Google Checkout module for ZC 1.3.x (beta)

[Woodymon]

Thank you for all you do to make this community a better place.

Actually thank you Isaac! I observe you consistently posting clear and concise comments, questions, answers and specific assistance throughout many of the mod support threads. Always helpful posts.

Myself, I am long winded, I do find that writing down (or typing out) my questions/issues often brings up possible solutions and workarounds to my frontal lobe. And I often answer my own questions just before hitting the send button. But I decide to submit my inquiry posts anyway (along with solution I discovered... or read elsewhere) always thinking it might possibly help someone else.

But I am long winded and I need to work on that ;-)

Back to configuring Google Checkout...

Woody

[BlessIsaacola]

Actually thank you Isaac! I observe you consistently posting clear and concise comments, questions, answers and specific assistance throughout many of the mod support threads. Always helpful posts.

Obviously you haven't been reading the Ultimate SEO URL thread today. BTW, Thanks for the compliments. I am going to be employing your assistance soon when I am ready to install Zen Lightbox.

[Woodymon]

I have the "Better Together" mod installed which applies a discount if two items are purchased together. However, since that mod directly effects "order totals" and the order totals processing occurs at "Zen Cart checkout time", the Better Together discounts are not applied when using Google Checkout (and I assume the same when using PayPal eExpress but I have not yet tested).

Anyone have a workaround?

Or is the ONLY solution to post an "advisory" on the relevant product info pages stating the "better together" discount is not available with Google Checkout.

I have the discount applied to only a few products but unsure yet if this idea is supported by Google Checkout "policy".

I will post in the mod support thread. Maybe swguy has a hack.

Thanks,
Woody

[tj1]

Darn. Some how I missed tj1's post and ropu's follow-up regards to the old template files. Thought I read everything in this thread since the release before installing. Wasted much time documenting the issues I was observing and posting my findings. Argh.
Woody

Yep, you did miss all my last few posts, they were pretty much the same as what you wrote later, but you were a bit more detailed. :)

I found it easier merging the files using WinMerge.



BlessIsaacola, can you post your edited tpl_shopping_cart_default.php? I have it all working fine now, but initially I had trouble figuring out where the edit had to go in this file because if one follows the exact instructions, the GC button doesn't show up when viewing the cart.
Although it's working just fine, since I don't know much about this, I would like to compare what you have to what I have to make sure I put the code in the right place.

[Woodymon]

Thought I would bring this back up to the top as I see the admin directory is still hard coded into gcheckout.php.

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpo...&postcount=299

The /admin/ path is not defined anywhere outside the admin folder. This is for security reasons. If nobody can find the path to your admin folder, it is much more difficult to exploit.

It would be more prudunt for the GC module to include an appropriate path in its return post-back so that it knows where to find relevant files, rather than to hard-code the path into any particular file.

[Woodymon]

Ropu,

I'm searching for some recommends regarding configuring Zen Cart shipping to work with Google Checkout (or the other way around).

First I should state, we do NOT have a "third party shippiing provider". That is we ship "manually" and our shipping policies are very basic.

As a test...

With the sandbox enabled, I just added a physical item to my shopping cart then clicked Google Checkout on the shopping cart page. I observed the following error at the URL https://sandbox.google.com/checkout/...blah/checkout:

This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it. The document tree is shown below.

<error serial-number="blahblahblah">
<error-message>Duplicate shipping name FREE SHIPPING! found.</error-message>
</error>

(blahblahblah is hight-tech obfuscation.)

Not sure what would contribute to the above error.

Probably I need to do some work setting-up shipping for Google Checkout but that's where I get lost.

I've visited http://demo.globant.com/~brovagnati/..._generator.php
but I don't understand how it works, even after clicking the question mark [?] helplinks.

Question 1: Does Google Checkout work if there is no third party shipping provider specified?

We use USPS mediamail and USPS airmail. But we don't connect to USPS via Zen Cart.

Question 2: I've previously posted to this thread the very basic shipping policy we employ. Does the latest version of this mod support such shipping policy? PayPal, and other payment methods we employ work fine with our basic shipping configuration. Any tips or recommends on how to make Google Checkout support our basic shipping method.

