Configuring the Artisan Task Manager (Internet Store Interface – ISI)

>>> Available in Artisan POS 4.4 and Later Versions <<<

Artisan POS integrates with the WooCommerce (works with WordPress), Shopify, and BigCommerce shopping carts. These are very powerful tools, and you can choose one or both. To communicate with them, Artisan uses a utility called the Artisan Task Manager. This article is designed to help you configure its settings.

Artisan will automatically synchronize its database with the web store database. You can create items and categories in Artisan and specify which ones are to be sent to your web store. Artisan will even post the product pictures for you, along with shipping weight, extra descriptions, etc. Artisan can also download orders from your online store for completion.

The biggest benefit of this option is that you only have one inventory list to maintain instead of a list in Artisan and a list in your web store.

The shopping carts have a complete Content Management System (CMS) that you can use to edit other pages on your site to provide information about your store, such as directions, hours, and anything else that is important to your business.

Setting Up WooCommerce for Artisan Integration

Our WooCommerce interface requires WooCommerce version 2.6 or later.

In the WordPress control panel, add a user named Artisan, and make it an administrator.

To do this, click on “Users” and “Add New.”

Type CerTek as the username and support@certek.com as the email.

Click the “Generate Password” button, and save that password somewhere secure.

Select “Send the new user an email about their account.”

Select “Administrator” as the role, then save these settings.

Next, go to “Settings” and select “Permalinks.”

Select “Post name” permalinks.

Next, navigate to “WooCommerce” and “Settings.”

Click on the “Advanced” tab, then select “REST API.”

Select “Add key.”

Name the description “Artisan“, and select “Artisan” as the user. Select “Read/Write” as the “Permissions.” Then, click “Generate API key.”

Copy the Consumer Key and Consumer Secret for later use.

Add shipping zones, shipping options, and shipping classes if you haven’t already. Set the time zone to match your local time zone.

Return to your “CerTek” user and scroll down to “Application Passwords.” Type in “Artisan POS” and select “Add New.”

Copy the password and save it somewhere secure. This code goes in the “WordPress” password section in the task manager.

Open the Artisan Task Manager and click on “Task.”  Click “NEW” and name the task Woo Upload.

1. Database Server Type: This is always PostgreSQL.
2. Server Name is the name of the computer where the data is located. If it is THIS machine, you can simply use “localhost”. The easiest way to determine this is to click on “Help” -> “About” in Artisan.
3. Database Server Port: This depends on how your PostgreSQL database was setup. Most likely it is 5432, but it will show the correct number in the “Help” -> “About” as shown above.
4. Database Name: This is most likely POS, but again, whatever your “Help” -> “About” shows is correct.
5. Task type is UPLOAD because that is what we always start with. Later, we will do the DOWNLOAD.
6. Task Frequency is the number of minutes before it automatically uploads again. The default is 15. You can change this at any time. If you don’t want it to run automatically, set it to zero.
7. Internet Store Type: WooCommerce.
8. Store URL: This is the web address or website for your site. You must use https://
   Example: https://www.mystore.com/
9. Store User ID: If you are using application passwords (highly recommended), then use a single dash here: –
10. Store Password: The same thing here, a single dash: –
11. WordPress Username: If you followed the first steps, this should be CerTek.
12. WordPress Password: This is where you paste the password from Application Passwords.
13. Inventory Site #s: If you have multiple sites and only want to focus on specific sites, enter their numbers here.
14. Categories to Include: Generally, you can leave this blank – unless you want to include or exclude specific categories.
15. Custom Field(s) to Add to Descriptions: Generally, you can leave this blank, unless you want to add custom fields to descriptions.
16. Upload Other Custom Fields as Attributes? Optional field, which will upload any other custom fields not included in the above field.
17. Require Brief Description: This is another optional field. It will remind you to add a brief description to your items.
18. Require Detailed Description: This is the same thing as above, except it will remind you to add a detailed description.
19. Hide Out-Of-Stock Items? This will hide all inventory that currently is out of stock in Artisan from your webstore.
20. Upload All Records (Once): The Task Manager keeps up with which records are new or have changed and only updates these items. This option will force all the Internet Store items to be uploaded regardless of whether or not it thinks they are needed.
21. Upload SINGLE Record (Once): If you only have one item you want to change, you may select this option, so the Task Manager does not have to push out all of your inventory to the webstore.

