[Typo3-dev] osCommerce extension "project" (Slightly OT)

[Gabriel Anast]

> Each time I see the 'os Commerce extension' subject line, I wonder
> about something; if you guys are committed to undertaking a major
> project in the first place, why not extend the shop module or write a
> new shop/cart module from the bottom up? 

Well, here are my thoughts...

First, I know osCommerce. I know how it works (or in many cases, 
doesn't) and how to set up a shop using it quickly. That is sort of a 
short sighted reason...

Secondly, there is a lot of momentum in the osCommerce community. A lot. 
There are right around 1200 user contributed "modules" including over 
103 language packs, 65 modules that have to do with credit cards 
(interfaces for banks, cc processors, and cc verification), 51 "zones" 
packages that neatly specify the provinces or tax zones in various 
countries, the list goes on.

In other words, a lot of people (25,000 members, probably about 1000 
daily active members) have spent a lot of time figuring out everything 
about selling... tax codes, shipping methods, payment methods, marketing 
methods, you name it.

I really think that this power should be tapped. If possible, brought 
"our" way.


> (I keep thinking that Typo3
> *has* many features that would be very nice to have access to in a
> shopping cart - simple urls, dmailer, fe-user management etc...)

Yes, absolutely. We plan to do the extension on several levels... first 
just a wrapper that allows osCommerce to get at Typo3 variables. This 
will allow osCommerce to use the fe-user mgt facility. The wrapper would 
also merge osCommerce pages into typo3 output so the simple urls... or 
potentially realURL functionality could be used.

The second step is to allow Typo3 to see osCommerce variables. This is 
more difficult as updating these might confuse osCommerce, and this step 
will involve some level of integration.

The problem here is that we (ahem... I actually ;) do not want to see 
this become a fork of osCommerce. I would like this to actually become a 
periodically updated re-implementation. This will allow the Typo3 
community the benefit of the amazing amount of work that continually 
goes into the osC project.

I am not sure how this will happen, but I see the osCommerce core being 
dissected and implemented as a group of extensions that most likely will 
be used together... or at least a bunch of class files in one extension.

So, really, I think that our ultimate goal is exactly what you describe 
except that we don't want to re-invent the wheel so to speak... just 
perfect it with the Typo3 API!!!

BTW, the ideas I expressed here are mostly not mine! This is a bit of 
the collective discussion so far on how the project will proceed.

> Regards,
> 
> -Christopher

Thanks for your input!

--gabe