mercmall.inline.netmercmall.inline.net/manager/malldocs.doc · web viewif you would prefer an...

iHTML Merchant MallVersion 1.05

Inline Internet Systems, Inc.Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001

2

INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. LICENSE AGREEMENT

This is a legal agreement between you, the end user, and Inline Internet Systems, Inc. BY AGREEING TO AND INSTALLING THIS PRODUCT PACKAGE, YOU ARE AGREEING TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, PROMPTLY RETURN THE PRODUCT AND THE ACCOMPANYING ITEMS (including all manuals) TO THE PLACE YOU OBTAINED THEM FOR A FULL REFUND. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL ALSO RETROACTIVELY APPLY TO ANY INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. SOFTWARE PROGRAM PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED.

1. GRANT OF LICENSE(a) Dedicated Use - INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. grants you the right to use the enclosed Inline Internet Systems, Inc. software program (the "SOFTWARE") on a single computer ("DEDICATED COMPUTER"). You may transfer the SOFTWARE to another single computer, PROVIDED you do so no more often than once every thirty days, and no copies of the SOFTWARE licensed herein are retained for use on any other computer. The software is however only licensed for the web server and operating system combination specified on the initial purchase. It can not be transferred to a different web server or operating system. A developers license is required to allow use of a copy on a second machine for testing or development purposes. (b) Transitory Use - Notwithstanding (a), you may transfer the right to use the SOFTWARE licensed herein as often as you like if you require each user of the SOFTWARE to have physical possession of the enclosed INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. proof of license card at all times during the use of the SOFTWARE, and PROVIDED that no copy of the SOFTWARE licensed herein is retained for use by any other user. For purposes of this Section 1, "use" means loading the SOFTWARE into RAM, as well as installation on a hard disk or other storage device. You may access the SOFTWARE from a hard disk, over a network, or any other method you choose so long as you otherwise comply with this Agreement.

2. COPYRIGHT The SOFTWARE is owned by INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. or its suppliers and is protected by Canadian copyright laws, international treaty provisions, and all other applicable national laws. Therefore, you must treat the SOFTWARE like any other copyrighted material (e.g., a book) except that if the software is not copy protected you may either (a) make one copy of the SOFTWARE solely for backup or archival purposes, or (b) transfer the SOFTWARE to a single hard disk provided you keep the original solely for backup or archival purposes. You may NOT copy the Product manual(s) or written materials accompanying the SOFTWARE without written permission from INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. For the iHTML Merchant, you may change the logo on the admin screens as long as the copyright notice remains.

3. FTP ACCESSYou may not provide FTP access or any other access to the iHTML Merchant software without proof of license. A license must be purchased by each user that FTP access is provided to. Specifically, the iHTML Merchant software can not be given to hosting clients, they must purchase a license from INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. They require the single user license of the Merchant product.

4. OTHER RESTRICTIONSYou may NOT rent or lease the SOFTWARE, but you may transfer your rights under this INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. License Agreement on a permanent basis provided you transfer the INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. proof of license card, all copies of the SOFTWARE and all written materials, and the recipient agrees to the terms of this Agreement and to take over regular payment of any maintenance or update fees that may apply. You may not reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the SOFTWARE. Any transfer must include the most recent update and all prior versions.

5. MULTI-CPU INSTALLATIONSLicensing is on a per server basis up to 4 CPU's.

LIMITED WARRANTYINLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. warrants that (a) the SOFTWARE will perform substantially in accordance with the accompanying Product Manual(s) for a period of 90 days from the date of receipt; and (b) any INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. supplied hardware accompanying the SOFTWARE will be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of one year from the date of receipt unless otherwise specified. Any implied warranties on the SOFTWARE and hardware are limited to 90 days and one (1) year, respectively.

CUSTOMER REMEDIESINLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC.'s entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be, at INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC.'s option, either (a) return of the price paid or (b) repair or replacement of the SOFTWARE or hardware that does not meet INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC.'s Limited Warranty and which is returned to INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. with a copy of your receipt. This Limited Warranty is void if failure of the SOFTWARE or hardware has resulted from accident, abuse, or misapplication. Any replacement SOFTWARE will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or 30 days, whichever is longer.

NO OTHER WARRANTIESINLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SOFTWARE, THE ACCOMPANYING PRODUCT MANUAL(S) AND WRITTEN MATERIALS, AND ANY ACCOMPANYING HARDWARE. THIS LIMITED WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS.

NO LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGESIN NO EVENT SHALL INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY OTHER DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, OR OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. PRODUCT, EVEN IF INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN ANY CASE, INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC.'s ENTIRE LIABILITY UNDER ANY PROVISION OF THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU FOR THE SOFTWARE.

All listed applications other than those provided by Inline Internet Systems, Inc. are registered trademarks of their respective companies.Copyright (c) 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001 by Inline Internet Systems, Inc.

All rights reserved.

iHTML Merchant Mall Edition 1.05

3

ContentsWrite To Us!............................................................................................................................................ 6

1 About the iHTML Merchant Mall.......................................................7

1............................................................................................................................................................... 71.2 Hardware Requirements.................................................................................................................. 81.3 About this Manual............................................................................................................................. 81.4 Installing the iHTML Merchant Mall.................................................................................................9

1.4.1 Installing on a Windows Platform......................................................................................91.4.2 Installing on a Unix Platform...........................................................................................101.4.3 Creating a Mall Database.................................................................................................17

1.5 Using the iHTML Merchant Mall - Getting Started:.........................................................................201.6 Getting Support and Updates........................................................................................................... 20

1.6.1 Free Support Options............................................................................................................211.6.2 Paid Technical Support Options............................................................................................22

1.7 Security........................................................................................................................................... 231.7.1 iHTML Security..................................................................................................................... 231.7.2 iHTML Merchant Mall Security.............................................................................................24

1.8 Copyright Notices & Trademark Notices.........................................................................................25

2 Initial Mall Setup....................................26

2.1 Manager System.............................................................................................................................. 262.2 Site Configuration........................................................................................................................... 27

2.2.1 Site Properties........................................................................................................................ 272.2.2 Appearance............................................................................................................................ 292.2.3 E-commerce........................................................................................................................... 302.2.4 Tax Setup............................................................................................................................... 412.2.5 Banner Ads............................................................................................................................ 432.2.6 Server Setup........................................................................................................................... 442.2.7 Content Editor........................................................................................................................ 45


4

2.2.8 Store Templates..................................................................................................................... 462.2.9 View/Purge Visitor Log......................................................................................................... 46

2.3 Stores............................................................................................................................................. 462.3.1 Browse Mall.......................................................................................................................... 462.3.2 Mail Center............................................................................................................................ 512.3.3 Newsletters............................................................................................................................ 512.3.4 Export Contacts..................................................................................................................... 522.3.5 Set Defaults........................................................................................................................... 52

2.4 Reports............................................................................................................................................ 532.4.1 Daily Sales............................................................................................................................. 542.4.2 Monthly Sales........................................................................................................................ 542.4.3 Banner Statistics.................................................................................................................... 54

2.5 Billing............................................................................................................................................. 552.5.1 Manual Billing................................................................................................................. 552.5.2 Open Invoices.................................................................................................................. 552.5.3 Account History............................................................................................................... 552.5.4 Billing Plans.................................................................................................................... 562.5.5 Billing Check................................................................................................................... 59

3 Mall Front End..................................60

3.1 General Features.............................................................................................................................. 603.1.1 Mall Banner..................................................................................................................... 60

3.2 Navigation Bar................................................................................................................................ 603.2.1 Home............................................................................................................................... 613.2.2 Browse Mall.................................................................................................................... 613.2.3 Search.............................................................................................................................. 623.2.4 Get A Store...................................................................................................................... 633.2.5 Master Shopping Basket........................................................................................................ 633.2.6 About Us......................................................................................................................... 653.2.7 Contact Us....................................................................................................................... 65

3.2 The Mall Directory.......................................................................................................................... 663.3 Product and Store Spotlight............................................................................................................ 663.4 Newest Store................................................................................................................................... 663.5 Shopping Basket.............................................................................................................................. 66


5

4 Mall Technical Information...................70

4.1 How it Works.................................................................................................................................. 704.2 Mall Database Layout...................................................................................................................... 71

4.2.1 Tables.............................................................................................................................. 714.2.2 Stored Procedures............................................................................................................ 72

4.3 File Layout & Directory Structure...................................................................................................75

Appendix A: Manually Installing a Merchant Mall............................................................................................................................ 77

Appendix B: Common Merchant Support Issues............................................................................................................................ 80

Appendix C: Common Technical Questions.......82

Appendix D: Standard Configuration Options....84

Index...................................................................................................................85


6

Write To Us!This manual is written to help you - our customers. If you experience any problems using it, or you have any suggestions for improvement, please let us know! We pride ourselves on listening to input from our customers, and many of the changes made to this version of Merchant are the result of their suggestions. This is just one way that we strive to satisfy you, and we aim to keep doing so.

Please mail all constructive criticisms, comments, and suggestions to:

Inline Internet Systems Inc.405 Britannia Rd. E., Suite 212Mississauga, ONL4Z 3E2

or email [email protected]

In addition, please visit us at our company website http://www.inline.net

We’d like to thank you in advance for taking the time to help us improve this manual.


7

1 About the iHTML Merchant MallThe iHTML Merchant Mall is a powerful web-based storefront management system. It provides mall managers with the easiest and most cost-effective way to create and administer an unlimited number of e-commerce sites for themselves and for their customers. Each individual store in the mall is based on Inline’s iHTML Merchant Enterprise software. This software can be used to set up a wide range of stores; from small businesses with a limited product line, to large corporations with a database containing thousands of products. For more information on the iHTML Merchant Enterprise system, please consult the iHTML Merchant Enterprise manual.

Complete iHTML Merchant documentation (for the Professional, Enterprise and Mall editions, are available for download on the Merchant web site at http://www.ihtmlmerchant.com/download_doc.htm.

All of Inline’s Merchant products, including the Enterprise and Mall Editions, are written using iHTML. iHTML is a server side web programming/scripting language which enables the creation of dynamic and interactive database driven web sites. Please see the iHTML manual for more details on the iHTML programming language. This can be downloaded at http://www.ihtml.com/download.

The iHTML Merchant Mall comes complete with all the features necessary to run a mall with an unlimited number of online stores. All the source code files are provided to make it possible for any user with a programming background to make any necessary enhancements that might be required by either the mall manager or individual store owners. All administration (including the adding or editing of stores or zones, limiting of features, creating of custom billing plans etc.) is done through a web browser using special data entry screens.

1.1 System Requirements:


N o t e

8

The iHTML Merchant Mall requires a web server running O'Reilly, Microsoft, Netscape, Zeus or Apache web server software on Windows 95, Windows NT, Linux, BSDi, FreeBSD, SCO, or Solaris operating systems (MAC OSX and HPUX will be made available soon). The web server must be installed and configured before installing iHTML Enterprise and the iHTML Merchant Mall.

The iHTML Merchant Mall requires the iHTML Enterprise Edition, version 2.18 or greater, to also be installed on the web server.

When using the Windows operating system, ODBC drivers are required for the database that is being used. Make sure that you have at least the MDAC 1.5c version installed. The default database is MS SQL but the iHTML Merchant Mall has been tested with Oracle, Sybase and Postgres. On the Unix operating system (Linux, BSDi, FreeBSD, or Solaris), iODBC or unixODBC database drivers are required to operate the stores.

1.2 Hardware RequirementsIt is recommended that the following hardware be used for the iHTML Merchant Mall Edition..

IBM PC or compatible (Pentium™/266 or above) or other platform supporting your operating system

MB of RAM TCP/IP connection to serve data A server operating system such as Windows NT, Linux, Solaris, BSDi etc. Netscape, Microsoft, O’Reilly, Zeus, Apache or other supported web server (NSAPI, ISAPI and

WSAPI compliant) 3 ½” floppy disk drive for installation (may be via Internet download instead) VGA graphics monitor Mouse pointer ODBC driver Server based database such as MS SQL, Sybase, MySQL, Oracle or Postgres

The above is just a recommendation and can vary greatly with the amount of traffic to the stores and the number of stores in the Mall. The system is completely scaleable so the more powerful the hardware, the faster the system will operate.

1.3 About this ManualThis manual uses certain conventions and terms to improve readability. The following is a summary of these conventions.

The term ‘Computer System’ refers to the hardware and software of the IBM-PC or compatible. The term 'IBM-PC' includes all members and compatibles of the IBM-PC family.

The term ‘Windows’ refers to Microsoft Windows NT version 3.51 or later. The term 'Unix' refers to any flavour of Unix including Solaris, SCO, Linux, BSDi or FreeBSD. The term 'DBMS' refers to Database Management System. The term 'ODBC' refers to Open Database Connectivity which is a compliance standard used for

interpreting standard commands for different DBMS’s.


N o t e

T I P

9

The term ‘server’ applies to Internet Web servers and HTTP servers. Most discussions in this document apply to servers on TCP/IP Port 80.

Any data entry or Windows commands will be displayed in the following format: Command Button

1.4 Installing the iHTML Merchant MallTo install the Merchant Mall software, it is first necessary to install the iHTML server extension language/ application server. The web server software must be installed before iHTML is installed on the server. It is also recommended that the database server also be installed prior to installing iHTML. The ODBC driver manager and driver must also be installed before the Mall can be installed and running.

1.4.1 Installing on a Windows Platform

The installation of iHTML for Microsoft Windows is very straightforward and uses an install program. The install asks a number of questions based on the web server being used. For more details on the actual installation process of iHTML, refer to the iHTML documentation.

After iHTML has been successfully installed on your server, the iHTML Merchant Mall software can now be installed. To start the installation, extract the file that was downloaded to a temporary directory.

1. Create a database for the Mall. Refer to section 1.4.3 for details on how to create your database.

2. Run the setup program which will install the Mall. This is done by running the setup.bat file from the temporary directory that contains the extracted downloaded files.

3. When the setup program is complete, you will have access to your Mall.

It is reccommended that before you begin using the Mall, you check your server settings through the Mall Manager. This is accomplished by going to http://your.domaing/malldirectory/manager/. From here, you can enter the login information. The default username is “administrator”, while the default password is “password”. Select the Site from the top menu, and then select Server Setup from the left menu. Make sure that the settings listed there make sense and are formatted correctly.

The setting in Server Setup should be formatted in the following way if you would like the stores under the root of the mall:

New Store Root URL:http://your.domain.com/malldirectory/

New Store Root: c:\path_to_domain\malldirectory

Default Datasource (during installation): whateverODBC_system_DSN_you_setup

Default Login (when you created the database): username/password


T I P

T I P

10

It is also recommended that you double check the settings in the Site Properties menu (under the Site top menu) as well. Be sure that any path related settings have trailing slashes (including cookie paths). Also be sure that DBMS Mode is set correctly to the database you are using.

Installation Troubleshooting:

The following section outlines a common installation problem when installing the Merchant Mall, and the solution:

Q: Why can't I access the Manager portion of my Mall.

A: If you find yourself locked out of the Manager section of your newly installed Mall, and the error message displayed is: "Access is not allowed from this host (your IP in here)"

There is most likely a problem with the host.allow file for the Mall Manager. To remedy the problem,edit the file manager\host.allow in the directory where you installed the Mall. This file definesa list of IPs, or IP masks that are allowed to access the Manager section of your Mall.

The correct format of host.allow is as follows:

To allow everyone access, host.allow would have only '.' in it.

To allow everyone from your class C (say 192.168.1 as an example): '192.168.1.'

To allow everyone from 192.168.1 and 203.168.42: '192.168.1.','203.168.42.'

Any number of IPs or IP masks can be put in this file, provided they are surrounded by single quotes,and in a comma separated list:'192.168.1.1','192.168.1.2','192.168.1.3', etc.

1.4.2 Installing on a Unix Platform

The installation of iHTML for Unix, while partly automated, generally has to be done by hand due to the amount of variations and setups of Unix systems. There are a number of parts to the process including the iHTML installation and the ODBC installation. For more details on the actual installation process of iHTML, refer to the iHTML documentation.

The iHTML Merchant requires the following components to be installed and running before installation of the Mall can begin:

Support for ODBC via unixODBC or iODBC. More information for this support is provided later in this section.

iHTML, version 2.19 or greater A database server supported by the iHTML Merchant. More information for this support is provided

later in this section. ODBC drivers depending on the type of database you will be using . More information for this

support is provided later in this section.

unixODBC and iODBC support


11

There are two implementations of ODBC support for Unix; these are called ODBC Driver Managers. The Driver Manager implements the ODBC standard, which is an interface used by the iHTML Merchant to communicate with any type of database.

The iHTML installation previously included the iODBC Driver Manager, but as of version 2.19, it will require the Driver Manager to be installed on your system beforehand. unixODBC is recommended for use with the iHTML Merchant because Inline is a contributor and supporter of the unixODBC project, and the iHTML Merchant drivers are tested for compatibility with iHTML.

Inline does not provide free support for unixODBC or iODBC.

Pre-compiled versions of unixODBC, database drivers, as well as helpful links to ODBC resources, can be found at the Free ODBC library at http://library.freeodbc.org

ODBC Drivers

unixODBC drivers for most databases can be found at the FreeODBC library at http://library.freeodbc.org web site. ODBC drivers are usually located in /usr/lib or /usr/local/lib directories. If you prefer, you can specify an alternative location.

ODBC support for Sybase and SQL server databases is provided by the TDS driver which also allows using these dbms’s on NT with your mall on Unix.

For import and export functions of the Merchant, you will also need the ODBC TEXT driver . iHTML Merchant Mall Unix Installation

When running the installation program, you will be prompted to provide the following information:

If you are installing a trial version, you will need a ‘key’. This is provided to you when you download the software.

You will need to specify the destination path were the new Mall will be installed. The default directory is /usr/ihtml/htdocs/MALL_NAME.

The username or UID that your web server daemon runs under. Normally, this is the ‘nobody’ account.

The path to your web server’s document root. This is where HTML documents are stored. If you use the Apache web server, you will need the path to the server’s configuration files. This is

the directory where httpd.conf and access.conf are stored. If you are using the unixODBC Driver Manager, you will need the path to your odbc.ini file.

Normally, this is in any of the following directories:/etc/odbc.ini /usr/local/etc/odbc.ini /home/nobody/odbc.ini

I. Beginning the Installation

The iHTML Merchant is distributed as a compressed file that is tar’d and gzip’d.


N o t e

T I P

N o t e

12

1. Uncompress the installation files into the current directory.

Rungunzip/path/mercmall.tar.gztar xvf mercmall.tarcd m10msetup

where path describes the location of the file

Alternatively, the following command is available on some systems, such as Linux, as well as the recent version of Solaris:

tar xvfz mercmall.tar.gzcd m10msetup

where path describes the location of the file

2. Run the newmall script. For more information on using the newmall script, see the following section. For a manual installation, refer to “Manually Installing A Merchant Mall” in Appendix A.

3. Follow the Final Install Steps as described by the newmall script. Restart your web server if need be, and continue the installation procedure in the Mall Manager site.

The URL of your mall will be:http://www.domainname.com/mallname/orhttp://www.domainname.com/, if your Mall is installed to the document root of your web site.

The Mall Manager will be at the following URL:http://www.domainname.com/mallname/manager/orhttp://www.domainname.com/manager/, if your Mall is installed to the document root of your web site.

II. The newmall script

Run the newmall script as many times as you like to install new Malls on a single server. Each Mall does require the purchase of a license from Inline.

The script will lead you through a series of questions. Answer yes/no question with either the letter ‘y’ or ‘n’.

C A U T I O N

If you are installing the trial version of the Mall, you will be asked for the key provided when you downloaded the software. Please make sure that you enter the key correctly. If you enter the wrong key, re-run the setup program, or use your web browser to visit the "manager/trial.ihtml" page within the installed Mall and enter a new value.


13

1. Choose a Mall ID.

This should be a unique name for your Mall that doesn't include spaces, slashes, % or ? characters. This ID is also used to suggest default path information for your mall, such as the directory, web address, and database name.

Example: mall1

2. Enter the Mall path.

This path is the destination directory path where you want the Mall files copied. The directory you select will determine the URL for your mall.

To install the mall to a URL such as http://www.domain.com/mall_ID/, choose either the default directory of /usr/ihtml/htdocs/mall_ID, or enter a path to a sub-directory of your web server's document root (i.e. /usr/local/apache/htdocs/mall_ID).

To install your mall to a URL such as http://www.domain.com/, enter the path to your web server's document root. If your web server runs multiple virtual servers, this path should be the document root of the desired virtual server.

Once you have specified the Mall path, the Mall files will be copied to the specified directory.

The directory you enter should not contain any HTML files (especially index.html or home.html).

3. Specify the path to the web server's document root.

This is the root directory where the HTML files on your web site are stored. Enter this path so the install program can determine whether the Mall path you entered is aliased (or mapped) to your web site.

4. Indicate the web server that you are using.

Enter 'a' for Apache, 'n' for a Netscape, or 'o' for other web server.

5. Enter the Username or UID of your web server.

This is the Username or UID that your web server runs as. Normally this is the 'nobody' account, but often, System Administrators choose a different account name.

6. The installation setup will determine if your Mall's files are within the web server's document root. If not, an alias must be made to map the directory to the document root.

If your web server is either Apache or Netscape, this can be done automatically by answering 'yes' to create the alias. If you prefer not to create an alias at this time, or you don't think one is necessary, answer 'no'. Users of other web servers are reminded to create an alias manually. Please see your web server's documentation for more instructions.


N o t e

N o t e

14

Apache versions since version 1.3.6 do not make use of access.conf by default, unless your configuration is set to include this file in httpd.conf. You may need to move any additional lines that are added to the bottom of access.conf by the Merchant Intstallation instead to the bottom of httpd.conf.

6b. If you select Apache in step 4, the installation setup will ask for the path to Apache's conf directory. This is where the httpd.conf and access.conf files are found. Some additional configuration lines will be appended to the bottom of both of these files, and a backup copy will be saved as access.conf.backup and httpd.conf.backup. Later, move these configuration lines to the appropriate section of the .conf files if you prefer them to be organized.

7. (Optional) Restrict access to the Merchant Mall administration by IP address.

If you selected Apache as your web server in step 4, the setup can restrict access to the manager directory of your mall by IP address, so that only the local host, the machine's default sub-net, and Inline's sub-net (for technical support purposes) have access to the Merchant Mall's administration pages. You may also be prompted for the path to Apache's .conf files.

If a Netscape or other web server was selected, you are reminded to configure security authentication manually for the manager directory of the new Merchant mall. Please see your web server's documentation for more instructions.

This is a recommended security precaution to prevent visitors to your mall from accessing the Mall's administration screens. You are also strongly encouraged to apply some form of password protection. For instructions on how to do this, see your web server's documentation.

7b. (Trial version) Configure the web server to send pages with the "m1m" extension to iHTML. You may be prompted for the path to your web server's configuration files.

For the Apache web server, the setup will add this extension to the "AddType text/ihtml" and "AddHandler ihtml-handler" lines in srm.conf. For the Netscape web server, the setup will add this extension to the "Type=text/ihtml" line in mime.types. For other web servers, please refer to your web server's documentation.

8. Indicate the database system that you will be using.

Enter 'm' for MySQL or 'o' for Other.

8b. For MySQL:

a) You will be prompted to create a database. Enter 'y' to begin to create a database now.

b) MySQL Privileged user name - Enter a MySQL user name which allows you to create databases. On a default MySQL installation, press <enter> to select no user.

Example: root

c) MySQL user password - Enter the password for the MySQL user. If you did not enter a user name in the previous step, press <enter> to select no password.


N o t e

T I P

15

d) Mall database name - Enter a name for your Mall's database. Press <enter> to select the default name, which is your mall ID from Step 1 in this procedure. A database name must be a valid MySQL name, which contains only alpha-numeric characters (letters and numbers), the underscore, or the dollar sign. A valid MySQL name cannot contain any spaces.

e) Create a new MySQL user. A MySQL user which has access to your database is needed by the Merchant Mall to connect to it’s database. Enter 'y' to create a new user, or enter 'n' to enter an existing MySQL user name and password.

f) Enter a valid MySQL user name, or press <enter> to select the default name. Once again, the default name is your Mall ID from Step 1 in this procedure.

g) Enter a valid password for the MySQL user.

h) If the MySQL server is an old version, you may be prompted to restart the MySQL server. Enter 'y' to restart MySQL, or 'n' to restart the server at a later time.

8c. Other Database Server:

You are reminded to create a new database for your Mall. See Section 1.4.3 and Appendix A for details, and refer to your database server's manual for specific instructions.

9. Create an ODBC datasource. An ODBC datasource is needed by the Mall to access it’s database.

9b. If you selected MySQL in step 8, the setup will ask you if you wish to create an ODBC datasource. Enter 'y' to create one now.

a) Enter the path to your ODBC Driver Manager's .ini file. Normally this is one of the /etc/odbc.ini, /etc/local/odbc.ini, or /home/nobody/.odbc.ini directories.

b) The setup will search for an existing database driver on your system. If one is found, you are asked to confirm the file path. Select 'n' to enter a different path. If a driver is not found, you are asked to enter the path to an existing ODBC driver for your database.

c) A config section is appended to the top of the ODBC .ini file. A backup will be saved as odbc.ini.backup.

9c. If setup does not create a datasource for you, you must do this manually after the setup completes. See Appendix A for manual installation instructions.

10. The installation completes with a reminder to manually complete any incomplete steps. Reminders appear, for example, if you answered "no" to any of the questions, or if you selected a database server other than MySQL.

You must complete these steps before proceeding with the final installation steps:

a) Following setup, you may need to restart your Apache web server daemon in order for it to recognize any changes to its configuration files.

b) Visit the URL http://www.domainname.com/mallname/manager/resetinc.ihtml to initialize Mall defaults.

c) Visit the URL http://www.domainname.com/mallname/manager/,, and complete your Mall setup on the General Setup page. The necessary settings to configure are the Site and Cookie paths, your address information, and email address.


16

Your Merchant Mall installation is now complete.

1.4.3 Creating a Mall Database

Database Servers

The iHTML Merchant requires a database server to host a database for each Mall. A database server must be installed and running before you can install the Mall. Table 1.4-1 lists the supported databases for the Mall, as well as the URL to obtain additional information.

Table 1.4-1 Merchant Mall Supported DatabasesDatabase Name Additional Information SourceMySQL http://www.mysql.comPostgres http://www.postgresql.orgOracle http://www.oracle.com/databaseMS SQL http://www.microsoft.ccom/sqlSybase http://www.sybase.com/products/databaseservers

SQL Scripts

SQL scripts are used to create the database schema for the Mall. These scripts are provided in the manager/scripts directory for each database server.

