Windows-based Shop Editor

[AdamBoyle]

Hello,

I have an idea for a contribution, one thats quite extensive and could make store administration a lot easier, but id like to ask everybody's opinion before I go ahead and write it.

I propose to write a Windows-based GUI for editing the shop settings, adding/editing products, creating reports etc. It would be written using Visual Basic and integrate with the standard Zen Cart database. I have experience with PHP and MySQL, so hopefully Visual Basic wont come as too much of a shock to the system! I do admit though that I am learning the language and would be writing this contribution for the challenge of it and giving something back!! (Yes, sad, I know...) Using a system like this would make pulling up the data much quicker and the system could be written to perform even more functions than the Zen Cart admin centre. Once the Windows-based program was written, the admin centre could, in theory, be removed completely grately decreasing any hacking security risks...

My main question is would this contribution make a difference to the every-day running of a Zen Cart shop, how many store owners would use it/help me test it during the BETA stages, and help me create a feature list of things that are needed?

In the true spirit of Zen Cart id like the project to be free, and this invitation is open to everybody at this stage!! :)

[lib99]

Your initiative is certainly a great one and no easy task in the slightest. With Visual Basic there are endless GUI possibilities. I do have a few comments you might consider.

1. The Admin is scheduled in the development roadmap for overhaul.
2. Windows software doesn't necessarily play well for Mac or Linux OS users. I know there are many designers and end-users that primarily use those operating systems.
3. Security could be an issue because you would be using such an admin software from your desktop to remotely admin a hosted site. May also introduce connectivity issues (proxies and the like).
4. As features are added to Zen Cart, the software would require updates and recompilation.

No doubt many would love to see an improved back-end Admin, but it might be more useful and flexible to consider something cross platform and secure over the open internet. I'm not suggesting that you don't proceed, and I'd be willing to help you with testing. However, it'd be nice to have something the whole ZC community could use. There have been a lot of discussions of using AJAX in the mix.

[AdamBoyle]

Your initiative is certainly a great one and no easy task in the slightest. With Visual Basic there are endless GUI possibilities. I do have a few comments you might consider.

1. The Admin is scheduled in the development roadmap for overhaul.
2. Windows software doesn't necessarily play well for Mac or Linux OS users. I know there are many designers and end-users that primarily use those operating systems.
3. Security could be an issue because you would be using such an admin software from your desktop to remotely admin a hosted site. May also introduce connectivity issues (proxies and the like).
4. As features are added to Zen Cart, the software would require updates and recompilation.

No doubt many would love to see an improved back-end Admin, but it might be more useful and flexible to consider something cross platform and secure over the open internet. I'm not suggesting that you don't proceed, and I'd be willing to help you with testing. However, it'd be nice to have something the whole ZC community could use. There have been a lot of discussions of using AJAX in the mix.

Thanks very much for letting me know about this, now I can plan the software in a much more easily-upgradable fashion.

With the admin being scheduled for an upgrade in the next overhaul it would give the ZC community a chance to user either. The admin would give me something to aim for with this program.

It may be possible to port the Visual Basic code to Linux, and I would look at any possible ways of opening the scope the project can cover.

In regard to security I have been investigating using the MySQL Connecter/Net control which "enables developers to easily create .NET applications that require secure, high-performance data connectivity with MySQL". http://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/5.0/...ector-net.html

If the software needed to be updated for each release it would not cause too much trouble. As things stand each store needs to be upgraded, so a software patch could be released also. Primarily the program would be used to manipulate data entries, so the program could simply be a case of populating a form of "configuration-table" defines and so would work regardless of programming-side updates.

Thanks for your advice and for your offer of helping test the project, ill keep this post updated with the status as I move along!

[madk]

I started a similar but less ambitous program last week. I was mainly looking for a desktop solution for other users to process orders. You can view the thread here:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=43103

[inksale]

Looking at this strictly from an end users standpoint, what’s the advantage?
Isn’t my web browser on my desktop?
Why would I want an additional software package?

Am I missing the concept of this contribution?

[AdamBoyle]

The main concept behind this contribution is security. If you can access the admin panel via the Internet then so can anybody else. Once they find your username/password, a session of password-cracking may well see your store breached. But alongside that you can also perform all the tasks the web-based admin centre can but much quicker because you dont have to endlessly reload pages, draining server resources.

This contribution would remove the chance to even get at the admin login dialogue by removing it completely. The database cannot be modified without authorisation if there is no web-based admin center!

Madk, Ive just downloaded your program and Ill have a look through it, it sounds like part of what I wanted to implement!

[DrByte]

As an addendum to this discussion, you might want to consider this as well:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showth...528#post246528