I think i have the answer, i'm just not sure how to implement it so i'll still need a bit of help.
I've deleted the history and details pages for the time being as i think i may need to add some extra columns in the orderdetails database table to accommodate further orderdetails from the items table. I'll use DataAssist to recreate the history pages later.
At the moment, when you add an item to the cart it includes the name and description, details which are taken from the items table and on checkout get added to the orderdetails table. They can then show up on the order details history page. I need data from some other columns in the items table to get added to the orderdetails table but without showing up in the shoppingcart. They can be there somewhere as long as the customer can't actually see this information i.e.hidden. They will only be able to view the details in the history area after payment has been made.
I realise that a remote checkout isn't ideal for this but i'm going to keep it like this at least until i know the site can cover the monthly paypal fee. Anyway, do you think the above is possible? I know there is a full description option with ecart4 so i may need to select this in order to get the extra item details. Once i've added new columns to the database, will i be able to go in and select the full description option from the relevant server behaviour or will i need to delete my cart pages and run the ecart wizard all over again and lastly can i make the name and description visible in the cart but have the rest of the data from items invisible to the customer. If its not possible to hide the extra order details from the customer so that its only available in the history area, i'll have to think of another solution. pls advise. thanks.