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From: Sydney, Australia
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G'day people,
I've dreaded this day, but like all, it has come. I want to get a handle on Shopping Cart stuff, and it's integration into plain html tpe websites. (That sounds real technical dunnit!).
What sort of programs are available. Are they in some way intergrated with the Host (seen some hosts advertise "shopping cart included"). I've just seen an advert for a new caper called 'Google Cart' - Is this the sort of thing needed to integrate a shopping cart into a html website?
Sorry there isn't a lot of info in the question, but there's not a lot in my head. I vowed I'd try not to get involved in this for a while, but it's reared it's ugly head.
Thanks. Any comments or direction, experience - greatly appreciated. Actually, a basic 'six year old's' description of what they are and how they function would be grand.
Thanks again
Wiz 
I cried because I had no shoes - until I saw a man who had no feet...
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look at mals-e.com
free works well. Can be applied in many ways (simple buy now, dropdown optiosn etc. Very good support forum
I use it on my sites.
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Did you check ShopSite (shopsite.com)?
I haven't used it but have seen people praise.
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Thanks you so much, both. Look like two very handy places to start.
I'll let you know how I get on.
Wiz 
I cried because I had no shoes - until I saw a man who had no feet...
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Matte, do you mind giving me the URL of one of your sites that would showcase this program well? (Or just shows it at all)...
Thanks Steve
I cried because I had no shoes - until I saw a man who had no feet...
I use shop-script shopping cart software because it seemed to be the best value for money at the time (I used free version initially, andthen upgraded and made one-off payment - no annula liscence fee)and I wasn't experienced enough to use other free, open source carts. However, this is not integrated into an already built html site, but the blurb says you can do this. The only poblem is, it does use smarty templates, which, since joining this site, I gather are not popular...
Don't go by my site either, although I've made lots of changes to original template and added lots or extra pages, I'm still learning html and am aware my layout it not so good - speaking of which, I'm now about to maek another post asking for help with this.
Hope this helps.
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Wiz got skilled at Mals cart - I think he is happy now
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Wiz,
I use AmeriCart (http://www.cartserver.com/americart)
Go to my web site, click on any item for sale, and run through it, see what you think. Just put TEST in the blanks (unless you actually wanna buy something ). It'll take you through a check-out process. See what you think. I'll cancel your order when it comes in. Just thought you could give it a try.
The customer's order actually gets sent to AmeriCart (and NOT me my computer, since I don't have SSL. ("secure socket layer, or something like that). All info on costomer's order is encrypted, therefore safe.
When an order for me arrives at AmeriCart, they send me an e-mail. Then I go to AmeriCart, log in, and voila, all the info I need is there. Americart also helps with shipping and insurance costs. It all gets automatically calculated by their system.
Not cheap though...
Wiz -- doesn't your Host have one in your CPanel?
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From: Yorkshire, UK
Registered: 2006-08-19
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a shopping cart is nothing more than a simple database
use session data to track unique visitors movements and selects as they move round the store, logging what they want and don't want in a database
when it comes to checking out you take what you have in the virtual cart and work out the price.
You'll want to know how customers pay for your goods. there are many 'payment gateways' but I use and like paypal - I send all the necessary data to paypal via a form, the user completes the transaction and paypal send the user back to my site with some validation variables, perform a quick check (not cheque) and decide what to do.
osCommerce is a free open source php/MySQL all in one store and cart, not sure about choosing a payment gateway with it.
As for integration into 'normal html type' pages - it's simple, no - it really is!
With server side scripting the pages you call actually have the script on it, for example look at this php script
Code: html
<?
$show_time = date('r',time());
?>
<html>
<head>
.............
</head>
<body>
this is the time as my server thinks it is: <? echo $show_time; ?>
</body>
</html>
What happens is that the server take sthe file and puts it through the php engine, the php engine executes the php stuff and returns raw html to the browser. You can do all sorts of database stuff and calculations in the php code, even if you don't want it displayed on the page.
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From: Sydney, Australia
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Thanks people for the additional comment. In fact, the issue is still 'semi-alive' in so far as, I don't really have a handle on Mals-e.com in terms of the set up.
The Shopping Cart concept is simple enough, as Northie says, it is simply a DB. IT's just a method of collecting information, pricing and applying mathematical calculations (qtys, discounts, taxes etc) and simply relaying the final TOTAL figure and a simple discription to your chosen payment processor, who then advises you that a transaction has taken place. You then log in to your Cart account and find out what it is for etc...
My Host has one included: "E-commerce: Free shopping cart installation and provide help in all aspects of the website"
However, Mals seemed to be simpler to understand. If I was in a real pickle, I could use the Host's program and just ask my Host about probs, but even though they are very good with responses, they can still take 12 or so hours to answer sometimes, which is a bit long when you have more questions to ask and more stuff to get clear etc.
I have no need to have a Cart myself. I needed to know about them and be able to set them up for Design Clients. I've only had the one client who asked for one, back when this was first posted. After I got the 'skinny' of it and put together a VERY simple sample for them, they finally told me that they only had one Item to sell and, as it was a 'virtual' product (software actually), they had since discovered Clickbank and wanted me to go that way, which is a simple as falling off a log.... (I could have saved the and ME a lot of time and trouble if they'd just told me first - I sell through Clickbank myself...
Anyway, I may still need a hand if I get a request for one. I understand the concept and most of the set-up stuff, but I just have a problem with some of the set-up 'options' (i.e. what's needed and not needed and other ones I don't even understand what they are).
Anyway, it is very nice to know I have some people who have a clue, that I can call on if need be.
Thanks again, very much,
Wiz
I cried because I had no shoes - until I saw a man who had no feet...
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From: Where U least expect me
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OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -
Oh..did I mention OS Commerce ?
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Any particular reason why, Gypsy? (Apart from the fact that you like to write the name...)
Wiz
P.S. What's the URL
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It is the best all around Cart (free or paid) that we have used over the years.... Very good as a standalone, tons of extendability..... Good for SEO
Also, we have a few of the original team members on board at my Co and kick Ass with it...
There are also related products (CreLoaded, OSC Max, Zen Cart etc..)
More info here and U can email me and I shall hok U up with Tanya (lead developer) and she will guide U in the ways of OSC my young Jedi....
http://www.vervedevelopments.com/servic … merce.html
Some sites (older..don't have an updated list)
http://www.technologydirectcanada.com/
www.redwell.com.au/Rwshop/
http://tesorinewhope.com/giftshop/
http://www.agslabsinc.com
http://www.orionboatco.com
http://theleagueshop.com/
http://www.euro-spec.net
http://www.interautosport.com/
http://www.aenutrition.com
http://www.commercialgaskets.com/index.php
http://jgsales.com/
http://www.vintagejewelrydirect.com/
http://www.theleagueshop.com/
http://www.soul101.com
http://www.mywholesaleshop.com/
http://www.lightersdirect.com/
http://www.alvaline.com/
http://www.race2way.ca/
www.artagainstall.com
http://www.zoo-sheela.com/index.php
Give you an idea of the variety U can get out of it
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From: Vancouver, BC
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Personally, I've found alot of the packaged cart software/applications come with considerable overhead... variables and code necessary for the flexibility to appeal to the majority yet rarely if ever used throughout the 8 years of my personal experience.
As a result, I developed several cookie-based solutions that I've used throughout the years. Let the client do the work rather than the server using a DB for constant i/e/d processing.
Nevertheless, that's not everyone's bag. OSCommerce is quite popular and flexible... it really depends on what you're after from a feature-set standpoint
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From: Yorkshire, UK
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I also hate cookies
I use them for affiliate tracking only
Let the client do the work rather than the server
And if the client doesn't have cookies enabled or doesn't run the technologies you expect them to - then what happens?
tracking is easily done through database based sessions - if you're a php developer look at one of the user submitted comments at http://uk2.php.net/manual/en/function.s … andler.php
[3rd Jan 2006] for a great class to implement this function
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From: Springfield, MO
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TheGypsy wrote:
OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -OS Commerce -
Oh..did I mention OS Commerce ?
I know this post has some age on it, but I have been looking at OS Commerce, Zen Cart, and Cubecart. I like the idea that they are free and installed/supported by my host, but I am pretty much ignorant and know just enough html, etc. to be dangerous. The support is mainly forum if I understand it correctly and although I like forums, there is a lot of terminoligy, etc. I don't unerstand. Another thing is OS does not offer static html. I have been research this as I have it on my present cart and from past experience understood it was a big plus. I know things have changed. Also, if I understand correctly, there is not description for categories and sub categories. If I can pick you brain on all of this I will be very grateful.
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so tomynate what you are after is a cart/cms that is seo friendly including meta description on the category level (and product?) that potentially also has the ability to generate static htmp pages rather than dynamically generated each time?
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From: Springfield, MO
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matte wrote:
so tomynate what you are after is a cart/cms that is seo friendly including meta description on the category level (and product?) that potentially also has the ability to generate static htmp pages rather than dynamically generated each time?
If this is the best thing these days. If the static html vs dynamic html doesn't matter then I guess any cart will do. I would like to be able to describe categories and sub categories.
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Pardon me for chiming in. Just a question in line w/this topic I believe.
So do you all prefer OS Commerce over PayPal? Or is OS Commerce something you use with PayPal or similar program? (am I confusing things again?)
Thanks!
BasketLady
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