NYCPHP Meetup

[CJ Romberger]

I don't know if this is an appropriate topic for this list.  If not,
please forgive, and I'd love a point in the correct direction.  

I am posting this on the XCart discussion board, too, but I haven't had
much luck posting on that board. There has been conversation out there
about this topic, but it's been around asking XCart to please include
this functionality.  I can't wait for XCart to do it.  I gotta client.

So, what I'm trying to find out is does anyone have experience hooking
up XCart and AMember?

XCart has the capability to manage memberships, but as best we can tell,
the way it handles them isn't what our client wants.  It looks like they
handle them by having an annual renewal date that's the same for
everyone.  On initial signup, they pro-rate the remainder of the year.
We want the membership renewal dates to always be based on the signup
date.

Also, it also doesn't look like it includes any directory access control
functionality like AMember does.  We have the code to handle that
without AMember, but AMember does autoresponder functions, and other
stuff we like.

We'd go just with AMember, but this client is also selling hard goods.
AMember doesn't have the capability to manage inventory, sell multiple
quantities, charge shipping, and allow variants (color, size, etc.)

One additional wrinkle.  When the user buys a membership, what they're
supposed to be able to do is login to a member area where there's a
bunch of information (this is what they're paying for.)  They also want
a discussion board back there - so that login has to be hooked up to
everything else.

We're trying to provide:
A single point of purchase - I don't want someone to have to buy a
membership, and then separately buy goods.
A single point of login - I want someone to be able to login once, and
be logged into XCart, AMember (i.e. the member area), and the discussion
board.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to handle this.  I've figured out
where all the login code is for all three systems.  We have purchased
the plugin for PHPBB that AMember offers - this plug in logs into PHPBB
when you login to AMember.  BTW, the XCart plugin that AMember offers
only makes sure if you buy an AMember membership, you get a login to
XCart.  It's not a completely integrated plug in, which is why it's not
shown on the AMember site.

Should I be writing a plug in to do this?  If so, any sites that will
offer me good information for doing this?  I'd need one plug in to
handle the purchasing, and one to handle the login.

Is there a different, customizable shopping cart/membership system that
provides what XCart and AMember in combination might provide?  How have
other solved this?  Does someone out there have experience with this?

Again, if this is the wrong board to post this to, please let me know.
I don't live in NY, but I've been reading this list for awhile.  I've
learned a lot, so I'm hoping someone out there can point me in the right
direction.

Thanx for your time!

CJ

CJ Romberger
Wildwood Interactive
http://www.wildwoodinteractive.com/
512.732.9916
877.732.9916