The iHTML Merchant installation has automated this process for the MySQL server, and in the future, the process will be automated for other database servers. Currently, because of this automated process, installation is simplest for the MySQL database. For other database servers, a manual installation of the Mall’s database is required.

Databases

MS SQL Server

If using MS SQL server, from the Enterprise Manager:

1. Create a log device (size and location can vary).

2. Make a database using the above two devices (default is to use 100% of the above).

3. "select into/bulk copy" MUST be enabled for this new database.

In order to do this: right click on the database, select Edit and then Options. Then toggle the appropriate checkbox and click OK.

4. Create a user for the new database. Record the username and password as it will be asked for during installation.

5. Give the new user permission, default to and make the user DBO of the database just created.

6. Using the SQL Server query manager (be sure you have selected the database you just finished creating), locate and run the mall10_structure.sql script.


17

This script is located in the manager\scripts\sqlserver\mall10_structure.sql, within the directory that you unzipped the Mall archive from. Running this script will set up the necessary tables for the Mall.

You will encounter a warning message about the width of the products table. This message is normal.

7. Using the SQL Server query manager again, locate and run manager\scripts\sqlserver\mall10_sps.sql.This script will create all the necessary stored procedures and views for the Mall.

The following output is normal from running this script: "This command did not return data, and it did not return any rows"

Caution

You may have noticed the mall10_drop.sql script in the scripts directory. This is a very dangerous script as it removes all tables and all data from the Mall database. Exercise great caution with this script.

Sybase

If using Sybase, the SQL script files are the same as those for MS SQL Server. The installation instructions for a Sybase database follow the same general outline as those for MS SQL Server.

MySQL

If using MySQL, use the ‘mysql’ command to open up a MySQL command prompt. For a list of options, type ‘mysql -?’ at the command line. Typically the command ‘mysql –u root’ will work with a default MySQL installation.

1. Create a database at the Mysql command prompt.mysql> create database <dbname>; where <dbname> is the name of the database, and is recommended to be the mall’s name.

2. Create a Mysql user to access this database.mysql> INSERT INTO mysql.user (Host,User,Password) VALUES('%','<username>',PASSWORD('<password>')); where <username> is the user and <password> is it’s password.* <username> is the username and <password> is the password of your choice. Generally it helps to name the username the same as the database name.** Take note of the username and password you choose, because it is needed later.

3. Grant the user access to the database.mysql> GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES on <dbname>.* to <username>@localhost IDENTIFIED BY ‘<password>’;

4. Quit the Mysql session.mysql> quit

5. Run the Mall database scripts.shell> mysql –u <username> -p<password> <dbname> < path_to_mall/manager/scripts/mall10_structure.mysql


N o t e

18

6. Create an ODBC Datasource entry.eg. edit /etc/odbc.ini, and add an entry similar to the following:

[DBNAME]Driver = /usr/lib/libmyodbc.soDatabase = DBNAMEHOST = localhostPort = 3306* Note: substitute the correct path to the libmyodbc.so ODBC driver.

Later edit the manager/datasource.ini file and set the ‘datasource’ variable to your database name, and the ‘loginname’ variable to “username/password”, substituting your Mysql username and password that you created in step 2.

Postgres

The following is a set of instruction on how to setup a Postgres database once the Postgres software has been installed on the computer. Make sure that you are logged on as a superuser of Postgres.The -u flag in the following commands is used to ask for a username and a password.

1. Create a database by typing in the following command: createdb -u databasename

2. For added security, create a user for this database only, using the command: createuser -D -U

After typing this command you should be asked a series of questions.The -D does not allow the user to create other databases and the -U does not allow the user to create other databases. Use this user in the datasource.inc file for added security. 3. Insert the mall structure into the newly created database using the following command:

psql -q -u -f mall10_structure.postgres -d databasename

The file mall10_structure.postgres can be found in the mall_root/manager/scripts/postgres directory.

The mall10_drop.postgres file is used to destroy all the information in the database including the tables. The users and the user's permission will not be changed when using this file.

4. Create an ODBC datasource for the database. Edit the ODBC.INI file and enter the following information.

[datasource_name]Description = iHTML Merchant MallDriver = path_to_the_driver/libodbcpsql.soTrace = YesTraceFile = logfile_nameDatabase = database_name goes hereServername = localhostUserName = postgresPassword =Port = 5432Protocol = 6.4ReadOnly = No


N o t e

19

RowVersioning = NoShowSystemTables = NoShowOidColumn = NoFakeOidIndex = NoConnSettings =

5. Add the username/password and ODBC datasource name into the datasource.inc file.

Oracle

If using Oracle, create a database and database user who has the following permissions in the database: select, update, delete, insert, drop and alter.

Import the Mall tables and data by running the script manager\scripts\oracle\mall10_structure.oracle.

Record the user name and password as it will be asked for during installation.

1.5 Using the iHTML Merchant Mall - Getting Started:Once you have installed iHTML and the Mall software, you can begin configuring your own online Mall. You will require:

A connection to the Internet if the server is remote A Web browser (such as Netscape Navigator or Microsoft Internet Explorer)

If you do not currently have Internet access, it is suggested that you contact an Internet Service Provider (ISP) before continuing further. Another option is to contact an iHTML Hosting Provider, that is, an ISP which hosts Inline’s iHTML and Merchant products on their own server. For more information on this, see “iHTML Hosting Providers” in section 1.6.

You must have an IP address or domain in which to allow access to your Mall from the Internet. Multiple malls can be setup under a single domain or IP address by creating a sub-directory for each one. The addresses in this case might be http://www.domain.com/mall1 and http://www.domain.com/mall2

1.6 Getting Support and Updates As with using any software, you may run into trouble and need technical support. Inline and our user community are there to help with any problems that you may have. We offer a number of both free and fee-based support mechanisms in an effort to answer all your questions. The following is a list of services and support options offered by Inline. To view the online help options, visit our Merchant web site at: http://www.ihtmlmerchant.com/support.htm. Refer to Table 1.6-1 for additional support resources in this manual.

Table 1.6-1 Additional Support Resources in this ManualName SectionCommon Merchant Support Issues Appendix BCommon Technical Questions Appendix C


N o t e

20

1.6.1 Free Support Options

The following is a list of the free support options offered at Inline. If a technical problem should arise, consult these options first.

SUPPORT FORUMThis is a web based threaded discussion group dedicated to iHTML and the iHTML Merchant products, this is an excellent place to research previous discussions to find answers quickly or post a new question. Please visit the support forum at http://support.inline.net:8080/~ihtml

MAILING LISTThis is an active mailing list of iHTML and iHTML Merchant users, and is a great way of getting an immediate response from Inline technical support and/or other software users. This list is used to discussiHTML issues, programming questions, find iHTML users, hosting providers, developers or just general questions. To subscribe to the mailing list, visit http://www.ihtml.com/support and select the Mailing List option. Enter your name and email address, press the SUBSCRIBE button and you will be added to the list. To send a message to the mailing list, send an email to [email protected]. You must be subscribed to the mailing list to post a question.

DOCUMENTATION DOWNLOADSAll iHTML Merchant documentation is available for download via the Merchant web site at http://www.ihtmlmerchant.com/download_doc.htm.

PAYMENT PROCESSOR SUPPORTThe Merchant Mall currently supports the following payment processors: Internet Secure, PC Authorize, TL Pay (via TouchLink), IC Verify, Authorize.NET, DCTI, WebTransact, WorldSite (via ComBill, NetCard), ClickPay, Echo, CardService International (via LinkPoint and PSiGATE), Signio, En-Cynk, Credit Card Network, Verify Online, BCE Emergis, ibill, WorldPay, WebShop, Total Merchant Services, The Processing Network, First Data Services, as well as various versions of CyberCash. If you wish to use a processor currently unlisted here, it may be the name of a previous version of one of these current processors, in addition, Inline is constantly researching other payment processors with the hopes of integrating them into our Merchant System. If you would prefer an alternate payment processor, email Inline at [email protected] with the contact information for the specified payment processor. Once we receive this information, we will investigate the possibility of integration. Once integrated, we will add your requested payment processor to the list. For more information on the payment processors we currently support, see the “E-commerce” section in 2.2.3. There may be a charge to add a new payment processor.

UPDATESUpdates are provided in beta form on the support forum (h ttp://support.inline.net:8080/~ihtml ) in the beta conference. Final release updates for the merchant can be found at http://www.ihtmlmerchant.com/support_updates.htm. These updates are only applicable for Merchant 1.x versions. For version 2.0 and greater, updates are automatically sent to our registered users and are not posted on the web site. They are accessible through the my ihtml system www.ihtml.com/myihtml/

BUGS AND FEATURE REQUESTSIf you find a bug or component of the iHTML Merchant that is not working or if you would like to request a new feature for the next version, please send a detailed email to [email protected]

FREE INSTALLATION SUPPORT


21

As most technical problems are encountered during the installation procedure, Inline offers free technical support for both iHTML and Merchant products. To receive this free installation support, contact Inline either by phone (905-712-3841) or email ([email protected]).

Make sure that you have the following information at the time of your call:

The version of iHTML that you are using. This is found in the ihtml.log file. Operating System and version Web Server and version URL or IP address of your site Any passwords to administration screens (specifically for the iHTML Merchant)

We may require FTP and/or PC Anywhere and/or Telnet and/or VNC access to your machine to look at and solve unusual problems. You must have tried to install the products and read the docs before contacting Inline for installation support.

Inline does not provide free support for ODBC and the correct installation of that component. Technical issues with ODBC should be directed to the provider of the ODBC driver manager or driver.

1.6.2 Paid Technical Support Options

PAID TECHNICAL SUPPORTInline offers a variety of reasonably priced, paid technical support options. Paid technical support may entail the following services:

Specific questions on operating with the iHTML language. General questions should be directed to the support forum and/or the mailing list.

Programming assistance with iHTML. This includes checking of syntax. ODBC setup and installation. Information is available at http://www.freeodbc.org.

Please visit http://www.ihtml.com/support or http://www.ihtmlmerchant.com/support_paid.htm for full details and pricing information on support packages available.

iHTML MERCHANT END USER SUPPORTInline can provide end user (store owner) support to ISPs and web developers. This is priced on a per store per year basis with a minimum 1 year contract. An ISP must subscribe all merchant customers to this program in order for Inline support to be granted. Any end user customer contacting Inline will be redirected to their ISP, and the ISP will send the support information.

EMAIL SUPPORTYou may also purchase email technical support packages. The price for this support option is $25 US per incident. You may also purchase a package of 10 email support incidents for $175 US.

PHONE SUPPORTInline offers a number of technical phone support options. The rates are as follows:

Per Incident Program (PIP) which can be purchased as needed for $75 US. Support is provided per incident until the problem is solved.

Programming related issues require a programming/consulting fee of $75 US per hour. Block support packages are also available. You can purshase 5, 10 or 20 block packages for $325

US, $600 US and $1000 US respectively. These packages can be purshased by credit card (MasterCard of VISA) over the phone (905-712-0818) or online at http://www.ihtml.com/order.


N o t e

22

ANNUAL SUPPORTAnnual support includes unlimited phone and email support for one year, and for up to two specified contact people. This program can be purchased for $1495 US per year. We can also design customized support packages tailored to your needs. These packages can be purchased by credit card (MasterCard of VISA) over the phone (905-712-0818) or online at http://www.ihtml.com/order.

iHTML AND MERCHANT TRAININGInline offers a 3 day intensive course on programming with iHTML. Courses run on a monthly basis at our Mississauga, Ontario offices. The price for this course is $495 US, which is payable before the start of the course. If you are not able to visit our Mississauga office, email us for information on training in major US cities. Discounts are available for mutiple attendees. If you are interested in training at your location, please email us at [email protected] for further details.

CONSULTING SERVICESShould you require assistance in customizing the features of the store, Inline does provide consulting services and custom web development. Please send an email to [email protected] in you would like to receive further information.

PAID INSTALLATION SUPPORTAs some customers prefer not to undertake the installation procedure themselves, Inline offers paid installation services. We will do the install for you from scratch, including the Merchant Mall, iHTML, the web server, database, and ODBC drivers. Contact your sales representative for pricing information.

All pricing is subject to change without notice. Consult http://www.ihtmlmerchant.com/pricing.htm for up-to-date pricing.

1.7 SecurityEvery user of the iHTML product line should be aware of the following security precautions. Because the iHTML Merchant is an interactive web application, it does provide some potential access points to the web server if proper procedures are not taken and put in place.

1.7.1 iHTML Security

There is an example for iGETMIMENAME and iGETMIMEFILE that allows the uploading of any file type to the web server. The files are ifileup.ihtml and ifileup2.ihtml. These should be removed once the server goes into production. They are located under the ihtml_config/sample directory.

Any forms that are created with iHTML that take the contents and email them is a potential security hole. Any iHTML tags could be entered into the form and executed through the iMAIL tag.

Ensure the web server you are using has fixes against the following hacks which provide access to the real source files of the site. The real source files may contain username and passwords for the database server.

Http://www.domain.com/index.ihtml%20Http://www.domain.com/index.ihtml::$DATA

The above mainly affect Microsoft IIS and O’Reilly Website Pro.

If using Microsoft SQL server, ensure that the SA user is given a password or remove that account entirely after creating a new system administrator account.


23

Some of the tags can be dangerous if providing hosting to clients. Since iHTML is not restricted to a particular domain but available to all virtual servers on a machine, any user with FTP access could use the dangerous tags. It is advised that these are disabled in the registry as per the iHTML user documentation.

