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USPS Action Required for Web Tools APIs


kewler

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I just received this email. Not sure if it will effect us, but thought I would post it.

 

We are informing you that USPS Web Tools will be implementing changes due to the May 2007 Rate Changes.

 

 

 

In May, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) will implement the new Rates in accordance with the Federal Register, to adjust postage prices to cover operational costs and respond to changes in the marketplace. With this change, the USPS Web Tools will release new version iterations and corresponding XML schemas for the APIs: domestic rates, international label and custom forms APIs.

 

 

 

The international APIs: Global Label Express Mail, Global Label Priority Mail and Global Label Airmail Parcel Post will be realigned to three new services: Express Mail International, Priority Mail International and First Class Mail International. Within these services, two new service types, Express Mail International Flat Rate Envelope and Priority Mail International Flat Rate Box will be added to the Web Tools international APIs.

 

 

 

The Domestic Rate API V2 will be modified and can be used after the release of Rate V3 for other than Large Priority Mail pieces.

 

 

 

A staging environment will be available in early April. Updated user documentation will be posted on USPS.com at http://www.usps.com/webtools. Please look for a follow-up email in early April notifying you of specific dates and detailed information.

 

 

 

If you have any concerns or technical inquiries, please contact the USPS Internet Customer Care Center via email at [email protected] or phone 1-800-344-7779.

 

 

 

 

 

Sincerely,

 

 

 

Patti Mason,

 

Manager, USPS.com

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This email hit our inbox this morning, and by mid afternoon we had 8 customers email us saying they could not get their order through OsComm.

 

A little testing later and the system is hanging on the "checkout_shipping.php" Just a blank screen. Sometimes if you refresh the page it will load, but its now buggy as hell. By going in (and for now), deleting the USPS under modules at least the UPS calculator is still working.

 

Has anyone else out there experience this? What us USPS up to? Have they changed their version?

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I, too, received the same email from the USPS and was wondering what, if any, impact the changes would have on calculating USPS shipping.

 

 

"This notice came through to us as well and all hell broke loose with USPS.php" powerline777, are you sure that the problems you are experiencing are related to the proposed USPS changes? I assumed that the email was announcing changes that would occur in the near future. It seems odd that the USPS would make changes the same day that they sent the notice.

 

Anyone else have insight as to whether the USPS changes will have an impact on calculating USPS shipping?

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  • 4 weeks later...

I received the same message and contacted USPS customer support. They told me I had to "contact the third party" to check if any action is necessary, or the module would be updated automatically.

Whom do I contact in OS Commerce?

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I beleieve the biggest question is will the existing API be retired or disabled on the launch date of the new one.

 

I would imagine it will take a few days to see the first contribution for the new USPS API.

 

Development can be performed now via the staging enviornment @ USPS.

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I believe the biggest question is will the existing API be retired or disabled on the launch date of the new one.

 

I would imagine it will take a few days to see the first contribution for the new USPS API.

 

Development can be performed now via the staging enviornment @ USPS.

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The Domestic Rate API V2 will be modified and can be used after the release of Rate V3 for other than Large Priority Mail pieces.

 

After giving this a closer look, I beleive the answer is in the USPS letter that begins this post.

 

V2 will be modified and can be used after the release of V3.

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

I confirm the USPS Method 2.8d with the modification 2.8d_1 works fine in the new API.

 

It is about 1:24 eastern time and I just finished updating my store and testing the result on USPS production server.

 

Thanks a million to those who wrote the update on that contribution. grapesmuggler and kbucher.

 

My side note on the modification:

 

1. USPS Production Server did not change. (confirmed)

 

2. for those who has problem execute the SQL statement. You can do the following:

 

*manually change "set function" field in configuration table to "BLOB" if your MY SQL version does not allow VCHAR (555)

 

*manually change the text in the configuration table where the configuration key is "'MODULE_SHIPPING_USPS_TYPES_INTL", type in each new international service type name, seperate by comma, then update the description entry.

 

3. Don't forget to make the update on your configuration table, because I forgot and took me more than 1 hour to realized, "Damn, I forgot the SQL statement".

 

But all is well, off to sleep.

 

Good luck to you all and thanks again for the contribution. You guys rock!

Edited by polaris
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2. for those who has problem execute the SQL statement. You can do the following:

 

*manually change "set function" field in configuration table to "BLOB" if your MY SQL version does not allow VCHAR (555)

 

*manually change the text in the configuration table where the configuration key is "'MODULE_SHIPPING_USPS_TYPES_INTL", type in each new international service type name, seperate by comma, then update the description entry.

 

Hi.

 

Would you, or someone else, mind posting a before and after of the SQL updates? I'm not so good at the figuring out the quotes and such. For example, you have "'MODULE_SHIPPING_USPS_TYPES_INTL" with and extra quote or apostrophe in the beginning and I don't understand.

 

Thanks!

Joe

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That was a type O. Sorry

 

should be "MODULE_SHIPPING_USPS_TYPES_INTL". This is one of the record in configuration table where the configuration key is MODULE_SHIPPING_USPS_TYPES_INTL.

 

I use this to locate that record, then change the configuration_description column entry on this particular record.

