How do I show .htaccess / .htpasswd files in Core FTP

The .htaccess file and .htpasswd files are present on Lynux/UNIX webservers, and server a variety of purposes, the most common of which is for MOD_Rewrite for SEO friendly URLs.

However, most FTP programs do not show these files by default, making it difficult to amend them!

If you use the Core FTP, the following instructions will show you how to change the Core FTP settings to display .htaccess files in your server directory listing.

1. Establish a connection to the relevant server.
2. Right-click anywhere in the remote server window
3. Select Directory Commands -> List Mode and then put the tick next to ‘Advanced’.
4. Refresh the directory, and if present, your .htaccess file will now be displayed

How to Enable Concurrent Sessions for Windows 7

By Default, Windows 7 only allow one user to login as a time. It is not allowed two users to login concurrently. By there is a way to enable multiple users concutrrently access locally or remotely.

See here for detals:

http://www.blogsdna.com/2336/enable-multiple-user-accessconcurrent-user-sessions-for-remote-desktop-on-windows-7.htm

Silverlight 4 & RIA -- MEF and decrypting LoaderExceptions

Have you ever received the following exception while using MEF?

"Unable to load one or more of the requested types. Retrieve the LoaderExceptions property for more information."

This is usually happend when required assemblies are not "copied to local" folder so that they are not included in Client.XAP file of silverlight.

There are two issues with Visual Studio that make this happen.
1. If a assembly is used and referenced in projects other than the Silverlight project, for example, used in common/data assembly, than the referenced assembly will not be copied to silverlight bin file.

2. If you changed folder structure of your solution, for example you create sub folder for client and client, put each projects under those folders. In most cases, the reference will be refered to its own bin folder.

Silverlight 4 & RIA - MetadataException: Unable to load the specified metadata resource

If subject error occured, you may check following thins:

•Have you changed the MetadataArtifactProcessing property of the model to Copy to Output Directory?

•Have you changed connection string? The connection string could be wrong.

•You might be using a post-compile task to embed the EDMX in the assembly, which is no longer working for some reason.

In my case, there was an error in the connection string

.... metadata=res://*/ProjectName.csdl|res://*/ProjectName.ssdl|res .....

PrestaShop Tips - set display_errors to on for trouble shooting

I experienced an issue when I switched my hosting server. I took me a lot of time to find out the cause and fixed the problem. Here I put this tips as memo, hope it will help myself to remember and also share the tips with any one experience the same problem.

The symtom my issue is:
When login to back office at PrestaShop and tried to config my moules at modules tab, but the page is empty, no modules is displayed. No error is displayed.

I checked everything as instructed in the PrestaShop Wiki, such as folder permission, modules class files and so on, but I was still not luck.

Finally, I found there is configuration item "display_errors" in config file.
By default it is set as 'off' as indicated below.

@ini_set('display_errors', 'off');

I changed this config item value from 'off' to 'on' than re-run my page, the following error was displayed.


Fatal error: Class 'ModuleGraphEngine' not found in /hsphere/local/home/c270727/carnvee.com/classes/Module.php(323) : eval()'d code on line 13

Then I checked file ModuleGraphEngine.php under classes folder and found the file size was zero (0). I am pretty sure at this momemnt that the cause of problem is the stupid file transfering issue.

PrestaShop Tips - How to setup favicon

What is a favicon?

A favicon (short for favorites icon), also known as a website icon, shortcut icon, url icon, or bookmark icon is a 16×16, 32×32 or 64×64 pixel square icon associated with a particular website or webpage.

A web designer can create such an icon and install it into a website (or webpage) by several means, and most graphical web browsers will then make use of it. Browsers that provide favicon support typically display a page's favicon in the browser's address bar and next to the page's name in a list of bookmarks. Browsers that support a tabbed document interface typically show a page's favicon next to the page's title on the tab. Some programs allow the user to select an icon of his own from the hard drive and associate it with a website.

How to setup

Here is the instruction to setup a favicon for your PrestaShop.

Create a favicon use any tools you have like PhotoShop.

You can use some free online tools or service like http://www.favicongenerator.com/.
Event Paint which is Windows included tool is able to do that. Just save it with extention "ico".

Make sure you the size is 16 x 16 pixels

Login to PrestaShop back office as admin.

Select Preference Tab

Select Apperance Sub-Tab

select the favicon file you just selected at Favicon property

Click Save

You are done.
See sample at:



Please also note:
1. It takes for a while for your favicon to show up on your browsers. (like 1 hour?)
2. It is better to clear your browser's cache to force your browser to download your new favicon.

PrestaShop Tips -- How to setup Google Analytics

Google Analytics (GA) is a free service offered by Google that generates detailed statistics about the visitors to a website. Its main highlight is that the product is aimed at marketers as opposed to webmasters and technologists from which the industry of web analytics originally grew. It is the most widely used website statistics service[1], currently in use at around 57% of the 10,000 most popular websites

Google public instructions on how to seup Google Analytics in any of your web sites. I have tried to setup myself for my PrestaShop on footer.tpl file based on Google's instructions, but it doesn't work and broke my page and my footer does not showup at all.

Finnaly I found out that in PrestaShop, there is an module included for Google Analytics. What you have to do it just install it and configure it.

Here is there instruction to do this:

1. Login as admin to your back office of PrestaShop
2. Click Modules tab
3. Search the page or go to "stat" section of the page to find "Google Analytics" module
4. Click Install if it is not installed
5. Click after you install it.
6. Input your site ID of Google Analytics and save it.
Example of ID: "UA-16143639-1"

See sample at: