Adding order comments to the checkout process in your Magento store is quite useful. This functionality can be used to allow customers to provide specific instructions for their order or to collect information from them, for example, asking customers how they heard about your company, which can yield valuable data and marketing ideas.

This guide will detail how to install the Magemaven OrderComments extension as well as configure it for specific purposes.

1) The first step is to install the OrderComments extension via Magento connect. Go to the extension’s listing in the Magento Marketplace and click the install button. Once you have the extension key, open your Magento Connect Manager via the admin panel (System > Magento Connect > Magento Connect Manager) and install the extension.

Typically, this extension works out of the box, but with some custom themes that don’t support all of Magento’s features it is sometimes necessary to update your layout file(s). To do this, locate checkout.xml under app/design/frontend/your_package/your_theme/layout. Open the file and look for the block type checkout/onepage_review_info. Ensure that it contains the following code near the end:

<block type="checkout/agreements" name="checkout.onepage.agreements" as="agreements" template="checkout/onepage/agreements.phtml"/>

If you don’t see it the above code in your layout file, please add it just before the block named checkout.onepage.review.button. Once added, the extension will work with your custom theme.

Customers will now be provided with a text box labled “Order Comment” into which they can enter their comments. To see order comments in the Magento admin, go to Sales > Orders. Order comments will be listed in the far right column.

2) If you would like to change the default “Order Comment” label on the text box to read differently, such as changing it to “How did you hear about us?”, open app/design/frontend/your_package/your_theme/template/ordercomment/checkout/ and edit the agreements.phtml. Around line 21, locate the following code:

<label for="ordercomment-comment"><?php echo Mage::helper('ordercomment')->__('Order Comment') ?></label>

Change 'Order Comment' to 'How did you hear about us?' (or whatever else you would like to label the box) and save the file.

Voila, now you have a custom order comment box for your customers. We hope you found this tutorial helpful. If you are interested in jobs in the IT and telecommunications fields, please visit jobandtalent.

The ability to change the number of columns in the product grid on Magento category pages from the default of 3 columns is very useful. It allows the display of more products per row and is very useful when developing custom Magento themes.

To change the number of columns on the Magento product grid, edit your catalog.xml layout file (remember to edit the layout file in your current theme or the changes won’t show) and use action name="setColumnCount" to set the number of columns. A guide for changing the number of columns to 4 is below:

Step 1
Open your catalog.xml file and locate the two instances of

<action method="addColumnCountLayoutDepend"><layout>empty</layout><count>6</count></action>

Step 2
Add the following code above the two instances of the code from Step 1.

<action method="setColumnCount"><columns>4</columns></action>

Giving you

<action method="setColumnCount"><columns>4</columns></action>
<action method="addColumnCountLayoutDepend"><layout>empty</layout><count>6</count></action>

Step 3
Flush the cache and your product category grid layout should update to 4 columns across.

Note
Remember to also update your catalogsearch.xml layout file in the same manner as described above if you want the number of columns in the search results grid to match the category pages.

Broken captions aren't fun for anyone. We detail how to fix caption issues.

The root cause of this issue has to do with a deliberate change made in WordPress version 3.4. Instead of caption="" being an attribute of the [caption] shortcode, WordPress 3.4+ inserts the caption in the main content of the shortcode, right after the image and between [caption] and [/caption]. This change was made to allow for HTML in captions. In older versions of certain themes, such as Thesis and Headway, this change has resulted in improperly formatted captions and aligned images because of the themes are not using the appropriate 'img_caption_shortcode' filter.

The long term solution to the issue is to upgrade your theme to the latest version; however, since theme upgrades can be a time-intensive process, we have detailed a quick and easy temporary fix below.

Step #1
Locate the caption code in the appropriate post or page and change:

[caption id="attachment_123" align="aligncenter" width="550"]<img src="...">My Caption[/caption]

to

[caption id="attachment_123" align="aligncenter" width="550" caption="My Caption"]<img src="...">[/caption]

by editing to include the caption text within the [caption] shortcode instead of after the html for the image.

