Contents
Introduction
The Subscription Downloads contribution allows a store owner to offer downloads
to a customer after purchasing a subscription to the products. The subscription
itself is an actual product with attributes created in the osC store. The attributes
of this subscription product, days max and download count, supply the criteria
for all download products within the same category as the subscription product.
If you create a subscription product with 30 days max, then a customer may download
any of the products within the same category for 30 days free of charge after
purchasing the subscription product. The download count attribute of the subscription
product sets the number of free downloads allowed before a subscription purchase
is necessary. So if you set the download count at 3, then a customer is allowed
3 free downloads of products within the same category before purchasing the
subscription product.
Any file can be designated as the subscription product. Consider the unreal.zip
file located in the downloads folder that comes with osC. Or simply create a
txt file and upload it into the downloads folder. Bear in mind that the customer
will not be able to download this file, it only sets the subscription values
for all products within the same category.
The subscription will appear in the right column. You can see the addition
on page 'catalog/includes/column_right.php'. This line of code can be moved
if you have any experience with php and html.
Take special note - you may only add one subscription product per store.
The Subscription Downloads contribution utilizes two other osC contributions:
- Download Controller v5.3
- PayPal IPN v2.2
Both of these contributions are included with the Subscription Downloads
contribution. Originally the Download Controller contribution required an sql
file upload to the osC database. This sql file has been integrated into the
Subscription Download install and is not necessary. The entire Subscription
Download contribution including the Download Controller and Pay Pal IPN contributions
can be installed and uninstalled from the Admin Panel by installing the Subscription
Download contribution. The original Download Controller install package has
been reconfigured to install the Download Controller contribution without the
sql file upload. So you may uninstall the Subscription Download contribution,
then install either the Download Controller, the PayPal IPN, or both and they
will work as originally intended.
- Important: The subscription product will apply only to products within
the same category. All other products with the weight and price set at 0
will still be offered as free downloads via the Download Controller. You
may create as many subscription product categories as you like however you
may only place one subscription product within each category. The attributes
of this subscription product will apply to all products within the same
category.
For a complete list see the 'changelog.txt' included with this contribution.
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Backup! Backup! Backup!
- Important: It never hurts and only takes a few minutes to back up your
files and database. Look at it this way, this contribution may cause problems
with previously installed contributions, you may make a mistake uploading,
or perhaps the contribution just may not be what you need. Its a good feeling
to know you can always resort back to what was working for you before the
install.
- Important: This contribution will install directly over any prior installation
of the Downloads Controller Module and PayPal IPN contributions. There is
no need to uninstall either contribution. However, take note that any previous
orders status used with either module will be removed and reset so if you
have any prior customer orders using either of these two modules you will
need to manually reset each. After removing both contributions from the
database the install will return the maximum status id and set the following
values in order:
- PayPal Preparing ID
- PayPal Processing ID
- Downloads Controller Updated Status ID
- PayPal Payment Completed ID
- The FX Subscription Downloads installs and uninstalls from the Admin
panel. There is no sql file to upload. This includes the Downloads Controller
which prior to did include an sql file however, all necessary database configuration
for both contributions have been combined into the FX Subscription Downloads
install.
- To install FX Subscription Downloads
- Copy the catalog folder included with the Free Downloads contribution
over your root installation of osCommerce.
- Open Admin and go to Modules/Payment. Click on Subscription Payments
to install.
- Go to Catalog. You may create a new category or use an existing one.
The subscription product will apply to ALL products within a category.
- Create a new product within your category by clicking on the 'new product'
button.
- On the page that opens create your subscription product as follows:
- In Stock - Yes
- Select Date Available
- Select Manufacturer
- Choose a name for your product (suggestion - Subscription)
- Enter a description (suggestion - ? Days of Unlimited Downloads!)
- Products Quantity - 1
- Upload an image that will represent your subscription
- Products Weight - 0
- Click on the 'preview' button
- If all is well click on the 'insert' button
- Under Catalog click on 'Products Attributes'
- Under Product Options create a new option for your subscription
product (suggestion - Subscription to Downloads)
- Under Option Values select your new option from the drop down box
then create a new value for this option (suggestion - ? Days)
- Under Products Attributes
- Select your subscription product from the drop down box.
- In the next box over, select your new product option.
- In the next box over select your new product value
- Under filename type in the bogus file (suggestion - unreal.zip)
- Under Expiry Days enter the number of days your subscription
product will be valid after purchase
- Under Maximum download count enter the number of products a
customer may download from this category free prior to purchasing
a subscription
- Check the box Category subscription product, this will designate
this product as the product that supplies all subscription values
for every other product within the same category
- Click on the 'insert' button
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Written by Linda McGrath osCOMMERCE@WebMakers.com
http://www.thewebmakerscorner.com
Updated by Farrukh Saeed for MileStone MS 2.2
Original Authors: Harald Ponce de Leon, Mark Evans
osCommerce Team Members
Updates by PandA.nl, Navyhost, Zoeticlight, David, gravyface, windfjf,
Monika in Germany, AlexStudio and Terra
For a well written program that was obviously a lot of work.
The generosity and kindness to offer this product in open source to the
public.