Quote Originally Posted by schoolboy View Post
Without going into detail, this approach simply will not work. The main reason is the fundamental difference between DYNAMIC content and STATIC content, and the fact that PHP performs hundreds of FUNCTIONS over-and-above its role of cobbling together a web page.

If you pursue this route, you are not only wasting a LOT of time on a pointless quest, but you are putting the functionality of your client's site at severe risk - not only from a performance point of view but also:

Security and User Data safety
Session Tracking and Management
Bi-directional communication with payment gateways
Search Engine analysis and indexing of your site.

If I was your client, you would be immediately FIRED !

Do the job properly... what you will deliver will be a dismal failure, then your client will blame zencart.
It is precisely because I am doing exactly as the client requested that the site will not be a dismal failure.
And you do not have to stress,nobody is going to blame Zencart for anything.

I really do not see how integrating (on 1 or 2 html webpages)
a categories sidebox which links to the Zencart itself and a search function which leads to Zencart search page, could result in the site being a dismal failure or a security risk.
Its akin to having a standard html page with a standard link to Zencart in a subfolder on the server.

It is possible to integrate other shopping carts within html sites without any problems so I do not see why Zencart should be any different or why it is such a taboo to even suggest integrating Zencart elements into other platforms.

Surely it can only be to the benefit of Zencart if those who really want to integrate Zencart into whatever platform, find a way to do so.
I know that Zencart is already very popular,but many find it difficult to customize and make it look the way that they want it to look. If Zencart has widgets for instance that could be added to existing websites, regardless of platform, it will make Zencart accessible to those who want an unique look to their sites and also to those who are not php boffins.

I also realize that php experts see it as an affront if a person does things the unorthodox way,but everything need not always be either black or white and to some people gray is a preferred color.