Step #2
Now refresh the page. Your image and caption should now be displayed correctly.

More from the WordPress Development Team (via the community forum):

This change in 3.4 was necessary to allow for HTML in captions. But, like everything we develop, it was deliberately coded so it would be backwards compatible. Any theme using the 'img_caption_shortcode' filter to override how a caption is generated would work swimmingly, even though the format changed.

If I had to guess, the common issue for all for these themes is that they call add_shortcode( 'caption', 'some_function_in_their_theme' ); to customize the caption, instead of using the aforementioned filter. This is wrong. Themes should not be doing this. If the theme you are using does this, please contact the theme author. If they disagree it is a problem with their theme, I’d be happy to explain it to them.

BIA/Kelsy predicts that by 2015 more local searches will come from smartphones than PCs.

As the use of smartphones and mobile search has increased rapidly over recent years, local search has grown by leaps and bounds as well.  With the increasing prevalence of local search, the value of accurate, up-to-date listings on sites like Yelp, Foursquare, Tripadvisor, and Yellow Pages has never been higher.  These listings often typically rank well for relevant search queries, which can drive substantial traffic — and ultimately sales — to a businesses that take the time to ensure that they are listed properly.

However, despite the clear value of local search many small businesses never take the time to update their listings online.  A recent study by ConstantContact’s SinglePlatform division found that almost half (49%) of small businesses have never updated their online listings, even though 50% of businesses surveyed said that they had seen inaccurate listings for their business.  Given the value of local search and the number of inaccurate listings, why are nearly half of all small businesses ignoring local listings?

Reason #1 — Time

70% of small businesses surveyed reported that they didn’t  have time to manage listings on all of the sites that consumers frequent.

Reason #2 — Lack of Familiarity

Only 23% of small businesses said that they have a good sense of the ways in which  listings drive traffic to their business.  Although this statistic is very low, it is not that surprising.  Understanding the true value of online listings requires a degree of familiarity with what factors influence a website’s visibility and how search itself works to drive traffic to websites.

Reason #3 — Unaware of Local Search Growth

Local search has grown rapidly over the past couple years and  many small businesses may simply not be aware of what they are missing out on as more and more consumers turn to their smartphones to search for local queries.  However, the  data is clear:  Google has stated  that roughly 20% of PC-based search is related to location and local information, while  between 40% and 50% of mobile search is about local information or location.

What is a Small Business to do?

While keeping up with online listings can seem daunting, this is not necessarily the case.  A structured approach to periodically reviewing and updating online listings ensures that your business will have accurate listings without sinking undue amounts of time into the process.  Regular use of the platforms that provide online listings also breeds familiarity and an understanding of how they work.

Keeping up on search trends is another important part of of this process.  This approach does not necessarily revolve around reading the latest articles about search trends (although it is helpful), it can involve simple things like when a customer says they found you online, ask them how.  When a business understands how customers tend to look for it, optimizing for these searches much easier and rewarding.

Collaboration 133 has years of experience with helping small businesses manage their online presence and maximize search traffic.  If you would like further information about ensuring that your small business has accurate online listings or would like help managing your business’ online presence, please contact us for further information.

The New York Times reports that YouTube is planning to announce a subscription option for some of its content this week. Select partners will be able to charge a monthly subscription to users who wish to view their channels. While the vast majority of YouTube videos will remain free, the plan is seen as a way to let YouTube’s partners tap a new source of revenue. The subscription channels will be more like video libraries than traditional television channels.

According to people who are familiar with the plan, subscription channels will encompass many topic areas, including entertainment, children’s programming, and music. Some partners already have plans to operate channels that specialize in old episodes of TV shows. Depending how this develops, it could lead to an interesting competition with Netflix, Amazon, and Hulu. Currently on YouTube, full length episodes and movies are rare as they are typically flagged for copyright violations quickly. However, given the subscription model and some copyright holders may well become more interested in having their content on YouTube, albeit behind a pay wall.

