Major Additions - microCART: Shopping System for vB4

microCART is a fully featured Shopping Cart for vBulletin 4.x, with support for Downloadable & Pysical Products, Subscriptions and Services, without missing any feature even from commercial scripts. Installation is very easy, you just need sometime for the initial configuration.

Edit: Please note - Currently this mod is only compatible with vBulletin 4.1.9 and below, if your using vBulletin 4.1.10 then the modifications current version released here (1.1.4) is not suggested for use. - TheLastSuperman

1.- Highlights

• Supports Downloadable products
• Since version 1.0.3 supports Physical products too!!
• Supports Subscriptions (Even Reccuring)
• Supports Services
• Ability to upgrade usergroup per product
• Unlimited depth levels of categories
• Unlimited Products
• Supports Renewals
• Ability to Add Orders manually
• PayPal & 2CO payments
• Since version 1.0.4 support payments with ccBill (Credits to kastak)
• Supports AddOns
• Support Special Deals
• Unlimited Screenshoots per product
• Unlimited Files per product, so the customers can download previous versions
• Unlimited Agreements
• Customers (and only those who have bought that product) can rate and review it.
• Admin can turn On/Off the Reviews per product
• Uses HTML Editor.
• Since version 1.0.5 support multiple Tax levels.
• Since version 1.0.5 support Shipping Zones with unlimited shipping choices per zone.
• Since version 1.0.5 supports Delivery locations (unlimited depth, eg Country, State, Area with different setup for Tax and Shipping per category.
• Since version 1.0.5 customer must enter his details to finalize the order.
• NEW!! Since version 1.0.6 supports Auto Tax calculation.
• NEW!! Since version 1.0.6 supports Auto Shipping calculation.
• NEW!! Since version 1.0.5 supports Invoice creation.
• NEW!! Comming Soon Block.

2.- Installation

• Download and unzip microCART.zip file
• Upload all the files in your site keeping the same structure. eg cart.php must be on the same level as your forum.php
• CMOD 777 the directories:
  • microcart
  • microcart/photos
  • microcart/photos/thumbs
  • microcart/photos/tmp
  • microcart/editor/files
  • microcart/editor/flash
  • microcart/editor/media
  • microcart/editor/photos
  • microcart/pdf
  • microcart/fonts
  • microcart/images
• Login to your admincp and import product-microcart.xml

3.- Configuration

• First of all you need to setup microCART General Options. The most important option is to set the path to the directory where you'll store the files. For security reasons you must create a directory over the public area. Then write the full path in the options. Don't forget the trailing slash at the end. Example:
  • /home/username/downloads/
• Setup Usergroup permissions. Available options are:
  • Can access the store
  • Can order
  • Can Moderate. Please note that, as a way to bypass the limitation of having vB editor in admincp, I've moved the product descriprion, system messages and agreements to fronend. But only those who can moderate can access this area, and only for modifying the text. Nothing more.
• Setup Categories and Subcategories for your store.
• Setup your Agreements (at least one)
• Start adding products but from AddOns and Services. It will helps you to save time, as when at a later time you add a main product, you can choose the addons.
• To work properly with HTML editor you need to edit settings.php locating at: microcart/editor/assetmanager/ and set the corrects paths.

4.- Product Options (Configurations)

In version 1.0.3 has been added support for configurable options. Not just simple text choices, but options that can increase/decrease the total price. That's why you need to pay extra attention on entering these options to avoid pricing mess.

First of all, you can find these options as "Extra Options" on the droplist on the right of each product (AdminCP). By choosing it you'll get a list of all available configurable options for the specific product. You can Edit and Delete it, or you can change the display order. Click "New Extra Option" to add one.

There is no need for explanation of title. Write there anything that you want. Examples of configuration options are: Color, Size, Ram, Hard disk etc. So let's write Size. In the box below you must add all the available options keeping the format:
Amount|Name

Examples:

• 0|Normal : This option dosen't changes the product's price and it will appears as: Normal
• 15.30|Large : This option increases the price by 15.30 and it will appears as: Large (+$15.30) ... The currency symbol is the one that you've setup. DON'T NEED TO ENTER CURRENCY SYMBOL HERE
• -7.50|Mini : This option decreases the price by 7.50 and it will appears as: Mini (-$7.50). ONCE MORE: DONT ADD CURRENCY SYMBOL.

