Membership

[adb34]

Could I add a count down to the customers account? so when they buy a membership, that sets up a clock the does a countdown. I have seen some JS that do countdowns for special events.

[mc12345678]

Could I add a count down to the customers account? so when they buy a membership, that sets up a clock the does a countdown. I have seen some JS that do countdowns for special events.

Not sure which method you went with, but the only thing that comes to mind is that the countdown would only be available while logged in.

So, with that in mind, the criteria to display the countdown would be:
If a customer is logged in, and the customer has said product in their orders, and the next action hasn't been taken (don't know what is to happen between purchase and completion of the countdown), then display the countdown.
Would suggest a "success" notification in place of the above, depending on where it is displayed/intent.
That would be basically the above, except the next action is instead complete.

As to the countdown completion date, would need somewhere a duration to be entered (as compared to only an end date for a special event as the completion date is unique to each customer rather than a specific event date), either as an admin switch, or a file define or associated with a product in the database, depending on the future use of the modification (which could be turned into a plugin).

So, yes, can do it...

[adb34]

Not sure which method you went with, but the only thing that comes to mind is that the countdown would only be available while logged in....

Yes you are right. I have been having a look at this and the basic idea is to attach a date stamp to the date the membership started and the length of the membership.

When the member logs again, the date of login is checked with the membership length and the count down clock starts again.

I will have a play with the idea but I think the biggest challenge is adding different date stamps to each customer, but I hope I will get there.

[mc12345678]

Yes you are right. I have been having a look at this and the basic idea is to attach a date stamp to the date the membership started and the length of the membership.

When the member logs again, the date of login is checked with the membership length and the count down clock starts again.

I will have a play with the idea but I think the biggest challenge is adding different date stamps to each customer, but I hope I will get there.

If I may suggest, before you start writing any code that you think about and "map" out how you want it all to work... Let the code fall from that...

Thing I have seen with even a large software company regarding "membership" is accounting for overlap of pay for services... Or for that matter a lapse in membership.

Minor things are like are you only going to offer one duration of membership? Are you going to offer multiple durations? If multiple, are you going to do so by attributes? If not by attributes then is just a series of review by individual product options.

The answers to the above issues/questions would also help with things like your membership policy and of course how to code to get what you want to work. :)

[adb34]

[QUOTE=mc12345678;1301368]If I may suggest, before you start writing any code that you think about and "map" out how you want it all to work... Let the code fall from that...QUOTE]

Yes you may, however, I had already started that way. One thing I cannot find out is how a customer is 'stacked' with the others. Is there a tutorial on how this is done? I cannot find it.

Thanks for the help mc12345678

[mc12345678]

Yes you may, however, I had already started that way. One thing I cannot find out is how a customer is 'stacked' with the others. Is there a tutorial on how this is done? I cannot find it.

Thanks for the help mc12345678

Could you explain what you mean by customers being 'stacked'? In this context that is not something I understand. There may be a tutorial for it, depending on what is meant by it.

[adb34]

Could you explain what you mean by customers being 'stacked'? In this context that is not something I understand. There may be a tutorial for it, depending on what is meant by it.

How the customer, after the registration steps, are added to the database. Sorry for the confusion.

[mc12345678]

How the customer, after the registration steps, are added to the database. Sorry for the confusion.

Still not sure if it is the "how" they are added, or the "what's" been added part that is in question, but I'm going to go with as much. As I can without digging line by line.

So customer comes to store, first visit ever. Depending on settngs in ZC admin, they are permitted to see as only as much as is allowed for a non-logged in customer. They may even be directed to the login page regardless of where they try to go on the site...
Same initial process for any customer that is not logged in, regardless of previous visits (unless some other process leaves behind a "token" or cookie then there may be something "recognizeable" by ZC to modify the interaction.but that is not default behavior.
So at the login screen, there are two options basically, login as an existing customer (basically username and password) or to create a new account.
In creating a new account there are actions taken based on admin settings: how much data is collected, what "access level" will be applied (customer_status I believe is the correct term), and based on that information what types of data will be presented...

To get a better idea of the "checks" related to being logged in, and customer status, take a look at the header file of a few of the zc pages where such control is needed: includes/modules/pages/product/header_php.php for example. It may be product_info instead of just product, I'm drawing from memory/possible expected name.

At some point in the initial registration process, the status of the customer changes. If this has been automated, then one would hope that the dat/time of the change to allow the customer to now have access would be logged in another table... If it was manually revised, besides the admin access table showing a change of data for a customer, hopefully something more specifcally useable is logged... If not, that may be one "trigger" point needed for your overall membership tracking... So would want to have/create something that logs that change in status, what the previous was, what it became, and when it happened. Might also want to know who did it, but that somewhat more of a "nicety" not as much an operational requirement. Perhaps also want some sort of reason to change the status.

Then it becomes mostly a "managing" issue... Expiration, renewal, kicked out for a period of time, etc...

But it's that first "approval" that seems to be the trigger point, or it could be the first time they login after approval has been granted, for example... Then you could lock in on the login process as your "clock" starter once they have paid and have been approved. Though also want to be careful, because what if they are logged in during the time you. Go to change their status then they wouldn't have to run through the login code at that point and thus not have their status change recorded...

Anyways, as far as a "guide", technically the code is the best guide there is... Don't have to follow too many of the little details, just the big picture while going from one place to the next...

[adb34]

Still not sure if it is the "how" they are added, or the "what's" been added part that is in question, but I'm going to go with as much. As I can without digging line by line.

So customer comes to store...

Thank you for taking the time to write all that down it is greatly appreciated.

[adb34]

I am going to work on this slow time now, too many other things happening. When I have finished and tested I will post.