Shopping Cart

[gazalec]

Hi There I was wondering what everyone though the best way to do a shopping cart was, I was thinking a temp. table for instance when they choose add to basket it adds to the table until they choose go to checkout and i was thinking take everything from the table then delete the table but i was wondering how i could identify the table uniquely so the user can have multiple orders, I was thinking of maybe a search such as the table name being the customer number and the date for example, and when the customer clicks on a product to add to the basket it checks if there is any table names customernumber+todays date and if there isn't create a new table.

But then i started thinking that would mean a customer could only make one purchase per day... well properly anyway, and what if they started ordering at 11:57pm and added a new product say after 12:01am then that would be a new table so any ideas would be appreciated

 

Thanks In Advance

[Caesar]

There are plenty of robust shopping carts out there already. Is this for learning purposes or you actually want to go commercial with it? If you're making one for a client, alls I can say is, you're better off using an existing solution, so that you don't have to provide constant support/updates.

[gazalec]

Well it was for both really, to find out how to do it and how it works, and to have the ability to create my own if I ever need to, or if I'm having a problem with one I could have more of an insight to what the problem might be

[Caesar]

Well it was for both really, to find out how to do it and how it works, and to have the ability to create my own if I ever need to, or if I'm having a problem with one I could have more of an insight to what the problem might be

 

Understandable...and I would (And have) code one for learning purposes...but definitely not to provide to a client. Why? Well, because with shop's already available that provide ready made modules and plugins for tons of different payment gateways, shipping modules, etc. And then providing updates with new themes and new plugins for newer features/payment gateways....I wouldn't want to keep troubleshooting or providing support. Let someone else do it. Why reinvent the wheel...unless I was coding the software to sell it as an ecommerce solution to the masses.

[cooldude832]

whats your inventory db/tables look like.  Odds are if you have really high volumes (like tigerdirect/ebay/amazon/newegg) mysql isn't going to work, otherwise i'd be semi interested in building one with you.