5.- Product Terminology

• Price: Is the normal price that you're selling a product (eg 49.95)
• Discount: Is the amount that you're giving as discount. eg if you place 4.95 here the price will appear as $49.95 $45.00
• Special (Bundle) price. Currently not in use
• AddOns. Are products that someone can order in the same form (eg Installation, Brand Free etc).
• Special Bundle. Currently not in use

6.- Understanding Shipping Zones
To understand Shipping fields (Base weight, Base fare, Extra weight, Extra fare), you must know how the companies (at least the most of them) are working. They're saying: Till 3 kilos the rate is $15. More than 3 kilos you must add $3 per 500gr (1/2 kilos). In this example you must setup:

1. Base weight 3000 (in grammars) or 3 (in kilos)
2. Base fare 15.00
3. Extra weight 500 (in grammars) or 0.5 (in kilos)
4. Extra fare 3.00
5. Please note to use the same as the definied in the general option weight unit. Setting in options kgr and here grammars is the best way to mess your shop.

7.- Friedly notes

• Please let my copyright link in place. Thank you.
• When rating, please remember that you're rating the script and not me as a person. Thank you.
• Don't spam this thread with comments about my personality. Comment my work only. Thank you.

8.- Demo

• http://www.totally-scripts.com
• This is not a demo but shop in action.

9.- Warning

The included HTML Editor is commercial, so you can use it ONLY within microCART directory.


UPGRADING

To upgrade just upload the new files then follow 2.- Installationwith Allow Overwrite set to YES


CHANGE LOG

• Added Comming Soon Block
• Added view users invoice within admincp
• Added usergroup controled discounts
• Added stock level control
• Added coupon system
• Changed the invoice system to work better.
• Added forum home side block. (Download the product-microcart_forum_block.xml and Install like a new product)
• MICROCART_114_01022011.zip has no affects added to my account
• MICROCART_114_240211.zip has a fade in affect on my accounts pages.
• added some java for the my accounts page and the product view page. So you dont have to re-fresh the page all the time. Updated: 28/02/2011
• Fixed the problem with the euro within the add-on options.

BUG FIX

• Fixed error within the admin php file on line 23.
• Updated the forum side block ( Please let me know if you are still having problems with this. Updated Date 22nd Fed 2011)
• fixed problem with the prices. UPDATED Date 22nd Apr 2011 to upgrade just upload the files as its only the cart.php and microcart/functions.php files that have been updated.
• Fixed problem with the add-ons prices. Updated 25th Apr 2011 to upgrade just upload the cart.php file
• cart.php updated again to fix the problem with the add-ons when changing the qty within the cart.
• Fixed problem with edit invoices in admincp
• Fixed a problem with large price formats.
• Fixed problem with option prices (11-05-2011)
• Updated the files for the new editor not tested Updated 13/06/2011.

Arabic Language File Download Here

[josephu]

Hello, about to launch my site and microcart is installed successfully, however I do have a couple questions.

1. I cant get it to add tax, I have a tax configured, but it wont add it in the shopping cart, why?

2. Just wondering how you are writing the payment methods for the multivendor edition? Do vendors pay a set commision up front before listing a product, or do customer payments go to the "microcart/vbulletin owner" and then from there get disbursed to the various vendors (minus set commision fee of course)?

[micheal332001]

Originally Posted by Ronny

If i try to change (grant) access in user groups for this mod, it addes a new group with the same name without changeing access rights to the original nor the new group. My test install is "vB Version 4.1.2 (Deutsch)".

Edit: It also shows the message "Please Login or Register to be able Order and Download." Well, .. i am logged in as admin.

you need to set the usergroup permissions for each group to be able to use the shop system evern for admins.

[micheal332001]

Originally Posted by josephu

Hello, about to launch my site and microcart is installed successfully, however I do have a couple questions.


