AustPost Improved

[RodG]

I have been mucking around with the improved aust post module.
I am a little concerned about security and upgrades though.

When I install the module into the cart it installs older .php modules into the admin area overwriting existing modules. (v1.3.8a)

As these modules are older than my current code, overwriting them makes me wonder if I have opened any security holes by patching back to older code ?

The changes to the original code is rather minimal. The Austpost distribution files detail exactly what needs (needed) to be changed, so even if I'm not around to perform patches for future updates it is a trivial thing for someone else to do.

Having said that, as per the AP documentation, you DO NOT NEED to update or replace the files in the /admin/ area for things to work.. Those files simply provide a means for you to enter the dimensional data for your products. Unless you are selling products subject to cubing rules, or letter sized items you won't even gain any real benefit by using dimensions.

At the time this module was developed there were no overrides for the /admin/ files. I believe this has been changed since V1.3.8, and where possible any new update will always use whatever overrides are possible.

What will I have to do when a new version of ZC comes out ?

The same as with any other 3rd part module. Either wait for the author of the module(s) to release a new update (or confirm compatibilty), or, in the case of the AP module, you generally won't have anything to worry about.

The other area I am concerned about is using a 3rd party to interface between my server and the aust post server.

Is this strictly necessary ?

Only if you wish to obtain quotes for all product types.
Please read the 'servers.txt' file. There are two servers used for different purposes.

I ask this because if I base my website on the improved model ... will the VCSWEB server be around for the long haul ?

Is the VCSWEB server reliable ?

Thanks for the great job on the mod so far though ....

Cheers

The VCSWEB site has been around in one form or another since 1997. (originally 'videocam.net.au')

In contrast, the 'Australia Post' server (actually just another 3rd party server located at drc.edeliver.com.au has only been around since 2003 (or thereabouts).

In the last twelve months the drc.edeliver server has been offline for periods of >2hrs no less than 8 times. (I log this stuff). It has been offline for more than 48 hours twice.

In contrast, the VCSWEB servers have had a *total* of 2hours downtime over the last 12 month period.

So basically, the VCSWEB servers have a far better 'breeding' and tend to be more reliable than the 'official' server.

And finally, (future plans revealed) the next version of the AP module will only be supported by the vcsweb servers. Not because of any selfish type reasons, but because, frankly, the drc.edeliver server kinda sucks for the purposes that we are using it for. It is/was only designed to produce a single quote, and only for parcel post. In order to get a list of all possible quotes, multiple server requests are required.

What a shopping cart want/needs (in my opinion) is a server that will produce a list of all suitable methods and costs for any given parcel with just a single request.

I've 95% completed the server side software (which produces output in .XML format for easy client side integration).
I had almost completed the client side coding for zencart when I had a RAID failure, and as yet I still haven't recovered the code. :-(

Anyway, the ultimate aim is to produce a postage calculation server that can be more easily utilised by *any* shopping cart software (not just zencart). A server will produce shipping *options*, rather than one that produces a single quotes.

Bottom line here is that even though we've already been around for over a decade we still have even longer term aims and goals.

Cheers
Rod

[Delights]

I don't know if this is the right section but it does relate to the Austpost model.

Greetings,

I have downloaded your Model "Excellent mod by the way" and installed it on the site, "Works exceelent" but i have decided to add a few more options in the Collect_info.

I have change the fields so that now you have the following for product dimensions.

Product Weight (kg): Product Weight (lbs):
Product Height (cm): Product Height (inch):
Product Length (cm): Product Length (inch):
Product Width (cm): Product Width (inch):

Packing Height (cm): Packing Height (inch):
Packing Length (cm): Packing Length (inch):
Packing Width (cm): Packing Width (inch):

Everything works fine, except that the view is a little mixed up, see below.



I was wondering if it is possible to make it look like this instead.



Here is a copy of the coding i have changed it too.

          <tr>
          <td colspan="2"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '1', '10'); ?></td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PRODUCTS_WEIGHT; ?></td>
          <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('products_weight', $pInfo->products_weight); ?></td>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PRODUCTS_WEIGHT_LBS; ?></td>
          <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('products_weight_lbs', $pInfo->products_weight_lbs); ?></td>
          </tr>
	    <tr>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PRODUCTS_HEIGHT ; ?></td>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('products_height', $pInfo->products_height); ?></td>
          <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PRODUCTS_HEIGHT_INCH ; ?></td>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('products_height_inch', $pInfo->products_height_inch); ?></td>
	    </tr>
	    <tr>
          <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PRODUCTS_LENGTH; ?></td>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('products_length', $pInfo->products_length); ?></td>
          <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PRODUCTS_LENGTH_INCH; ?></td>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('products_length_inch', $pInfo->products_length_inch); ?></td>
	    </tr>
	    <tr>
          <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PRODUCTS_WIDTH; ?></td>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('products_width', $pInfo->products_width); ?></td>
          <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PRODUCTS_WIDTH_INCH; ?></td>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('products_width_inch', $pInfo->products_width_inch); ?></td>
 	    </tr>
          <tr>
            <td colspan="2"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '1', '10'); ?></td>
          </tr>
	    <tr>
          <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PACKINGS_HEIGHT ; ?></td>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('packings_height', $pInfo->packings_height); ?></td>
          <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PACKINGS_HEIGHT_INCH ; ?></td>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('packings_height_inch', $pInfo->packings_height_inch); ?></td>
	    </tr>
	    <tr>
          <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PACKINGS_LENGTH; ?></td>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('packings_length', $pInfo->packings_length); ?></td>
          <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PACKINGS_LENGTH_INCH; ?></td>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('packings_length_inch', $pInfo->packings_length_inch); ?></td>
	    </tr>
	    <tr>
          <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PACKINGS_WIDTH; ?></td>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('packings_width', $pInfo->packings_width); ?></td>
          <td class="main5"><?php echo TEXT_PACKINGS_WIDTH_INCH; ?></td>
	    <td class="main5"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '24', '15') . '&nbsp;' . '&nbsp;' . zen_draw_input_field('packings_width_inch', $pInfo->packings_width_inch); ?></td>
          </tr>
          <tr>
            <td colspan="2"><?php echo zen_draw_separator('pixel_trans.gif', '1', '10'); ?></td>
          </tr>

[RodG]

I don't know if this is the right section but it does relate to the Austpost model.