Some partners have expressed frustration with the ad-based revenue model that YouTube presently employs and relatively small amount of revenue that it generates. By giving its partners a subscription option, the company may help some boost their revenues; however, it remains to be seen how much of an effect it will have. Are people going to be willing to pay for subscriptions? YouTube executives have downplayed the short term importance of paid subscriptions and it is viewed by some as a means of placating upset YouTube talent.

Not all partner are clamoring for a subscription option. Several popular video publishers for the site have passed on the subscription trial. At the same time, a number of partners plan to begin promoting their channels on Thursday. It will be interesting to see how this market develops, what kind of data YouTube releases regarding revenue from subscriptions in coming months, and whether it leads to more content being available on the site. For further info, see YouTube Is Said to Plan a Subscription Option.

Upgrading Magento is quite the undertaking. Finding a clear set of steps to follow, let alone actually performing the upgrade, can be a substantial challenge, so we’ve put together a detailed guide for upgrading from Magento Community Edition 1.4.2.0 to 1.5.1.0. It is tempting to try and upgrade directly from 1.4.2.0 to the latest stable edition (currently 1.7.0.2); however, this is not recommended as it will likely break your store. Follow the steps below to upgrade to 1.5.1 and then proceed with further upgrades.

Save time and have us upgrade Magento for you! With years of experience, we offer comprehensive Magento upgrade services. Or if you’re having a difficulty upgrading yourself, we can help you get your site back online.

Steps to Upgrade Magento 1.4.2.0 to 1.5.1.0
The preferred method of upgrading Magento 1.4.2 to 1.5.1 is to run a fresh install of 1.5.1 and connect it to a copy of the 1.4.2 database that you want to upgrade at the appropriate step in the installation. Do not use your live database for this! Make a backup per the below instructions.

1) Before doing anything, create a full backup of your site. Always backup!

2) Create a backup of your database by running the mysqldump command from SSH. If you don’t have SSH access, you can export a copy of your database via the Magento admin panel (System > Tools > Backup, more) or phpMyAdmin. Make sure you select the correct database and the appropriate export options if using phpMyAdmin. A benefit of the first two methods is that you don’t need to worry about export options.

If using SSH:

mysqldump -uusername -ppassword database_name > database_copy.sql

3) Create a new database in cPanel and import the database_copy.sql file you just created in Step 2. Note that the direction of the angle bracket (pointy arrow in layman’s terms) changes directions and be sure that you use the new database name (you don’t want to import the exported data back into your live database). You can also import database_copy.sql with phpMyAdmin if you don’t have SSH access.

mysql -uusername -ppassword new_database < database_copy.sql

4) Create a development subdomain or directory and get a copy of the 1.5.1.0 fileset to install. If you don’t have SSH access, you can download from the Magento website, unzip, and upload via FTP. Whether you use SSH or FTP for this step, make sure that you upload / unzip the folders to the development directory. You do not want to overwrite any of the files on your live site!

wget http://www.magentocommerce.com/downloads/assets/1.7.0.2/magento-1.5.1.0.tar.gz
tar -zxvf magento-1.5.1.0.tar.gz
mv magento/* magento/.htaccess .
chmod -R o+w media var
chmod o+w app/etc

Line 1 gets the fileset via wget. Line 2 unzips it (it unzips in to a /magento/ subdirectory). Line 3 moves all files from the /magento/ sub-directory into the parent directory. Lines 4 and 5 update permissions.

Once all the files for 1.5.1 are uploaded / unzipped, proceed to Step 5.

5) Run the Magento installer by visiting yourdomain.com/yourdevelopmentdirectory/. Agree to the license and configure localization settings. For the Database Connection section, enter the database and user info for the new database that you created in Step 3. Remember to check to see if your database is using prefixes. If so, be sure to fill in that field as well. Once you have submitted your database info, the Magento installer will automatically update your database from 1.4.2 to 1.5.1. If the update is successful, you will be prompted to enter new admin credentials and then shown an installation success screen.

