CyberCart Enterprises
563 Aiken Road,
Jacksonville, FL 32216
904-855-0127
rick@cybercart.com

The CyberCart Database module consists of several scripts to maintain an item database and generate CyberCart pages to interface with the CyberCart Shopping Cart script. The database module can be used to replace hard-coded pages, or in conjunction with hard-coded html CyberCart pages. The module also controls the appearance of the CyberCart pages produced, and provides merchant administrative functions for adding, editing and deleting merchant configurations.

Database Details
The database module can utilize a number of database formats:

1. mSQL - The database can also interface with a mSQL database, and should be able to handle a larger number of items. MSQL must be purchased and installed separately and is available at:
2. mySQL - Similar to mSQL, this database should also be able to handle large number of items and is available at:
3. Access - For Windows NT, the database can use Access databases (.mdb).

The script provides an upload and import feature for tab-delimited files. So merchants can maintain the database in Access, Excel, or any other database that can export a tab-delimited database. The merchants can then upload the file and import it directly into the database.

The database can also be edited directly through a web-based interface script. The interface provides the following functions:

1. Adding items.
2. Deleting items.
3. Editing items.
4. Control item display.
5. Control of CyberCart page headers and footers.
6. Uploading the database.
7. Uploading images.
8. Automatic hierarchical category listings of items.

The database module, like CyberCart Pro is multi-merchant capable, which means each merchant can have both a separate shopping cart and database. Merchants can be configured separately. There is no limit on the number of items or number of merchants that one copy of the scripts can handle.

The database module also comes with a Display script to interactively produces CyberCart pages on the fly from the database. The database can be search by words/terms or by category.

There is also a distinction made between an item belonging to a category and an item belonging to a page. An item can belong to one and only one category, but can belong to several pages. So categories are mutually exclusive, while pages are not. This gives the merchant the flexibility to display an item in several ways. The category provides a convenient method for grouping items, while the pages can be used to display very specialized pages.

The Display script also produces a hierarchical category listing display of items, with links to previous levels. There is a main Category, which is at the top of the hierarchy, and 3 SubCategories. So for example, Books could be a Category, and then underneath that you could have a SubCategory1 of Juggling (which are juggling books), and under that you could have SubCategories such as Clubs, Balls, or Devil Sticks, which are different types of Juggling. Items can only be located at the lowest level of the hierarchy Ð so if you have Category: Books, Subcategory1: Juggling, and SubCategory2:Clubs, Balls, Devil Sticks, you could have items only located in the Clubs, Balls, Devil Sticks levels, but not at the Juggling level. In other words, Category and the Subcategories can only have either other SubCategories or items, but not both.

The Display script can also be set to display list of items in 3 different ways:

1. As a list, where there is simply a list of the items with a link to a page with more detailed information.
2. As a dropdown menu, where the items are in a dropdown box.
3. As a table, where the items are displayed in a table of a certain width of cells, with an image and link to a page with more detailed information. The number of items to be displayed on each page can also be set. Links to previous and next pages are automatically generated.

The Display script does not have to be utilized - producing the CyberCart pages on the fly can be put a load on the server, while hard-coded pages are served up like any other HTML pages. Hard-coded pages also have the advantage of being indexed by search engine spiders coming through the site. The Display script would be more useful in a dynamic catalog where prices or item selection are changing often. This would make it easy for the merchant to quickly update prices or add/delete items.

The database module also comes with a CyberCart Administrative script that allows the administrator to add and delete merchants, and change passwords. Upon adding a merchant, the administrative script will create the necessary subdirectories, and add the merchant to the CyberCart user password file (.ccusers). The merchant configuration variables are stored in a SDBM tied ash file for easier editing.

Updates
Updates to the Database Module are free. This will include a PHP set of Database scripts that can be used instead of Perl Database cgi scripts. PHP is quicker, easier and more efficient on the server than Perl. Eventually, the main scripts in CyberCart will be converted over to PHP completely.

To order the CyberCart Database Module now, click here!