1. I cant get it to add tax, I have a tax configured, but it wont add it in the shopping cart, why?

2. Just wondering how you are writing the payment methods for the multivendor edition? Do vendors pay a set commision up front before listing a product, or do customer payments go to the "microcart/vbulletin owner" and then from there get disbursed to the various vendors (minus set commision fee of course)?

i will look into the tax problem asap

with the multi vender system when a member adds there product they will have to pay a percentage before they can add there product.

also with the multi vender system the add to cart buttons will be replaced with buy it now buttons.
This will only be for the multi vender system as if i done this with add to cart the hole cart and payment system would have to be changed.
With it being a buy now button it will work with all payment systems that are within the cart system, or it would not work with other payment system and only work with paypal.

[josephu]

ok, Yes, thank you, Im not sure why it wont add tax in the cart, I may just have something set wrong, any advice would be nice

about the mV edition; If you could please help me to understand the payment aspect a little more I would be appreciative. Lets say I have a vendor who sells ammunition, the price of this ammunition is $10 per box, Lets say I have a 10% commision set up, and the vendor has 200 boxes in stock. So to list the ammo box, vendor pays me a dollar, and then he can list product, what happens when that product is sold, does vendor need to re-pay commision for the other 199 boxes, or better yet, what if a customer buys more than 1 box? Does the vendor need to pay commision on all his inventory upfront, so for his entire stock of 200 boxes, he would have to pay me $200? Its hard for me to see how this can work, obviously not everyone can be made happy, but these are some scenarios I have pondered in my head. I will likely have just 3 or 4 vendors, each with millions of dollars in inventory, (Hell yeah! pay me that commision up front!) and the purpose (at least to me) of having a "mV" edition is so I dont have to do the leg work of listing thousands of products, My "vendors" do that for me, whats more is not only do they do the listing of products, but they handle stocking and shipping, Im just a gateway who receives a percentage commission, also to take it even a step further, having man hours invested in adding products to my store, my vendors will have a vested interest in the success of my store, and will "advertise" my site for me a little on their end, So if I can get this whole commision thing set up correctly, its a win win. I know you are working your fingers to the bone for this, and I love your product, its a virtual dream come true. Have you considered giving you customers (us) an option of different vendor payment methods, and they could choose which one would suit them best? For instance 1 customer may like a subscription option where they pay so much monthly to list whatever products they wish, while another customer pays a set commision for each product before being able to add that product, while a third type can list whatever products they wish, the entire payment goes to the site owner (vB owner, microcart operator, "your" customers) and then we pay the vendors, (which is obviously the option I would choose- ((My vendor lists ammo boxes for $10 and pays me nothing up front, when ammo boxes sell, entire payment including shipping and taxes goes to MY paypal account, I then pay the vendor $9 "and keep my $1 commision" plus shipping and taxes, and they send the ammo box to "My websites customer"))) what do you think?

[mikem164]

Ok... thanks for support so far Micheal, it's working great. As soon as you go to check out and directed to paypal website, I get this error:

Warning: Division by zero in [path]/microcart/functions.php on line 2476

Warning: fsockopen() [function.fsockopen]: unable to connect to ssl://www.paypal.com:443 (Unable to find the socket transport "ssl" - did you forget to enable it when you configured PHP?) in [path]/cart_gateway.php on line 43

Thanks for any input!

[micheal332001]

Originally Posted by mikem164

Ok... thanks for support so far Micheal, it's working great. As soon as you go to check out and directed to paypal website, I get this error:

Warning: Division by zero in [path]/microcart/functions.php on line 2476

Warning: fsockopen() [function.fsockopen]: unable to connect to ssl://www.paypal.com:443 (Unable to find the socket transport "ssl" - did you forget to enable it when you configured PHP?) in [path]/cart_gateway.php on line 43

Thanks for any input!

From what i see here you dont have the fsocket installed on your server.
you will need to contact your host and ask them to install this for you.

goto your admincp and click on Maintenance phpinfo and look for this

sockets

Sockets Support enabled
if its not there then it needs installing and you need to ask your host.
some hosts dont like to have this active on there servers.

