VirtueMart

h1. VM2 Configuration Menu

Note: the user manual has been moved here http://docs.virtuemart.net/

h2. Configuration Menu

h3. Configuration - Shop Tab

h4. Shop is offline? 

If you check this, the Shop will not appear but a message will be displayed.

h4. Offline Message	

Type the short offline message to be displayed when the shop is offline. Example: "We are working on our shop to serve you better! Please check back in a few (minutes, hours, days, soon)."	

h4. Use only as catalogue 	

If you check this, the cart functionality will be disabled.	

h4. Select a currency converter module 	

If you have installed additional currency convert modules, this allows you to select it.  Such modules fetch exchange rates from a server and convert one currency into another for the visitor automatically.	

h4. Order-mail format 	

If you want customers to receive plain text emails (shop registration, order confirmation, etc.), select TEXT. Otherwise, for rich text emails with colors, fonts and images, select HTML.	

h4. Enable SSL for sensible areas (recommended)	

You must first have SSL installed by your web host for this to work. This adds SSL encryption security for the links in the cart and the user area.  Be sure to use the right Joomla settings for the user maintenance, the anonymous order, and the login.

h4. Multilingual shop 

If you have uploaded additional languages in your web host's control panel or cpanel, select them here. 

h4. Untranslated strings in English	

Leave "Untranslated strings in English" to prevent untranslated messages from displaying in computer code, they will display in English instead.

h4. Additional settings	

The remaining settings are advanced settings for PROGRAMMERS ONLY. Do not modify unless you know what you are doing! They can destroy your entire store.

h3. Configuration - Shopfront Tab

h4. Core Settings	

h5. SHOW THE RECOMMENDED TO A FRIEND LINK:  

When enabled, a link is displayed that allows the shopper to send a recommendation email for a specific product.   

h5. SHOW THE PRINT VIEW LINK:  

When enabled, a link is displayed that opens the current page in a new popup for printing it out.  

h5. SHOW THE PDF VIEW ICON:  

Show or hide the pdf link icon.  

h5. SHOW THE ASK A QUESTION LINK:  

When enabled, a link is displayed that opens the current page in a new pop-up and allows customers to send a question to the shopper.  

h5. SHOW THE PRODUCT NAVIGATION:  

When enabled, shows the product navigation on the top of the product page.  

h5. MAX PRODUCTS PER VIEW IN FRONT END:  

The standard pagination list limit for the frontend views.	

h4. Core Settings Action when a product is out of stock	

You can define here the action that should be taken when a product is out of stock.  

h5. AVAILABILITY:  

Will be displayed when products out of stock are orderable.  Fill in any text here that will be displayed to the shopper on the product details, e.g.:  24h, 48 hours, 3 - 4 days, On Order...  

h5. PREVIEW:  

Instead of AVAILABILITY text, you can select an image to be displayed on the Product Details page.  The image resides in the directory /components/com_virtuemart/assets/images/availability/.  

h4. Shopper Review/Rating System	

h5. ENABLE REVIEW SYSTEM FOR:  

If enabled, you will allow shoppers to rate products and write reviews about them.  

h5. SHOW REVIEW:  

If enabled, you will allow shoppers to read the reviews about the products.  

h5. SHOW RATING:  

If enabled, you will allow shoppers to rate the products.  

h5. ENABLE RATING SYSTEM FOR:  

If enabled, you will allow shoppers to see the product ratings.  

h3. Configuration - Templates Tab

VirtueMart 2 automatically uses the Joomla template now, so there is no need for a separate VirtueMart template. You are not required to use the Joomla template, however! You can set a separate VirtueMart template here and specify how it looks.

h4. Shopfront Settings	

If you have uploaded additional templates or layouts using your web host's control panel, select them here. Choose whether or not to show Children categories and manufacturers, how many categories products or manufacturers in each row, and what page numbers to display at the bottom to skip ahead (i.e. 6, 12, 18, 24).	

h4. VirtueMart Home Page Settings	

If you have uploaded additional home page layouts using your web host's control panel, select it here. Choose whether or not to show featured products, Top 10 products, recent products, latest products and how many items in each row.		

h4. Media Files Settings	

Don't change paths unless you know what you are doing! These are the default paths that VirtueMart needs to work properly. If you want VirtueMart to create tiny thumbnail sized images for you (for example in shopping cart), specify the size here. Specify the image to display if you forget to upload a product image or do not have an image available.	

h4. Activate Css Styles & Javascripts	

These items are all turned ON by default. You would only turn them off for testing and debugging, as they are required for the cart to work properly.

h3. Configuration - Pricing Tab - Price Configuration Section

Fine-tune the way prices are displayed in your shop.

h4. Member group to show prices	

If you have created groups in ORDERS & SHOPPERS - Shopper Groups, prices will display only to members of that group OR higher, after they have logged in.	

h4. Show the price label for packages	

When checked, the price label is derived from the products unit and packaging values. EXAMPLE: Price "PER DOZEN" or "PER PACKAGE."		

h4. Show Tax in Cart	

If tax amount is important to your customers, check this box. If customers are not taxed or not important, leave blank.	

h4. Show call for price, when the price is empty	

If you do not specify a price in the product information page, the prompt "Call for Price" will display instead of $0.00.

h3. Configuration - Pricing Tab - Show Following Prices Section

Show or hide prices and price labels; choose how many digits to round prices. The choices can be dizzying, and they are SO SIMILAR! The best way to understand this in a non-live store is to check ALL the boxes, view it in your store, then vary it checking and un-checking one box at a time.

