Frequently Asked Questions

Help! The [insert column here] is showing up as ####### when I open the CSV file in Excel!

That happens when the data is too big for the current column width. Just widen the column and the data will "automagically" appear. Now be thankful you didn't post that question in the forums. ;)

How come the CSV export for order/product line items does not have the timeframe total line?

The CSV export option is designed to move Zen Cart sales data into another system. In order to import from a CSV file, the importing program must know what format the data will be in, and that format must remain consistent. The timeframe total line breaks the data's consistency and therefore it is not displayed. If you want timeframe lines, run the same report again in CSV export mode, choosing just the timeframe totals.

How come the currency data is not formatted as currency in the CSV export?

The rationale is the same as that provided in the previous answer. It's assumed that you're importing to a program that has some ability to perform math calculations. Your dollar/pound/yen symbol would likely prevent that program from reading the value properly.

If I run the report for a big date range, the report runs really slow.

As one look at the class file will tell you, Sales Report II is not merely reporting back data stored in the database; it runs calculations, sometimes very complicated ones.

I've already optimized the number of database queries as much as I can without sacrificing data (maximum of 6 in "Timeframe Statistics" display).

You might have to resort to adjusting your search settings. Break your report into several smaller runs, or limit the returned data to the timeframe total lines (i.e. drop order or product line items). The "Timeframe Statistics" option is the most complicated report, pulling all the data for both product and order line items, then running additional calculations on all of it. I strongly recommend against running it for more than a month's worth of data at a time; you **can **bring your server to its knees by doing so, no matter how awesome it is.

Report performance will also depend heavily on the power of your server. If you bought that shared hosting package because it cost $5/month, don't expect to get any processor priority. Remember, you get what you pay for.

Finally, you may have to just accept the lag and wait for the report. In this case, be sure to ramp up the timeout period on your browser, to ensure the report can complete and return the results.