Well, no, it doesn't, at least not in the strictest sense.
The code you are modifying is a part of the core zencart code.
Admittedly, the AustPost module also modifies this same code, but only in as much as it adds the required dimension fields to enable it to work.

I have downloaded your Model "Excellent mod by the way" and installed it on the site, "Works exceelent" but i have decided to add a few more options in the Collect_info.

As I said, this really isn't an austpost question/issue. The collect_info is part of the core zencart code.

I have change the fields so that now you have the following for product dimensions.

Product Weight (kg): Product Weight (lbs):
Product Height (cm): Product Height (inch):
Product Length (cm): Product Length (inch):
Product Width (cm): Product Width (inch):

I assume you realise that the AustPost module will only recognise and use the original weight data and the AustPost added dimensional data.
You will need to provide a means of conversion for your newly added fields, and in doing so you'll need to take into account the kg/gm flag that tells the AP module whether a multiplacation factor needs to be used during its calculations.

Packing Height (cm): Packing Height (inch):
Packing Length (cm): Packing Length (inch):
Packing Width (cm): Packing Width (inch):

I really can't see the point or purpose of these. (care to explain?)

From a postage persepective, the product dimensions ARE the packing dimensions. The only reason that I can think of as to why you'd want different dimensions for the item and the packing, is for display purposes - in which case you'll need to use the item dimensions for display only, and then modifiy the AustPost code to use the package dimesnions. This seems to be a LOT of work and modification for little or no practical benefit.

However, I am very interested in your reasoning and logic behind this.

From MY perspective, all this is going to do is give the admin more data to input,and more confusion as to what data is actually used where.

Everything works fine,

Really? I assume you have other modified code elsewhere that does something more with the additional fields you have provided. ?

except that the view is a little mixed up, see below.

Sorry, I can't help you with that, but being nothing more than a display issue it should be trivial to fix up and make look good. If your other mods do actually work, I am rather at a loss trying to understand why you would even need help in this regard, because you clearly have enough skills to sort this out for yourself.

Cheers
RodG

[Delights]

I have already written the code that will allow the database to convert from lbs to kg and also Inch to cm. This is done on another databse though, not the store.


As for the store, i only need to upload the information with Easy Populate.

[Delights]

I have been thinking about it and talked it over with my partner, we have decided to just have the 4 fields

* Product Weight
* Product Length
* Product Width
* Product Depth

However i still want it so that when the customers are looking at the product it shows up like it does with the weight.

[RodG]

I have been thinking about it and talked it over with my partner, we have decided to just have the 4 fields

* Product Weight
* Product Length
* Product Width
* Product Depth

However i still want it so that when the customers are looking at the product it shows up like it does with the weight.

I assume that by "it" you are referring to the product dimensions?

As you are probably aware, the only place(s) the item dimensions are visible is in the admin pages under the product editor, and the parcel dimensions (mainly for debugging) appear on the shipping estimator screen.

I haven't created any mods to display this information in any of the customer/store pages primarily because personally I see very little value in it, and secondly because it would involve modifying other files that may already be modded for other reasons, (eg, by using alternate template files), thus causing whoever is installing the AustPost additional work by having to perform a merge operation.

Having said that, the Autpost modified collect_info file will give you an example of how to read the dimensional information from the database. You can use this example as a basis to display the same information on any of the products pages. Someone else asked about this very same thing a few weeks back, and based on the same information I have just given you s/he reported back that they were quite succesful at performing the mod. It is probably far less difficult than some of the things you have already done.

Cheers
Rod

PS. Please note, that even though the AP module lets you specify width, lenght and height of the products, the "words" don't really mean much to the module itself. The longest dimension is always considered to be the lenght, the shortes is considered the height, and the remaining dimension is the width.. IOW, 10h x 20w x 30l is the same as 30h x 20w x 10l which is the same as 20h x 30w x 10l

[Delights]

Greetings, i have already start modify the files so that it will show up on the product information. Atm the only thing left is to get it to show the actual information, everything else is complete.

You can see working progress at

http://www.agelessartifacts.com/stor...&products_id=1

[Delights]

I can't seem to find where i have gone wrong, but i am sure i know why, i believe i am missing the file that links the database and the store to allow it to access the data.

Anyone have any idea on the file name that i have to edit..

[Delights]

I have uploaded what i have done so far, maybe someone can have a look at it and give me a hint as to what i have forgotten.

http://www.agelessartifacts.com/private/catalog.rar

[robax]

Hi there,

I'd really like to use this mod, but I'm having some trouble with a couple of things after transferring my working ZC site from an IIS6 server to a new IIS7 server. I did not have the mod installed on the old server but have tried it on the new one.

The popup_shipping_estimator is blank apart from the [close window] button and the Checkout displays "ERROR:Unable to obtain a valid quote from the Australia Post Server."

What is the likely cause of these issues?

Also... I don't know if this is related, but just in case:

My Paypal IPN no longer works on the new server, and CURL reports errors as well. I have posted about these things elsewhere here, but am left confused about one thing:

Do I specifically need CURL for "Austpost Improved" or should it work regardless?

I would really appreciate some comments on these two questions as it will help me determine how to go about troubleshooting this.

Regards,
Rob