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Anyone has problem with the USPS production server today? It works great for me last night when i installed it. Now, it couldn't connect to the production server anymore? I used the latested 2.8d version upgrade for usps May 14th one.

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That was a type O. Sorry

 

should be "MODULE_SHIPPING_USPS_TYPES_INTL". This is one of the record in configuration table where the configuration key is MODULE_SHIPPING_USPS_TYPES_INTL.

 

I use this to locate that record, then change the configuration_description column entry on this particular record.

 

Great, I got it, thank you. One last question...what does the following part of the SQL mean or relate to and is it necessary?

I've been unable to figure it out. I got the update working without it.

 

...CHARACTER SET latin1 COLLATE latin1_swedish_ci NULL DEFAULT NULL;

 

Thanks again!

Joe

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That part is to change the "set_function" field from a text of 255 character to 555 character. The character set is just telling the MySQL what kind text is stored. The reason is that the new international mail type, are pended into a string like this "Express, Priority....." and it is too long, longer than 255 characters when it is called in (i belive) admin/modules/shipping/usps.php, so to make it work that particular filed string or text length must increase from 255 to something long enough to hold all the string.

 

The common problem is that some MySQL version does not support VCHAR(555) so you can either reset the field to BLOB (like I did) or long text.

 

BackUp your database before you do anything to it.

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never mind. could someone delete this post for me?

Edited by Sanguinarius

--Sanguinarius

 

If you're reading this, I'm probably pulling my hair out. ;>

 

*waiting for osCommerce 3.0 alpha 6* (I'm after the coupons.)

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Hi all!

Is anybody else still getting the " An error occured with the USPS shipping calculations.

If you prefer to use USPS as your shipping method, please contact the store owner." message after applying the changes? I ran the query and updated the code and am seeing the new options in the admin panel but no luck on the site. Is it just me?

Thanks!

-K

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Hi all!

Is anybody else still getting the " An error occured with the USPS shipping calculations.

If you prefer to use USPS as your shipping method, please contact the store owner." message after applying the changes? I ran the query and updated the code and am seeing the new options in the admin panel but no luck on the site. Is it just me?

Thanks!

-K

 

 

Yes, Having the same issue now.

 

First problem I had was a hanging occuring on checkout_shipping.

I remembered the email and decided to uninstall USPS from the system.

That allowed fedex and UPS to work again. Then I found the contribution, edited out lines inserted SQL statements

and now I have the same msg. I never updated the stock Oscommerce 2.2 files with USPS 2.8 files. Is this needed?

I can't edit the USPS shipping module in the admin section either.

 

Any help would be appreciated.

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OK,

 

After some research, trial and error, I've got USPS back up and running.

 

Things that may help others -

 

"Find this section around line 260:

 

switch (MODULE_SHIPPING_USPS_SERVER) {

case 'production': $usps_server = 'production.shippingapis.com';

$api_dll = 'shippingapi.dll';

break;

case 'test':

default: $usps_server = 'testing.shippingapis.com';

$api_dll = 'ShippingAPITest.dll';

break;

}

"

 

 

That's totally not needed.

 

 

"ALTER TABLE `configuration` CHANGE `set_function` `set_function` VARCHAR( 555 ) CHARACTER SET latin1 COLLATE latin1_swedish_ci NULL DEFAULT NULL;

 

Execute this SQL update if you already have the module installed and are updating:

 

UPDATE `configuration` SET `set_function` = 'tep_cfg_select_multioption(array(''Global Express'', ''Global Express Non-Doc Rect'', ''Global Express Non-Doc Non-Rect'', ''Express Mail Int'', ''Express Mail Int Flat Rate Env'', ''Priority Mail Int'', ''Priority Mail Int Flat Rate Env'', ''Priority Mail Int Flat Rate Box'', ''First-Class Mail Int''),' WHERE `configuration_id` =196 LIMIT 1 ;

"

 

First SQL set to text not VARCHAR(555)

 

Second SQL "where 'configuration_id' = 196" May be something totally different depending on your setup and how many times you have installed or uninstalled - make certain it corresponds to the correct id.

 

 

Lastly I found that you have to install 2.8 modules.php and general.php in appropriate folders. Then on top of that it requried removal and reinstall of the USPS shipping module.

 

 

good luck

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This is the correct way to add Express Mail Intl to the usps module.

 

1. Add the following line to the intl_types array in the /includes/modules/shipping/usps.php. About line 51.

 

'Express Mail Int' => 'Express Mail International (EMS)',

 

 

2. Update the database.

 

UPDATE configuration

SET set_function = 'tep_cfg_select_multioption(array(\'GXG Document\', \'GXG Non-Document\', \'Express\', \'Express Mail Int\', \'Priority Lg\', \'Priority Sm\', \'Priority Var\', \'Airmail Letter\', \'Airmail Parcel\', \'Surface Letter\', \'Surface Post\'), '

WHERE configuration_key = 'MODULE_SHIPPING_USPS_TYPES_INTL'

 

 

3 . You can now select "Express Mail Int" from the USPS module config web page.

 

 

4. Done!

 

 

Bruce

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