h4. Show Prices	

UN-check this box if you do not want customers to see prices. They will need to call you or contact you for pricing information.	

h4. Base Price Modificator	

If you use product variations that cost more or less (example: diamond add $100; ruby subtract $50), display the base price. 	

h4. New Base Price Modificated by chosen product variant	

If you use product variations that cost more or less, display the base price INCLUDING the total of the variations. 	

h4. Discounted Price Without Tax and Sales Price Without Tax	

If you offer discounts, for example product groups like Wholesalers, display the discounted product price without tax. Otherwise, display the sales price without adding the tax.	

h4. Tax Amount and Base Price with Tax, but without discounts	

Display the tax on the item separately. OR display the base price including the tax but before any discounts.	

h4. Final Salesprice	

The actual price the customer has to pay. RECOMMENDED!	

h4. Sales Price with discount, but without override	

You can over-ride any discounts on the product information page. This displays the price with discounts but without the individual over-rides.	

h4. Discount Amount	

A separate line that tells the customer exactly how much discount they get on this item.

h3. Configuration - Checkout Tab

Customize the checkout process.

h4. Enable Automatic Selected Shipment?	

Puts a check in the shipment box, even if only one shipment method (RECOMMENDED. If not selected, the customer must put a check in the box.

h4. Enable Automatic Selected Payment? 	

Puts a check in the payment box, even if only one payment method. If not selected, the customer must put a check in the box.

h4. Must agree to Terms of Service on EVERY ORDER? 	

Force the customer to read and agree to your Terms of Service document each time they place an order or reorder.

h4. Show Terms of Service on the cart/checkout? 	

Display the Terms of Service document. EDIT the document in SHOP - Shop - Vendor Tab, scroll down to Terms of Service section. NOTE: In most European countries, stores are required to tell shoppers about their returns and cancellation policies.

h4. On checkout, ask for registration 	

If not checked, the customer can do a "Guest Registration" which does not require them to create a username or password. If they want information about their pending order, they must email you and you must look it up for them.

h4. Only registered users can checkout 	

Lets only registered users check out. BOTH this and the previous item (On checkout, ask for registration) must be checked for this to work. 

h4. Show checkout steps 	

Text to display before the registration page.	

h4. Show product images 	

Display a small "thumbnail" sized image in the shopping cart. Un-check to turn off.	

h3. Configuration - Product Order Settings Tab

Choose the items customers can sort or search by.

h4. Default Product Sort Order	

Products are sorted by Product ID, a chronological number. Choose to sort by product name, category, or a long list of 25 other items.	

h4. Available Sort-by fields	

Allow customers to click a heading to sort. Put a check in the box next to each item you want to be sortable.	

h4. Available Search Fields	

Allow customers to search on these fields by putting a check in the box.		

h3. Configuration - SEO Tab

VirtueMart automatically assigns the SEO URLs to your products and pages based on the rules you set here. 

h4. Turn SEO On or Off	

Select SEO Disabled to turn off or leave blank to turn on (the default is ON). 	

h4. SEO Suffix	

Adds this word to the end of the product name, example: http://yourstorename.com/index.php/handtools/nice-saw-detail. Edit as desired.	

h4. Translate Strings	

If your store uses multiple languages, check this box to also translate your URLs. Otherwise it uses the default language.	

h4. Use Product and Category IDs	

Inserts the product and category ID into the URL for additional search engine information. 

h2. Shopper Fields Menu	

What boxes a customer in your store sees when they register, make a purchase or view their account.

h3. Choose whether or not an item is required or optional	

Put a check in the box next to the item that you want to make required or optional, and click the icon in the REQUIRED Column.	

h3. Publish or unpublish an item	

Put a check in the box next to the item you want to change, and in the PUBLISHED Column click the icon.	

h3. Choose to show in registration, shipment, or account maintenance form	

Put a check in the box next to the item that you want to change, and click the icon in the column for REGISTRATION, SHIPMENT or ACCOUNT MAINTENANCE.	

h3. Make a box bigger or smaller or add a pop-up tip	

In the FIELD NAME Column, click the name of the item you want to change. This brings up the Edit page. Make changes as desired. NOTE: some field lengths cannot be changed. 	

h3. Change the order in which the items appear on the page.	

In the REORDER Column, click the down arrow icon to move down, or the up arrow icon to move up.

h2. Order Statuses Menu

After a customer places an order, your store will assign it an "Order Status" such as PENDING so you can easily sort the orders for processing. You can customize these messages or add your own. 

h3. Edit Order Status wording	

To change the wording of an order status,put a check next to the status you want to change and click the EDIT Button. Type the word you prefer, then click the SAVE Button. Attention, this is an expert feature, only change when you know what you do.

h3. Assign an order status to a vendor	

Check the box next to the status you want to assign, click the EDIT Button, and select a new vendor from the VENDOR Box. When finished, click the SAVE Button.	

h3. Change the sort order of the list of statuses.	

Check the box next to the status you want to assign, click the EDIT Button, and in the ORDERING drop-down box select the number that you want this item to display. 						

h2. Currencies Menu

Change the way a currency is displayed; add or edit a currency.

h3. Edit a Currency	

To manually edit a currency to set your own exchange rate, click the EDIT button. Make any changes you wish, then click the UPDATE Button.

h2. Countries Menu

h3. Check to see that your country is included in the list. 

If you live in a small country, click to be sure your country is listed. If not, click the NEW COUNTRY Button and enter the required information.