1.7.2 iHTML Merchant Mall Security

The manager directory of the iHTML Merchant Mall should ALWAYS be password protected using the web server authentication mechanism. Failure to do this gives clear uninhibited access to the merchant.mdb file and the orders.txt file which can contain client credit card information and the entire Mall database. The datasource.inc file can also be accessed in this manner if the manager is not password protected.

A better solution would be to move the merchant.mdb file to a non-web accessible directory. If doing this, ensure that the ODBC mapping to the file is also changed.

It is not advisable not to use the Non-Secure Option feature under Site/General Settings of the Merchant Mall.

If collecting credit card information there is an option to store this in the database, if not needed then do not store this information. There is also an option to include the credit card information in the emails. It is advisable that this be turned off as well.

If collecting credit card information you should have an SSL certificate if that information is being entered on your server otherwise it will be transmitted across the Internet in clear text and could be sniffed by any machine along the way.

1.7.2.1 Web Server Security

It is strongly encouraged that you apply user authentication to the store’s admin directory and mall manager directory. The following are guidelines for locating security instructions for your web server. They are applicable to the iHTML Merchant installed on either Windows or Unix platforms. Further instructions may be found in your web server’s documentation.

Apache Users: The steps to setup password authentication are described at http://www.apacheweek.com/features/userauth.

Internet Information Server Users: Use the Internet Service Manager to open the Directory Security tab in the properties for the Virtual Directory/Server where the Merchant is installed, and select the Directory Security tab. Under Anonymous Access and Authentication Control, click the Edit button. Select Basic Authentication and Windows NT Challenge/Response by clicking the corresponding checkbox, and deselect the Allow Anonymous Access checkbox. The NTFS permissions should be modified to allow the IUSR_COMPUTERNAME account Read access throughout the store/mall directory tree (except, allow change access on the referer.ihtml file). As well, the store administrator user/group should have Change access throughout the entire store/mall directory tree, and users/groups other than those who should have access to the store administration should not be given any access within the directory tree. It is also important for IIS that ‘Read’, ‘Write’ and ‘Execute (including script)’ are selected on the Home Directory tab.Be sure to test that only the store administrator/group user has access to the store administration and that the store continues to function correctly for anonymous visitors.


24

Website Users:Open the Website Server properties. On the Users tab, create a new Authentication Realm. Select the Realm you created, and create a new user who is a member of the users group by default. On the Access Control tab select New. Enter the URL to your store’s admin directory and select the previously created Realm. Under Authorized Users & Groups, select Add and add the [users] group. Close the Website Server Properties, and select OK to terminate all connections. Be sure to test that the store administration requires user authentication and that the store continues to function correctly for anonymous visitors.

Netscape Web Server Users:Refer to your Web server documentation for instructions on how to apply user authentication to a directory.

1.8 Copyright Notices & Trademark NoticesThe following are trademarks of their respective companies.

Windows is a trademark of Microsoft.IBM PC is a trademark of International Business Machines.Java is a trademark of SUN Microsystems. GIF is a trademark of CompuServe


25

2 Initial Mall SetupNow that the iHTML Merchant Mall is installed and running on your system, it can be configured to suit your specific needs. This involves the following tasks:

entering the information about the mall, such as colour scheme, template, credit card clearing system etc.

entering the store(s) and zone(s) for your mall and all related information setting taxing options adding banner ads adding and/or editing content to be displayed in the storefront of the mall setting up billing plans defining criteria for report generation

The following chapter explains how to accomplish all of the above, and the recommended order in which to do each. This process can take anywhere from an hour to several days depending on how many stores are being created, how many products are being entered into each and how much customization needs to be done. Changes made to any field in the manager system do not take affect until the new data is saved.

2.1 Manager System The manager system is grouped into four main sections, Site, Stores, Reports and Billing. To access the manager system, the mall URL is followed by /manager/. For example, http://www.domain.com/mallname/manager/. The manager system screens requires Netscape 3.x or Internet Explorer 3.x or above. Table 2.1-1 displays each section, and its options.

Table 2.1-1 2 Overview of the Administration System OptionsSite Stores Reports Billing Site Properties Browse Mall Daily Sales Manual Billing Appearance - Add Store Monthly Sales Open Invoices E-commerce - Add Zone Banner Statistics Account History Tax Setup - List Stores Billing Plans Banner Ads Mail Center Billing Check Server Setup Newsletters Content Editor Export Contacts Store Templates Set Defaults View Visitor Log Purge Visitor Log


26

When the manager screen is first displayed, it asks for a username and password. The defaults are administrator and password. These can be changed under the Site Configuration.

2.2 Site ConfigurationOnce the software is installed, the next step is to configure a mall to the desired settings. This is done by selecting the Site hot-link from the top menu bar in the manager screens. This will display a list of options in the left most frame. Each of these options is explained below.

2.2.1 Site Properties

Select Site Properties from the left hand menu. In this section of the manager screens, it is possible to configure the Merchant Mall system for your mall site. Colours, logos, company information, URL, email and other options are all changeable through this screen. Each of the fields is described below.

Required Edits:The following fields must be changed or examined to ensure that they are correct. (See below for full description.)

email addresses site URL cookie path secure URL secure cookie path

The following are found under Server Setup in the General Settings menu. These should be examined to ensure that they are correct.

template selection template root store root URL store root default datasource default login

Your Company’s Information:

Company: This field requires the name of the company that owns and/or maintains the site.

E-mail: This is e-mail address of the mall owner and/or manager. All order information and feedback is sent to this address, therefore this address must be valid or errors will be reported in the system.

Address, City, Zip or Postal Code, Country, Phone and Fax: These fields should already be filled in from information provided during the installation process. This information is used by the Quick Command macro language of the Content Editor. For more information on the Content Editor, see section 2.2.7.

If your mall is registered with Inline, the information is also entered into the iHTML Merchant web site Store Listing. This can be found on the Merchant Web Site at http://www.ihtmlmerchant.com. Registering your store with Inline provides enhanced exposure for the mall. To add your store to the listing on the iHTML Merchant web site, click the Register hot-link on the left hand side of the main administration screen.


N o t e

27

For the tax and shipping systems to work properly, you must first enter the country or origin.

Use States: This radio button determines whether the iHTML Merchant Mall system uses the province or state when calculating taxes. This should be set to Yes for North American mall owners and No for merchants from the rest of the world. Web Site Information:

Web Site Title: This field requires the name of the mall. It will appear in the title bar as well as in the Quick Commands drop-down menu of the Content Editor.

Web Site URL: This requires the full URL, including protocol, of the main page of your mall.

Secure Server Path: This is used to enable SSL (or Secure Sockets Layer). SSL is a protocol which was developed by Netscape to safely transmit private information, such as credit card numbers, over the Internet using encryption. For SSL to be enabled, your web server needs a digital certificate from a company such as Verisign or Thawte (http://www.verisign.com and http://www.thawte.com respectively). If the server is certified, the Secure Path merely directs customers to the secure area of the server. Generally, the secure path is the same as the Web Site URL except the protocol is changed from http:// to https://. If you don't have a secure certificate, put the same information in this field as in the Web Site URL field.

Display Font: This is the font(s) to be used for the text throughout the mall, in a comma-delimited list format. The fonts will cascade if the first in the list is not available on the client browser. The defaults are Verdana, Tahoma, and Arial.

Logo Image: This is the filename for the logo to be displayed on the home page of the Mall. This can be a JPG or GIF image. There is an UPLOAD button which can be used to upload a file from the browser computer. Uploading a file will store it on the web server in the correct directory, without having to use an FTP program.

Background Image: This is the filename for the background you intend to use within your mall’s template. Enter the URL and filename (either relative or absolute) into this field. The background can be used in all templates.

Colour Scheme:

Background, Contrast, Text, Link, Active Link and Visited Link Colours: These fields are used to set the colour scheme for your mall. These colours are for the store front-end, within the templates. First, select the radio button on the colour setting you wish to modify. The colour can be expressed as a hex-decimal RGB value or the standard colour name. (For information on standard colour name conventions, consult an HTML reference manual.) As well, you can select colours using the Colour Palette on the right-hand side of the screen. Not all templates support all of the colour settings.

Manager Security:

Username: This is the username to use for the manager administration pages to secure the pages against unauthorized access. It is highly recommended that you also add web server security to the manager directory. The default username is administrator. Type in a new username into this box.

Password: This is the password to use for the manager administration security. Type in a new password into this box to change the current password. The default for this field is password.


N o t e

28

Advanced Options:

Maximum List Count: This setting is used to determine how many stores and/or products are to be displayed on each page in the catalog. The default for this option is 25.

Visitor Logging: This turns the internal visitor logging on and off. When turned on, it will track the date, time, IP, referrer and browser of the store visitors. This does slow down the home page. The information is stored in the referer.htm file in the main mall directory on the web server.

Banner Advertisements: This option enables or disables the display of banner advertising in the store. To configure the banner advertising features see section 2.2.5 in this manual.

Sort Products By: In the browse and search features of the mall front-end , the listing of the products is determined by this setting. This option can be set so that products are listed alphabetically, by ID, name, code, price or status.

Sort Stores By: In the browse and search features of the mall front-end , the listing of the stores is determined by this setting. It can be set so stores are listed alphabetically, by ID, company, site title or date added.

DBMS Mode: This is the database server type that you are using. The Mall currently supports MS SQL Server and Postgres. For Sybase, select MS SQL Server in this drop down box. If this option is not correct, the Mall will not operate correctly.

Once you are done entering information into all the Site Properties fields, press the Save >> button to implement the changes. Press the Cancel button to ignore any changes that were made.

2.2.2 Appearance

This option allows the setting up of some of the front end appearance of the Mall. It is possible to select a featured store, featured product and new stores from this menu option. To access this, select Site from the main manager toolbar and choose the Appearance option from the left-hand frame.

Featured Store: This allows the selection of the featured store from a list of all the stores in the Mall. Select the 'No Featured Store' option to turn off this feature.

Highlighted Product: This allows the highlighting of a specific product in the featured store. Enter the product number of the product to highlight. If the ?? button is pressed, a drop down box appears in the bottom frame. From this selection, pick the store with the product to highlight and press the >> button. Then select the product from the list provided and press Use >>

New Stores: A list of stores is provided in a select box. Select the stores to be listed as new from this box. Use the CTRL key to select more than one.

Once you are done entering information into all the Appearance fields, press the Save >> button to implement the changes. Press the Cancel button to ignore any changes that were made.

2.2.3 E-commerce

The e-commerce fields enable your mall to process hosting payments from customers through the use of an automatic billing feature. To access the following fields, select Site from the main manager toolbar and choose the E-Commerce option from the left-hand frame.


29

You can use the recurring billing feature to schedule automatic billing to your customers. In order for this feature to work, ensure that the iBPPE is scheduled to hit admin/recurring.ihtml.

Basic Commerce Options:

Currency Type: This is the currency symbol and description used by Mall, although not necessarily for individual stores. The default symbol is $ and the description is American Dollars (US).

Payment Processor: This drop-down menu allows you to select the payment processor you wish to use. Note that you must save your payment processor selection immediately using the Save >> button in order to be able to view the appropriate fields in the Payment Processor Setup section described below. Due to the way in which some of the payment processors function, they may not be available for selection.

Notifications and CC Notifications Sent to: These fields are for the e-mail addresses of the parties to which all payment-related information should be sent. The main notification address will be the same as the one entered during installation or Site Configuration. The CC notification field can contain a comma delimited list of the addresses of all other parties who need the information. Payment Processor Setup:

If you have selected and saved the payment processor of your choice, the fields that appear in this section should match your selection. Each payment processor requires different information to run properly. The terms that appear as fields (i.e. Host, Hub Number, Merchant Key etc.) should become clear to you once you set up your account with the payment processing company since they will provide the information that matches those field names.

There are several methods for clearing credit cards with the Merchant Mall System: PC Authorize, different versions of CyberCash, TL Pay (via TouchLink), Redi-Check, WebTransact, WorldSite (via ComBill, NetCard), ClickPay, Echo, CardService International (via LinkPoint and PSiGATE), Signio, En-Cynk, BCE Emergis, The Processing Network, CyberSource and First Data Services. More are being added as requested. Information on each existing system can be found below. The mall can also email the customer and credit card information to the appropriate person without clearing it or it can store it in a file.

Credit card payments are accepted through the mall but the transactions still occurs on the level of each individual store. The Merchant Mall System does not support any gateway-style payment systems, which require a redirect to a different server for user input. These payment processors are not supported because of the restrictions of auto-billing, since the Merchant Mall System does billing in the background without user intervention.

Payment processing software often have recently changed or multiple names. If the processor you want does not appear here, this may be the reason. If the processor you want is unlisted under

any name, Inline will actively research new payment processors with the hopes of integrating them into our Merchant System. If you would prefer an alternate payment processor, email Inline at [email protected] with the contact information for the specified payment processor. Once we receive this information, we will investigate the possibility of integration. There may be a charge for adding a new payment processor.

Before using this feature, a number of items need to be entered in the Mall Manager screens.

Commerce Type: This field allows you to select your preferred payment processing method. All the available payment processing methods are listed. These methods are described in greater detail later on in this chapter.


N o t e

T I P

30

Send Notifications to: This field should automatically contain the email address that you have provided in the General Setup section of Site Properties (section 2.2.1). This must be a correct or valid email.

CC Notifications to: If you would like other people to receive the order and billing information, enter any extra email addresses. Multiple addresses need to be separated by commas.

