Shopping Basket

[Samuel Shulman]

Hi

I need to implement a shopping basket for my e-commerce website

Scenarios are as follows

1. Website to offer shopping basket for all visitors including those who
didn't log

2. Website to offer shopping basket ONLY to those that are logged

I got advice in this newsgroup to buy the functionality of a shopping basket
(as a web control etc.)

My question is why isn't it straight forward in both cased to maintain the
shopping basket data either through the session variable or in the first
scenario using the database and relate the data to the client record.
Another possibility is using a cookie on the client machine for
identification (in this case the database will be used)

Thank you for your advice,
Samuel Shulman
SBS Technologies Ltd

 

[Grant Merwitz]

Hi Samuel.

It is straight forward to use a session variable or cookie.
The reason people advice you to use a 3rd party tool is why reinvent the
wheel when its easier to use something already developed and readily
available.

Moving forward:

Sessions:
Bear in mind these will only be available for the duration of the users
visit, and also it will expire after a set amount of time as well.
This way, when the user revisits your site, there shopping basket will now
be empty.

Cookies:
This is a great way to keep the shopping basket.
If you are trying to relate the data to a record in your database, bear in
mind you'll have to cater for visitors whom do not have an account. But that
can be easily overcome using guest accounts or some similair mechanism.

I hope this answers you questions or at least gives you some helpful
pointers

 

[Samuel Shulman]

Thank you for your advice,

What work can the shopping basket save me if I have to create the database
tables necessary and the web page to show the content of the basket

The only thing I can think is a control which I will have to set the
properties such as a list of products

I think that some offer to actually maintain the basket but in this occasion
I would to keep the data myself

Samuel

 

[Grant Merwitz]

Personally, i agree 100%
I will always reprogram my own custom tools.

But can be easier at times to use ready built