[ic] Backend order entry

[interchange-users@interchange.redhat.com]

On Wed, Sep 19, 2001 at 12:15:42PM -0400, mheins@redhat.com wrote:
> Quoting Donal H. (donalh@online.ie):
> > Hi,
> > 
> > Is there an API for entering orders from an external source i.e. other than
> > directly accessing the ASCII file(s) or SQL database?
> > 
> > If not, are there any recommendations (or major "do'"s or "don't"s) for
> > doing this - I'd want to avoid any possible problems when upgrading to a new
> > release of IC.
> 
> I can't fathom why you would do this, but it really is just a question
> of making sure the order number is unique (probably just a different
> number sequence) and inserting the entries in orderline, transactions,
> and userdb.

It's useful for a client that might take **all** their orders 
through their online catalogs, eg including phone, fax, email, 
whatever orders.  The benefit for them is "single stream"; 
everything gets handled the same way. They can get order reports, 
shipping, inventory all via intranet/web.

We still don't enter any original data directly into the orders table,
but run everything through the catalog, sometimes automated with LWP::UA.
Keeping the order number unique and sequential and funnelling everything
through the same validation routines is just too useful an organizing 
principal.

> There is no real API other than the definition of those files, some
> of which can be found in icfoundation.html.

I'd suggest that the only useful API for this, if you can call it that, 
is the GET/POST HTTP transaction sequence.  That lets you treat IC
more or less as a black box.  :-)

cfm

-- 

Christopher F. Miller, Publisher                               cfm@maine.com
MaineStreet Communications, Inc           208 Portland Road, Gray, ME  04039
1.207.657.5078                                         http://www.maine.com/
Content/site management, online commerce, internet integration, Debian linux