Credit Card Support

Check-off the credit cards supported by your store. Also, you can specify whether or not you will want to email credit card information but selecting the appropriate radio buttons. Their logos will appear in the basket, to let your customers know which cards you support.

Once you have completed the E-commerce section, press the Save >> button to implement your modifications. Press the Cancel button to ignore any changes that were made.

All of the payment processor methods listed in the Commerce Type field are described below:

Internet Secure www.internetsecure.com

Internet Secure allows merchants to process Visa, MasterCard and American Express payments in Canadian funds and Visa payments in US funds. Since Internet Secure is an approved Internet Merchant Acquiring organization, the company will obtain a merchant account for your business as part of the set-up process. You do not have to put up a security deposit or open a Canadian or US merchant bank account to be granted merchant status. For further information regarding the service, including security measures, benefits and pricing, contact the Internet Secure web site. The admin sub-directory of the Merchant System contains the application form for this payment system as well as more information about the installation package (in MS Word format). The names of the files are isecure.doc and isecapp.doc. To get set up, fill out the form and fax it to Internet Secure, configure the payment method in iHTML to Internet Secure, and follow the instructions that are provided by Internet Secure. Enter the merchant number and the host address you are provided with by Internet Secure in the fields in the E-Commerce setup screen. There is also a radio button for whether to ask for the credit card information or not. Typically this is set to no since the credit card information is obtained at the Internet Secure server.

CyberCash www.cybercash.com

The old version of the CyberCash payment system has a basic structure: a CashRegister on the server end, and a Gateway system to communicate with the banks and perform the transaction. With the iPAY tag in iHTML Merchant systems, you can securely authorize transactions against any version of a CyberCash CashRegister server.

CashRegister 2.0 - 2.1.4: allows merchants to process transactions by all major credit cards. CashRegister server software (approx. 20Mb) is required. Register as a CyberCash Host: If you want to be a self-hosting merchant, you must install a copy of the CashRegister server software and register yourself as a CyberCash merchant. As part of this program you can publicize your site as a CyberCash merchant.

CashRegister 3.x MCK: allows merchants to process transactions by all major credit cards. Since the bulk of software code is located at the CyberCash payment services gateway, you do not need to download anything. The MCK software kit is already built into iHTML. Register as a CyberCash Merchant: This requires obtaining an account with CyberCash. With the iHTML Merchant, you do not require any software from CyberCash.


31

To integrate the payment system into your site, configure the payment method in iHTML to CyberCash and update the relevant settings in E-Commerce setup. Before you get started with the iHTML Merchant, you must have authorized access to a CyberCash CashRegister server. You have two options when seeking access:

Register as a CyberCash Host: If you want to be a self-hosting merchant, you must install a copy of the CashRegister server software and register yourself as a CyberCash merchant. As part of this program you can publicize your site as a CyberCash merchant.

Register as a CyberCash Merchant: This requires obtaining an account with CyberCash. With the iHTML Merchant, you do not require any software from CyberCash.

Enter the currency (USD, CDN, etc.), the host address, merchant number, and port for CyberCash 2.14 and CyberCash 3.x. The 3.x also requires a hash number (Cryptokey) entry.

Merchant number will be companyname##-##Port is typically 80Host is usually cr.cybercash.com/cgi-binHash Number is a long string of upper and lower case alphanumeric characters.

PC Authorize www.tellan.com

With PC Authorize, customer purchases are securely transmitted over the Internet to the web server which sends the order using a LAN to the PC Authorize* Hub. The Hub communicates the order to the bank network and credit authorization is relayed back through the entire system to the customer. While this real-time payment method requires a separate modem and dial line, security concerns between your web server and the bank network are eliminated. Tellan Software, Inc. does not obtain a merchant status for your company and many banks are hesitant to setup merchant accounts for Internet businesses. Therefore, to get started with PC Authorize, find a credit processing agent to take your merchant account. Usually, this agent will provide you with PC Authorize software as part of their service package. If they do not or if you need further information on the system, contact the Tellan Software Web Site. Once the system is in place, configure the payment method in iHTML to PC Authorize. Enter the Hub number and Host number in the fields provided.

TL Pay www.touch.com

The TL Pay system (by TouchLink) handles purchases made with all major credit and debit cards. TouchLink software programs allow customers to make purchases through a client, in this case, the Web. The order is then transmitted through the merchant’s LAN to the TL server and on to the Royal Bank of Canada via one or more communication lines. Merchants using the TL Pay system will require a merchant account with Royal Bank Visa, a commercial bank account as well as the software, which can be purchased through TouchLink. This payment system is multi-merchant capable and the TL Server can process multiple clients simultaneously. More information about the TL Pay packages is available on the Web Site. Remember to configure the payment method in iHTML to TL Pay via TouchLink. Enter the merchant number provided by TouchLink along with the host and Cryptokey provided by them.

ICVERIFY www.icverify.com

ICVERIFY’s NetVERIFY software is a very flexible credit card payment solution for merchants. Transaction information can be transmitted along leased lines (for high traffic sites). A merchant account will be required and since NetVERIFY is a software solution and not a service for clearing credit cards, you will need a processing agent. The software, which is available at www.icverify.com, can be fully integrated with the iHTML Merchant. Simply configure the payment method in iHTML to ICVERIFY.


32

Further information is available through their Web Site. Enter the merchant number, port and host provided by IC Verify after signing up with them. The IC Verify path is not currently used.

Authorize.Net www.authorizenet.com

Authorize.Net WebLink is an online, real-time credit card processing service which allows merchants to link their site to the Authorize.Net system by inserting a small block of HTML code into their transaction page. After an order is placed, the customer’s credit card information is encrypted and transferred securely via the Internet to the Authorize.Net server which relays the transaction to the bank network through a dedicated line. To use this service, merchants must have an Authorize.Net account with a reseller certified by the Visa and MasterCard associations (check their web site for instructions and a list of companies that activate accounts). Once your account is set up, the AuthorizeNet license and service agreement is completed and the payment method is configured to AuthorizeNet in iHTML, you have access to the payment system. Enter the login id provided by AuthorizeNet for use with their system. There is also a radio button for whether to ask for the credit card information or not. Typically this is set to no since the credit card information is obtained at the Authorize Net server.

WebTransact www.webtransact.net

WebTransact is the Merchant Account provider of choice for over 175 ISP's in North America. Online merchants worldwide receive Real Time Transaction Processing of all Major Credit Cards. Whether you already have a merchant account, or still need one, we can assist in every step of automating your online commerce system in over 75 countries. Our multi-currency program provides merchants valuable real time statistics, transaction reporting tools, merchant account maintenance tips, and business analysis tools. Our Turn-Key Online Real Time Processing Solution has been incorporated into the iHTML e-Commerce product. Best of all, you can get started with our Unique U.S. Merchant Rental Plan for $99 upfront, and the International plan for $199 upfront. No Leases ! No Contracts

WebTransact provides an easy to use format for both the WebMaster, Consumer, and Developer, with transactions conducted in over 165 currencies. Both the structure and processing system allow merchants to focus on more pressing aspects of their business, with the comfort and security of knowing that their Commerce System is automated. At the same time the consumer knows it can trust the online merchant because they are certified and authorized by WebTransact.

WorldSite www.worldsite.com

WorldSite is Southern California’s leading Internet business developer. They specialize in building Internet businesses from drawing-board concept to fully integrated e-business enterprise. From their Los Angeles headquarters and network operations center, WorldSite offers a turnkey solution including website design, Internet access and connectivity, payment processing, marketing analysis, database development and more.

WorldSite’s state-of-the-art facility has multiple DS-3 connections to the Internet backbone, ensuring a fast and reliable connection to ensure their clients are always ready for business. All of our products and services are backed by responsive and expert customer support. Our staff is here to handle questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Combill: The ComBill real-time payment processing system gives you a wide variety of payment options. With more options, you can offer your customers choices and set up payment types to match your products and services. ComBill can be configured to accept credit cards, debit cards and checks, or to process recurring payments. ComBillSM enables you to complete online transactions with exceptional security and reliability.


33

With ComBill you can design your own payment gateway by selecting from a range of billing options together with extensive fraud screening and security measures—all at a competitive rate. ComBill's unique transaction management and reporting tool makes it easy for you to access important customer information from the ComBill database to settle transactions, update information and generate sales reports.

NetCard: ComBill allows you to process real-time credit card transactions through NetCard credit card processing. This service lets you accept most major credit cards including Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and Japan Card. Debit cards with a Visa or MasterCard logo can be processed as a credit card without additional fees. And NetCard credit card processing includes connections to every major credit card processor, enabling ComBill to complete transactions with nearly every bank in the United States.

ClickPay www.clickpay.net

ClickPay is the first leading global provider of online transaction processing to offer end-to-end international payment solutions, including Internet merchant account, payment gateway and secure back-office with multi-currency and multi-lingual support.

Headquartered on Wall Street, in New York City, ClickPay has partnered with BNP-Paribas, the third largest European bank, and they promise to pass the benefits of our expertise on to you and your customers.

Echo www.echo-inc.com

Echo (Electronic Clearing House Inc.) has solutions you can use to build your retail, MOTO, homebased or Internet business. Large business or small, Echo helps make merchant accounts pay off for your business.

Electronic Clearing House, Inc. provides credit card processing, check guarantee, inventory trackingservices and various Internet services to over 19,000 retail merchants and U-Haul dealers across thenation. ECHO also designs, develops and manufactures software and point-of-sale hardware that is utilized as credit card processing terminals, automated money order dispensers, inventory tracking devices, and casino cash advance systems.

ClearCommerce www.clearcommerce.com

ClearCommerce is a leading provider of e-Commerce transaction processing software for thousands and thousands of merchants worldwide. ClearCommerce software features real-time credit card processing and robust Internet fraud protection, as well as online reports, storefront integration, back-end integration, shipping/tax calculation, and delivery of digital merchandise. Commerce Service Providers and online businesses alike rely on ClearCommerce's capacity to supply the sale.

Cardservice www.card-payment.com

Cardservice International is an independent credit card processor. Based in Agoura Hills, California, Cardservice assists merchants who provide products and services to businesses and consumers around the world.

Cardservice is one of the fastest growing transaction processing companies in the United States. Well known for its unsurpassed customer service, they offer a complete range of traditional and Internet consumer payment options. They have a rapidly growing customer base of over 150,000 merchants, processing an annual bank card volume in excess of 8 billion dollars.


34

LinkPoint API Payment Gateway: Cardservice's Linkpoint API enables the addition of secure socket layer (SSL) payment capabilities to our iHTML Merchant software. The SSL provides expanded payment options at the highest level of transaction security possible. With LinkPoint API in place, iHTML Merchant can ensure online merchants and shoppers advanced payment options and security.

PSiGate www.psigate.com

PSiGate offers world class credit card processing services, for merchants around the world. Dealing in real-time with all major Canadian banks, and over 300 US banks, PSiGate utilizes leading edge hardware and software. Partnering with Sun, Oracle and ClearCommerce, PSiGate offers a mission-critical, secure processing solution. They also provide merchant ids for Canadian merchants. By phone, they can be reached at 877-374-9444.

Signio Payflow Pro www.signio.com

(Formerly PaymentNet.) Signio Payflow Pro provides seamless connections across the Internet from e-Commerce applications to back-end financial processing networks, providing a multi-payment solution. Signio supports processing for all major credit cards, corporate purchase cards, Internet check purchases and automated clearinghouse (ACH) transactions. To better manage a company's transaction activity and account, Signio provides the Signio Manager, a web-based transaction management site that enables customers to produce customized reports, and issue off-line transactions using the Signio Transaction Terminal. As a reflection of Signio's dedication to customer satisfaction, Signio customer service representatives are available all day, every day through a 24-hour direct email response center. Signio offers their services for one flat monthly fee.

En-Cynk Services www.encynk.com

The following is a brief but comprehensive overview of the En-Cynk Real-Time Processing solutions. Although this will give you details as to how the service works, you should view the web site and take a test drive while reviewing this explanation.

Real Time: In today’s market we are told you should be processing transactions in Real Time. The question remains, what is real time? Most processing companies attempt to process transactions over the Internet, receive the transaction, and after a period of time gather up (batch) all the transactions for an approval. Once an approval or decline is received on the requested transaction, the consumer is e-mailed a response. This is not the case with the En-Cynk System. With En-Cynk, your transaction is approved or denied within one or two seconds. You never have to recall a customer and let them know their request has been denied.

Login: With the En-Cynk system, instant setup is obtained once your MasterCard and Visa provider assign a merchant number. This number is submitted to the En-Cynk Company and a temporary login and password is issued. With the login codes you are now free to process credit cards. One person from your company will be e-mailed the primary company log-in codes. This person can now add or inactivate as many users on to the En-Cynk system as they wish. This person will be responsible for the login passwords and administration of the service. Currently there is four levels of security (which are explained in the Admin Functions).

Credit Card Sale: Once you have the login code you are now ready to complete your first transaction. The system is set up for Address Verification Service (AVS), required by Visa and MasterCard to complete the lowest price transaction. Once you have entered all the information on the screen you execute the submit button. An "IN PROCESS" window will appear. This will indicate the transaction is processing and a response will be returned. Notice the transaction you have just entered is at the bottom


35

of the screen. With the response is all the information that has been gathered for the submitted transaction.

Creditnet.com www.creditnet.com

Credit Card Network has been providing realtime credit card processing solutions for Internet merchants since 1994. They service over 700 merchants across the United States and authorize thousands of credit card transactions daily. Their focus is to provide low-cost e-Commerce solutions for merchants who want to participate in the awesome growth of the online business community.

