MODxCart - (split from shopX)

Quote from: rthrash at Feb 15, 2007, 09:19 AM

Next up should be the cart stuff and converting the multi-page checkout to a multi-page (standard) eForm I think.

Indeed. Not to mention the important Admin GUI, which really won’t be too complicated. There’s not enough time in the day....

Hey, I’m new to MODx... just found out about it 3 days ago and installed and so far i love it, it’s amazing and I’m really excited to see future releases. One of the first things I was searching for after looking around for a while was an e-commerce module of some type, and now here i am. Though I’m new to PHP, everything I have read in this thread sounds great and I cant wait to get my hands on it. Pixelchute, i know you said you were on a time constraint, so I was curious if any projected dates have been thought about concerning a beta release? Also, OpenGeek... I know you have been making your resources available to pixelchute (along with some other poeple I’m sure), but if anyone knows of a hopeful release date for an e-commerce system I would love to know about it. Thanks and keep up the good work.

Two kickers:

1. My time constraint has passed, and unfortunately I was not able to leverage this project with the other. In the meantime, I’d like to point you in the direction of ShopX within MODx...look for it in the forums! It’s a nice startup ecommerce framework that is working for others...

2. This project is using XPDO, part of the framework driving future-versions of MODx (0.9.7+)... It likely won’t have a stable version released until 0.9.7 is closer as well (However, it might be closer than I realize )

I think the best approach would be to create a minimal core with an API and callback functions. Then the community can help rapidly expand the feature set by writing their own modules (coupons, FedEx, newsletter, etc). If you make nearly everything a module to some degree then not only does it mirror the philosophy of MODx (a framework), but it allows for easier collaboration and quicker development.

First step would be to produce a written requirements specification of the shopping cart core for discussion.

Andy

Quote from: Andy at Mar 21, 2007, 02:25 PM

I think the best approach would be to create a minimal core with an API and callback functions. Then the community can help rapidly expand the feature set by writing their own modules (coupons, FedEx, newsletter, etc). If you make nearly everything a module to some degree then not only does it mirror the philosophy of MODx (a framework), but it allows for easier collaboration and quicker development.

First step would be to produce a written requirements specification of the shopping cart core for discussion.

Andy

Andy, you’re absolutely correct. Another choice to be made is whether or not to make it compatible with anything less than MODx 0.9.7. The intent is to leverage the power of (x)PDO, however I don’t see any reason that the base core/structure couldn’t begin in 0.9.5+ and have a dedicated legacy "modules" maybe? It really depends...

Sometimes projects can become paralyzed simply by trying to solve too many problems at once. I would suggest to design for 0.9.7 (i.e. optimum implementation for that platform) and later on if possible add the necessary switches to make it backwards compatible.

Andy

Quote from: ZAP at Feb 02, 2007, 06:52 PM

It’s still in need of some clean-up (maybe more since I started messing with it)...

I have set up a test install of MODx on a server we control, and I will add the ShopX code to it tonight/tomorrow. PM me for access. I need to make some minor changes to it in order to make it function in this environment (since I’ve been using a separate database for order data on live stores with offline processing, but for testing purposes I think it’s better to use the main MODx database instead).

In the version that I use a lot more is done in the main ShopX plugin than in the original version done by Susan. I don’t use the user account features that Ryan has on his site, so those are not in my trunk of the code at all. I also haven’t set up anything but offline processing sites so far, but Susan’s Echo processing module works perfectly and is a great template for any similar gateway.

There are a lot of bridges still to cross, including restructuring the checkout process using eForm over multiple pages, improved product option management, inventory control, etc. I use a very simple scripted TV to allow store managers to set specific combinations of options as available or out-of-stock (e.g., red small t-shirts are available, but blue small is out-of-stock). I think that combining this technique with a dynamic (Ajax) option form would be a lot better than refreshing the whole page (as I do now).

The discussion in the ShopX forum was trending towards coming up with a standardized database structure, classes, etc., and I would think that’s still a first priority for any next-generation shopping cart project.

Did this testbed ever materialize or did it get shelved until 0.9.6 goes gold and/or 0.9.7 goes preview?

Hey there, Jester -

Sorry I didn’t reply to your personal message the other day; my DSL went out for 24 hours and I’ve been scrambling to finish all the urgent stuff that has to be done this week but is now inexplicably more than 24 hours behind schedule...

I set up a test install and started to clean up and improve my code, but since no one expressed immediate interest and I was swamped I put it aside for a while. If you’re definitely interested in working through the kinks with me, I’ll finish up the base package and give you access to it. I have some time set aside Monday and Tuesday to work on this, so by Wednesday it should be functional and viewable.

I have to do two more ShopX sites in May, so this is now a priority again for me. I would prefer to work through the rough spots on a test install than have each new client’s scripts be somewhat improved and all of them different. I expect that there will be some major changes after other folks start using and improving what I have so far, but I want to at least establish a starting point to work from.

I haven’t changed the session management at all because it appears that 0.9.7 will magically solve that issue for us (OK - it’s not magic to those who are developing it, but it will be to us users). I’m also a little unclear about how modules will be implemented in 0.9.7 given the radical change in manager setup. But I guess I should redo the order/customer management as modules for now anyway and worry about how to implement that in 0.9.7 later.

Anyway that’s the status report on my end - more soon...

I would definitely be interested in working out the kinks with you. Just shoot me a PM or post here when you feel you have it at a stage where it would be useful for me to try and help out.

I think the MODxCART should use xPDO... otherwise it will be obsolete shortly!

As for features in the shop and in the admin, take a look at ZenCart, in my opinnion
the best ecommerce cart there is...

if we could MODx-ify ZenCart, it would be perfect... I am not talking about an integration
but having ShopX or MODxCart with all the features of ZenCart and all the technology
of MODx... wow... that would be the best...