How To Add Blog Module In Opencart

OpenCart modules are the tools which allow us to customize and extend our online store functionality. While in OpenCart 1.5.x you had to manually install the module via a FTP client, OpenCart 2.0.x introduced the Extension installer, which allows you to complete the whole process through your dashboard with a few simple clicks.

This tutorial will show you how to install and uninstall a module on your OpenCart system.

Installing a module

Lets start by logging into your store admin panel. Navigate to Extensions > Extension installer.

Click on the upload button. A dialog box should open.

Locate the installation folder of the extension you are going to install and select it. For this tutorial I will be using AbandonedCarts. Select the necessary .zip file and click "OK"

Note: It is not uncommon for OpenCart users to receive an error "Could not connect as ......" while uploading files through the Extension installer. Most often this is due to a disabled FTP access from your hosting provider or FTP settings in general. Here is a nice blogpost which will help you resolve this issue.

After clicking "OK" your extension will be uploaded and a "success" message should appear.

Now your module should be visible in Extensions > Modules. After locating it in the Module list just click the install button (" + " sign).

The final step of the installation process is to apply the changes we have just made. In order to do so, go to Extensions > Modifications and click the Refresh sign at the upper right corner of the page.

Installing a module in OpenCart 2.x using the Extension installer is easy and intuitive.

Uninstalling / deleting a module

There is a difference between these two terms when it comes to OpenCart modules and we will cover them separately.

Uninstalling a module

Navigate to Extensions > Modules, locate the module you wish to uninstall in the Modules list and click on the uninstall button ("-" minus sign).

To apply the changes you have just made go to Extensions > Modifications, click on the Uninstall button next to the module you are uninstalling and the on the Refresh sign at the upper right corner of the page.

The module will be uninstalled.

Deleting a module

Note: In this tutorial the module I will delete is AbandonedCarts. Please bear in mind that different modules have different file structures, so their files will most probably be located in other folders in your main installation directory. The basic rule is to delete the files corresponding to the ones you have uploaded during the installation process of the module (i.e the files in the upload folder in the .zip)

Completely deleting a module from OpenCart requires a bit more complex actions which include deleting all of the module files from your OpenCart installation directory.

You can do that either through your favorite FTP client or through the web hosting account control panel. Either way the process is identical and all you have to do is locate the files of the module you want to delete in your OpenCart root directory.

By default, your OpenCart installation should be located in the public_html directory. The files which we are looking for are located in the admin and catalog folders.

Let's start with the admin folder. Navigate to public_html/admin/controller/module and locate the file which has your module's name and file extension .php and delete it. In our example that would be abandonedcarts.php.

Next go to public_html/admin/model and delete the corresponding to your module file.

We have covered the controller and model folders so now we have to do the same with the view folder.

Navigate to public_html/admin/view/image/modulename and delete all of the files corresponding to the module.

Following these paths we will delete the rest of the files associated with the module:

admin/view/template/module/;
admin/view/template/module/modulename;
admin/view/javascript/modulename;
admin/view/stylesheet/;
catalog/view/theme/yourtheme/template/module/;
catalog/view/theme/default/template/module/.

After you have located and deleted the corresponding to your module files in the admin folder, you should do the same in the catalog folder. The files should be located in a folders with similar to the following paths:

catalog/controller/module/modulename.php
catalog/language/english/module/modulename.php
catalog/model/module/modulename.php

After deleting all of the files used by the module it should be completely removed from your system.

While the steps in this tutorial can serve as a building ground, if you are unsure about deleting anything we would always recommend to do a backup of your site and/or get in touch with the module developer.

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