Comments for The eCartz Biz http://the.ecartz.biz Making osCommerce Work for You Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:16:53 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 Comment on Email templates for osCommerce 3 by eCartz http://the.ecartz.biz/email-templates-for-oscommerce-3-b-159.html?cpage=1#comment-45 eCartz Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:16:53 +0000 http://the.ecartz.biz/-b-159.html#comment-45 If you only install modules (in 2.2, this would be shipping, payment, and order total; in 3, there are several more), then I think that you will find that the installation is very similar to your previous experience. The "problem" is that osCommerce also allows code modification contributions that are not self packaged. I think that this is actually one of the osCommerce strengths -- that it allows for deep integrations by developers. However, a side effect of this is that many contributions aren't really designed for installation by a store owner. Many store owners compensate for this by learning just enough to install contributions. The issue at which I was aiming in this post is that 3 is supposed to be better about separating the various logic portions, e.g. layout from data management. Unfortunately, this separation is not complete. I still see direct database calls in content and I still see HTML in files that are concerned with data management (an example is the attributes replacement, which has a table based layout embedded into it). The problem that I see in generating the order email is that data is being fetched just in time and then is immediately discarded (in the case of products, each product is discarded before the next product is loaded). I would rather a system where the data was loaded into an order object and then the template would access the order object. As you may have noticed, this is how Checkout Redux works. It loads an order object either from the cart object or from the database (depending on the type of payment module) and then the notification module uses that object to send the email. Because the email layout is in a separate module, it is easy to replace the default one with one that you like better. All that said, the current email generation system is certainly no worse than the previous system, which also required editing code. The only steps back are the quickness with which the data is discarded and the direct integration of the database calls with the content generation. These seem intended to solve a problem. However, it is unclear to me what problem that might have been, and therefore I am having difficulty in thinking of a solution that does not reintroduce that problem and that allows for making layout changes to the email without having to touch core code files. If you only install modules (in 2.2, this would be shipping, payment, and order total; in 3, there are several more), then I think that you will find that the installation is very similar to your previous experience. The “problem” is that osCommerce also allows code modification contributions that are not self packaged. I think that this is actually one of the osCommerce strengths — that it allows for deep integrations by developers. However, a side effect of this is that many contributions aren’t really designed for installation by a store owner. Many store owners compensate for this by learning just enough to install contributions.

The issue at which I was aiming in this post is that 3 is supposed to be better about separating the various logic portions, e.g. layout from data management. Unfortunately, this separation is not complete. I still see direct database calls in content and I still see HTML in files that are concerned with data management (an example is the attributes replacement, which has a table based layout embedded into it). The problem that I see in generating the order email is that data is being fetched just in time and then is immediately discarded (in the case of products, each product is discarded before the next product is loaded). I would rather a system where the data was loaded into an order object and then the template would access the order object.

As you may have noticed, this is how Checkout Redux works. It loads an order object either from the cart object or from the database (depending on the type of payment module) and then the notification module uses that object to send the email. Because the email layout is in a separate module, it is easy to replace the default one with one that you like better.

All that said, the current email generation system is certainly no worse than the previous system, which also required editing code. The only steps back are the quickness with which the data is discarded and the direct integration of the database calls with the content generation. These seem intended to solve a problem. However, it is unclear to me what problem that might have been, and therefore I am having difficulty in thinking of a solution that does not reintroduce that problem and that allows for making layout changes to the email without having to touch core code files.

]]> Comment on Email templates for osCommerce 3 by Xpajun http://the.ecartz.biz/email-templates-for-oscommerce-3-b-159.html?cpage=1#comment-41 Xpajun Mon, 05 Oct 2009 11:49:42 +0000 http://the.ecartz.biz/-b-159.html#comment-41 I can't help wondering sometimes if osC is going backwards instead of forwards - before using it my php usage was mainly confined to forums and SMF in particular. SMF (Simple Machine Forums) grew from YABB (Yet Another Bulletin Board) which was cgi based. Anyway the SMF forum is so easy to use with contributions added by uploading and installing from the admin - there are rarely any bad installations (unless you do a manual install of a out of date contribution of course ;) ) Coming to osC after that was, what can only be described as, a big shake up to my system. The only real plus is I'm learning a lot more php now :D I can’t help wondering sometimes if osC is going backwards instead of forwards – before using it my php usage was mainly confined to forums and SMF in particular. SMF (Simple Machine Forums) grew from YABB (Yet Another Bulletin Board) which was cgi based. Anyway the SMF forum is so easy to use with contributions added by uploading and installing from the admin – there are rarely any bad installations (unless you do a manual install of a out of date contribution of course ;) ) Coming to osC after that was, what can only be described as, a big shake up to my system. The only real plus is I’m learning a lot more php now :D

]]> Comment on Checkout Redux by eCartz http://the.ecartz.biz/checkout-redux-b-155.html?cpage=1#comment-25 eCartz Mon, 21 Sep 2009 20:31:29 +0000 http://the.ecartz.biz/-b-155.html#comment-25 There is always risk when installing a new contribution. One thing that you can do to mitigate the risk is install on a test site first so that you can exercise it with your own circumstances. I would also warn you that this contribution rewrites checkout_process.php thoroughly. It would be a difficult install on a live site with checkout_process.php modified already. In terms of stability, it's hard to say. I haven't received any bug reports, but I also haven't received any positive feedback. I am confident in the contribution, but that is entirely based on my own testing. As always, users are much more innovative in finding bugs than are developers. There is always risk when installing a new contribution. One thing that you can do to mitigate the risk is install on a test site first so that you can exercise it with your own circumstances.

I would also warn you that this contribution rewrites checkout_process.php thoroughly. It would be a difficult install on a live site with checkout_process.php modified already.

In terms of stability, it’s hard to say. I haven’t received any bug reports, but I also haven’t received any positive feedback. I am confident in the contribution, but that is entirely based on my own testing. As always, users are much more innovative in finding bugs than are developers.

]]> Comment on Checkout Redux by ed http://the.ecartz.biz/checkout-redux-b-155.html?cpage=1#comment-24 ed Mon, 21 Sep 2009 15:50:35 +0000 http://the.ecartz.biz/-b-155.html#comment-24 hi, this is a great contribution. i would love to install it, but wanted to know how stable is it? i'm scared it would mess something up on a live production site. thx, ed hi, this is a great contribution. i would love to install it, but wanted to know how stable is it? i’m scared it would mess something up on a live production site.

thx, ed

]]> Comment on Validating devformatter content by Gilberto Saraiva http://the.ecartz.biz/validating-devformatter-content-b-145.html?cpage=1#comment-15 Gilberto Saraiva Mon, 14 Sep 2009 14:56:47 +0000 http://the.ecartz.biz/-b-145.html#comment-15 Great job. Soon as possible I'll add these modifications. Thanks. (keep your eyes on the wp support page to see the news) Great job.

Soon as possible I’ll add these modifications.

Thanks.
(keep your eyes on the wp support page to see the news)

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