MGI | User Guide | Using MGI | Shopping

Using Inventory Control

Introduction

Please review the database and basic shopping online tutorial. This tutorial is an extension of the basic shopping online tutorial and explains how to implement inventory control with the shopping basket system.

Without inventory control, customers may purchase any quantity of any item that you offer for sale. If you prefer to limit purchases to only available quantities (as listed in your product database),you may choose to implement inventory controls with your shopping basket system. Inventory control may only be used with database-driven shopping baskets.

The database name, product ID field, and inventory field is stored with each item that is added to a shopping basket. During the final order processing using mgiSendOrder, the ordered product quantities are compared with the available quantities in your product database. If a customer attempts to order a product quantity that is not available, the customer is redirected to the inventory error page that is listed in your shopping basket administration. The specific products that have caused the inventory error are sent sequentially via path arguments to the inventory error page where you may present several courses of action including a shopping basket where the customer can update their order.

MGI Tags

Steps

Create a product database with an inventory field.
Open the product result pages in a text editor.
Insert the inventory parameters in the mgiBuyMe tags.
Save the product result pages.
Create an inventory error page.
Save the inventory error page.
FTP the product pages and inventory error page to the web server running MGI.
View the shopping basket administration page in a web browser.
Edit and Save the Inventory Options.
Process an order.

Step 1: Create a product database with an inventory field.

Inventory control may only be used with a database-driven shopping basket system. In addition to the product ID, product name and price, create a field for the current inventory. The field type must be either Whole Number (Integer) or Positive Number (Unsigned Integer).

Access the record interface of the database administration. Enter the current inventory for each product in the inventory field. Inventory figures can be updated at any time in the database administration interface.

Step 2: Open the product result pages in a text editor.

Open the database result pages that contain mgiBuyMe tags for your products in a text editing program that allows you to view and modify the HTML and code of the page.

Step 3: Insert the inventory parameters in the mgiBuyMe tags.

Add the productDB, inventoryFieldName, and productIDFieldName parameters to all mgiBuyMe tags. In the productDB parameter, enter the case-sensitive database name that contains the product's inventory information. In the inventoryFieldName parameter, enter the case-sensitive database field name that contains the product's current inventory. In the productIDFieldName parameter, enter the case-sensitive database field name that contains the product's unique ID.

The following is an example mgiSearchDatabase tag with inventory parameters.

<mgiToken>

<form action="shoppingbasket.mgi" method="post">

<h2>Search Results</h2>
<p>
<table width="500" cellspacing="0" 
cellpadding="3" border="1">
<tr bgcolor="#eeeeee">
  <th>ISBN</th>
  <th>Title/Description</th>
  <th>Price</th>
  <th>Quantity</th>
</tr>

<mgiSearchDatabase databaseName="Products"
keyFieldName="ProductName" fieldValue="*"
orderByField="ProductID" resultsPerPage="5">

<tr>
  <td>&mgiDBFieldProductID;</td>
  <td><b>&mgiDBFieldProductName;</b> 
  <p>&mgiDBFieldProductDescription;</td>
  <td align="right">$&mgiDBFieldProductPrice;</td>
  <td align="center">
<mgiBuyMe productID="&mgiDBFieldProductID;" 
name="&mgiDBFieldProductName;" 
price="&mgiDBFieldProductPrice;" 
productDB="Products" productIDFieldName="ProductID" 
inventoryFieldName="Inventory"></td>
</tr>

</mgiSearchDatabase>

<tr>
  <td colspan="4" align="right">
<mgiButton value="Add to Shopping Basket"></td>
</tr>
</table>
</p>

</form>

</mgiToken>

Step 4: Save the product result pages.

Save the changes you have made to the product result pages.

Step 5: Create an inventory error page.

Create a page to display when an inventory error occurs and open the page in a text editing program that allows you to view and modify the HTML and code of the page.

During the shopping basket process, customers add items to their shopping basket, checkout, confirm their order and finally submit their order. When a customer submits their order, the quantity of each item they purchase is compared with the available quantity as it appears in the inventory field of the specified database.

If the quantity ordered for all items is less than the quantity available, the quantity ordered is debited from the quantity available in the specified database and the order is processed.

If the quantity ordered for any item is greater than the quantity available, the customer is redirected to the error URL specified in the Inventory Options of the the shopping basket admin (see steps 8 and 9 for more information about the Inventory Options). The error URL is appended with sequential product IDs, quantities ordered and quantities available path arguments for each item with an inventory error.

You can use the mgiPathArgument tag and mgiLoop tag to display the product ID, quantity ordered and quantity available for each item with an inventory error on the error page. You can also offer the customer options for correcting the inventory error such as a shopping basket tag which allows them to update their quantities. If you offer a shopping basket for modifications, the inventory error page should be on your non-secure server.

The following is an example inventory error page.

<mgiToken>
		
<font size="+2">Inventory Errors</font>
		
<p>The following items in your purchase are not 
currently available in the quantity ordered. 
Please update the quantity in the shopping basket 
below and re-submit your order.
		
<p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="3">
<tr>
<th>Product ID</th>
<th>Quantity Ordered</th>
<th>Quantity In Stock</th>
</tr>

<mgiloop first="1" last="10">
<mgiif 
lhs={mgipathargument name="productID&mgiLoopIndex;"} 
relationship="isnotempty">
<tr>
<td>
<mgipathargument name="productID&mgiLoopIndex;">
</td>
<td align="center">
<mgipathargument name="quantity&mgiLoopIndex;"> 
</td>
<td align="center">
<mgipathargument name="inventory&mgiLoopIndex;">
</td>
</tr>
</mgiif>
</mgiloop>

</table>

<form action="shoppingbasket.mgi" method="post">

<p><mgiShoppingBasket handle="Default">
</mgiShoppingBasket>

<p><mgiButton value="Modify Quantity">

</form>

<form action="checkout.mgi" method="post">
<mgiButton value="Check Out">
</form>

</mgiToken>

Step 6: Save the inventory error page.

Save the inventory error page and name it "inverror.mgi".

Step 7: FTP the product pages and inventory error page to the web server running MGI.

Upload the product pages and inventory error page (inverror.mgi) from your local computer to the web server using an FTP program.

Step 8: View the shopping basket administration page in a web browser.

View the shopping basket administration page (e.g., sbadmin.mgi) in a web browser. The first screen of the web-based, administration interface displays the current shopping basket configurations (handles)

Step 9: Edit and Save the Inventory Options.

Click the "Edit" button beside the shopping basket configuration (handle) to edit.

Click the "Edit" button beside "Inventory Options".

Beside "Perform Inventory" click the "Yes" radio button. Beside the "Inventory Error URL" enter the full absolute URL to the inventory error page (e.g., inverror.mgi).

Click the "Save" button to save the changes to the shopping basket configuration. The main menu displays after the configuration is saved.

Step 10: Process an order.

Process an order from your shopping basket. If the quantity ordered for all products is less than the quantity available, the quantity ordered is debited from the quantity available and the order is processed. If the quantity ordered for any product is greater than the quantity available, you are redirected to the inventory error page.

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