Restricting possible downloads

Following "How to create a Download Center" I am now at the point to implement the download counter.

Is there a more detailed tutorial on how to achieve restricting the possible downloads through a number and an expiration time?

I am using the "Free Ecommerce MySQL Database".
Is there the necessary column for storing the download count already included or do I have to insert this column? In the orderdetails table?

And further:
How can I then achieve the restrictions -

a; through the numbers of possible downloads?
b; through an expiration time?

If somebody could help me on this -
that would be great!
:-)

Thanks!

Henrik

no, there is not a more detailed tutorial for this.

first lets look at restricting number of downloads:

In the Orderdetail table, you will need to add a new column for the download count, set the default value to 0.

On the download_center.php page, you will need to add another condition to the where clause of the WADAorderdetails Recordset, lets say you want to limit the download to 5, and have named the download count column "downloadCount":
AND orderdetails.downloadCount <= 5

to update the counter, you will need to add an additional hidden form element to the download form, name it "prodID". Set it's value to use the ProductID column of the WADAorderdetails recordset.

Now in the Download file server behavior, check the option to update the download count.

Set the table to use the oredersetails table.

the key column to the DetailProductID.

Click the lightning bolt next to key column value and select the prodID hidden form element.

For the count Column select the downloadCount column.

You will want to make sure that the download file server behavior is before the WADAorderdetails recordset.


Now lets look at restriction by date:

Again you should add another column to the order details table for the expiration date.

at the time of order, you will need to calculate when the file download should expire, and update the store order details behavior to store the expiration date in that column.

you can then modify the WADAorderdetails recordset to ensure that the currant date is before the expiration date by adding another condition to the where clause.

AND orderdetails.expirationDate >= now()

Many Thanks, Jason!

I did the restriction by number of downloads.
It works ...

Just a question to the restriction by expiration date:
I understand the 1. and 3. part but have problems with the 2.

At the time of order how/where can I calculate the expiration date?
And how/where do I update the store order details behavior with the calculated exp. date?

I would like to set the expiration date 1 Month or lets say 31 days after the time of order.

Thanks again!

You can calculate a date 31 days into the future using the following code:

<?php echo(date("m/d/Y", mktime(0, 0, 0, date("m"), date("d")+ 31, date("Y")))); ?>

the store order details server behavior is on the confirm page.


edit the store order details behavior and set the value for the expiration date to use the code above.

The update of the database with the calculated expiration date doesn't work.
The value which appears in the database is 0000-00-00.

I edited the store order details behavior on the pp_confirm.php page and pasted the code above in the "Value" field of the expiration date column as type: text.

Also I added the where clause on the Wadaorderdetails recordset on the download_center.php page - like you suggested.

Strange was also one try I did changing your code to:

<?php echo(date("Y/m/d", mktime(0, 0, 0, date("Y"), date("m"), date("d")+ 31))); ?>

(Just wanted the sequence of numbers like it is in the order history!)

Then I got as calculated expiration date: 1970-01-01

Changed the code to how it was before, then I got again: 0000-00-00


Did I something wrong or is something wrong with the code?

Thank you for any help!

a my sql date time column wants the date in yyyy-mm-dd format:
<?php echo(date("Y-m-d", mktime(0, 0, 0, date("m"), date("d")+ 31, date("Y")))); ?>

Now it is working ...

Thank You!

you're welcome.

Just another question regarding the download count. I think it would be more elegant to set it up that it counts down. One could name it "Downloads left (or remaining)" and let it count from 5 to 0.

How could this be achieved?

I guess the default value of the download count column would be set to 5. (?)

The where clause of the WADAorderdetails Recordset: AND orderdetails.downloadCount > 0 (?)

But how to set it up that it counts down?

I guess I have to change something in that Download File code: (right ?)

<?php
WA_DFP_SetupDownloadStatusStruct("WA_DownloadResult1");
if(($_SERVER["REQUEST_METHOD"] == "POST") && (isset($_SERVER["HTTP_REFERER"]) && strpos(urldecode($_SERVER["HTTP_REFERER"]), urldecode($_SERVER["SERVER_NAME"].$_SERVER["PHP_SELF"])) > 0) && isset($_POST)){
WA_DFP_DownloadFile("WA_DownloadResult1", "--removed--", "".((isset($_POST["hiddenField"]))?$_POST["hiddenField"]:"") ."", "[FileName]", 1, $database_mysql_sonic_magic, $mysql_sonic_magic, "orderdetails", "DetailProductID", "".((isset($_POST["prodID"]))?$_POST["prodID"]:"") ."", "downloadCount");
}
?>


Could someone give me an advice on this?
Thank you!
Henrik

You dont need to change anything in the recordset, it how it stores the value in the table. Only change how it is displayed on the page.


the table will still store the incrementing value, but you can do simple math on the output that displays the downloads remaining:
<?php echo($row_RecordsetName['DownloadCount'] - 5); ?>