Thread

You make a good point about the ajax api. That leads me to really interesting thoughts.

Having request handling is alot more flexible and maintainable however, since one controller method would essentially get one lot of data and present it via views coherent with the request made. Offering a public API for your ajax stuff application-wide is troublesome, unless of course you’ve strictly kept all of your domain logic inside your model, even so it feels dirty. Meh - I feel this is drifting into OT’ness.

Daniel - Since EE/CI is php, wouldn’t all that be php also? And therefore ajax is used only for display/visual?
Maybe I need to go read up on MVC again 😉

Ajax is nothing to do with the visual aspect of an application, it is merely a method of retrieving data from your model/controller setup. My point was that you should not disregard factoring in such an aspect of your user interface at any stage - nor should you bless it with too much focus. I think what I mean is keep the UI in mind at all stages of design, afterall what are web applications if not user interfaces?

I’m aware of the asynchronous part of ajaz but the javascript (J) part is often associated with, or used to display/present 😉
But, you’re right, probably veering off topic

I’m in with if “loot” is needed. It would be nice if the module could remain opensource, but “require” a fee to download (to keep the project alive).

See, in my opinion, that’s a user implementation detail that shouldn’t be handled out-of-the box. That’s what all of these out of the box carts do, and they inevitably reduce flexibility. They cut time, sorta, but they reduce flexibility.

I agree with that general principle as well.

Are we not overstating things a bit by trying to envisage a “full” shopping cart system, rather than a checkout system?

Well, for my part I’m starting to convert my Authorize.net payment library over to being useful in Expression Engine. Probably won’t be done this week. But soon. It ain’t gonna be a cart, but at least it might help avoid paypal.

Authorize.net ain’t international though… so doesn’t help much. Once I get it done, I might start looking at some other payment gateways.

You guys know I’m game.  Remember my Magento/EE rant late last year?  I think at this point a community eCommerce effort is the ticket.  And I know it would add incredable value to the EE platform if it were an “all out” solution.

I’d like to see something a little more robust and “store-like” than a FoxEE or CoolCommerce.  Both of which are good, but they seem to be more of a work around, than a full out store app.

I’d contribute some cash Leevi.  Fo’ sure!

Just to throw an idea into the mix, have a look at http://www.phpcart.net/php_cart.php - it’s a checkout script that only processes the order data, shipping and payment, not product data. It works by passing values/variables from a url to the script from a static or dynamic page.

In short it achieves pretty much what’s been talked about in this thread - EE to control the data - a Module to process the order.

I’ve never used the script but the logic of how it works is sound 😊

I’m tempted to add that perhaps it should have its own set of templates/processes/etc. separate from the EE core engine, so that it can be run independently of the core engine.  Much like how the forums are run (but a heck-of-a lot easier to skin).

I’m tempted to add that perhaps it should have its own set of templates/processes/etc. separate from the EE core engine, so that it can be run independently of the core engine.  Much like how the forums are run (but a heck-of-a lot easier to skin).

I like this suggestion as well.

Hi, sorry a bit late to the thread…

I’ve used the Wordpress e-commerce plugin http://www.instinct.co.nz/e-commerce/ and it had pretty all the things I needed at the time (unlike Wordpress itself). Couldn’t we simply work with a company like Instinct to do an EE version (assuming they were interested of course)? Also it looks like a pretty good Magento EEModule might be available soon… http://www.magentocommerce.com/group/blog/action/viewpost/284/group/142 so wouldn’t that still permit the flexibility of EE in layout/presentation and link up with EE users? Seems like an awful lot of work to re-do the whole thing to be completely ‘EE native’?

Anyway, unfortunately I’m not a programmer so couldn’t contribute in that way; but I’d pay say $100 or so for a good mod like this (perhaps more depending on the functionality included).

Well, good luck!

This is from the Magento forum post you’re referencing:

No, you don’t need to use any Magento templating - all the Magento API functionality will be available via EE tags, so you can use your EE templates. You’ll be abe to view products, add them to the cart and go through the checkout etc - the entire order process - without leaving your EE site (and all served from you EE templates)

It sounds too good to be true, but if they can make it happen I’m in there 😊
I’ve been playing around with Magento and its templating system is just a bear to skin…

Anyway, for those who Twitter those guys are here.

Ooooh…  Thanks for the link e-man.  That does sound extremely good!  I guess we’ll find out soon if they pull through - public beta is supposed to open in the next week or so.