6) Clear /var/cache/ and /var/session/ by deleting all files and folders in each directory.

7) Load your upgraded store and check for any errors. To confirm that you have upgraded to 1.5.1.0, log into the admin panel and check the footer. If it reads “Magento ver. 1.5.1.0″, then give yourself a pat on the back. You have successfully upgraded to 1.5.1!

If you experience any errors during the upgrade process, please contact us. We also offer Magento upgrade services.

Using Magento Connect when possible makes the Magento upgrade process a lot faster and easier. Errors can still occur however, so we recommend setting up a development store on which to run the upgrade. This way it is easy to upgrade and troubleshoot any errors that may crop up without impacting your live site. Please find below a detailed guide to upgrading from version 1.5.1.0 to 1.7.02 via Magento connect as well as details on solving some common upgrade issues.

If you would like help upgrading, we can upgrade Magento for you or help you troubleshoot any errors that you may have encountered during an upgrade. In need for a guide for upgrading earlier versions of Magento? Check out our guide for upgrading Magento 1.4.2.0 to 1.5.1.0.

Step 1:
Log into the admin panel and go to System > Magento Connect > Magento Connect Manager. You will have to enter your password again to log into Magento Connect Manager.

Step 2:
You need to allow Magento Connect Manager to overwrite existing files. Do this by editing downloader\lib\Mage\Connect\Validator.php. If you try to run Magento Connect without changing the code, you will receive a “files already exists” error, such as Fatal error: Call to undefined method Varien_Db_Adapter_Pdo_Mysql::isTableExists() and the upgrade will not complete.

Remove or comment out the below code, which is located at bottom of the file:

if (file_exists($dest)) {
         $this->addError("'{$file}' already exists");
         return false;
         }

If the installation fails for any reason, you will need to edit the file again per the above as it gets overwritten by the version just downloaded.

Step 3:
Under Install New Extensions in the Paste the extension key to install field enter http://connect20.magentocommerce.com/community/Mage_All_Latest and click the Install button.

Step 4:
Review the upgrades to be installed and then click Commit Changes.

Step 5:
After a successful upgrade, you will see the following message when you try to open your site’s homepage:

Service Temporarily Unavailable
The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtimeor capacity problems. Please try again later.

Do not worry! The message is caused by a maintenance.flag file created during the Magento Connect update process. To resolve this error simple navigate to the base folder of the Magento install and delete maintenance.flag.

Step 6:
Clear /var/cache/ and /var/session/ by deleting all files and folders in each directory.

Step 7:
Now load your store page and check for any errors. If you see any, proceed to the troubleshooting tips below. Otherwise, congratulations on upgrading your store!

Troubleshooting:
If you are still getting errors after following the above steps, is possible that tables are not using the correct engine. This is a common problem for Magento installs before version 1.4.1.1. The engine should be Innodb for most tables in the database and if they are myisam, it will result in problems, such as foreign key errors.

To fix the errors, convert the tables in the database the correct engines via phpMyAdmin with the below SQL script. Be sure to check and add any applicable table prefixes to the script. For further info, please see after the script.

