subscription sales setup

[billc108]

Hi folks,

I just realized that I've got a little problem with a site I'm setting up for a quarterly journal. The site sells back issues and one- and two- year subscriptions in both paper and PDFs.

It seems that the sale of a "one year electronic subscription" is a moving target, and as such it'll be tricky to deliver the right goods to the right subscribers only. How can I set it up so that they can choose an issue to begin their subscription with and have it set so that when they log in they can only download the appropriate issues? Without creating a new "one year subscription" starting with each issue, that is...

Is there a way to "package" four or eight existing products into one new product?

And if so, is there a way for the user to choose which four or eight issues they'd like? We don't care if they're not in chronological order - the price is the same either way - we just need to be able to deliver them to those who have actually purchased them.

Also, if they purchase a 4-issue subscription today starting with the current issue, what sort of hoops do we need to jump through in order to allow them to download the next issue three months from now? (they'll be notified by email through zencart when the issue comes available.)

Ick. This is getting messy.

Any ideas appreciated.

[rwment]

Have you tried the product attributes and make each individual issue an option so that when they order the "package" they would have four options with drop down menus that list all the available issues????

[billc108]

Interesting idea. I'll look into it.

I don't suppose there'd be a way to automate the creation of those dropdown lists... They'll be changing every quarter.

[rwment]

You would have to google for it because I dont remember the names of any of them but there is a way to create MACROS. some of these programs will record keystrokes and mouse clicks and play them back just like a VCR. You may want to look into that.

[billc108]

Ok, so I'm setting it up so that for a one year subscription, they'll be able to choose which issue to start with.

For the PDF download side of things, is there a way to include four files in one attribute? Since the four issues haven't been published yet, they'll have to be notified to come and download them when they're available, so I can't just bundle all four together.

Alternatively, how can I make it so that choosing the initial issue will determine what they'll get for the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th issues and automatically load those download choices into their order?

For instance, if they choose March 07 for their first issue, then the order would have

1 year subscription

First issue: March 07 => 0307.pdf (chosen)
Second issue: June 07 => 0607.pdf
Third issue: September 07 =>0907.pdf
Fourth issue: December 07 =>1207.pdf

Thanks for any insights.

[rwment]

I don't know of anyway to add that to ZenCart, doesn't mean it can't be done though. Of dourse you could just maintain a seperate database and input all the correct data in as you process the order. Then as each new issue comes out just use the database to mass email all the people the link to download that particular issue........

Not the greatest solution but it would work.

[rwment]

Ok well I did have a partial brainstorm, try creating an option for each future issue and define a date available?????

Might work, then again I may just be having a coffee induced delusion.

[billc108]

Hi folks,

I've been hacking on this a bit and I'm real close to a solution, but one thing eludes me.

I need to modify the <select> on the product page at the point below

<!--bof Attributes Module -->
<div id="productAttributes">
<h3 id="attribsOptionsText"></h3>


<div class="wrapperAttribsOptions">
<h4 class="optionName back"><label class="attribsSelect" for="attrib-4">First Issue</label></h4>
<div class="back">
<select name="id[4]" id="attrib-4">
<option value="34">Issue 56 - December 2006</option>
<option value="19" selected="selected">Issue 57 - March 2007</option>

<option value="20">Issue 58 - June 2007</option>
<option value="23">Issue 59 - September 2007</option>
<option value="22">Issue 60 - December 2007</option>
</select>

</div>
<br class="clearBoth" />
</div>
<!--eof Attributes Module -->

Instead of
<select name="id[4]" id="attrib-4">

I need it to read
<select name="id[4]" id="attrib-4" onChange="setIssues(this)">

to accomodate some Javascript. I'm having a heck of a time finding where to do that. Can someone enlighten me please?