VERiFY ONLiNE www.verifyonline.com

VERiFY ONLiNE is a leading provider of online credit card transaction processing services. IPOSS, our Internet Point of Sale System has become an industry standard transaction solution because it is simple to integrate, feature rich, and supported by knowledgeable and friendly people. They offer premium service and professional value.

BCE Emergis www.sns.ca

Formerly SNS/ASSURE Corp., BCE Emergis provides a wide range of real-time electronic transaction processing, network management and value-added services and products to many different industries on a global basis. Its solutions are designed to complement each client’s technology investment. A cornerstone of the SNS/ASSURE strategy is to have its fault tolerant, continuous processing systems and network perceived as "neutral" within an industry sector, and to function as the client’s personalized network.

For the past 13 years SNS/ASSURE has provided electronic commerce and secure electronic payment services to customers in industries ranging from transportation to retail, healthcare and financial services. Its capabilities include credit and debit processing, network support services, health claims processing, electronic data interchange (EDI) and workflow and document management.

SNS/ASSURE offers sales and support capability through its offices worldwide.

email: [email protected]

ibill www.ibill.com

Internet Billing Company, Ltd., better known as ibill, is the worlds largest 3rd party billing company on the net today. ibill provides a complete circle of services that help any size website fulfill their ecommerce needs. Their services include credit cards, online checks and web900. Also, through their online reporting capabilities, ibill provides the most indepth statistical reporting to clients. ibill can have you ready to start taking orders within 48 hours. In addition, there is NO stoftware to learn, install or download, and NO setup fees. For more info, please contact [email protected] or see www.ibill.com.

WorldPay www.worldpay.com

Founded in 1993, Worldpay and their product/service offerings have expanded continuously, and are now in the enviable position of being able to provide potential merchants worldwide with any or all of the components required in order to establish a business online.

Specifically, they offer:


36

A range of any value, multi-currency payment systems that you can use to generate income from your online business.

Online stores, quickly and easily customized to your own business needs, with hosting for them if required.

A medium by which you can establish your presence and advertise your goods or services to customers worldwide.

Back-office management systems that allow you to maintain control of your customers, stock, orders and transactions.

Consulting services for a range of activities relating to online trading.

WorldPay's products and services are cost-effective, and allow you to commence generating income for your company quickly and easily, with the knowledge that your online business has the backing of a world class company providing tried and trusted, state of the art, bank approved e-Commerce. They are in a unique position worldwide in that we are able to approve up to 95% of all applicants for our multi-currency payment services, usually within 48 hours. During this time applicants can build their online store using one of a variety of other third party applications fully integrated with our payment systems.

WEBSHOP www.simcom.gr/webshop

WEBSHOP services are offered by Egnatia Bank, Greece's leading Bank in Internet Technologies. WEBSHOP is a super-secure credit card payment processor. It includes all security measurements (128-bit Java over 40-bit SSL,signed applets) and some SET characteristics . Merchants don't have to support secure e-Commerce applications. It supports only Visa cards and an online authorization takes only a few seconds. Merchants can monitor their transactions on-line through the WEBSHOP-ADMIN , once they are registered members of the service. To visit the webpage in English, the username is “webshop”, password is “password”.

Total Merchant Services www.tms2.com

Total Merchant Manager Virtual Terminal performs all the functions of a physical credit card/check processing box, conveniently accessed over the Internet through a secure web page interface. The TMM VT is fully integrated with the iHTML Shopping cart making realtime, secure credit card/check processing and setup of your online business a snap. TMS includes an Internet Merchant Account with the lowest discount rates available for all iHTML clients at no additional charge. For more information on getting started today, so that you can accept cards tomorrow, visit http://www.tms2.com/app.asp , to fill out the express application. A TMS agent will contact you within 48 hours.

The Processing Network www.processing.net

You're going to need more than credit card processing and e-Commerce software to succeed in today's online market. That's why TPN adds a full line of high quality services from order fulfillment, domestic and international shipping and warehousing, premium fraud detection, web site design and hosting, and low rate merchant acounts to shopping carts and realtime credit card processing. You won't receive form emails or find long lists of FAQs to pour through. At TPN we value our relationships with our clients and strive to serve you on a personal level.

First Data Services www.firstdatacorp.com

SurePay: First Data Corp. a leader in electronic commerce and payment services, unveils the industry's first stand-alone payment gateway - SurePaySM - supporting credit, check and cash payments over the internet. The SurePaySM gateway service enables Internet merchants to accept and process check payments in real time using the TeleCheck ® Internet Check Acceptance SM service, offering consumers a convenient alternative in on-line payment options. For more information call 1-800-727-3563 x8508.


37

TeleCheck: TeleCheck is the world’s leading provider of paper and electronic check services, helping more than 210,000 retail, financial institution, grocery and other industry clients to increase their profitability, reduce risk and streamline operations. TeleCheck’s check acceptance and electronic commerce solutions help businesses safely and efficiently accept payment at the point of sale, by telephone, over the Internet, and through recurring ACH payments. TeleCheck services are offered through a sales and service network in more than 90 cities in the United States and in Canada, Puerto Rico, Australia and New Zealand. In 1998, TeleCheck authorized more than $112 billion in checks, representing 2.2 billion transactions. For more information about TeleCheck, visit the Internet site at www.telecheck.com.

The TeleCheck® Internet Check AcceptanceSM service, provides real-time authorizations of encrypted check data, settles transactions electronically through the Automated Clearing House (ACH) network and guarantees the timely deposit of funds into the merchant’s account. The process is simple and is as quick, easy and safe as accepting credit cards over the Internet. The consumer completes an on-line authorization and payment form with information off their check and the encrypted check data is then securely transmitted to TeleCheck. The payment information is matched against TeleCheck’s extensive positive and negative databases and evaluated for fraud risk and within seconds, an approval code is returned to the merchant.

With the TeleCheck® Internet Check AcceptanceSM service, merchants can increase market share by offering an additional payment method while accelerating cash flow and eliminating returned checks and C.O.D. problems. Consumers benefit by receiving their merchandise more quickly since the merchant doesn’t have to wait for a check to be mailed in and processed before shipping an order. Checks are the most widely used non-cash payment method for point-of-sale transactions. Telecheck recognizes that as shopping on the Internet broadens and becomes more mainstream, consumers will demand the same payment choices they have at brick and mortar establishments.

CyberSource www.cybersource.com

CyberSource is a leading developer and provider of e-Commerce transaction services, and a pioneer in the area of Internet fraud detection. Over a thousand Internet merchants have chosen to use CyberSource services. CyberSource provides mission-critical reliability with the CyberSource Internet Commerce Suite, offering merchant-controlled, real-time services including, Payment Services, Tax Services, Risk Management Services, Distribution Control Services, and Fulfillment Management Services. Customers of CyberSource include leading Internet merchants and businesses selling online including Amazon.com, Beyond.com, BUY.COM, Casio, Compaq Computer, Egghead.com, nike.com, Remedy and Shopping.com.

Redi-Check www.redicheck.comiTransact www.itransact.com

The Redi-Check system can handle both cheques and credit card transactions. There are a number of fields to set up in the commerce administration screens. This information is explained below.

Merchant Number: The merchant number issued when you sign up with Redi-Check Accept: This is what you have arranged with Redi-Check to accept.

Both (No Guarantee) – Accept both credit cards and checks (without check guarantee service.)

Both (Guarantee) – Accept both credit cards and checks (with check guarantee service.)

Checks (Guarantee) – Accept only checks (with guarantee service.)

Checks (No Guarantee) – Accept only checks (without guarantee service.)


38

Credit Cards – Accept only Credit Cards.

The Guarantee is also applicable if you are doing check verification.

The following is from the Redi-Check Site:

CHECK GUARANTEE

Along with standard ABA verification, the customer's information is passed though a national verification database supplied by Welcome America! Risk Management Corporation. If a guaranteed check bounces because of insufficient funds, you will be paid the full amount of the check. To achieve this, each ABA number is verified with the Federal Reserve database and the customer's ID (driver's license, state ID, or Social Security number) is passed through the national verification system. If the customer's ID and the ABA number pass both verification systems, a guarantee code is generated and the check is printed. Please note that check guarantee does not cover checks when the account number is entered incorrectly, either inadvertently or fraudulently.

CHECK VERIFICATION

This system is similar to what large retail stores use. Along with the standard ABA verification, the customer's checking account information is passed through a national verification database supplied by Welcome America!. These checks are scrutinized just as guaranteed checks would be. If the account number does not pass this verification, the check is not processed. If a verified check does happen to bounce, Welcome America! will attempt collection on your behalf. All collected funds are paid to you in full, as well as part of the check recovery charge. Welcome America! verification and collection procedures are 99.8% effective.

PGP Verification: If you wish to verify that the data passed back from Redi-Check is a correct and valid order you need to set this to true. All approved orders from Redi-Check are returned with their PGP signature.

PGP Signature ID: This is Redi-Checks PGP ID and should not need to be changed unless they change their PGP key. PGP Text: This is the name on the PGP signature and should not need to be changed unless they change their PGP key. PGP Path: If using PGP Verification then this should be the path to the PGP executable. This has been tested and found to work with both the US and International versions of PGP. Host: This is the URL to the form at the Redi-Check site; this should not need to be changed unless Redi-Check moves the order page.

After entering the credit card information, a form is created to pass to Redi-Check and the client must press enter to submit the form. This form includes extensive order information. (product, quantity, total tax, total freight, etc.)

Redi-Check processes the order and if everything is approved the client is then returned to the store. The pass back function of Redi-Check is used to return successful transaction information.

A PGP signature is also included so that we can verify the order details. If the store owner has elected not to use the PGP verification then the verification information is stripped off and stored in a file in the admin/RCSigs directory.


39

The assumption is made at this point that all procedures have been successful, but we don’t really know as we didn’t verify anything. We assume then, that the store will allow the order to complete.

If the store owner is using PGP verification, then the signature is verified by calling the DOS version of PGP and if the signature is accepted then the PGP signature is stored in admin/RCSigs directory and normally post order processing continues.

The files stored in admin/RCSigs are in the form ##.sig where ## is the order number that the signature belongs to.

The batch file for calling PGP is stored in the admin/RCSigs directory and is created when any of the Redi-Check PGP information is altered.

Email

This payment method does not clear the credit card but simply stores the data in the store owners record and emails the mall owner about the need for payment. The credit card can be cleared by any normal off-line method. Enter the email address to send the billing information to and any extra email addresses separated by commas.

This is an insecure method of processing payments and some customers may be wary of it.

Credit Card Support:

Check-off the credit cards supported by your store. The credit card logos will appear in the Get a Store screen in the mall front-end to let potential customers know which cards you support.

The Get A Store option will only appear after a billing plan has been added.

Once you have completed the E-commerce section, press the Save >> button to implement your modifications. Press the Cancel button to ignore any changes that were made.

2.2.4 Tax Setup

General Tax Options: The tax system in the iHTML Merchant Mall is designed to handle both North American and International tax systems. To make modifications to the tax system, select Site from the Main Manager menu and Tax Rates on the left hand menu. By default, the tax system is enabled. If you want the tax system disabled, choose the No radio button.

The tax table has been pre-loaded with all Canadian provinces and US states and their respective tax rates at the time of publication. Inline takes no responsibility for the accuracy of this information. You MUST verify the tax rates that are applicable for your own situation.

The tax management screens are different depending on the selection made for the tax mode. North American merchants should use the Calculate Tax By State or Province and merchants from the rest of the world should use Calculate Tax Using Tax Tables.

These taxes can be applied to either the Retail price or Wholesale price by selecting the appropriate radio button.


N o t e

N o t e

40

Any discount pricing and/or member’s rates are classified as Retail price.

The iHTML Merchant Mall allows the use of three tax rates, which can be named. A drop-down menu indicates when to use each of the tax rate options. Figure 2.2-1 shows the tax rate options in the Mall Manager.

Figure 2.2-1 Tax Setup Options

2.2.4.1 North American Taxes

This sub-section is for merchants whose stores are based in North America:

Not all North American states and provinces charge a retail sales tax. The database included with the Merchant Mall system contains each state and province and their tax rates. This information has NOT been verified and MUST be checked by the user for accuracy. Inline provides no guarantee on the accuracy of this data. It is the responsibility of the merchant to charge appropriate sale taxes.

The following is an example of how the North American tax system works. When using this tax system, remember to select the Calculate Tax By State or Province option. If the business using the Merchant Mall system resides in Ontario (ON), Canada, every customer making a purchase from Ontario should be charged the first tax, PST or Provincial Sales Tax, as well as the second tax, which is the federal tax known as the GST. If the purchase is made by someone from another province in Canada, only the GST would be charged. Therefore, the entries in the table for the other provinces would not have a check in the box except for ON. All of the Canadian provinces would have a check in them, all of the US states would not have a check in any field. If a third tax, for example county or city, had to be applied this could be entered into the third tax column. The taxes are to be remitted by the purchasers on their own. A merchant with multiple locations has to charge tax for each jurisdiction so each one must be set up with the appropriate tax rates for the locations that are applicable. The merchant ships with all the taxes turned off (not checked), therefore, you must turn on the entries for your particular situation.

2.2.4.2 Non-North American Taxes

This sub-section is for international merchants whose stores are based outside of North America:

The iHTML Merchant Mall has the ability to assign three different tax rates to each product. This is not required for all countries.


