ORDER API ADDITIONAL PARAMETERS

[tjmitoraj]

The Order API function appears to be a clever way to pass information from
the ShopSite database to my sites application database.

I am wondering if is possible to use variables as the four additional
parameters, which are allowed in the Order API screen and which are passed
to a cgi script that my developers would write.

In particular, I am imagining capturing the session id of my users so that I
can send information about the sale of my products and services into the
right records of my database.

I want to do this because my existing site has a different database for the
membership information than the customer registration database offered by
Shopsite. If I can capture the session variable, I can keep track of which
member is purchasing what and link it to the order number.

Thank you.
Tom M.

[loren_d_c]

The 'Additional Parameters' are static text that comes from the settings
in Merchandising -> Order API. This is mostly useful for people writing
scripts for resale that require some kind of settings that would be
different for different merchants. So rather than requiring the merchant
to edit a script to configure these settings, you can just have them
provide them in a certain Additional Parameter field. If you are writing
the program for just your own use, then you would likely just hardcode
those kinds of things in your custom program.

ShopSite does not use sessions, so it can not provide you with any
session information, however if the session info is available in the
webserver/browser environment, then you should just be able to get it
with cgi function calls, search for docs on retrieving environment
variables in the documentation for the programming language you are
using to write your custom program.

-Loren




tjmitoraj wrote:

The Order API function appears to be a clever way to pass information from
the ShopSite database to my sites application database.

I am wondering if is possible to use variables as the four additional
parameters, which are allowed in the Order API screen and which are passed
to a cgi script that my developers would write.

In particular, I am imagining capturing the session id of my users so that I
can send information about the sale of my products and services into the
right records of my database.

I want to do this because my existing site has a different database for the
membership information than the customer registration database offered by
Shopsite. If I can capture the session variable, I can keep track of which
member is purchasing what and link it to the order number.

Thank you.
Tom M.

[tjmitoraj]

Thank you for your quick reply Loren. I will pass this on to my developers,
who are quite proficient in php and general database development.

They have been concentrating on development of the rest of my site and I was
doing some advance research to save them time (and me money!), since they
haven't worked with ShopSite yet. I have been reading through the Order API
help section, including the sample customdump cgi and the specifications.

Pretty soon we will be at a point where we will be able to integrate
Shopsite with my application database. Looks like they will use the session
info that is available in the environment, unless it is lost when a member
logged into my site clicks on a purchase button that takes them to the
ShopSIte pages. I'll soon find out!

Appreciate your comments.

Tom
"Loren" <loren_d_c@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:c9011l$64a$1@support.shopsite.com...

The 'Additional Parameters' are static text that comes from the settings
in Merchandising -> Order API. This is mostly useful for people writing
scripts for resale that require some kind of settings that would be
different for different merchants. So rather than requiring the merchant
to edit a script to configure these settings, you can just have them
provide them in a certain Additional Parameter field. If you are writing
the program for just your own use, then you would likely just hardcode
those kinds of things in your custom program.

ShopSite does not use sessions, so it can not provide you with any
session information, however if the session info is available in the
webserver/browser environment, then you should just be able to get it
with cgi function calls, search for docs on retrieving environment
variables in the documentation for the programming language you are
using to write your custom program.

-Loren




tjmitoraj wrote:
The Order API function appears to be a clever way to pass information
from
the ShopSite database to my sites application database.

I am wondering if is possible to use variables as the four additional
parameters, which are allowed in the Order API screen and which are
passed
to a cgi script that my developers would write.

In particular, I am imagining capturing the session id of my users so
that I
can send information about the sale of my products and services into the
right records of my database.

I want to do this because my existing site has a different database for
the
membership information than the customer registration database offered
by
Shopsite. If I can capture the session variable, I can keep track of
which
member is purchasing what and link it to the order number.

Thank you.
Tom M.