Driving osCommerce from a Windows Application

[Guest]

A client of ours wants an all-signing application that handles it's shopping internally a little like iTunes.

 

They are content to have account creation handled in a browser, but need the login, submission of cart and final transaction and it's confirmation to be handled in local code.

 

Is this feasable at all? I've looked around and cannot find anything that looks like external hooks for web services etc. so I presume I'd need to start adapting the relevant code (login.php for a start). Has anyone tried this and what is the general view on doing it this way, sensible or not?

 

I guess the other method would be to drive the website using HTTP and replicate the browser's base functionality from within the application, this worries me though as if osCommerce changes or a different layout is applied to the shop the system could grind to a half.

 

Any ideas are appreciated! :thumbsup:

[Silverado05]

Just so I understand this correctly since it's late. They are wanting a cart that will run offline like a windows program?

[Guest]

Just so I understand this correctly since it's late. They are wanting a cart that will run offline like a windows program?

Yes, the prices would be extracted from the osCommerce DB and downloaded via a web service, so the picking of the items and purchase will be seamless to the user.

[Silverado05]

Are you familiar with what OSC does?

[Guest]

Are you familiar with what OSC does?

Reasonably so, I've had a look at the site my client already has running and a sniff around the PHP, enough to give me some concerns over what they want to achieve.

[Mediajuggle]

A client of ours wants an all-signing application that handles it's shopping internally a little like iTunes.

 

They are content to have account creation handled in a browser, but need the login, submission of cart and final transaction and it's confirmation to be handled in local code.

 

Is this feasable at all? I've looked around and cannot find anything that looks like external hooks for web services etc. so I presume I'd need to start adapting the relevant code (login.php for a start). Has anyone tried this and what is the general view on doing it this way, sensible or not?

 

I guess the other method would be to drive the website using HTTP and replicate the browser's base functionality from within the application, this worries me though as if osCommerce changes or a different layout is applied to the shop the system could grind to a half.

 

Any ideas are appreciated! :thumbsup:

 

 

The thing is that itunes is a glorified browser so all it's really doing is accessing the itunes site that Apple has setup to only appear within iTunes. Without an internet connection, you can make no purchases in iTunes.

 

With that said, you should check out http://www.songbirdnest.com/

They are creating an open source itunes like player in which you load an oscommerce store within it's framework.

 

If you modify the source code to this then you could possibly set it to load your oscommerce store upon start up and remove the ability to browse other sites on the net!

 

I'm looking into Song Bird Nest for added functionality to my store as well.

[Guest]

The thing is that itunes is a glorified browser so all it's really doing is accessing the itunes site that Apple has setup to only appear within iTunes. Without an internet connection, you can make no purchases in iTunes.

 

With that said, you should check out http://www.songbirdnest.com/

They are creating an open source itunes like player in which you load an oscommerce store within it's framework.

 

If you modify the source code to this then you could possibly set it to load your oscommerce store upon start up and remove the ability to browse other sites on the net!

 

I'm looking into Song Bird Nest for added functionality to my store as well.

I had suggested that to them and shocked them by saying the iTunes shop is just a cut down browser interface, but they are insisting on keeping everything in the current application to keep everything integrated - Thanks for the Songbirdnest info, could come in useful for another project...

 

Given that the source is open I could make web service versions of the key pages I guess, but I'm hoping there is a nicer solution out there...

[Guest]

The Windows API has full support for sockets and internet connections. You can utilize those services to create an equivalent local application that supports remote connections. For the database I assume you use it locally so you could create an interface to communicate with the mySQL. If you have a commercial IDE in place they come with all sorts of samples and documentation.

 

You could do that with an application using vb, c#, c++ etc. its up to you what you're comfortable with. It's also worth checking the open source sites like sourceforge they may have something close to what you're looking for.

 

Just be aware of the GNU license requirements for the final product.

[Mediajuggle]

Enigma, man you really know your stuff!!! :thumbsup:

[Silverado05]

IMO, if I was you I would try to pitch them other alternatives. Sometimes the wishlist of clients is bigger then the expectations that can be met. Kidda like the saying "You're eyes are bigger then your stomach" if you know what I mean.

 

Is thier an absoulte reason they want it this way and must it be this way?

[Guest]

The Windows API has full support for sockets and internet connections. You can utilize those services to create an equivalent local application that supports remote connections. For the database I assume you use it locally so you could create an interface to communicate with the mySQL. If you have a commercial IDE in place they come with all sorts of samples and documentation.

 

You could do that with an application using vb, c#, c++ etc. its up to you what you're comfortable with. It's also worth checking the open source sites like sourceforge they may have something close to what you're looking for.

 

Just be aware of the GNU license requirements for the final product.

Already done a similar sort of thing many a time, it's just finding the right hooks into osCommerce that is the issue, one obvious way is to implement a robot to automate the traversal through login.php, product_info.php and through to checkout_shipping.php, but long-term that sort of solution isn't ideal, as changes in future versions of osCommerce could make it fail, ideally a protocol of some sort to direct the actions would be preferable, ideally a web service, but anything from URL-encoded to bespoke XML over HTTP would do the trick.

 

Thanks on the heads up on the licensing though, my guess is that my client hasn't thought of that yet.

[Guest]

IMO, if I was you I would try to pitch them other alternatives. Sometimes the wishlist of clients is bigger then the expectations that can be met. Kidda like the saying "You're eyes are bigger then your stomach" if you know what I mean.

That's the purpose of this research excercise, so I can ascertain exactly how much pain/cost they are letting themselves in for :)

 

Is thier an absoulte reason they want it this way and must it be this way?

Is does fit their applications model and user experience better, as well as resultant income stream.

 

Thanks for all the help :thumbsup: