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Where To Create Your Own
AFCommerce Custom PHP Functions
This is the file you should add your own functions to. You can add them directly
into this file, or include other files that have your functions in them and they
will all automatically be added to all cart files. Make sure you ONLY write
functions, not scripts because any scripts will run on every page load of the main
cart and admin area. Functions can be loaded here with no problem, they will simply
be declared here and then you can call them in any of the carts scripts.
If you want to write them all in this file, that is fine, just start declaring then
below. If you want to add each function in its own file, add them to the functions
directory. Name your function files with a very unquie name, like for example, your
"last_name_function_name", this avoids any possible conflict with my existing
functions, or with any functions I add later on, because you have no idea (or do I)
know the names of functions I haven't written yet. Most of my functions start off
with the prefix "afc_" so that they can easily be identified as an AFCommerce
function. You should name your functions with a prefix of your own as well, like
"custom_my_function_name()". When you include your own functions from inside other
files, make sure you include them correctly, like the example below shows you how.
There will be more information on building custom functions (when it's available,
probably around April 2006) on the afcommerce support site:
http://www.afcommerce.com/docs
example function declaration, you may remove this comment after you read it
function custom_my_function_name ($somevariable, $anothervariable) {
global $conn, $DB_TABLENAME;
// all functions need the above global statement, conn is the database connection,
and DB_TABLENAME is the array with all the database table names in it. If you don't
add that line, your function will most likely not work.
custom code goes here, or you can call my functions and do something different with
them. My functions are very well documented, and will continue to be improved at:
http://www.afcommerce.com/functions
If you want the function to return a value, add the line below:
return $variable_to_be_returned;
} // ends function
If you want to include functions in separate files, use this EXACT line, with the
only difference being the actual name of the file to be included. DO NOT ADD A
DIRECTORY NAME IN THE REQUIRE_ONCE STATEMENT, JUST ADD THE FILE NAME WITH A PHP
EXTENTION. ALL FILES MUST GO IN THE FUNCTIONS DIRECTORY.
require_once ("last_name_function_name.php");
DO NOT PUT YOUR FUNCTIONS IN ANY OTHER DIRECTORY OTHER THAN THE FUNCTIONS
DIRECTORY, THERE ARE REASONS WHY, BUT THE EXPLAINATION IS TOO LONG TO EXPLAIN HERE.
JUST DO IT THE WAY I AM SHOWING YOU TO AVOID PROBLEMS.
YOU MAY DELETE ALL OF THESE COMMENTS WHEN / IF YOU USE THIS FILE, EXCEPT FOR MY
COPYRIGHT AT THE TOP. ALL COPYRIGHTS, AND POWERED BY AFCOMMERCE LINKS MUST REMAIN
EXACTLY THE WAY THEY ARE, OR YOU WILL HAVE TO DELETE THE SOFTWARE. I AM VERY
GENEROUS TO WHAT I GIVE YOU, AND I KNOW MOST PEOPLE TAKE THIS FOR GRANTED BECAUSE
THERE IS SO MUCH FREE SOFTWARE OUT THERE, BUT MY REQUIREMENTS ARE EXTREMELY
REASONABLE AND MY SOFTWARE WAS WRITTEN BY ONE PERSON, NOT AN ENTIRE TEAM LIKE ALL
OTHER GOOD SOFTWARE, AND ON TOP OF THAT, MINE IS BETTER, HAS BETTER DOCS, AND
IMPROVES FASTER THAN ANY OTHER. BEFORE YOU JUDGE ME, JUST WATCH THE IMPROVEMENTS.
EVERY PERSON WHO HAS STAYED AROUND SINCE VERSION 1, WILL SWEAR UP AND DOWN ABOUT
HOW HAPPY THEY ARE TO BE IN THIS COMMUNITY. IF YOU JUST JOINED, AND ARE LOOKING FOR
SOMETHING BAD TO SAY, FEEL FREE TO USE OTHER SOFTWARE LIKE OSCOMMERCE (OR SIMILAR),
AND YOUR WEBSITE WILL IMMEDIATELY BECOME WEAKER. I HAVE SEEN A FEW PEOPLE DO IT
BEFORE, AND THEY ALWAYS COME BACK. I ALWAYS THINK ITS FUNNY WHEN I SEE THAT,
SOMEONE WILL COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW THEY COULD "EASILY" MODIFY THE ENCRYPTED FILES IF
THEY WERE OPEN SOURCE, SO THEY GO TO OSCOMMERCE WHICH IS TOTALLY OPEN SOURCE, AND
THEN THEY CAN'T EVEN MAKE THE DESIGN LOOK THE WAY THEY, AND CUSTOM PHP FUNCTIONS
ARE JUST NOT EVEN POSSIBLE. TRUST ME, I USED OTHER CARTS BEFORE I WROTE MY OWN, AND
ITS NOT FUN AT ALL.
I TRULY AM NOT TRYING TO OFFEND OTHER SOFTWARE COMPANIES, ESPECIALLY OSCOMMERCE. I
USE THEM AS AN EXAMPLE ALL THE TIME, ONLY BECAUSE I FEEL THEY USED TO BE THE BEST
BEFORE AFCOMMERCE CAME ALONG. I RESPECT THEIR SOFTWARE, I JUST KNOW MINE IS BETTER,
I SPENT MANY A NIGHT WONDERING WHAT THE HELL WAS GOING THROUGH THEIR MIND WHEN
WRITING THE FOUNDATION OF THEIR SOFTWARE, ITS HARD TO FIND ANYTHING, AND IT TAKES
THEM 150 LINES OF CODE TO DO WHAT MY CART CAN DO IN 20. I CAN'T EXPLAIN WHY, THE
ONLY REASONABLE EXPLAINATION I CAN THINK OF IS THAT THEY HAVE SOME MAY PEOPLE
ADDING TO THEIR CART, THAT THERE ARE JUST TOO MANY PROGRAMMING STYLES TRYING TO MIX
TOGETHER, AND HENCE WHY THE CODE IS SO HARD TO FOLLOW. IF ITS HARD FOR ME, IT HAS
TO BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR BEGINNERS. MY SOFTWARE IS EASY FOR ANYONE, JUST SPEND A LITTLE
TIME CUSTOMIZING IT, AND READ THE DOCS, THEY ARE VERY HELPFUL, AND THERE WILL
ALWAYS BE MORE COMING. GOOD LUCK.
Paul Crinigan
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