Currency Update (Automatic)

[Vger]

require_once($location.'includes/configure.php');

gave the error: Failed opening required '../includes/configure.php'

which, as you can see, has it looking for the script in the wrong place.

Fixing that error it was then looking for a cURL Proxy, which would be fine if this were a GoDaddy server, or any other company that provides cURL via a Proxy, but we don't. Each site has cURL installed.

There is another major problem with the script. It is trying to access the XE and OANDA currency exchanges, both of which changed their policies about 2 years ago to disallow outside connections to their database unless you have a licence, which costs around $2,500 a year. In reality this means that you will occasionally be lucky and be able to connect to their db, but at other times the connection will be blocked.

Vger

[kuroi]

require_once($location.'includes/configure.php');

gave the error: Failed opening required '../includes/configure.php'

which, as you can see, has it looking for the script in the wrong place.

...being why the installation instructions say to set the location to reflect the local installation.

Fixing that error it was then looking for a cURL Proxy, which would be fine if this were a GoDaddy server, or any other company that provides cURL via a Proxy, but we don't. Each site has cURL installed.

Which is why I recommended to your client that he use the original, non-CURL version.

There is another major problem with the script. It is trying to access the XE and OANDA currency exchanges, both of which changed their policies about 2 years ago to disallow outside connections to their database unless you have a licence, which costs around $2,500 a year. In reality this means that you will occasionally be lucky and be able to connect to their db, but at other times the connection will be blocked

With which I agree - though the original script was released before these changes. It's also worth noting that the code in this mod is basically the core Zen Cart code for currency updates with slight amendments to recognize that it may be installed in a different place and executed in a slightly different way.

There are now sites offering proper APIs that obviate the need for screen scrapping. Unfortunately nobody has yet contributed a mod based on this approach. Are you offering ...?

[Vger]

Unfortunately nobody has yet contributed a mod based on this approach. Are you offering ...?

I may have a few spare free minutes ....some time around the year 2020. And by that time I shall be well and truly retired.

Vger

[mtimber]

The helpful staff at Terranetwork have resolved this for me.

Once I set up the correct package (not the curled version).

I installed it in /var/www/html for anyone else looking to install it.


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

I would not want anything running on my website that could be viewed as piracy or breaking copyright.

Zen Cart is great by the way.

I have no knowledge of css or php but have a fully functioning ecommerce website...

Brilliant.

(hard work at times - but that is the learning curve - learning to read the manual is a steep curve at times...)

Mark :-)

[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