Newsletter Center V. 0.8 BETA

[mrmeech]

Also still interested Mr Meech, but I needed a quick solution so have made a simple script that gives me a very basic ZC / PHPList 'integration'. I hope I won't use this long and it will just be a temporary measure on the way to using your full mod.

It may be too basic for the needs of many, and I'm not fully convinced it keeps enough PHPList features to be worthwhile! If those in a rush would like to help test / polish / further develop, I've posted everything here:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showth...996#post584996

Bear in mind that I'm new to PHPList so I'm hoping some experienced eyes might notice any gaping holes - users must also be in the X table or this happens for example!

I think we should work together on this. I have only glanced at the linked thread, but from what i can immediately tell, you have done some stuff i haven't, and vice versa. A few quick questions:

1. Do you have a sidebox solution for ZC worked out?
2. Does the user have to register to add their email to the mailing list?
3. What happens when some who is registered tries to add their name to the list again?
4. If a non-registered, newsletter subscribed user wants to un-subscribe, how do you handle that? Are you sending them to the PHPList unsubscribe page?

Glad to see you're working on this too. I sincerely feel it would benefit everyone if we put our code (and brains) together and made this one project.

By all means, please feel free to private message me to discuss this further.

[0be1]

FYI;

I know that a lot of people have been waiting patiently on this. I had to go and revert back to our old mailing list program (dada mail) which I was able to finally get installed (it was due to some security issues on the providers end). I already have the sidebox and everything working and it is currently on a form submission which write to the dada sql subscribe table just fine. However, I have not found a way to change how it interacts with the zc system and have posted a thread with no answers.

If anyone knows which files to modify for the zc interaction part (subscribe, unscribe, etc.) I would be glad to do what I can to either get it to work instead of phplist or another alternative along with phplist for users to utilize for mass emailing through zc.

regards...

0be1

[mrmeech]

FYI;

...

If anyone knows which files to modify for the zc interaction part (subscribe, unscribe, etc.) I would be glad to do what I can to either get it to work instead of phplist or another alternative along with phplist for users to utilize for mass emailing through zc.

regards...

0be1

0be1,

What part of the subscribe/unsubscribe do you need help with? The front end customer account settings page? That code is written and functioning for PHPList if you have any interest in taking a look at it...

[hqarrse2]

I'm quite happy to work togther but don't see my script as a replacement for your work and I think you're overestimating what I'm trying to do and have achieved.

No functionality is added to ZenCart except that we can use the good phplist interface, templates etc., and it's moving on to the right road. I posted it in the other forum as I didn't want to distract from your efforts here! It is a quick'n'dirty solution and done as a stop gap.

Depending on ideas elsewhere it may be worth developing further - limited stuff like using attributes. Subscribe and unsubscribe via PHPList would be at best awkward.

1. Do you have a sidebox solution for ZC worked out?

No - there are no mods made to zen cart

2. Does the user have to register to add their email to the mailing list?

Currently it is just the standard zen cart system so yes. This is a big weakpoint of the script system and one of the key reasons it will not be a full integration. I will play around with this this afternoon, but don't expect much!

3. What happens when some who is registered tries to add their name to the list again?

N/A from point 2.

4. If a non-registered, newsletter subscribed user wants to un-subscribe, how do you handle that? Are you sending them to the PHPList unsubscribe page?

N/A as no non-registered newsletter readers.

##########__

I was expecting it to be shot down in flames on the grounds of limited functionality. It is however working (still testing but seems to be at least!), is simple and is an advance on the standard system. Step 1!

If there's anything there that can be of use to Newsletter Center then I'll be very pleased!

[athena]

You know i really get a little weary installing all these mods.

I would hope the long term goal would be to develope a dependable newsletter mailing system from within zencart. Putting all this smart energy into a phplist integration may have some security issues and having to continually modify code in phplist to keep up with security issues and at the same time make sure it is compatible with zencart looks like a headache waiting to pounce. Sort of like drilling for oil in alaska instead of developing alternative energy sources. I'm not that code savvy at all...but if that input helps us go in a good direction with this effort I will be a tester.

[mrmeech]

You know i really get a little weary installing all these mods.

I would hope the long term goal would be to develope a dependable newsletter mailing system from within zencart. Putting all this smart energy into a phplist integration may have some security issues and having to continually modify code in phplist to keep up with security issues and at the same time make sure it is compatible with zencart looks like a headache waiting to pounce. Sort of like drilling for oil in alaska instead of developing alternative energy sources. I'm not that code savvy at all...but if that input helps us go in a good direction with this effort I will be a tester.

Athena,

Yes. It is a lot of work. And we are on the same page; i too wish that the long term goal of ZC would be to develop an integrated mailing list solution. Right now it seems like it is a dead spot in their development roadmap from what i can tell by reading this: http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=75264

Security should always be an issue of the highest priority. However, i do feel like you are a little over-concerned regarding this. As long as you follow the Zen Cart team's instructions on securing your site, you should be in pretty great shape from a security point of view.

I gotta run out of the house now, but i wanted to provide you with some sort of response. Have a great day!

[athena]

Thanks, mrmeech. I'm sitting her pushing a button every 100 emails to get my newsletter out via GroupMail...already late.

But I did install and stab around in phplist ...biding my time while pushing that button...and, although it was as time consuming as uploading the zencart package, it looks good and seems to have all the features I need.

[Stuff4Toys]

PHPList does a tremendous job, almost everywhere except on GoDaddy's Shared Servers. With a 1,000 email relay limit per day. When we hit about 1300 or 1400 eMails in 24 hours we stop getting our order confirmations from Zen Cart.

Sucks, you send eMail to get more orders, then loose the CC numbers because you don't get the messages.

AND

You either have to set up a cron job or a scheduled task on a local windows machine to make it process the queue every 10 minutes because GoDaddy limits the time a task can run to about 360 seconds.

SO

We limit our mail list sending to about 8 messages every 10 minutes and try and start the batch in the late afternoon, and can usually get our newsletter out in 3 days.

HEY
Keep working towards the final goal, eventually we will get off GoDaddy altogether and then LOOK OUT, we will turn into the next Spam King [NOT]

MAN, WE NEED A DEDICATED SERVER!!!
JOhn ><>

[hqarrse2]

I've cracked the 'Alpha' of a good integration using the sync-script-based approach although it needs final testing. The new script allows use of a good newsletter block and appropriate redirection of all ZC newsletter pages to PHPLists depending on whether logged in or not and so on. The ZC / Lists installs remain separate so this is not a ZC mod and it is necessary to work on the PHPLists templates to make PHPLists look like your shop.

To get the idea see the attached flow diagram.

It's probably best not to hijack Mr Meech's thread though so if you're interested discussion is probably best placed in the general discussion about integration:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showth...light=phplists

Any help with final testing appreciated.

[mrmeech]

I've cracked the 'Alpha' of a good integration using the sync-script-based approach although it needs final testing. The new script allows use of a good newsletter block and appropriate redirection of all ZC newsletter pages to PHPLists depending on whether logged in or not and so on. The ZC / Lists installs remain separate so this is not a ZC mod and it is necessary to work on the PHPLists templates to make PHPLists look like your shop.

To get the idea see the attached flow diagram.

It's probably best not to hijack Mr Meech's thread though so if you're interested discussion is probably best placed in the general discussion about integration:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showth...light=phplists

Any help with final testing appreciated.

Hey There--

Just curious - what happens to the session data, etc. if a person is shopping, fills up a cart with products, and in the middle of their shopping they decide to add their name to your newsletter which directs them to completely non ZC pages?