Sample eCommerce Database

Trying to complete our integration with PayPal today and we're setting up the orders and orders details fields taking the sample ecommerce database you've provided as the template (http://www.webassist.com/community/tutorials/view_tutorial.php?tid=101).]

Can I ask why you have FLOAT as the type for any price or weight fields? We'd set those to DECIMAL but if that's going to cause problems then I'd rather change it now. Will changing our DECIMAL fields to FLOAT cause any problems?

Appreciate the advice, as ever.
Thank you.
NJ

Additional Questions

Sample Database - Why are the UserEmail and UserPassword fields set as "VARCHAR (500)"?

Checkout Wizard - Once the wizard creates all of the pages required, can I just build my website page layout around it? If I then run through the wizard again, will it overwrite any changes made to the layout (not to the CSS - I understand that I will need to copy it and reference after the wizard's reference)

Appreciated. NJ

it's a sample database intended to be used by the widest possible audience.

it is intended that you will edit the database to suit your needs, if you prefer to use decimal over float, by all means, edit the data type.

it is intended as a starting point for you to get up and running quickly.

if you want the useremail and password fields to be shorter, then you can edit them to be shorter.

why are they set that way? no real concrete reason except to give you a place to get started from.

as for the checkout wizard, you can apply your template to the pages after the wizard is finished.

re running the wizard is not suggested unless you first delete the existing checkout pages. the wizard is a page creation tool, not intended for editing.

I don't use templates because I've found them overcomplicated, I just hand build the pages as I feel more in control of it that way too.

Once the Checkout Wizard has created the pages checkout.php, checkout_failure.php and I have then go into those pages and added my header and footer, navigation etc, can I go back in and edit things in the wizard or will it overwrite the changes I've made to the pages it creates?

The wizard seems to remember the settings, albeit I have noticed that "Enable In-Context Checkout" is always ticked even if I've unticked it previously - we can't use that in though, is that correct?

One other thing relating to the Checkout Wizard, I'm having a problem with the save order to database option...

In the "Database Settings > Orders table preset" section, when I try to define the database table, and I select my "LEDorder" table it then shows me columns from a completely different table. It is that unusual that I can only assume this is a bug because I can connect to that table without a problem via HeidiSQL and via recordsets on other pages.

Also having problems with the checkout.php page which is showing bullet list icons alongside the form fields, please there are serious alignment issues in places.

Try https://www.ledwarehouseuk.com/LED-Spotlights.php adding an item to your basket then checkout button.

Hope you can help, thank you.
NJ

for the orders tab issue, Delete the Dreamweaver Cache file from the users configuration folder:
http://www.webassist.com/tutorials/Common-installation-issues

when you first click the define button, it will show the table definition for the orders table preset, in the table list, you will need top select your LEDorder table.


for the issue wit hthe checkout page, if you use Fire Bug, you will see that you have styles in your /stylesheet.css that are conflicting with the eCart css.

for example:
#pagecontainer ul {
list-style-type: disc;
margin: 10px 15px 10px 25px;
padding: 0;
}


is over riding this css:
form.Sharp_Default ul.Sharp_Default {
list-style-type: none;
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
}

I've deleted the cache file and reloaded Dreamweaver and ran through the Checkout Wizard again...same problem.
What appears to be happening, on closer inspection, is that whichever table I choose from the list it shows me the following tables fields.
If I proceed I'm concerned that I'm going to end up writing to the wrong table.

Regarding the Checkout Wizard, if I want to test everything using PayPal Sandbox initially then I'll HAVE to run through the wizard again in order to change the API credentials from the Sandbox PayPal details to the live PayPal details, won't I?

At that stage, is it going to overwrite ALL of the pages that it previously created?

Would appreciate your help, thank you.
NJ

try changing the list to another table, then changing back to the one you want to use.

no, you don't need to rerun the checkout wizard to toggle sand box on and of.

go to WebAssist -> eCart -> Gateway Credentials to enable or disable sandbox and enter the credentials.

Is the best approach Jason to build everything, functionality wise, with the wizard, test it, and THEN build our page layout (header, footer, nav etc) around it?

What would be very helpful is if the Wizard only overwrote the cart sections as opposed to the entire page. For example, if you run through the Checkout Wizard and get everything set up with your pages and THEN you realise that you've mapped one of the fields incorrectly, for example, then you'd have to go back into the Wizard to change it, or hand code it I guess (which removes the point of having the wizard does it not?)

If we toggle the Sandbox on and off, we have to replace the real credentials with the Sandbox credentials, right? Or will the Wizard remember the real credentials? I don't see an option to add both anyway.

Thanks again.
NJ

Originally Said By: Nathon Jones Web Design

  Is the best approach Jason to build everything, functionality wise, with the wizard, test it, and THEN build our page layout (header, footer, nav etc) around it?  

Yes, this is correct, create the pages with the wizard, then apply your design to them

Originally Said By: Nathon Jones Web Design

  What would be very helpful is if the Wizard only overwrote the cart sections as opposed to the entire page. For example, if you run through the Checkout Wizard and get everything set up with your pages and THEN you realise that you've mapped one of the fields incorrectly, for example, then you'd have to go back into the Wizard to change it, or hand code it I guess (which removes the point of having the wizard does it not?)  

like i said in my previous response, the wizard is intended to create the pages, not to make changes. If you need to edit the pages after being created you use Dreamweaver.

When the wizard creates the pages, it adds the HTML code and server behaviors needed for the selections you make. you mention changing the settings for storing the orders, you would not rerun the wizard for this, you would edit the store order summary and store order details server behaivors that wizard added to your pages.

for paypal pro, you would find these server behaviors on the confirm.php and pp_confirm.php pages.

open one of those pages, open the server behaviors panel (Window -> Server Behaviors), locate the store order summary behavior, and double click it to make changes, or make the changes to the store order details server behavior if appropriate. do the same on he other page

Originally Said By: Nathon Jones Web Design

  If we toggle the Sandbox on and off, we have to replace the real credentials with the Sandbox credentials, right? Or will the Wizard remember the real credentials? I don't see an option to add both anyway.  

it almost seams like you are not reading my responses. I addressed this in my last reply.

You don't use the checkout wizard to turn sandbox on and off. to toggle sand box on and off, and to enter the sand box credentials, you use the WebAssist -> eCart -> Gateway Credentials interface.

this interface allows you to set the live credentials and the API credentials for your site and allows you to toggle sandbox on and off.