being able to build an order from your website and check out.

[jkarchpro2]

I am trying to design a website where you can do online ordering from. Does anyone have any good starting points? I can design the basic website I just do not know how to integrate something where people can choose their toppings (build their pizza / subs / salads) and then check out. I am thinking of opening a pizza place, possibly.

[Vexy]

Sounds like fun!
I'm kinda bored right now, so I'll make a demo for you

[jkarchpro2]

Thanks I appreciate it! To me someone who is new to flash this sounds very intimidating. Thanks again.

[jkarchpro2]

I am just wandering when you will have time to do this... If you don't if you could point me in the right direction that would work too?

[Vexy]

Had to run last night, so unfortunately I didn't get to it

However, if you are this new to Flash, this could turn out to be quite a comprehensive project. But if you have the time, that's great.

It is kinda hard to direct you to specifics, but I suggest you use your imagination and google for one solution at a time. For example, you could make a list of available toppings (the list component is a good alternative here) and make it so when you click it, they appear in another list covering the toppings currently on the pizza. You would have much more luck with this on the forum.

Checking out could be done in so many ways, but a not so hard alternative is using php to write a column to a textfile on your server, and make a seperate Flash file to automaticly load the textfile every minute or so.

As for payment, if you plan on the customers paying online, that could be trickier. PayPal may have a solution, but I really have no idea on that one

[jkarchpro2]

I am not brand new to flash I have created 2 websites which is still pretty new I guess. The main thing I do not understand is scripting. I have a book on it and will try to pick it up when I have time. but if you get some kind of demo together I am sure I can figure it out from there.

[marlopax]

Sorry for interruption.

This forum is always looking for new ways of thinking and solutions. Both of your conversation, force to dive into it. A very interesting commitment of Vexy to built such
a huge project. But its sill a real fun to do such things. Vexy I'm looking at your demo too.

In the mean time you "jkarchpro2" could give a start of this project. Here are some point to give a start in such projects:

1. Note all the points or story of how you want this program to work.

2. I'm pretty sure you can do this by using PHP, MySQL, Javascript and HTML. But if you want flash here to make a rich application, then PHP, MySQL and Flash will just a right combination for it.

3. Try some Flash PHP MySQL tutorial if you just new in scripting. Sorry this is optional.

4. Ordering form in Flash is a easy job, just with some Input Text field and with some verifications for the actual input from the users.

5. After this done, pass it to PHP to do the rest of the things of processing and take the payment by whatever payment option you want. This with take into another HTML page to process and after payment it will return to flash for a "Success Message", or for a next order.

6. To make it a go as I am thinking, first create a database after your plan and start with PHP, thats what I do always. When you complete this part you can easily switch to any of one or both (HTML Javascript PHP MySQL or Flash PHP MySQL) which ever you want.


Best wishes


Regards


marlopax

[jkarchpro2]

This is a great idea. I could give a start to the project and it would be nice to outline what I actually want the site to do besides orders.

Where you saying that I should do step 1 by using PHP, MySQL?

[jkarchpro2]

Is this a dead post? Are you still planning on doing a demo?

[guardiankitty]

Hard to say, I dont know if they are feverishly working up a demo for you as we speak...



However I will give a-go at your original question:

how to integrate something where people can choose their toppings (build their pizza / subs / salads) and then check out.

So from one pizza maker to another, lets see what we can come up with!



Step One: Language!

AS2 or AS3 - For quick and easy code, I would recommend AS2. However if you need speed and the ability to expand or collaborate with others, AS3 is by far superior.

Unless you need to calculate thousands of pizza toppings at a time as quickly as possible, I would think AS2 would fit the bill alright.



Step Two: The Choice

You will be giving the visitor the ability to choose which toppings/size/drinks/etc... So you will need to be in a position to interact with user input: Such as the mouse.

To accomplish this, you can use the following code by creating a movieclip on the stage, selecting it, and pasting the following in the Actions (f9) menu:

on(press){
    //Your Actions Here
}

I can go into a lengthy description of what the above does, how it works, why its bad/good, etc etc... but I will try and make things fairly simple:

When the movieclip is clicked, //Your Actions Here gets run. This code could be a call to a function, like ChooseLarge();, or it can set variables like _root.totalPrice += Number(10.99);



Step Three: The Shopping Cart

How will your visitors be paying? Paypal CreditCard Cash. Integration with credit card merchant services usually can be fairly easy. You will want to figure this part out fairly early in the project: (I have horrible ocd, when it comes to code... I MUST be convinced that the line of code that I am working on is at its very leanest and most efficient... so,) in place of making an elaborate system to hold the current order ... then later when integrating with another system finding out that it needs to get re-written (or more likely-- converted so that the new system can use it)... This can a) lead to errors and poor data and b) be slower and efficient then doing it right the first time.


Step Four: Your Product

Static vs. Dynamic:

You can make a system, where inside of the flash document (swf) you write out all prices, names, specials, etc. And when you need to make a price change, or add a new special of the week, you will open up the document in Flash and make the needed changes/additions.

OR you can just make an empty shell of a program, with no prices or items. Then when the file is loaded and run on the visitors computer, it loads from a database/file with all of the items and products.

If you choose the first way, that way works just fine.

If you choose the second way, you will need to choose a few extra things:

For instance- Language.

My preference would be to use PHP to access a MySQL Database. Also to have an administrative PHP menu to update prices on the MySQL Database.

Another way to do it, is to simply have a text/xml file with all of the prices in it.






I think that should at very least point you in the right direction. There will be a great deal of scripting evolved, and I know you mentioned this was not your strongest suit... And for that I cant really help with too much (I am a fairly busy beaver, just no time to help make free websites, along side with trying to make money selling them)

PS. Where are you thinking about opening up this pizza shop? If its anywhere near me, I would be happy to make you a website for free food ^_^


,-`tummy grummble`-, Ok I better go before I think about hot and fresh hand made pizzas anymore...

Good Luck!
-GK >'.'<