin interface.

   2.3. If you wish you can upload your own Preview Image. This image will be displayed in the main Frameworks screen.

   2.4. Click the checkboxes next to the pages that you want to include in the Framework file

   2.5. Click Save Framework. The Framework file has now been saved to your store server.

To Save a Framework File to Your Local Machine

1. Follow the instructions in the previous section to create the Framework file. It will always be created in a directory path on the server that looks like: /<root_directory>/Frameworks/subdir/package.pkg For example: /mm5/frameworks/00000001/test.pkg
2. Use FTP or SFTP to connect to the server and transfer the file to your local machine.

To Apply a Framework File to Your Store

Applying a Framework file is a two step process: first you upload the Framework file to your store server, and then you "apply" the Framework. Applying the Framework copies the files from the Framework file into your store.

1. Follow the instructions in the previous sections to create the Framework file and save it to your local machine.
2. Log into the store where you want to "paste" the pages from the Framework file, and go to: > User Interface > Frameworks tab

Please keep in mind that, once you apply ("paste") the pages from the Framework file into your store, there is no rollback. As a safety precaution you may want to create a backup of all your store pages before you apply the Framework file.

You can create a backup of your store pages by creating another Framework file at this point and by making sure that you select all store pages. See To Create a Framework File. You might want to name this Framework file something like "store_backup_".



3. To copy the Framework file from your local machine to the server, click Upload Framework .
4. In the Upload File dialog box, click on the Choose File button. Browse to the Framework file on your local machine and click Open, then click Upload in the Upload File dialog box.



5. After you've uploaded the Frameworks file, the screen will look something like this:



6. When you are ready to apply the pages in the Framework file that you uploaded, select the Framework file and click Open .





7. The Apply Framework screen appears. At the bottom of the Apply Framework screen you may see two checkboxes: "Overwrite Images" and "Overwrite CSS Files". You will only see these checkboxes if the Framework you are applying contains images or CSS files.
• If you check the Overwrite Images checkbox, images in your existing pages with the same names will be overwritten. For example, if you have an image in your existing pages named "black_front.jpg" and the same image name exists in your Framework pages, the Framework image will overwrite the image in your existing pages. The same thing will happen to CSS files if you check the Overwrite CSS Files checkbox.
• If you do not check the Overwrite Image checkbox, pages and images from the Framework will be copied to your store, but images with the same name will be ignored. For example, if you have an image in your existing pages named "black_front.jpg" and the same image name exists in your Framework pages, the Framework image will be ignored and the one in your store will be kept.
8. Click Apply. The pages that were in the Framework file have now been copied to your store.