mariovaldez.net

I think the most effective way to set this program up for future changes or customized databases is to make it so that each data field is read into the program dynamically. In the configuration, you can choose which datatypes each field is (aside from the standard ones, although those should be allowed to change as well...cuz you never know) and you would have designated data manipulators (IE: Images, URLs, HTML, etc.) per each field. Doing it this way will allow people to customize their app to fully work with their 'flava' of oscommerce and it would not matter how many 'extra' fields they have.

D3C0Y:

> I think the most effective way to set this program
> up for future changes or customized databases is
> to make it so that each data field is read into the
> program dynamically... ...Doing it this way will allow
> people to customize their app to fully work with
> their 'flava' of oscommerce and it would not matter
> how many 'extra' fields they have.

You are quite right. I haven't bothered too much about extra fields or DB variants because I didn't know that there were so many variations of OSCommerce. But after lot of requests to support those variants (or extra plugins) I'm starting to think that the OSCPMWin application can become an open editor to support all that.

Your idea sounds right to me. The application would then be able to support any extra field. And maybe later it can let you define the relationships and restrictions for each field (the bussiness rules). And maybe later it can provide a form editor to create customized entry forms. And reports.

That would require a lot of rewriting, but I'm sure something like that is in the future of OSCPMWin.


I'm taking note of this, D3C0Y. Any comment, suggestions, questions are welcome.

Regards,

Mario A. Valdez-Ramirez.

I was just about 2 write you a simular note when I noticed this thread.

Im personally heavily modified so this would be great!!

So how did you get involved in OSC without running a store?

Thanks 4 all of the work !!!

Rich

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Richard:

> I was just about 2 write you a simular
> note when I noticed this thread.
> Im personally heavily modified so this
> would be great!!

Ok. Taking note. I think about implementing that in a future version of OSCPMWin. Maybe then it won't be named "Product Manager" anymore.


> So how did you get involved in OSC
> without running a store?

A client already had a OSCommerce store, and contacted me to do some rewriting of the OSCommerce code, some extra modules and some fixes. So I started to learn about the inner workings of OSCommerce. He always complained about how difficult is to update the products using the web interface (he maintains around 500 products and growing). Also, he wanted to synchronize the data from his accounting software with the data in the store. So, I wrote the OSCPMWin application for basic tasks (add, delete, edit) and then added a synchronization interface. Later I witnessed his problems with the optimization of the product images (they were usually too big or too small, too heavy, with the wrong aspect ratio, etc) so I added the image handling code. Later he moved the server to a hosting company and I added the SSH tunneling. Etc.

From the start I thought this should be released to the public under an open-source license. But I waited around nine months because the code was a bit messy, and because I had to solve some licensing issues with some components. So, I released it around Sept 2004.

That's the story (the short version).


Regards,

Mario A. Valdez-Ramirez.

Right now im maintaining well over 1000 products (www.oneanimation.net) by having to download, edit and upload an access database 10meg+ - This website is being upgraded to OSC. I think your product is GENIUS!!!

Great work!!!

Rich

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