Now, set up the DOWNLOAD task to import your sales from your site.

This is very similar to the upload tasks. Here is an example:

Setting Up Shopify for Artisan Integration

From the dashboard, click “Apps.“

Click on “Develop Apps for Your Store.“

Click “Allow Custom App Development” on the next two screens.

Select “Create an App.”

Click on “App Developer.” Type in “Artisan POS” for the “App Name.” The “App Developer” should default to your username/store name and email. Select “Create app.”

This should take you to a page to configure your new app. If it didn’t, click on “Apps” again and “Develop Apps for Your Store.“

Select the “Artisan POS” app you made.

Click on “Configuration.”

Click on “Admin API Integration.”

Select both “read” and “write” checkboxes (if applicable) for the following sections, unless otherwise noted:

• Customers (just “read_customers”)
• Discounts
• Files
• Fulfillment Services
• GDPR
• Gift Cards
• Inventory
• Locations
• Orders
• Payment Terms
• Product Listings
• Products
• Shipping
• Shop Locales
• Shopify Payments Accounts

Ignore the “Webhook” section.

Press “Save.”

Head to “API Credentials” and copy the API key and API secret key.

Paste this information into Notepad, as you’ll need it soon. Save the file.

Click “Install app” and “Install.“

Copy the API key from Notepad and paste it into the “Store User ID” section.

Paste the password that starts with the letters shpat into the “Store Password” section.

Setting Up BigCommerce for Artisan Integration

Setting up the Task Manager  – Upload

1. Launch the Artisan Task Manager. Click “Task” and “New.” 

2. Give your task a name.

3.

Enter your “Server Name.” This is the name of the computer where the data is located. If it’s this machine, you can use “localhost.” Enter your “Server Port #.” Most likely it is 5432. Enter your “Database Name.” This is most likely POS.

To find out what your “Server Name,” “Server Port #,” and “Database Name” is, click on “Help,” and “About” in Artisan. 

Uploading Single Items (Once)

You may upload individual items through the uploader if you choose. This is best for testing purposes.

1. Enter the item code you want to upload.
2. Click the “Save” button.
3. Click the “Run” button.

Installing the Artisan Task Manager

Web store synchronization is performed by the Artisan task manager, which schedules each synchronization task according to a frequency that you specify.

Create a batch file containing the following command:

java -jar \Artisan directory\artisantasks.jar –context upload –context download

There must be a context parameter for each synchronization function: The example has two context parameters: “upload” will upload inventory data to the web store, and “download” will download order data from the web store.  If more than one store needs to be synchronized, you must specify context parameters for each store (with unique names).

The first time the program runs, click on each task tab, complete the profile, and save it. Each task will then be automatically scheduled to run with the frequency that you specified.

The fields on the profile tab are as follows:

• Database Server Type – the Artisan database type (e.g., PostgreSQL).
• Database Server Name – the network name of the database server (“localhost” if on the same computer).
• Database Server Port – the server port number (5432 is the Artisan default).
• Database Name – the name of the Artisan database, in upper case.
• Synchronization Frequency – the frequency with which to synchronize the web store with the database, in minutes.
• Synchronization Type – “upload” to upload inventory data, “download” to download orders and customer records.
• Store Type – type of web store (Magento1 = Magento Community Edition).
• Store Prefix – a string used to prefix the ID of each record downloaded to differentiate it from those created locally or from other web stores.
• Store URL – the web site address of the web store, starting with “https”, and without a trailing slash.
• Store User ID – the web service username created above.
• Store Password – the web service password created above.

Zoey and Magento

Zoey and Magento limit the size of attribute set (variant template) and attribute names, and do not allow special characters except the underscore. If the sum of the lengths of an attribute name and its set name exceeds 28 characters, it will be truncated, so it is a good idea to shorten any long variant template or attribute names before beginning.