ALTER TABLE `admin_assert` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `admin_role` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `admin_rule` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `admin_user` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `adminnotification_inbox` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `api_assert` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `api_role` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `api_rule` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `api_user` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_category_entity` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_category_entity_datetime` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_category_entity_decimal` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_category_entity_int` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_category_entity_text` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_category_entity_varchar` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_category_product` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_category_product_index` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_compare_item` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_bundle_option` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_bundle_option_value` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_bundle_selection` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_enabled_index` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_entity` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_entity_datetime` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_entity_decimal` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_entity_gallery` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_entity_int` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_entity_media_gallery` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_entity_media_gallery_value` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_entity_text` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_entity_tier_price` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_entity_varchar` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_link` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_link_attribute` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_link_attribute_decimal` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_link_attribute_int` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_link_attribute_varchar` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_link_type` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_option` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_option_price` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_option_title` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_option_type_price` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_option_type_title` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_option_type_value` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_super_attribute` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_super_attribute_label` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_super_attribute_pricing` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_super_link` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalog_product_website` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalogindex_aggregation` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalogindex_aggregation_tag` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalogindex_aggregation_to_tag` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalogindex_eav` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalogindex_minimal_price` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalogindex_price` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `cataloginventory_stock` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `cataloginventory_stock_item` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalogrule` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalogrule_affected_product` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalogrule_product` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalogrule_product_price` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalogsearch_fulltext` ENGINE=MyISAM;
ALTER TABLE `catalogsearch_query` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `catalogsearch_result` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `checkout_agreement` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `checkout_agreement_store` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `cms_block` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `cms_block_store` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `cms_page` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `cms_page_store` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `core_config_data` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `core_email_template` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `core_flag` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `core_layout_link` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `core_layout_update` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `core_resource` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `core_session` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `core_store` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `core_store_group` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `core_translate` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `core_url_rewrite` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `core_website` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `cron_schedule` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `customer_address_entity` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `customer_address_entity_datetime` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `customer_address_entity_decimal` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `customer_address_entity_int` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `customer_address_entity_text` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `customer_address_entity_varchar` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `customer_entity` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `customer_entity_datetime` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `customer_entity_decimal` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `customer_entity_int` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `customer_entity_text` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `customer_entity_varchar` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `customer_group` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `dataflow_batch` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `dataflow_batch_export` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `dataflow_batch_import` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `dataflow_import_data` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `dataflow_profile` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `dataflow_profile_history` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `dataflow_session` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `design_change` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `directory_country` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `directory_country_format` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `directory_country_region` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `directory_country_region_name` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `directory_currency_rate` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `downloadable_link` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `downloadable_link_price` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `downloadable_link_purchased` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `downloadable_link_purchased_item` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `downloadable_link_title` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `downloadable_sample` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `downloadable_sample_title` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_attribute` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_attribute_group` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_attribute_option` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_attribute_option_value` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_attribute_set` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_entity` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_entity_attribute` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_entity_datetime` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_entity_decimal` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_entity_int` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_entity_store` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_entity_text` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_entity_type` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `eav_entity_varchar` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `gift_message` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `googlebase_attributes` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `googlebase_items` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `googlebase_types` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `googlecheckout_api_debug` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `googleoptimizer_code` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `log_customer` ENGINE=MyISAM;
ALTER TABLE `log_quote` ENGINE=MyISAM;
ALTER TABLE `log_summary` ENGINE=MyISAM;
ALTER TABLE `log_summary_type` ENGINE=MyISAM;
ALTER TABLE `log_url` ENGINE=MyISAM;
ALTER TABLE `log_url_info` ENGINE=MyISAM;
ALTER TABLE `log_visitor` ENGINE=MyISAM;
ALTER TABLE `log_visitor_info` ENGINE=MyISAM;
ALTER TABLE `newsletter_problem` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `newsletter_queue` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `newsletter_queue_link` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `newsletter_queue_store_link` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `newsletter_subscriber` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `newsletter_template` ENGINE=InnoDB;
#ALTER TABLE `oscommerce_import` ENGINE=InnoDB;
#ALTER TABLE `oscommerce_import_type` ENGINE=InnoDB;
#ALTER TABLE `oscommerce_orders` ENGINE=MyISAM;
#ALTER TABLE `oscommerce_orders_products` ENGINE=MyISAM;
#ALTER TABLE `oscommerce_orders_status_history` ENGINE=MyISAM;
#ALTER TABLE `oscommerce_orders_total` ENGINE=MyISAM;
#ALTER TABLE `oscommerce_ref` ENGINE=InnoDB;
#ALTER TABLE `paybox_api_debug` ENGINE=InnoDB;
#ALTER TABLE `paybox_question_number` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `paygate_authorizenet_debug` ENGINE=MyISAM;
ALTER TABLE `paypal_api_debug` ENGINE=MyISAM;
ALTER TABLE `paypaluk_api_debug` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `poll` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `poll_answer` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `poll_store` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `poll_vote` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `product_alert_price` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `product_alert_stock` ENGINE=MyISAM;
ALTER TABLE `rating` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `rating_entity` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `rating_option` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `rating_option_vote` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `rating_option_vote_aggregated` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `rating_store` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `rating_title` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `report_event` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `report_event_types` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `review` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `review_detail` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `review_entity` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `review_entity_summary` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `review_status` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `review_store` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_bestsellers_aggregated_daily` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_bestsellers_aggregated_monthly` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_bestsellers_aggregated_yearly` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_billing_agreement` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_billing_agreement_order` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_creditmemo` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_creditmemo_comment` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_creditmemo_grid` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_creditmemo_item` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_invoice` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_invoice_comment` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_invoice_grid` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_invoice_item` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_order` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_order_address` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_order_grid` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_order_item` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_order_payment` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_order_shipping_rate` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_order_status_history` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_quote` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_quote_address` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_quote_address_item` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_quote_item` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_quote_item_option` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_quote_payment` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_quote_shipping_rate` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_shipment` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_shipment_comment` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_shipment_grid` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_shipment_item` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_flat_shipment_track` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_invoiced_aggregated` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_invoiced_aggregated_order` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_order_aggregated_created` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_order_tax` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_payment_transaction` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_recurring_profile` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_recurring_profile_order` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_refunded_aggregated` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_refunded_aggregated_order` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_shipping_aggregated` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sales_shipping_aggregated_order` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `salesrule` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `salesrule_coupon` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `salesrule_coupon_usage` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `salesrule_customer` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `salesrule_label` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sendfriend_log` ENGINE=MyISAM;
ALTER TABLE `shipping_tablerate` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `sitemap` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `tag` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `tag_relation` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `tag_summary` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `tax_calculation` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `tax_calculation_rate` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `tax_calculation_rate_title` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `tax_calculation_rule` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `tax_class` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `weee_discount` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `weee_tax` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `wishlist` ENGINE=InnoDB;
ALTER TABLE `wishlist_item` ENGINE=InnoDB;

