ozpost shipping module

[RodG]

1) take the smaller items (such as essence bottles which are only 10cm x 3cm x 3cm in width)
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by making the dimensions (say) 10cm x 1cm x 9cm, we in fact return a more accurate quote based on real world estimates.

I've no comments or thoughts about this method either way.

2) have a look at your "stacking" code and see what another set of eyes might achieve.

The 'stacking code', although 'crude' is/was actually quite accurate and effective, in fact if all items in the 'parcel' were of the same dimensions (and relatively small) it was probably as 'near perfect' as you could get while still keeping the code "simple".

Even with dissimilar sized items it did a 'pretty good' job, as long as the item sizes weren't *too* dissimilar.

It really started to fall apart if the individual items are/were already near the Australia Posts' maximum limits though.

not even begun to consider this, as i don't even know where or how it is performed, but while i also am no mathematical genius, i have had many opportunities to extend myself in this department in other similar scenarios so wouldn't mind having a crack.

I'm not sure if I should tell you this or not (I'm going to anyway). What you/we are trying to achieve here is known as 'The holy grail' of shipping modules. I wasn't aware of this when I first started working on the code, if I had, I probably wouldn't even have attempted it (and gotten as far I did). This isn't just for zencart either, but for any shipping module for any shopping cart currently being used.

The more items in the cart, and the more the item sizes differ, the greater the problem becomes. This generally isn't immediately obvious, but the further into the 'detail' you delve, the more the complexities involved start to show.

I'm not suggesting that it can't be done, just that it has currently proven to be an insolvable problem for those that have attempted it.

Maybe you'll be the one capable of doing it.. who knows?

once again, thanks for your replies to-date, hope i'm not being too demanding!

I wish you well in your endeavors, and no, you are not being too demanding ... in fact quite the opposite, I quite enjoy discussing this issue with people, because it helps highlight the problems involved to the majority of people that can't quite grasp why something apparently so 'easy' isn't quite as easy as it first appears.

Besides, if nothing else, you now have more information that you can present back to your client should they be expecting you to come up with an easy solution to the problem for them.

Cheers
Rod