Rather than repost the basic shipping policy we employ please see these references for the details:

http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpo...&postcount=296
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpo...&postcount=437
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpo...&postcount=494
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpo...&postcount=612

Thanks,
Woody

[Woodymon]

Yep, you did miss all my last few posts, they were pretty much the same as what you wrote later, but you were a bit more detailed. :)

I found it easier merging the files using WinMerge.



BlessIsaacola, can you post your edited tpl_shopping_cart_default.php? I have it all working fine now, but initially I had trouble figuring out where the edit had to go in this file because if one follows the exact instructions, the GC button doesn't show up when viewing the cart.
Although it's working just fine, since I don't know much about this, I would like to compare what you have to what I have to make sure I put the code in the right place.

@tj1: Do you use Zen Cart 1.37 with split-login? If so how is it working with merged Google Checkout?

I previously used WinMerge, but Linda sold me on the idea of Beyond Compare.

My merged tpl_shopping_cart_default.php is working fine (I found it was the easiest of the three to merge). If Isaac is not nearby soon I can post a copy.

Actually it might be good to post ALL three template file merges (for Zen Cart 1.37), so others can use and Ropu could include in his next release.

Woody

[chain_man]

Ropu,

I'm searching for some recommends regarding configuring Zen Cart shipping to work with Google Checkout (or the other way around).

First I should state, we do NOT have a "third party shippiing provider". That is we ship "manually" and our shipping policies are very basic.

As a test...

With the sandbox enabled, I just added a physical item to my shopping cart then clicked Google Checkout on the shopping cart page. I observed the following error at the URL https://sandbox.google.com/checkout/...blah/checkout:

This XML file does not appear to have any style information associated with it. The document tree is shown below.

<error serial-number="blahblahblah">
<error-message>Duplicate shipping name FREE SHIPPING! found.</error-message>
</error>

(blahblahblah is hight-tech obfuscation.)

Not sure what would contribute to the above error.

Probably I need to do some work setting-up shipping for Google Checkout but that's where I get lost.

Woody -

Maybe I can help sort through this - or add to the confusion...

The error above about Duplicate shipping name is rooted in the includes/modules/payment/googlecheckout.php file.

Here's what that section of my file looks like:

    $this->mc_shipping_methods = array(
                        'usps' => array(
                                    'domestic_types' =>
                                    array(    'Priority' => 'Priority Mail'
                                            ),
                                           
    
                                    'international_types' =>
                                      array(    'Priority Lg' => 'Global Priority Mail - Flat-rate Envelope (large)',
                                            'Priority Sm' => 'Global Priority Mail - Flat-rate Envelope (small)',
                                            'Priority Var' => 'Global Priority Mail - Variable Weight Envelope (single)',
                                            'Airmail Letter' => 'Airmail Letter Post'
                                            ),
                                        ),
                           
                         'fedex1' => array(
                                    'domestic_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),

                                    'international_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),
                                        ),
                        'ups' => array(
                                    'domestic_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),

                                    'international_types' =>
                                      array(

                                           ),
                                        ),
                        'zones' => array(
                                    'domestic_types' =>
                                      array(
                                          'zones' => 'Zones Rates'
                                           ),

                                    'international_types' =>
                                      array(
                                          'zones' => 'Zones Rates intl'
                                           ),
                                        ),
                        'fedexexpress' => array(
                                    'domestic_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),

                                    'international_types' =>
                                      array(

                                           ),
                                        ),
                        'fedexground' => array(
                                    'domestic_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),

                                    'international_types' =>
                                      array(

                                           ),
                                        ),
                        'freeoptions' => array(
                                    'domestic_types' =>
                                      array(
                                          'freeoptions' => 'Free Options'
                                           ),

                                    'international_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),
                                        ),
                        'freeshipper' => array(
                                    'domestic_types' =>
                                      array(
                                          'freeshipper' => 'Free Shipper'
                                           ),

                                    'international_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),
                                        ),
                        'perweightunit' => array(
                                    'domestic_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),

                                    'international_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),
                                        ),
                        'storepickup' => array(
                                    'domestic_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),

                                    'international_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),
                                        ),
                        'flat' => array(
                                    'domestic_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),

                                    'international_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),
                                        ),
                        'item' => array(
                                    'domestic_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),