Magento requires Innodb to be used as the storage engine in the SQL database for the majority of files. However, note that some files use myisam. While this has always been a requirement, previous versions of the installer did not check to ensure Innodb was used. Couple this with the fact that certain versions of MySQL default to myisam and it is easy to see how problems may occur. For more information, see the Magento website and this post on the Magento community forum.

If you need assistance with resolving any errors during the upgrade process, please contact us for Magento upgrade help.

Properly managing 301 and 302 redirects is key for any online store. Over time category and product names may change or be discontinued and promotional pages may become outdated and be removed. It is likely that there are a number of backlinks across the internet and the website itself to any URL that is updated or removed. Instituting redirects is necessary to keep any visitors to these old URLs from seeing 404 error pages, which can often discourage them from continuing. With proper redirects in place, old URLs can be redirected to the appropriate page, which helps boost user engagement and manifests itself it longer average visit times and lower bounce rates. Using redirects also maximizes the SEO benefits for your site from backlinks to old URLs and helps search engine crawlers to index your site properly.

Conveniently for Magento store owners, the software has a built in system for handling 301 and 302 redirects without having to edit your .htaccess file directly. Simply follow the steps below to set up redirects via Products > URL Rewrite Management:

1) Locate any system directs for the Request Path, e.g. product-abc.html, that you want to redirect and make a backup copy (to which you will need to refer in Step 3 below) via screenshot or copy / paste. This can be accomplished by searching for the Request Path in the appropriate field.

2) Delete all the system redirects for the Request Path that you’d like to update (Edit > Delete).

