Currency Update (Automatic)

[kuroi]

I also wanted to ask, as the currency exchange sites are now charging for connection, is Zen Cart now accessing them illegally?

Glad to hear that Zen Cart is going well for you. It is a steep learning curve but well worth the effort.

In response to you question. No Zen Cart isn't accessing these rates illegally, but it is now unwittingly (since the ground rules were changed after Zen Cart's code was written) encouraging you to access them in contravention of the site owners' terms of use. Vger is absolutely correct on this.

Accordingly, I've updated the mod to use the European Central Bank's daily reference rates instead. It's actually easier, quicker, less likely to fail and unlikely to fall foul of a change in screen layout (as it no longer uses screen scrapping), as well as being completely above board and legal.

Look out for version 3.0 being enabled here.

[mtimber]

Glad to hear that Zen Cart is going well for you. It is a steep learning curve but well worth the effort.

In response to you question. No Zen Cart isn't accessing these rates illegally, but it is now unwittingly (since the ground rules were changed after Zen Cart's code was written) encouraging you to access them in contravention of the site owners' terms of use. Vger is absolutely correct on this.

Accordingly, I've updated the mod to use the European Central Bank's daily reference rates instead. It's actually easier, quicker, less likely to fail and unlikely to fall foul of a change in screen layout (as it no longer uses screen scrapping), as well as being completely above board and legal.

Look out for version 3.0 being enabled here.

When do you think this will be ready?

:-)

I do not like the idea of breaking someones terms of use :-(

[HeathenMagic]

Hello Kuroi,

This is an excellent update. For one site on a PHP 4.0 system, it works whereas previous versions didn't. I just had one thing. I have pounds (GBP) set as default currency. I have it set as 1.000000 . Today it was set at 1.04. So the prices on the website changed. I wondered if I can exclude the Default currency from increasing with the cron updates of the update page?

Heathenmagic

[kuroi]

@HeathenMagic

Eeek. That's a bug. Can't believe I missed it Guess I was too busy checking very precisely the other currencies in my test dB that I forgot the default!!

I'll submit a corrected version immediately, and until it's approved, here's the correction.

Change lines 58-61 from:

      $rate = $currencyArray[$currency['code']] / $currencyArray[DEFAULT_CURRENCY];
    }
    $updateSql = "UPDATE " . TABLE_CURRENCIES . "
                  SET value = '" . $rate * CURRENCY_UPLIFT_RATIO . "', 

to:

      $rate = ($currencyArray[$currency['code']] / $currencyArray[DEFAULT_CURRENCY]) * CURRENCY_UPLIFT_RATIO;
    }
    $updateSql = "UPDATE " . TABLE_CURRENCIES . "
                  SET value = '" . $rate . "', 

[naturesartandgifts]

Any chance someone will come up with an updated version using CURL to access European Central Bank? My server has allow_url_fopen disabled for security purposes. Thank you all.

[HeathenMagic]

Hello Kuroi,

Thats okay. Thanks for the correction by the way. I imagine its difficult to check so much code.

Regards,

Heathenmagic

[GoNinja]

Where can I adjust the spread?

(The difference between the actual rate and the one that is posted on the website?)

Thanks!

[DrByte]

Any chance someone will come up with an updated version using CURL to access European Central Bank? My server has allow_url_fopen disabled for security purposes. Thank you all.

The built-in currency update button works with CURL, and the ECB option is now part of the v1.4.0 core with CURL support. Just one more good thing about the next version, due out soon :)

[Dayo]

The built-in currency update button works with CURL, and the ECB option is now part of the v1.4.0 core with CURL support. Just one more good thing about the next version, due out soon :)

It is worth noting that unlike the Oanda and XE, the ECB based only publishes reference rates for a select set of currencies. If a user has a currency outside that set, the code sets the rate to 0 which can cause users some grief.

It is necessary to escape updating any currency that returns a null value and perhaps sending the site admin an email to inform of this issue.