                                    'international_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),
                                        ),
                        'table' => array(
                                    'domestic_types' =>
                                      array(
                                          'table' => 'Vary by Weight/Price'
                                           ),

                                    'international_types' =>
                                      array(
                                           ),
                                        ),
                                  );

    $this->mc_shipping_methods_names = array(    
                                         'usps' => 'USPS',
                                         'fedex1' => 'FedEx',
                                         'ups' => 'UPS',
                                         'zones' => 'Zones',
                                         'fedexexpress' => 'Fedex Express',
                                         'fedexground' => 'Fedex Ground',
                                         'freeoptions' => 'Free Options',
                                         'freeshipper' => 'Free Shipper',
                                         'perweightunit' => 'Perweight Unit',
                                         'storepickup' => 'Store Pickup',
                                         'flat' => 'Flat Rate',
                                         'item' => 'Item',
                                         'table' => 'Media Mail',
                                        ); 

As you can see, most of the values have been removed. If you count the major shipping types listed, you should see 13, each with a 'domestic' and 'international' section. If you see more, look for an extra FREE SHIPPING. That would cause the error you noted above.

I've visited http://demo.globant.com/~brovagnati/..._generator.php
but I don't understand how it works, even after clicking the question mark [?] helplinks.

Question 1: Does Google Checkout work if there is no third party shipping provider specified?

We use USPS mediamail and USPS airmail. But we don't connect to USPS via Zen Cart.

I ship manually too, although I use a zen>usps connection to estimate postage and it connects to GCO.

But my main shipping display comes from a table. Refering to the code listing above, I only have one entry for USPS domestic, That's for priority, in case someone's in a hurry. The USPS International section is how I quote shipping for international shipping.

The bulk of my shipping is via media mail. I have the rates set in a table in the Shipping Module>Table rates. It is passed to GCO in the last main shipping array - 'table' => array(
'domestic_types' =>
array(
'table' => 'Vary by Weight/Price'
),

In a fit of whimsey, I used the entry for table in the bottom of the above code to display "Media Mail" in the GCO selection rather than "Table" This is accomplished here:
'item' => 'Item',
'table' => 'Media Mail',
);

Question 2: I've previously posted to this thread the very basic shipping policy we employ. Does the latest version of this mod support such shipping policy? PayPal, and other payment methods we employ work fine with our basic shipping configuration. Any tips or recommends on how to make Google Checkout support our basic shipping method.

Thanks,
Woody

As noted above, using a table rate for shipping would work for you. Setting your table up to count by item you might have something like this: 0:5,1.1:8,2.1:11, etc. (You probably already have this if PayPal and checkout works for you. Just reference your table as in the code above.) I accidently noticed that zones (mzmt) was picked up too, so that may also be an option for you, say, for international...)

As a side note, you must be really careful when making changes to the section that contains the above code. The correct number and placement of the parentheses and commas is critical. If you go to Admin reinstall the GCO module, but it doesn't appear, check the ()s and the commas.

I would like to see a self-calculating substitute for this file that just reads the Shipping module entries and automatically uses them for GCO setup. This file is the most vulnerable part of this add-in, in my opinion.

I hope this helps.

[Woodymon]

In Modules > Payment > Google Checkout, I see listed under "Default Values for Real Time Shipping Rates" the following two items:

Per Item International
Per Item National

But I do not seen any controls to set the defaults for these two basic shipping options

So question again: Can I not use my one manual shipping method and must I use a third party shipping provider with Google Checkout?

If third party is required, why? If not, is there any straight forward process to make Google Checkout support very basic Zen Cart shipping operation?

As a reminder, currently when I checkout I see the error:

<error-message>Duplicate shipping name FREE SHIPPING! found.</error-message>

Thanks for the temporary virtual goods workaround. Grayed out Google checkout button image with the text "Not available for these items" will have to be good enuff, at least until the wishful day when Google Checkout matures and instant downloads are truly supported ;-)

Woody

[Woodymon]

I would like to see a self-calculating substitute for this file that just reads the Shipping module entries and automatically uses them for GCO setup. This file is the most vulnerable part of this add-in, in my opinion.

I hope this helps.

Very informative and helpful post. I will play around (diligently) with shipping as you have suggested. Thank you very much for pointing me in the right direction...again.

Woody