Forums | MacLife
You are not logged in.
#1 2006-08-24 4:05 am
HOw was this built
I came across this last night... bigcartel.com
This site is exactly what i would want to use for my customers on there shopping cart site set up.. How hard is something like this to build, or is there already somewhere i can download this already built.
Offline
#2 2006-08-24 8:44 am
Re: HOw was this built
That is a pretty nice looking site.
If you are capable in HTML and CSS, this style would be easy to use as a model (take a look at the Page Source). If not, then I am not sure what to tell you.
Ciao for now!
CurtisS
Offline
#3 2006-08-24 2:36 pm
Re: HOw was this built
AppleBoy wrote:
How hard is something like this to build
It isn't trivial, but fortunately there are already hundreds of different eCommerce/shopping cart systems out there.
http://php.resourceindex.com/Complete_Scripts/Shopping_Carts/
http://cgi.resourceindex.com/Programs_and_Scripts/Perl/Shopping_Carts/
http://www.hotscripts.com/PHP/Scripts_and_Programs/E-Commerce/
Offline
#4 2006-08-24 10:02 pm
Re: HOw was this built
Uh, bigcartel.com is trying to put that package in your hands... you missed the answer to your own question with your own example.
Offline
#6 2006-08-24 11:06 pm
Offline
#8 2006-08-25 7:26 pm
#9 2006-08-26 3:57 am
Re: HOw was this built
Rails is a bit confusing, is there any help topic. Was wondering could anyone point me into the right direction for how to get the shopping cart built, etc.. is there any e-books for dumbies?
Offline
#10 2006-08-26 4:23 am
- Light Speed
- Doubter of Einstein
- Registered: 2002-08-17
- Posts: 3694
Re: HOw was this built
Are you looking to build a single cart for you or a multi cart system like bigcartel in the example you posted?
Offline
#11 2006-08-26 11:11 am
Re: HOw was this built
AppleBoy wrote:
Rails is a bit confusing, is there any help topic. Was wondering could anyone point me into the right direction for how to get the shopping cart built, etc.. is there any e-books for dumbies?
There are tutorials over at rubyonrails.org, but really its still rather low on documentation. And, in case you haven't noticed, you'll be looking into a very specific server setup and a different language if you go that route. Not that its bad, but its something to consider.
Offline
#12 2006-08-26 12:14 pm
- Zetetic Apparatchik
- Member
- Registered: 2001-01-07
- Posts: 8250
Re: HOw was this built
I'd say it's going to be relatively hard to build in comparison to going for an pre-built PHP system and customising it. Boring in comparison to Rails, sure.
Join the MAF AudioScrobbler group.
Protest ist, wenn ich sage, das und das paßt mir nicht. Widerstand ist, wenn ich dafür sorge, daß das, was mir nicht paßt, nicht länger geschieht.
Offline
#13 2006-08-26 1:05 pm
Re: HOw was this built
Light Speed wrote:
Are you looking to build a single cart for you or a multi cart system like bigcartel in the example you posted?
A single one for a site...
Gipetto wrote:
AppleBoy wrote:
Rails is a bit confusing, is there any help topic. Was wondering could anyone point me into the right direction for how to get the shopping cart built, etc.. is there any e-books for dumbies?
There are tutorials over at rubyonrails.org, but really its still rather low on documentation. And, in case you haven't noticed, you'll be looking into a very specific server setup and a different language if you go that route. Not that its bad, but its something to consider.
Do you think it would be a good idea for me to go this route? So far i love this program, its so simple it seems.. Now if i just knew CSS lol!
Last edited by AppleBoy (2006-08-26 1:07 pm)
Offline
#14 2006-08-26 2:55 pm
- Account axed on request
- Guest
Re: HOw was this built
AppleBoy wrote:
Light Speed wrote:
Are you looking to build a single cart for you or a multi cart system like bigcartel in the example you posted?
A single one for a site...
Gipetto wrote:
AppleBoy wrote:
Rails is a bit confusing, is there any help topic. Was wondering could anyone point me into the right direction for how to get the shopping cart built, etc.. is there any e-books for dumbies?
There are tutorials over at rubyonrails.org, but really its still rather low on documentation. And, in case you haven't noticed, you'll be looking into a very specific server setup and a different language if you go that route. Not that its bad, but its something to consider.
Do you think it would be a good idea for me to go this route? So far i love this program, its so simple it seems.. Now if i just knew CSS lol!
www.w3schools.com
CSS is easier than you think. It was for me. 