[micheal332001]

Originally Posted by josephu

ok, Yes, thank you, Im not sure why it wont add tax in the cart, I may just have something set wrong, any advice would be nice

about the mV edition; If you could please help me to understand the payment aspect a little more I would be appreciative. Lets say I have a vendor who sells ammunition, the price of this ammunition is $10 per box, Lets say I have a 10% commision set up, and the vendor has 200 boxes in stock. So to list the ammo box, vendor pays me a dollar, and then he can list product, what happens when that product is sold, does vendor need to re-pay commision for the other 199 boxes, or better yet, what if a customer buys more than 1 box? Does the vendor need to pay commision on all his inventory upfront, so for his entire stock of 200 boxes, he would have to pay me $200? Its hard for me to see how this can work, obviously not everyone can be made happy, but these are some scenarios I have pondered in my head. I will likely have just 3 or 4 vendors, each with millions of dollars in inventory, (Hell yeah! pay me that commision up front!) and the purpose (at least to me) of having a "mV" edition is so I dont have to do the leg work of listing thousands of products, My "vendors" do that for me, whats more is not only do they do the listing of products, but they handle stocking and shipping, Im just a gateway who receives a percentage commission, also to take it even a step further, having man hours invested in adding products to my store, my vendors will have a vested interest in the success of my store, and will "advertise" my site for me a little on their end, So if I can get this whole commision thing set up correctly, its a win win. I know you are working your fingers to the bone for this, and I love your product, its a virtual dream come true. Have you considered giving you customers (us) an option of different vendor payment methods, and they could choose which one would suit them best? For instance 1 customer may like a subscription option where they pay so much monthly to list whatever products they wish, while another customer pays a set commision for each product before being able to add that product, while a third type can list whatever products they wish, the entire payment goes to the site owner (vB owner, microcart operator, "your" customers) and then we pay the vendors, (which is obviously the option I would choose- ((My vendor lists ammo boxes for $10 and pays me nothing up front, when ammo boxes sell, entire payment including shipping and taxes goes to MY paypal account, I then pay the vendor $9 "and keep my $1 commision" plus shipping and taxes, and they send the ammo box to "My websites customer"))) what do you think?

God you have given alot for me to think about here lol

as it stands with the one im making at the moment it will be a one time fee for adding the product to your store like ebay does.
ebay only charges you to list the product not per product as people would not list there products if they had to pay for per each item within the one product.

lets say i have product 1 and i have 100 to sell the price im selling it for would be $20 each to list my product with ebay would be a one time fee for that one item not for the hole lot and thats how this multi vender system will work.
as its only taking up one space on your store not 200 spaces.
maybe i can add an option that they pay alittle extra to have that item listed on the front page of the store or within the side blocks.
so if i added a new front page block called featured block for paying venders to place there items for an extra cost.

[pjkcards]

I was hoping the multi-vendor version would have a feature where they only pay if it sells. For example, if I have a flat rate of 5%, anyone can list as many items as they want for free. But when items sell, I'd get 5% of it. Is that not going to work? Thanks.

[josephu]

I think not, from what I have gathered, as that is the feature I wanted as well, but hey, I have the regular microcart installed and its nothing short of a software masterpeice, it is likely difficult to build it the way you and I wish. The best we can hope is someday in the distant future.

[micheal332001]

Originally Posted by pjkcards

I was hoping the multi-vendor version would have a feature where they only pay if it sells. For example, if I have a flat rate of 5%, anyone can list as many items as they want for free. But when items sell, I'd get 5% of it. Is that not going to work? Thanks.

Originally Posted by josephu

I think not, from what I have gathered, as that is the feature I wanted as well, but hey, I have the regular microcart installed and its nothing short of a software masterpeice, it is likely difficult to build it the way you and I wish. The best we can hope is someday in the distant future.

this could be done in a later version or new sort of cart system altogether but it would not work in the current cart system.

I have added an option that when a MV adds a product and they would like it to show on the main page they would have to pay a small fee for this.

Also when they add screenshots of a product the first image would be free but any other images would have a small fee as well.

so im thinking of the site owners where they would be able to make money from each product thats a vender adds.