Shopping Catalogs with Static Pages

[lorax]

I'm pretty sure X-Cart squirts the database info through a template to generate static HTML pages for the catalog. I'm curious as to other carts that use this same style to generate the catalog - not necessarily the cart. No links please - just the package/company name will do.

[horaghn]

Actually, I think that x-CART uses mod_rewrite of apache also.

[paladin]

I did a custom cart for some of my clients that does something very similar in ASP.

[sun818]

> same style to generate the catalog

Last I recall, X-Cart had a module to generate static pages, but it also kept the dynamic versions of the same page. So, you in effect had two pages with the exact same content under two different URLs.

There are other tools like WebMerge or DBtoWEB that are general db to web programs that could do what you want. That's what I do for my web store.

[lorax]

>> html option

I just noticed that (I downloaded the trial version). I've used Smarty before and have wondered about building a cart system based on it.

I like the idea of the static pages for the catalog - primarily because it's one less link in the chain of things that could go wrong. There has to be at least another packaged option that gets close.

[incrediBILL]

Been running dynamic carts for 7 years now, no problems, no complaints.

The problem with static product pages is product options, sales, etc. can't be reflected in real-time, it's so 1990s, and forget that little mini-cart everyone loves on the side with a running total of your order.

[lorax]

>> The problem with static product pages is product options, sales, etc. can't be reflected in real-time

Not entirely true. It could be a problem if you don't have a solution - which I do. Besides, any changes I make in the Admin area will be immediately reflected on the public side.

The difference here is server load. No calls to the MySQL server everytime a page gets loaded.

>> it's so 1990s

LOL!

>> and forget that little mini-cart

That's quite possibly the strongest argument against the concept though I'm not totally convinced I couldn't achieve it with static pages. ;)

[minnapple]

You can mix static with dynamic and get the best of both worlds. Not much different than having live feeds in an area of page. You just feed data into multiple areas of a page. Certain changes require a republish others don't, and you can have the application decide that. Not really high tech when it comes to programming.

[sun818]

speaking of hybrid shopping carts:
[webmasterworld.com...]

[derekwong28]

The html catalog section of litecommerce (x-cart's sister) is even more powerful.

Unlike x-cart, the add to cart button is completely functional, it does not redirect you to a dynamic page.

[lorax]

>> Not really high tech when it comes to programming.

Righto but I'd like to get as close as I can with an existing package that's flexible enough for me to modify to what I want.

>> speaking of hybrid shopping carts

Interesting that jatar_k chose Miva - my experience with that cart is that it's so slow. The osCommerce comments simply do not hold true anymore. It can be modified to be SE friendly and offer the SEO elements.

>> litecommerce

Hmmmm.... that's worth looking into.

Thanks folks.

[lorax]

X-Cart seems to require you to use the built in webmaster mode in order to accomplish the edits and Litecommerce can be edited with any text editor. Is this correct? I assume X-Cart uses special codes within the editing area - similar to Movable Type or other template engines - to achieve the functionality?