#15 2006-08-26 2:56 pm
Re: HOw was this built
There's nothing wrong with RoR. As far as the program you linked to, probably not. They have enough examples that it looks like you'd be fine to use it.
Offline
#17 2006-08-26 9:11 pm
- Light Speed
- Doubter of Einstein
- Registered: 2002-08-17
- Posts: 3694
Re: HOw was this built
As someone who makes a living from a web based store I though I would ask you a few questions?
Do you plan to allow people to use their credit cards? if so are you familiar with the API of the payment gateway you plan to use? How will you handle security to protect your customers card information during the transaction? After the transaction will you keep their card info in the database? If so will you encrypt it? What type of encryption?
Do you just plan to let people pay with PayPal? If so this can be much easier for someone with your level of experience.
How do you plan to handle shipping charges? Do you know how to access the data from the USPS, FedEx and UPS databases live to allow your customers to calculate real time shipping charges?
Do you plan to ship globally?
Are you in a state that charges sales tax? How do you plan to incorporate a proper sales tax?
That is just a start
These questions may be beyond the scope of what you were planning to do with your cart but are worth thinking about.
What were you planning on selling with your cart?
Offline
#18 2006-08-26 10:22 pm
Re: HOw was this built
Lol no these questions are not actually beyond what im doing.. I can answer all these very simple www.bentclothing.com! I already use virtual cart, the site is pretty old now and the company logo has changed, many new shirts, and more!
Offline
#19 2006-08-27 5:57 am
- Light Speed
- Doubter of Einstein
- Registered: 2002-08-17
- Posts: 3694
Re: HOw was this built
Cool products
So are just looking to do your own from scratch for the experience?
I would love to do that as well if I had the free time. I would probably want to use ROR rather than PHP because I think it is a more intuitive language but I do not have the luxury of having my site offline because I screwed something up or did not make something secure and got hacked 8)
If you do build your own have friends try to hack it while you are still in beta
Offline
#20 2006-08-28 9:48 am
Re: HOw was this built
A great book for Ruby on Rails:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/097669 … 156776375/
As an added bonus, the example/tutorial they use through out the book is a shopping cart.
Offline
#21 2006-08-30 6:55 pm
Re: HOw was this built
sorry i havent replied back, i got some crazy virus and strep throat so im like down for a bit.. ill be back!
light speed, is this your store? http://www.strangemonster.com/store/home.php
Last edited by AppleBoy (2006-08-30 6:58 pm)
Offline
#22 2006-08-30 8:11 pm
- Light Speed
- Doubter of Einstein
- Registered: 2002-08-17
- Posts: 3694
Re: HOw was this built
AppleBoy wrote:
sorry i havent replied back, i got some crazy virus and strep throat so im like down for a bit.. ill be back!
light speed, is this your store? http://www.strangemonster.com/store/home.php
Yup
Offline
#23 2006-09-02 1:38 am
Re: HOw was this built
Alright feeling better now, was a bit under the weather before..
Im looking to build it from scratch for experience! But wanna say up front im very new to MySQL sobe patient with me haha! Im also new to CSS lol. Im all photoshop and illustrator guy!
Offline
#24 2006-09-02 2:55 pm
- Light Speed
- Doubter of Einstein
- Registered: 2002-08-17
- Posts: 3694
Re: HOw was this built
Glad you are feeling better!
You might want to start by buying some books and doing tutorials and reading up on the web. Plus look at how other people have done their coding by viewing their source. CSS is very powerful and can not only make a better user experience and actually make it easier for you to manage your sites but if used correctly can really help up your rank in search engines buy allowing you to only have content on your pages and allowing you to place the content you want at the top of your code regardless of where it will print on the webpage. The devs for the cart I use X-Cart did not bother to implement CSS in this way and still have lots of table crap for layout in their code. When their next branch release goes stable I will be hacking it to make it completely CSS based layout.
My first attempt at a completely CSS based layout is my business site:
http://www.inkmonster.com/v2/index.php
I learned a lot doing it and now have better grasp of CSS.
Here are some links to help you on your way.
CSS and standards
http://www.csszengarden.com/ <---- Must see site to get an idea of the power of CSS
http://www.mezzoblue.com/zengarden/resources/
http://www.zeldman.com/dwws/
http://jigsaw.w3.org/css-validator/
http://validator.w3.org/
Rails
http://www.rubyonrails.org/docs
MySQL
http://www.mysql.com/
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/mysqlckbk/
PHP
http://www.php.net/
If you will be running on a local server rather than a web host you might need this:
http://www.entropy.ch/software/macosx/
Offline
