HowTo an FAQ about the textpattern shopping cart plugin yab_shop

Trencavel am 3. Juni 2009

Due some maybe unclear plugin help or the lack of documentation of yab_shop I want to introduce the basic functionality of the plugin with a guide how to set up a simple shop and a — hopefully useful — FAQ section. I will try to continue this page with some information that are useful, so it’s not complete this time. If you have useful guides or information on how to set up this or that scenario, feel free to contact me or use the comments below, so I can complete this page, bit by bit.

If you think the textpattern cms and yab_shop rocks, be kind and donate! Donating is a fine way to say »Thank you«.

For Textpattern: Donate here!
For yab_shop: Donate here!

Some requirements of using yab_shop

  1. an installed and working textpattern cms on you webhosting
  2. some knowledge of textpattern tags <txp:... />
  3. some knowledge of how textpattern manage a site structure (mean section, pages, forms, articles etc.)
  4. knowledge of how to install textpattern plugins

Setting up a simple shop (with yab_shop v0.7.0 and above)

Step 1
Download the plugin yab_shop.

Step 2
Install and activate the yab_shop_core, yab_shop_config and yab_shop_third_party.

Step 3
Go Presentation->Pages and create a page called checkout and place <txp:yab_shop_checkout /> as content.

Step 4
Go Presentation->Sections and create a section called checkout with using the page checkout.

Step 5
Go Presentation->Pages and add the tag <txp:yab_shop_cart /> in all sections which will include your product articles and in section page checkout. In doubt place it in every section page. This tag will output a little cart, so it will be useful to place in a sidebar.

Step 6
Go Presentation->Forms and add in your article form (maybe default) the tags <txp:yab_shop_price /> and <txp:yab_shop_add />. So maybe it looks like this:

<h3><txp:title /></h3>
<p>Price: <txp:yab_shop_price /></p>
<txp:yab_shop_add />
<txp:body />

Step 7
Create an »Thank-You-Article« or Page. This will be showed after an successful shop order.

Step 8
Go Admin->Preferences->Advanced and set up Custom Field with Price.

Step 9
Go Admin->Plugins and edit yab_shop_config with the following:

'checkout_section_name'         => 'checkout',
'checkout_thanks_site'          => 'http://domain.tld/thanks/thank-you', // This is your »Thank-You-Article«
'custom_field_price_name'       => 'Price',
'admin_mail'                    => 'your email address here', // Email where order send to

The other entries can be edited on your own. See the plugin help of yab_shop_config for details!

Step 10
Go Content->Write and create your first product! The section doesn’t matter. You can arrange your products in many sections if needed, it only shouldn’t be the checkout section. The price for the product can be added in »Advanced Options«

Now you can add more and more products and — hopefully — make some money.

FAQ

Can you implement this or that feature?
Feel free to ask in the forum thread for this plugin. Some features are very special so probably they will never be impemented. I want yab_shop as light, flexible and efficient as textpattern is. For some other features maybe another plugin will work (in conjunction with yab_shop).

Can you help me with setting up the shop or with a feature I want to implemented?
Due yab_shop is a hobby project my time is limited, but I’m trying to help if I can.

I discovered a bug in your yab_shop, what should I do?.
Please contact me here or in the forum thread. I’m always interested in bugfixing and open for suggestions.

Will there be an admin interface?
Yes, it’s planned.

Can I set up yab_shop with credit card payments?
No. There are too many solutions for different countries and companies. Maybe one or two will be impleneted sometimes.

yab_shop doesn’t support my currency. Can you include this?
Tell me your country and currency (use the forum thread, please) so I can add these to the supported currencies.

The cart will only be updated with added products after a page reload. What’s wrong?
Go Admin->Preferences->Advanced and set Send "Last-Modified" header? to »No«.

Your English is crappy!
Yep! You’re right. Feel free to correct sentences, would be nice.

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Kommentare

  1. # - Scott schrieb am 8. April 2010, 21:52:

    Hi,
    I just found your plugin and I am very interested in using it. Is there any way to implement direct digital downloads with this?
    Thanks again –
    Once I get it all working I’ll be sure to donate some $.
    Scott.

  2. # - trenc schrieb am 9. April 2010, 10:45:

    Hi Scott,

    I’m sorry, but selling digital goods with a download option is not possible with this plugin.

    trenc

  3. # - trenc schrieb am 9. April 2010, 10:48:

    P.S.: This howto here is a little bit outdated. With the new yab_shop version you have direct access to the shop configuration in the extension menu – no plugin code editing is needed.

  4. # - Kjeld schrieb am 17. April 2010, 13:30:

    Hi trenc,

    First, many thanks for this plugin.

    I have been trying to implement yab_shop on a new site that I am building. When using the PayPal sandbox, I do not receive an order e-mail from my site. I do receive the order e-mails when I select another payment option instead of PayPal.

    Is this the way the plugin is designed, or is this an error? I would prefer to receive e-mails even when people pay through PayPal.

    Speak to you soon!

  5. # - trenc schrieb am 18. April 2010, 12:30:

    Hi Kjeld,

    since the plugin has no real feedback about the status of a paypal transaction, the plugin could not send an email about this. Paypal should offer an option to send emails to the shop owner, but unfortunately it doesn’t.

    But – in a future release – yab_shop will be working with an instant payment notification (IPN) offered by Paypal. Then yab_shop could be able to send email about the payment process.

  6. # - Kjeld schrieb am 18. April 2010, 14:12:

    Thanks, trenc. I saw the reference to IPN in the forum. It would be super cool; I guess it would make it possible to add automatic downloads of digital files. When do you think you will have the IPN implementation done?

    After asking the above question, I also found this thread on the forum. Is your response still valid?

  7. # - trenc schrieb am 19. April 2010, 10:40:

    Hi Kjeld,

    When do you think you will have the IPN implementation done?

    uh! It should be already done. But other projects always consume my brief time. :(

    After asking the above question, I also found this thread on the forum. Is your response still valid?

    Yes! The plugin code has not changed yet. The described modification works as a workaround.

  8. # - Kjeld schrieb am 23. April 2010, 15:17:

    Thanks, Trenc. I also placed a (different) comment on the yab_shop thread in the textpattern forum.

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