E-Commerce Solution

[Skor]

I just this week launched a site to sell my wife's fused glass art. It's got a MySQL back end to drive the images and descriptions. The next logical step is to add ecommerce. Each item is one-off so what I really need is some sort of inventory control. What I do now is have a single character status field that would need to be changed when an item is sold.

Question: Since I already have a backend database, am I better doing the Paypal IPN integration or using one of the script packages offered by my provider -- Cube Cart, OS Commerce or Zen Cart?

If I use one of the scripts above, how does that affect my current database which houses the inventory?

Are they mutually exclusive?

If I use IPN all I need the program I create to do, is change the status to "S" once a sale has been completed. How hard is IPN to setup?

Thanks


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Skor

[redbullmarky]

once you've got the basics down, and the basic scripts to handle IPN, it's really really not hard at all. I spend hours sussing it out, yet for the code I was left with left me thinking "they should have just told me that in the first place!!!"

One of my old posts here was about paypal and IPN, and included the scripts i used - modified a bit from the paypal developer site. Unfortunately I cannot find it (maybe an admin can help here? it was quite a while back). If not, i'll try dig up the stuff. There's one page in particular on the paypal dev site that literally has all the info you need in one summary. Again, if I manage to dig up the link, i'll pass it on.

[Skor]

If you could find your old script(s).  That would be awesome.  Thanks for helping sort through the stuff.

Skor

[redbullmarky]

this should help you, as it's where i picked up the code i based mine on originally:
http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=p/pdn/ipn-codesamples-pop-outside

this would code in the return file (ie, the one you tell paypal to return back to once a customer has paid) and is basically responsible for posting back the info to paypal to make sure all is in check. there are a few variables you need to make sure are in your <form> code. i cant remember the ins and outs, but the following is very similar to what i use:

[code]
<form action="https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr" method="post">
  <input type="hidden" name="cmd" value="_xclick" />
  <input type="hidden" name="business" value="paypayemail@whatever.com" />
  <input type="hidden" name="item_name" value="item description goes here" />
  <input type="hidden" name="currency_code" value="GBP" />
  <input type="hidden" name="amount" value="10.00" />
  <input type="hidden" name="no_shipping" value="1" />
  <input type="hidden" name="return" value="http://www.mysite.com/paid.php" />
  <input type="hidden" name="custom" value="user id or anything can go here - anything you like" />
  <input type="hidden" name="rm" value="2" />

  <input type="image" src="/images/paypal/x-click-but5.gif" name="submit" alt="" />
</form>
[/code]

hope that helps
cheers
Mark

[Jenk]

If you just want to setup a shop quickly, why not use a proprietry eCommerce application such as Zen Cart or Cube Cart?

[Skor]

Problem is I've already built my web site and just need to add an e-commerce component.  Don't want to start from scratch.

[Jenk]

You don't have to. install Zen Cart, or Cube Cart and just link to it from a different section of your site. You can change the templates (easily) to match the design.