The supplied makecat script, which is in the MiniVend program directory
bin, is designed to set up a catalog based on your server configuration. It interrogates the user for parameters like the directories to use,
URL to base the catalog in,
HTTP server definitions, and file ownership. It is self-documenting in that it asks verbose questions and gives relevant examples.
The makecat script needs a template catalog to operate on. The
simple and basic demo templates are distributed with MiniVend. You can also look for older
demo catalogs (mostly for ideas) at ftp.minivend.com.
IMPORTANT NOTE: You only make a catalog once. All further configuration is done by editing the files within the catalog directory.
A catalog template contains an image of a configured
catalog. The best way to see what the makecat program does is to configure
the simple demo and then run a recursive diff on the template and configured catalog directories:
diff -r mvend/simple catalogs/simple
NOTE: diff is usually only available on
UNIX.
You will see that the files are mostly the same, except that certain macro
strings have been replaced with the answers you gave to the script. For
example, if you answered www.mydomain.com at the prompt for server name, then you would see this difference in the
catalog.cfg file:
# template
Variable SERVER_NAME __MVC_SERVERNAME__
# configured catalog
Variable SERVER_NAME www.mydomain.com
The macro string __MVC_SERVERNAME__ was substituted with the answer to the question about server name. In the same way, other variables are substituted, and include (at least):
MVC_BASEDIR MVC_IMAGEDIR
MVC_CATROOT MVC_IMAGEURL
MVC_CATUSER MVC_MAILORDERTO
MVC_CGIBASE MVC_MINIVENDGROUP
MVC_CGIDIR MVC_MINIVENDUSER
MVC_CGIURL MVC_SAMPLEHTML
MVC_DEMOTYPE MVC_SAMPLEURL
MVC_DOCUMENTROOT MVC_VENDROOT
MVC_ENCRYPTOR
(Not all of these are present in the simple or sample templates, and quite a few more may be defined.) In fact, any environment variable that is set and begins with
MVC_ will be substituted for by the
makecat
script. So if you wanted to set up a configurable parameter to customize the
COMPANY variable in catalog.cfg, you could run a pre-qualifying script that set the environment variable
MVC_COMPANY and then place in the catalog.cfg file:
Variable COMPANY __MVC_COMPANY__
All files within a template directory are substituted for macros, not just
the catalog.cfg file. There are two special directories named html and images. These will be recursively copied to the directories defined as SampleHTML
and ImageDir.
IMPORTANT NOTE: The template directory is located in the MiniVend software directory, i.e.
where minivend.cfg resides. You normally do not edit files in the template directory. If you
want to try creating your own template, it is recommended that you name it
something besides simple and copy the simple demo directory to it as a starting point. Templates are normally placed in
the MiniVend base directory, but can be located anywhere -- the script will
prompt you for location if it cannot find a template.
In addition to the standard parameters prompted for by MiniVend, and the standard catalog creation procedure, you may define four other files in the config directory of the template:
additional_fields -- file with more parameters for macro substitution
additional_help -- extended description for the additional_fields
precopy_commands -- commands passed to the system prior to catalog copy
postcopy_commands -- commands passed to the system after catalog copy
All files are paragraph-based; in other words, a blank line (with no spaces) terminates the individual setting.
The additional_fields file contains:
PARAM
The prompt. Set PARAM to?
The default value of PARAM
This would cause a question during makecat:
The prompt. Set PARAM to?.....[The default value of PARAM]
If the additional_help file is present, you can give additional instructions for PARAM.
PARAM
These are additional instructions for PARAM, and they
may span multiple lines up to the first blank line.
The prompt would now be:
These are additional instructions for PARAM, and they
may span multiple lines up to the first blank line.
The prompt. Set PARAM to?.....[The default value of PARAM]
If the file config/precopy_commands exists, it will be read as a command followed by the prompt/help value.
mysqladmin create __MVC_CATALOGNAME__
We need to create an SQL database for your Minivend
database tables.
This will cause the prompt:
We need to create an SQL database for your Minivend
database tables.
Run command "mysqladmin create simple"?
If the response is ``y'' or ``yes'', then the command will be run by passing it through the Perl system() function. As with any of the additional configuration files,
MVC_PARAM macro substitution is done on the command and help. Obviously you must have proper permissions for the command.
The file config/postcopy_commands is exactly the same as precopy_commands except you are prompted after the catalog files are copied and macro substitution is performed on all files.