N o t e

41

Some countries, like New Zealand and Australia have a Federal Sales Tax system where one tax type is charged to everyone. Others have systems similar to North America where there are different bodies collecting tax (Hence the 3 different tax "types"). Countries often have different tax rates depending on the type of product being sold (Australia and Netherlands are two examples). The drop-down box controls to whom each tax applies.

Example:

Australia:

0% Rate (No Tax)1.2% Rate (Some Software)17.5% Rate (Modems)22% (Most Goods)35% (Luxury Items)

Set Tax1's Name to Sales Tax, and disable Tax2 and Tax3 off. As Australia has a National Sales Tax system you would either select National or All (National will charge tax only to people within Australia). Enter the above rates in Tax Table 1.

You now have a fully functional Tax System for Australia. (Because Australia charges sales tax on the wholesale price, not retail, you must select the Wholesale button.)

If Australia had a State level tax then enter this as Tax2 with a setting of "In Our State."

The Merchant Mall is capable of handling comma tax rates (i.e. as in the Greek tax system) as well as standard decimal rates.

2.2.5 Banner Ads

The iHTML Merchant Mall system allows for the display of banner advertisements throughout the site. To add, edit, copy or delete banners from the system, access the Mall Manager section and select Site. From the left-hand menu select Banner Ads. This will display thumbnail images of the ads currently in the system, with options to add, edit, delete and copy each ad. To Edit, click on the appropriate banner or select its respective radio button and press Next. To add a banner, click the New Ad button at the bottom. To Copy or Delete an ad, click on the hot-links in the banner information boxes. Adding, copying or editing a banner will require the following information:

Image Filename: This is the name of the ad’s graphic file. The Upload button can be used to upload an image. The format is banners/filename.gif. The Pick button can be used to select a file already in the banners directory.

“ALT” Text: This is the alternate text to display for non-graphical web browsers or for those people that surf with graphics turned off.

URL to Link: This is the URL to link the banner to if it is clicked. The Merchant Mall system will redirect to this location after recording the click.

Image Size: This controls the size of the banner ad. The height and width fields are used to resize the image. For both these fields, the ? button can be used to read the size of the image directly from the file.


N o t e

42

Target Frame: This is the target frame to load the banner into. The options are _top, _bottom and none. Only use the Target Frame field if you wish to display the ad in one particular frame.

Rotation Weight: The rotation weight is used by the merchant to decide on how often a banner is to be displayed on the web site . The rotation weights of all the banners in the system are added together. The rotation weight of an individual banner is divided by the total rotation weights to get a percentage of how often the banner will be displayed.

Start Date: With the iHTML Merchant it is possible to set a time frame that an ad will be valid. Enter the start date in this field.

End Date: Enter the ending date of an ad's run into this field. The End date must be after the Start date for this feature to work.

Maximum Impressions: It is also possible to set a maximum number of impressions for a particular ad to be displayed. Enter that number in this field.

Maximum Click Thrus: The iHTML Merchant Mall allows the specification of a maximum number of clicks on an ad. Enter that number in this field.

Linked Zone: Ads can be linked to particular zones, so that they only appear on the appropriate zone page. This field has a drop down list of all the zones in the merchant database. It is possible to tie an ad to a zone by selecting one from this list. Choose the Set to None attribute for no specified association.

Linked Store: Ads can also be linked to particular stores. This field has a drop-down list of all the stores in the mall database. It is possible to tie an ad to a particular store by selecting one from this list. Set this attribute to None for no specified association.

Keywords: The banner ads can also be tied to key words in the search mechanism of the store front. Enter the keywords for this particular ad in this field. If one of these words is entered in the search, then this ad will be selected for display. For example, when you type in the word “books” in this field, the ad will appear every time a customer types “books” into the search field.

Comments: This field is simply available to enter comments about this particular banner. This field is strictly for reference purposes and nothing is done with the information entered into this field.

Once the new ad information has been entered, press the Save Banner button to save the changes. The banner ad information is now entered into the Merchant Mall system. To clear the new ad information, press the Reset Changes button.

To view statistics on the banner ads, click the Banner Statistics option in the left-hand menu under the Reports section. To bring up the statistics for an ad, click on the appropriate thumbnail or the title of the ad from the information summary box. As well, you can select the ad using the radio button and press Next >>. The individual statistics pages can show when the ad campaign began, when it ends, the days remaining in the campaign, the maximum number of views, the maximum number of clicks, the number of views and the number of clicks and views remaining. To reset the views and clicks, press the reset buttons in the statistics report for the ad.

2.2.6 Server Setup

When new stores are setup, there are pieces of information that are required and can be filled in automatically. That information is retrieved from the fields on this screen. To edit these settings, access the Mall Manager section and select Site. From the left hand menu select Server Setup. The following fields are displayed on the screen:


43

New Store Root URL: This is the base URL for a new store. This can be overridden when a new store is added but acts as a default. This is typically the full URL for the mall, i.e.: http://www.domain.com/mall/stores. When a new store is added, the store URL might be something like http://www.domain.com/mall/storename/

If you have new stores being stored in a dedicated store directory, then this directory must exist before you can create a new store.

New Store Root: This is the hard drive location that acts as the root directory. When a new store is added, it will go into a sub-directory off this directory regardless of the URL. Note that the web server must still have a mapping added to it if the store URL is not a sub-directory of the Mall URL. In general, this entry should be the same hard drive location (with drive letter if on Windows) as the directory the Mall was installed into.

Mall Root: This is the hard drive locations that acts as the root mall directory. This entry should be the same hard drive location (with drive letter if on Windows) as the directory the Mall was installed into.

Template Directory: This is the hard drive location that acts as the template directory, where all templates are stored. When a new template is added, it will go into a sub-directory off this directory. In general, this entry should be the same hard drive location (with drive letter if on Windows) as the directory the Mall was installed into, i.e. http://www.domain.com/mall/manager/template.

Default Datasource: This is the default datasource to use for each store and should not be changed. The file datasource.inc will be written out with this information in it, if it is wrong, the store will not work. This should be the same datasource as the Mall itself uses since all stores go into the same database in the SQL server. They are differentiated by a store identification field from other stores.

Default Login: This is the login information for the stores and mall and should not be changed. The file datasource.inc will be written out with this information in it, if it is wrong, the store will not work. This should be the same login as the Mall itself uses since all stores go into the same database in the SQL server. They are differentiated by a store identification field from other stores. Figure 2.2-2 shows the server information window in the Mall Manager.


N o t e

44

Figure 2.2-2 Server Information Window

Once you have completed the Server Setup section, press the Save >> button to implement your modifications. Press the Cancel button to ignore any changes that were made.

2.2.7 Content Editor

The Content Editor changes the text and content of various pages in the Mall. To use the Content Editor, access the Mall Manager and select the Site section. From the left-hand menu, select the Content Editor. The Content Editor enables you to change the text of any of the following mall pages: the Home, Store Directory, Feedback, About, News, Search and Get A Store.

To do so, select the radio button for the page you wish to change and press the Next >> button. This will bring up text box. In this box, type any text you would like to appear on the page. You can add any HTML code in this box including that created by any HTML editor program. Use the Quick Commands bar at the top to alter font, type style or justification as well as insert paragraphs, lines and breaks without using any HTML code. Quick Commands also lets you insert commonly-used pieces of text or functions, such as the name of the store, date or currency prices in which prices are quoted. Click the >> button after selecting the command you want, and type your text. Undo allows you to erase all text and functions you have entered in the current editing session. Clear erases everything in the text box, including and defaults or previously entered information. Click the Save button to implement any of the changes made.

2.2.8 Store Templates


45

The iHTML Merchant Mall allows for the creation of stores with complete templates. These templates that change the look and feel of an entire store without the owner having to make modifications to the source code. A template is a set of HTML files that determine the appearance of a store. Mall owners can choose which templates they will make available to their customers by selecting Site from the main manager toolbar and then Store Templates from the left hand menu.

A page is shown that displays all the templates that the Merchant Mall system currently has available. Each template still uses the colour, background and other settings from the General setup. To view each of the templates, select the name from the left hand select box. The template window will change with a preview image for that template. Templates can be added, copied or deleted from the system by using the radio buttons at the bottom of the screen and pressing Continue >>.

New templates can be obtained from the iHTML Merchant web site at http://www.ihtmlmerchant.com as they become available. Deleted templates are permanently removed from the server and will no longer be available to your customers. See "How to create a new template" in this manual for more details on creating and submitting new templates to Inline.

2.2.9 View/Purge Visitor Log

The iHTML Mall allows you to view all the users that have accessed the mall home page. The visitor log displays the Date and Time of the visit, a link to the Referer site, the IP Address of the visitor and the Browser they are using. Each visit to the site is logged.

The Purge Visitor Log feature allows you to delete the entire visitor log.

2.3 Stores After you have configured you own site, the next step is to begin configuring the contents of the mall. To do so, select Stores from the Main Manager toolbar. From this section, mall managers can create, edit, deactivate and delete stores and zones, as well as contact customers, manage and send newsletters, limit features by setting defaults and export contacts. Most of the management of your mall should be performed in this section.

2.3.1 Browse Mall

Select Browse Mall from the left-hand menu to begin configuring the stores and zones in your mall. Note that you can also use the Add Store, Add Zone and List Stores links to be taken directly to the appropriate manager screens. The Windows-like directory structure makes it easy to browse through your mall. Clicking on the main folder, which should bear the title of your site, will take you to the Site Properties screen (see section 2.2.1).

2.3.1.1 Adding a Zone

The stores in the iHTML Merchant Mall system can be separated by the Mall Manager into zones. Zones are commonly used to divide your stores into interest or specialties so that browsing is easier for customers. Top-level zones are called Parent Zones and can be subdivided into unlimited Child Zones. Each store may be placed in any level of zone. For example, a store selling Internet-related software could be placed in a child zone of Software under a parent zone of Computers. Stores which are not placed in any zone are termed “orphan” stores and are hidden in the mall's front-end. Think of a zone as a category of store. Figure 2.3-1 shows a zone directory in the Mall Manager.


46

Figure 2.3-1 Store/Zone Directory

To add a new parent zone, press the Add Zone link in the left-hand menu or the Add New Parent Zone folder icon with the blue star at the bottom of the Store/Zone Selection section. To add a new Child Zone, select the zone to add the child zone to and a Add New Child Zone folder will be displayed underneath the selected zone. Once you have selected the Add New Child Zone, you will encounter the fields described below:

Zone Name: This is the name of the zone that will appear in the mall front-end. Examples of zone names include: Clothing, Music, Books, etc.

Description: Enter into this text box any zone description that would be valuable to the customer.

Picture: This field is for the filename of any graphic you would like associated with this zone. Use the Upload button to upload graphics to your machine, or use the Pick button to choose from the files currently on your server.

Visible: Use the radio buttons to make this zone either visible or invisible to customers in the mall front-end. You may want to keep zones without any stores in them hidden from your customers. This is also handy when initially setting up a new Zone so it can "go live" with stores in it already once they are set up.

Parent Zone: If you are creating a top-level or parent zone, select No Parent Zone from the drop-down menu. If you are adding a child zone, select the appropriate parent zone for this new child zone.


47

The same fields apply when you are modifying an existing zone. Press the Save >> button to implement your changes into the Mall System. Press the Cancel button if you changed your mind about adding a zone. When editing a zone, you may want to change just a few of the above fields and create a completely new zone. To do this, press the Save As New button.

2.3.1.2 Adding a Store

Select the Add Store link in the left hand menu or the computer-shaped icon that says Add New Store at the bottom of the Store/Zone Selection section to access this feature. The series of screens that follow allow mall managers to setup and configure stores for themselves or customers. Enter information into the appropriate fields that are described below:

Contact Information:Company Name, Contact, Address, City, State & Zip, Country, Phone, Fax: In this section, all fields except the fax number field must be filled in with information pertaining to the store. The Merchant Mall system will save this information to the stores Site Properties page, speeding the site configuration process on their side.

Primary E-mail: This must be a valid e-mail address. This field is used for the Mail Center and Newsletters function, as well as Thank You messages and invoices to the store visitor that makes a purchase. It is very important that this email address be correct.

Once the above information is entered, press the Continue >> button to move to the next page described below.

Billing Mode:Plan Name: The iHTML Merchant Mall system offers several different types of billing methods. From the drop-down menu, select the plan that you wish to use for the new store. You can change this plan at any time by modifying the store properties. To create new plans, select from the types below or go to the Billing Menu. Check the appropriate radio button and press Continue >>.

Standard: If you use this plan, the customer pays a definable flat hosting charge every period, with no additional surcharges or commissions. Note that this option allows you to configure a setup charge, billing cycle (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or annually), base rate, maximum number of products, maximum number of categories, payment method (credit card or email invoice).

Base + Per Order Charge: This plan includes a regular monthly hosting rate plus an additional fee for each transaction processed through their Merchant Web Site. Note that this option allows you to configure a setup charge, billing cycle (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or annually), base rate, per order charge, maximum number of products, maximum number of categories and payment method (credit card or email invoice).

Base + Percent of Sales: By selecting this plan, you charge the customer for regular monthly hosting plus a percentage of all sales processed through their Merchant Web Site. Note that this option allows you to configure a setup charge, billing cycle (monthly, quarterly, bi-annually or annually), base rate, percent of sales, maximum number of products, maximum number of categories and payment method (credit card or email invoice).

Free: Customers under this plan will pay no monthly hosting charges, transaction fees or commission. This option, however, does allow the mall manager to define a setup fee. You may wish to select this option for self-owned or demo stores.

