Error ENTRY_EMAIL_ADDRESS_COWOA_ERROR_EXISTS

[Maynards]

I have a repeat customer that called to say he gets the following error message that is preventing him from putting in a order.
Error ENTRY_EMAIL_ADDRESS_COWOA_ERROR_EXISTS

He says he is using the same email address that he always does when ordering in the past.

Can someone give me direction on what is causing this.

[mc12345678]

Two fold:
One the language definition is missing from the store to fill in the "human" readable text, so all that is being seen is the constant: ENTRY_EMAIL_ADDRESS_COWOA_ERROR_EXISTS.

So the question becomes what causes that text to be displayed? Well, would suggest searching the store using the developers toolkit in the tools section for that string by populating the lower left corner and then selecting catalog from the adjacent dropdown. Also, would suggest reaching out to the forum associated to what other software is installed and associated either the COWOA (checkout without an account) forum or possibly the FEC (Fast and Easy Checkout) forum. Don't know which you. Have/had installed, but there is at least a remnant of the software or something similar installed.

[Maynards]

I have a add on called COWOA
I did do type that in using the developers toolkit and found a line in the following:


/xxxxx/users/xxx/xxxxx/xxxxxxxx/includes/modules/custom/no_account.php

Line #209 : $messageStack->add('no_account', ENTRY_EMAIL_ADDRESS_COWOA_ERROR_EXISTS);

Now the question is since I am very green at this stuff is, what do I do about it?

Thanks for any help I can get on this.

[mc12345678]

So that's where the "reading of the code" begins.

One would want to work backwards or up in the code to see what condition(s) had to be met in order for that message to be presented...

I seem to recall something with that particular plugin that if the individual purchased product as a logged in customer, that they would not be able to then purchase as a guest or something similar to that and it is possible that the posted error message relates to that. Problem is I'm not where I can easily do that type of research. The forum thread for COWOA should be of more assistance, both with understanding the what causes the error and with specifically tracking down where the define should be/what it should say.

You can post additional code here (please use the # symbol/button in the messagebox tool bar before pasting the code).

[Maynards]

I went to that file and the following code that seems to pertain to email is this:

  $email_address = zen_db_prepare_input($_POST['email_address']);
  
  if (strlen($email_address) < ENTRY_EMAIL_ADDRESS_MIN_LENGTH) {
    $error = true;
    $messageStack->add('no_account', ENTRY_EMAIL_ADDRESS_ERROR);
  } elseif (zen_validate_email($email_address) == false) {
    $error = true;
    $messageStack->add('no_account', ENTRY_EMAIL_ADDRESS_CHECK_ERROR);
  } else {
    $check_email_query = "select count(*) as total
                            from " . TABLE_CUSTOMERS . "
                            where customers_email_address = '" . zen_db_input($email_address) . "'
                            and COWOA_account != 1";
    $check_email = $db->Execute($check_email_query);

    if ($check_email->fields['total'] > 0) {
      $error = true;
      $messageStack->add('no_account', ENTRY_EMAIL_ADDRESS_COWOA_ERROR_EXISTS);

I don't know if this helps or if this is what you are asking. I will also search the COWOA forum like you say I should.
Thanks for your help

[mc12345678]

From that code snippet, I see the following:
1) the email address entered is at least or greater in length than the minimum length.
2) the email address is made of what is considered valid characters.
3) the email address used has previously been used by a customer such that COWOA_account does not equal 1. I would presume this to mean that the customer has previously logged in to an account rather than just provided an email address upon checkout.

This is from my understanding overall a safety/security setting, although not exactly cool to give away such information as what accounts (emails) exist or not within the database, but...

[carlwhat]

COWOA - check out without account.

it is like a guest checkout....

your customer has gotten to the COWOA checkout while he is already a customer, ie there already is an account set up for him. so he needs to login as opposed to get to the COWOA checkout process.

i think there is a config to turn COWOA off, in which case, your customer would never get to that screen. however you could be turning off potential new customers who only want to check out without creating an account.

obviously, you have some problems with your COWOA install, as a language file is missing.

hope that helps! good luck.

[carlwhat]

This is from my understanding overall a safety/security setting, although not exactly cool to give away such information as what accounts (emails) exist or not within the database, but...

this information is always available when one tries to set up a new account with an email address that already has an account associated with it. nothing to do with COWOA.

and pretty consistent with all e-commerce systems that use email addresses as logins...

[Maynards]

Thanks guys for your help. I will check with the customer to see if he tried to log in vs tried to COWOA.