How realistic is this?

[j0hnb]

I want to create a flash program that will dynamically drive a store... It would have the ability for users to create items, set prices, order products and such. It would give the users the ability to create menus and do all that. It would all be linked to a secure server's database. How realistic is the idea of using flash as a fully developed program that has the ability to do all that? To my understanding it's possible, just with a lot of back end work. What ya think?

[SJT]

Certainly doable, and probably no more complex than writing it in, say, PHP in terms of the interface.
You probably just need to work out how you're going to save state between uses, and then building the front end in Flash wouldn't be too bad...although I don't really know what sort of scope you're talking about here.

[j0hnb]

I'm looking into making this as a store front for numerous stores. It would interface with a database to store all the info, then I can set it up in PHP to display stats and so on. How hard do you think it would be to accept credit cards, print receipts, with the wireless encryption codes on them, and pop open the cash bin? I don't know anything about the interface of those systems, so I'm trying to figure out how deep in I am getting myself If i accept this project and do it this way.

[SJT]

Well assuming it would just involve SSL connections to serverside scripts that manage the actual transactions, there shouldn't be any problem.

I think the thing to remember is that you're using Flash as the View part to the MVC pattern.
The transactions with the Model (the credit card system etc.) are passed through the PHP which is acting as the Controller.
At least, that's how I see it; not that I'm really qualified, I've never used secure transactions either...