thevasuthan

Thanks everybody

Hi George and @diondesigns,

Following on from the previous chat, I would like some advice on this please:-

Building a WordPress Site – PHP/JavaScript/SOAP/WooCommerce

I am new to WordPress/PHP/JavaScript/SOAP/WooCommerce and need to build an eCommerce site using these technologies.

I come from an embedded C, C#.Net, MS SQL background and would like to confirm whether my chosen approach is the right one or at least a right way to go about this.

The site sells software. After a successful purchase has been made, the download link along with the product activation code should be emailed to the user.

What I need to know at this point before I start building is whether to use WordPress.Com or www.ads-software.com.

This is my planned approach:-

Download WordPress and then upload to a server – I’ve decided on Bluehost
Then download Apache, MySQL and PHP – WAMP
Build the CMS on my PC along with all pages required – several products to purchase along with Buy buttons
Install StoreFront WooCommerce Plugin
Write some JavaScript – an event listener that executes when the Buy button is pressed
The JavaScript makes a HTTPS request to a PHP Plugin (I will write) once the transaction has been confirmed.
The JavaScript passes on the Product Code
The PHP plugin then contacts a SOAP Web Service which returns a download link and an activation code to the PHP plugin.
Use the WP_Mail API to email the customer the download link and activation code
Upload the new version to Bluehost

So I am wondering whether all the above functionality can be achieved using WordPress.com and would that be a cheaper option?

Any advice much appreciated! Thanks in advance.

Ok Great – Thanks I will.

Ok Thanks @sterndata.
Can the functionality be achieved using WordPress.Com then,do you know ?

Thanks George for the encouragement. Much Appreciated.
I think Dion’s response answered what I didn’t realise. That PHP is interpreted.
So thanks to both of you. Very helpful!

I am trying to keep my clients costs as low as possible

Hi @bcworkz

Thanks again for your very helpful reply. I have a few more questions:-

Am I right in thinking that the functionality discussed (PHP SOAP app and javascript to handle the Buy button) needs me to work with www.ads-software.com rather than WordPress.Com?

Just to remind you my client wants me to build an eCommerce site that allows people to purchase and download software. I need to write some PHP code which will run Server Side
so that when the buy button is clicked and purchase transaction completes successfully the SOAP request is made and an email using the wp_mail() function sent to the customer with the download link and activation code.

Hi Joy, thanks for you input, but the files need to be checked for syntax and semantics. I know there is a lint tool available, but with VS Code I also get IntelliSense which helps me quickly identify syntactic errors, especially as I am new to PHP. I’m from a C/C++/C# background. Thanks again to both of you!

Hi George, not sure why you are so keen to emphasise that editing can be done in notepad or similar. I need to build and deploy too, as you would for any software program.

I already understand that I can build a plugin without the extensions using VS Code.

I need to get as productive as soon as possible so I will be looking at the plugins documentation. Thanks again.

Hi George,

Thanks, for you answer. Those extensions that come with the package looked as though they would help me to develop the plugin quicker. I am new to PHP and WordPress.

Thanks again!

Once I have created the SOAP plugin do I have to make it available to WordPress as source code – just worried about security.

Thanks!

Hi @bcworkz
Thanks for your reply. Very helpful. Your statement:-

“Assuming your server is properly configured to not output PHP code as plain text and the PHP files have proper file system permissions assigned, keeping sensitive data hard coded on a PHP file will be secure.”

I am going to create an ecommerce site using www.ads-software.com on Bluehost, how do i ensure that the server is properly configured?.

To solve my clients problem, I need to do the following:-

SOAP Web Service Plugin – to be written in PHP.
The SOAP plugin needs an event listener, to receive a Product Code when a website product is selected via a button click. When the payment transaction has been confirmed (need to work this out with Woocommerce) the Plugin then passes the Product Code to the VSM Web Service. The VSM service then responds with a download link and activation code. The plugin then passes this to an email plugin that passes the details to the customer. If the payment transaction is not confirmed the product code should be disposed of.

I was wondering if you could confirm that this can be done in PHP? I am just starting to learn PHP.

Thanks so much!

Hi @bcworkz

So the best thing for me to would be to write a SOAP client in PHP and follow the guide to make this in to a valid WordPress Plugin. I need the client to access a web service. The client will send a User Name, Password and Product Code (all of this is Commercial in Confidence). How do I ensure that this data is safe?

Thanks