Table of Contents
MiniVend -- multi-catalog shopping cart and mall
Version
OVERVIEW OF MINIVEND
The Vend Concept
A typical user session
How MiniVend Manages Sessions
Page Delivery
DISTRIBUTION AND SUPPORT INFORMATION
Where to Download MiniVend
Perl
Setup for HTTP Servers
QUICK START
Setting up multiple catalogs
The Catalog
If something goes wrong
SETTING UP YOUR CATALOG
Start with a database
On-the-fly pages, static, or both?
Use the demo catalogs
Tree design
The Essentials
Catalog Pages -- MiniVend tags
Cookies
Basic MiniVend Tags
How to order an item
Where do I go from here?
DATABASES
The Product Database
Arbitrary Databases
MiniVend built-in database support
Character usage restrictions
Import Attributes
SQL SUPPORT
Msql support
SQL support via DBI
SQL Access Methods
Importing from an ASCII file
Exporting from a database
MINIVEND TAG REFERENCE
New and Old syntax
DATA and FIELD
SET and SCRATCH
LOOP and TAG EACH
IF
TAG -- the catchall
User-defined Tags
PRICE, DESCRIPTION, ACCESSORIES
FILE and INCLUDE
BODY, BUTTONBAR, RANDOM, ROTATE
Tags for summarizing shopping basket/cart
Item Lists
Embedded Perl Code
On-the-fly Catalog Pages
Tags for controlling old syntax interpolation order
Required Pages
Checking Page HTML
FORMS AND MINIVEND
Special Form Fields
Form Actions
One-click Multiple Variables
Checks and Selections
Setting Form Security
Stacking Variables on the Form
Setting SQL tables with a form
THE SEARCH ENGINE
The Search Form
Glimpse
Fast Binary Search
Range Searching
SQL searches
One-click searches
In-page searches
Search Profiles
Search Reference
The Results Page
Updating session variables after a search
Using a Search Cache
THE ORDER PROCESS
How to set up an order link
How to set up an order button
Order Groups
Basket display
Multiple Shopping Carts
Advanced Multi-level Order Pages
Simple Order Report File
Fully-configurable Order Reports
Order Receipts
The Order Counter
Customer Input Fields
Product Pricing
Item Attributes
Product Discounts
Sales Tax
Using CyberCash
SORTING
SHIPPING
Default Shipping Mode
Shipping Cost Database
Determining shipping modes
Geographic qualification
Handling charges
TRACKING AND BACKEND ORDER ENTRY
Easy ASCII Tracking
SQL Tracking
SSL SECURITY
Administrative Pages
CONTROLLING PAGE APPEARANCE
Using Frames
Changing output frame in a form
Body and Buttonbar Control
Integrated Image Maps
Random Banners
Rotating Banners
In-line Help
STATIC PAGE BUILDING
INTERNATIONALIZATION
Setting the locale
MiniVend Locale Settings
Special Locale keys for price representation
Dynamic locale directive changes
Sorting based on Locale
MINIVEND CONFIGURATION FILES
Server Configuration File
Catalog Configuration File
Required Configuration Directives
Optional Configuration Directives
ADMINISTERING MINIVEND
Starting, Stopping, and Re-starting the Servers
UNIX and INET modes
User reconfiguration
Making the Product Database
Updating Individual Records
Expiring Sessions
DEBUGGING
MANUAL INSTALLATION OF CATALOGS
Needed Directories
The Demo Systems
Setting up VLINK and TLINK
Compiling VLINK and TLINK
AUTHOR
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS