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Update labelyourbelongings.com with all new features for merkalt.no and the common platform system.
// Before transferring english instance on common platform, all the needed core modifications should be completed. Then it needed to take decision, how to make integration of instances of merkalt.no, which doesn't use orders recording into DB, and labelyourbelongings.com, which saves orders into DB for Paypal processing. It seems, the best way to resolve this problem is to implement orders saving for merkalt.no instances using MySQL DB. Further, common interface for payment modules should be developed. It will allow to include different payment systems for different site instances without rewriting code for each instance. Including of new payment system with such interface will involve only new payment module writing. And then all remain work with templates and pages scripts could be performed.//
Site labelyourbelonging.com has following significant differences from other instances of merkalt.no.
- English instance uses orders recording into DB instead of using sessions in order to store orders data.
- English instance uses PayPal payment system instead of simple sending e-mails to customer and supplier.
Because of these differences it’s impossible to move English instance directly onto common platform, using by merkalt.no.
In order to transfer labelyourbelonging.com on common platform I could suggest use recording orders into DB for all instances. This will allow also refuse sessions, so the problem of empty orders will be resolved. Besides, for using different payment systems I will suggest organize payment processors as external modules (addons) and write common interface for easy linking these payment modules to use in instances. The purpose of these modules is to assist customer to perform order payment with desired payment system and to complete all needed payment process steps. Using of such modular structure will make the system more and easy extensible. At this time PayPal (English site) and simple order mail sending (merkalt.no) are used, but in the nearest future CC gateway integration planned. So the system of external payment modules will allow implementing new payment systems faster and cheaper, because no rewriting existing code will needed. Only one new module writing for each payment system will be required.
As a result, it will be a system with flexible set of payment modules, which will be linked up by adding correspondent items in xml file in order to enable payment systems for customer use. On the basis of this xml file the list of options for payment system selection will be automatically collected and displayed. If this xml will content the only one registered payment module, no list of options will appeared, and registered payment module will be used by default on order completion.
Under shopping cart total customer will see menu with names of payment systems for selection (like for navnestempel project). Customer will select needed payment system option (say PayPal), and the form with billing and shipping data will change depending on setting of module for selected payment system. In other words, the set of required data for payment process will be adjustable. Besides the appearance of submit button could be changed too. Before payment processing, current order will be saved into DB, and then all following payment operation steps will be performed. After payment completed, customer will be redirected to “Thank You” page. So the common logic of payment process for customer will not be changed.