orders_total table planned usage

[wdrwc]

I am going to write small extension to zc 1.3 and I wonder if I can store any additional information I need in the orders_total table. Is it OK with any next planned Zc releases?

For example, I would like to generate for each order an unique code (different than order id) which could be used by the customer calling my IVR to get the current information about the order status. The code has to be different from the sequential order ids and known only to the customer. I am going to display it on the checkout pages and in the account history.

So, the class will be attached to NOTIFY_HEADER_START_CHECKOUT_PAYMENT and NOTIFY_HEADER_START_ACCOUNT_HISTORY_INFO.

In the same class I am going to give to the customer info from which location products will be skipped (I have more than one).

So, are there any obstacles for storing such information in orders_total? Can it interfere with planned by the developers orders_total use?

thanx,
wdrwc

[DrByte]

You can do that fairly safely; however, if the data you're storing is cross-referenced only to customer and order-number, it would be just as easy to write self-contained code to run from a separate table.

Either way is fine. I just tend to recommend making things modular so you are adding your stuff on the side and not risking problems, like you suggested.