3) Add URL Rewrites via the button in the upper right for any paths that need to be redirected:

Add URL Redirect > Custom (from Create URL Rewrite dropdown) > Fill in fields under URL Rewrite Information by referring to the back from Step 1. For Type, select Permanent (301) or Temporary (302) depending on the duration you are planning to redirect. Change the Target Path to wherever you would like the redirect to point and then save.

4) Verify the redirect work by visiting yourdomain.com/request-path.html. This URL should redirect to the URL you entered under Target Path.

Magento gives users the ability to restrict shipping to certain countries under specific shipping methods. However, the is no native functionality for restricting shipping to certain states within countries. Fortunately, there is a Magento Extension that can be configured to restrict shipping to certain states or provinces. This solution works for all shipping methods (UPS, USPS, FedEX, Flatrate, DHL, etc.).

Below we will provide instructions on how to install this extension and configure it to only allow shipping to the Lower 48 U.S. States.  There is also a video demonstration of the extension at the end of the post:

1. Install the Region Manager extension via Magento Connect.
2. Log into the Magento Admin panel and  go to  the newly installed Region Manager section:  System > Configuration > Sales > Region Management.
3. Click on Region Management and the configuration screen will be displayed.  Select New Region Configuration to add specific countries and set exclusions.
4. The Common Settings options can be used to pre-select certain settings / values for specific countries based on the site’s requirements, for example Lower 48 States excludes military locations, U.S. territories, Alaska, and Hawaii, while 50 States Only excludes military locations and US territories.
5. Once the options are configured as required, save the changes.  To restrict shipping to the lower 48 U.S. States, simply select that option under Common Settings.
6. Flush the Magento Cache:  System > Cache Management > Flush Magento Cache.
7. Test checkout to confirm that the extension is configured correct and excluded areas are not available.

The extension works by removing the excluded States or Regions  from all Store Views and Websites.  Excluded areas are not displayed as options for billing address, shipping address, estimate shipping, or customer registration.  For those who want flexibility to assign values to a specific store or area (i.e. allow customers to use Alaska as a billing address if they use an address in the lower 48 states for shipping) or have any other questions about installing and configuring this extension, please contact us.

Problem
There is a bug in Magento that prevents Zip+4 tax codes from accurately being calculated. If a customer enters their zip code during Magento checkout in the Zip+4 format (XXXXX-XXXX) or makes a typo during entry, i.e. includes an extra or non-digit character, any applicable taxes are not calculated by Magento. This causes headaches for orders where tax should have been collected: following up with customers, running additional charges, and keeping track of these manual tax collections is an inconvenience for business owners and customers alike.

Since the solution to this problem is not well-documented by the Magento community, we have posted it below for others to refer to. Plus note that the instructions are for Magento 1.7.x (see the bottom of the post for info about applying this fix in Magento 1.4.x):

Solution
To fix the Magento Zip+4 tax calculation problem please take the follow steps:

1. Access the site via an FTP Client
2. Download app/code/core/Mage/Tax/Model/Resource/Calculation.php
3. Create a new folder in the local section (this will preserve the fix during Magento upgrades): app/code/local/Mage/Tax/Model/Resource/
4. Find the following code in Calculation.php (it should be around line 235):

   $postcode = $request->getPostcode();

   and replace it with

   $postcode = substr($request->getPostcode(),0,5);

5. Save Calculation.php and upload it to the new folder created in Step 3 app/code/local/Mage/Tax/Model/Resource/

Once the file has been uploaded the Magento zip+4 tax calculation issue should be fixed, remember to test checkout with a taxable address to verify that it is indeed working.

Fixing the Zip+4 Tax Calculation Issue in Magento 1.4x
The file structure in Magento 1.4.x differs from 1.7.x, so for the above steps you will need to:

1. Locate Calculation.php in /app/code/core/Mage/Tax/Model/Mysql4
2. Replace the /Resource/ directory with the /Mysql14/ directory

If you have any questions regarding this Magento tax+4 (or tax4) calculation issue, please leave a comment on this post and we will respond.