The Billing Details information will be displayed based on the plan selected. The bottom of the screen will display the tax options charged to this store. The names of the taxes will change based on the


48

information you have entered for them. Into each of the three tax boxes, put the appropriate tax rate to charge the store for their billing plan. Enter in a number so that for 7%, enter 7. Once the above information is entered, press the Continue >> button to move to the next page described below.

Site Information: Each store in your mall can function independently of the mall site. Use this form to configure some of the initial options for the Merchant site (information appears in the Site Properties section of the Enterprise administration screens). Once you have added the store, you will be able to configure further options.

Server Sub-directory: This field requires the filename for the store’s sub-directory on the server. This is just the sub-directory name and not the entire path. This may be the same as the trailing part of the store's URL if using the Mall URL and store sub-directory. (i.e.: storename)

Web Site Title: This field is for the title of the web store.

Site URL: Enter the store’s URL including the protocol (i.e. http://www.malldomain.com/storename). The URL in this field should be automatically generated if you fill in the server sub-directory first based on the server settings entered in section 2.2.6

Section/Zone: Select the Zone(s) under which you would like this store to be displayed. Multiple store zones are allowed. Select “Orphan Store” if you do not want the store under any of the currently existing zones. Zones that have an (x) beside them are inactive and the store will not show in the Mall, if it is put into one of these zones.

Site Template: Select the template you wish the customer to use initially. They can always change this through their own administration screens. To select a template, select one from the list provided. The image will change to reflect the template being chosen.

Once the above information is entered, press the Continue >> button to move to the next page described below.

Security and Appearance: The default security for the store administration screens can be set here. A username and password must be entered Note that the store documentation references administrator as the default username and password as the default password so it might be a good idea to stick with those. It is still recommended that security be added to the web server separately, for this stores administration directory.

Logo Graphics: The logo for the store can be set and uploaded from this page if desired. It can also be picked from the default logos provided in the store.

Description: This is the description that will show on the home page of the store. In general, you can leave this blank as the store owner is likely to change it anyway.

Once the above information is entered, press the Continue >> button to move to the next page which gives a review page of the information that was selected and entered during the new store setup process. Press the Create Store button to setup the new store. Once complete a message will be displayed indicating that the store was successfully setup.

2.3.1.3 Managing and Editing a Store

The same fields as described in section 2.3.1.2 apply when you are modifying an existing store. Follow the screens as in this section and press the Save >> button to implement your changes to the store. Press the Cancel button if you changed your mind about editing/managing the store.


49

2.3.1.4 Managing Stores and Zones

Selecting Parent Zone folders will reveal the Child Zones and stores within. Use the buttons and screens in the Browse Mall section to deactivate, activate, browse, edit or delete your zones and stores.

Turn Zone/Store off: The green switch button indicates that a given zone or store is currently activated. Clicking on it allows you to turn off a zone or store so that you can make changes. Changes can be made while the store or zone is activated, but turning it off prevents customers from viewing it in the mall front-end during modification.

Turn Zone/Store on: The red switch button indicates that a given zone or store is currently deactivated for modification purposes. To turn it on, click on the button. This will make the zone or store visible to customers. Zones that are turned off will show with a Pink background in the Zone list.

Edit Zone/Store: Clicking on the edit button allows mall managers to make modifications to the appropriate zone/store. The fields for editing a zone or store are identical to the fields for adding a zone or store. See Section 2.3.1.2 for more information on adding and managing a store.

Browse Store: Pressing a specific store’s Browse button will take you to the site URL.

Delete Zone/Store: Press this button to delete a zone or store.

2.3.1.5 List Stores

This option will display a select box with all the stores that are in the Mall. This is a quick way to find a store without knowing which zone it is located in. To get to this option, , select List Stores from the left-hand menu that is displayed when selecting Stores from the top menu.

Select the store to manage from the list and press the Next >> button. See Section 2.3.1.2 for more information on managing the store.

2.3.2 Mail Center

The Merchant Mall Mail Center allows mall managers to contact any of their customers, correspond with companies interested in new stores and publish mall newsletters. To access these features, select Mail Center from the left-hand menu under the Stores section. The options on the Mail Center page allow you to contact a store manager or send a mall newsletter. Use the radio buttons to select the desired action and then press Continue >>.

Contact a Store’s Manager: Select Recipient Store(s) Below: The Merchant Mall system allows you to contact the manager of any number of stores via email. Choose the appropriate store(s) from the drop-down box, pressing down the CTRL key to do multiple selections from the list.

Subject: This field should indicate your reason for sending the message.

Message: Type your message into the text box. If you have chosen to contact more than one store manager, remember to make your greeting and message generic.

Once you are finished entering your message and its subject and recipient, press Send >>. The message will be sent to the store owners you selected.


50

Send a Mall Newsletter:This link takes you directly to the Newsletter section. See Section 2.3.3 for more information on Newsletter fields.

2.3.3 Newsletters

The newsletter system allows Merchant Mall owners to manage bulk correspondence with store managers. It can be used to send important messages about upcoming events, new site releases, mall statistics, store successes etc. Under Newsletters in the Stores section, use the radio buttons to select whether you wish to create and send a new newsletter or send, edit or delete an existing one.

Create/Send a New Newsletter

To create a new newsletter, select the appropriate radio button and press Next >>. You can decide whether to send the newsletter to all store managers or only to those under specific zones or billing plans. Select the group of store owners to send the newsletter to from the select boxes using the CTRL key to make multiple selections. The specified radio button must be selected to do this. Press the Next >> button to move to the next page in creating a newsletter.

Enter a subject and type your news in the text box provided. Since this will be sent via email, plain text messages are preferable. You can save your message by checking the Save check box , giving the file a name and pressing Next >>. The newsletter will then be sent to the recipients that you specified and a confirmation screen will be displayed. The newsletter is also sent to the Mall owner. Press the Done button to return to main Newsletter management screen.

Load/Send a Saved Newsletter

To load and send a saved newsletter, select the appropriate radio button and press Next >>. A list of saved newsletters are displayed in a select box. Select the newsletter to send. Select the group of store owners to send the newsletter to from the select boxes using the CTRL key to make multiple selections. The specified radio button must be selected to do this. Press the Next >> button to move to the next page in loading the newsletter.

The newsletter can be edited at this stage. Enter a subject and type your news in the text box provided. You can resave your message by checking the Save or Save as check box , giving the file a name if the Save As box was checked and pressing Next >>. The newsletter will then be sent to the recipients that you specified and a confirmation screen will be displayed. The newsletter is also sent to the Mall owner. Press the Done button to return to main Newsletter management screen.

Delete a Saved Newsletter

To delete a saved newsletter, select the appropriate radio button and press Next >>. A list of saved newsletters are displayed in a select box. Select the newsletter to remove and press the Continue button. The newsletter will be removed. Press the Done button to return to main Newsletter management screen.

Edit a Saved Newsletter

To edit a saved newsletter, select the appropriate radio button and press Next >>. >>. A list of saved newsletters are displayed in a select box. Select the newsletter to edit. A page will be displayed with the body of the newsletter. Make any changes to the text. If you want to send this newsletter to someone, check the Send To box and type in the email address. Multiple email addresses can be entered if separated by commas. Press the Next >> button to save the changes. Press the Done button on the next page to return to main Newsletter management screen.


51

2.3.4 Export Contacts

This function allows the export of the contact information for the store owners in a comma or tab delimited format. To use this feature, select the Export Contacts option under the left-hand menu of the Stores section in the Mall Manager.

A list of fields from the store database will be displayed in a select box. Pick the fields to export using the CTRL key to select multiple fields. There is a radio button to choose between the formats, comma and tab delimited. There is also a check box to indicate whether the field names should be included in the first row of the export. Once all selections have been made, press the Begin Export button. This will bring up a Save As box in the browser into which you can specify a file name and path to save the information to your local hard drive.

2.3.5 Set Defaults

The iHTML Merchant Mall system allows mall managers to maintain tight control over the capabilities of their stores. Using this function, you can limit the functionality of stores based on the cost of their registration package. If you do not set any limits, all features will be available to all customers. Select Set Defaults and use the subsequent screens to set the default features for new stores, by turning the desired ones on and all others off.

The following are all the subsystems that can be turned on and off:

Template - this determines if the store owner can change templates

Shopping - this determines if the store owner can charge and manage shipping costs

Promotional - this relates to the search engine submission features and meta tag creation tool

Image Maintenance - this relates to the ability to upload, view, delete and manage graphics files

Inventory Control - this allows the store owner to have inventory control in their store

Affiliate - this determines if the store owner can have an affiliate program

Customer Management - this determines if the store owner can manage the customer records

Email - this allows the store owner to send out emails to their customers

Banner Ads - this allows the store owner to run banner advertisements in the store

Subscription - the allows the store owner to sell and manage products with subscriptions

Electronic Software Delivery - this allows the store owner to offer products for electronic deliveryCustom Catalog - this determines whether the store offers a custom catalog to it's visitorsAccount Ordering - this determines if the store can offer customers to purchase on accountMasterbasket - this allows the store owner to decide whether or not to use the Mall checkout

Once you have completed the Set Defaults section, press the Continue >> button at the bottom of the form to implement your modifications. Press the Cancel button to ignore any changes that were made.

Once you press the Continue >>, the Saving Default Setup window appears. This window shows you the status of all the default settings. For example, if you have turned off one of the above subsystems in the previous window, the subsystem will be wet to “Disabling”. Figure 2.3-1 shows this status window.


52

Figure 2.3-2 Status Window for Default Settings

The right-most column of this window shows the status of the default changes. When the default setup is complete, you will receive a message that confirms the changes you have made.

2.4 ReportsThis section generates reports on the daily and monthly sales figures of all stores as well as banner ad statistics for the mall site itself. These reports can be useful for promoting the mall to potential store managers, advertisers and customers. Select Reports from the Main Manager toolbar and then select the appropriate report from the left-hand menu.

2.4.1 Daily Sales

The Daily Sales Report function will allow you to quickly and easily generate a report showing the volume of sales generated daily by the stores in your mall. Once you select this link, a radio button calendar of the current month will appear. Change the month using the Previous Month and Next Month links, and select the date for which you want a sales report for the whole mall generated. Then press Next >>.

Under the Optional Filters section, you can select to view only the sales of specific stores, zones or billing plans. Check the appropriate box for these selections and use the CTRL do make multiple picks from the select boxes. It is also possible to exclude stores that have no sales for the specified date. The report generated lists the stores, the number of orders and the sales totals. If you wish to view a more detailed recorded of a stores sales and order details for the day, click on the store name. After you have made all your changes, press Next >>.

The next window generates the Daily Sales Report for the dates and stores you specified. Press the Back >> button to edit any changes. Press the Finished button to return to the Daily Sales Report.

2.4.2 Monthly Sales

The Monthly Sales Report function will quickly and easily generate a report showing the volume


53

of sales generated monthly by the stores in the mall. Once you select this link from the left-hand menu, a radio button calendar of the current year will appear. Change the year using the Previous Year and Next Year links, and select the month for which you want a sales report for the whole mall . Then press Next >>.

Under the Optional Filters section, you can select to view only the sales of selected stores, zones or billing plans. Check the appropriate box for these selections and use the CTRL do make multiple picks from the select boxes. It is also possible to exclude stores that have no sales for the specified month. The report generated lists the stores, the number of orders and the sales totals. Click on the name of any store to view a more detailed record of their sales and order details for the month. After you have made all your changes, press the Next >> button. The next window generates the Monthly Sales Report for the dates and the stores you specified. Press the Back >> button to edit any changes. Press the Finished button to return to the Monthly Sales Report.

2.4.3 Banner Statistics

The iHTML Merchant Mall system includes a powerful tracking system for the Mall banner advertisements. To access this feature, select Banner Statistics from the left-hand menu under the Reports section. This will display thumbnails of each advertisement in the system. To view the statistics for an ad, click on the appropriate thumbnail or the title of the ad from the information summary box. As well, you can select the ad using the radio button and press Next >>.

The individual statistics pages show when the ad campaign began, when it ends, the days remaining in the campaign, the maximum number of views, the maximum number of clicks, the number of views and the number of clicks and views remaining. The merchant is given the ability to reset views and clicks using the buttons in every statistics report. Press the Back << button to return to the menu of ads and to view statistics of additional banner ads.

Selecting the New Ad button will bring up the Add Banner feature. See Section 2.2.5 for more information on adding banner ads.

Selecting the Manage Ads button will bring up the list of ads. See Section 2.2.5 for more information on editing banner ads.

2.5 BillingThis section allows you to perform manual invoicing, set up automatic billing, view account histories, create and edit billing plans and check billing. To perform these functions, click the Billing link in the Main Manager toolbar.

2.5.1 Manual Billing

The Manual Billing Wizard allows you to create invoices for the stores in your mall quickly and easily. To get started, choose Manual Billing from the left-hand menu. From the select box, select the store for which you wish to generate an invoice, then click the Next>> button. This will bring up an information box with the customer’s current address, contact information and payment method. It will contain the billing period based on the plan definition, the plan name and the price. It is also possible to enter a discount amount at this stage. Once all the information has been confirmed, press the Create >> button. Press the Cancel >> button to choose another store.

An invoice will be generated and emailed to the store owner. A screen with the invoice number and status will be displayed. At this point, the invoice can be made void or it can be approved. By approving an invoice, it will be marked as paid. Press the Back>> Button to generate another invoice.


54

2.5.2 Open Invoices

When payments get made by the store owner, they need to be noted in the Mall Manager system. That can be done from the Open Invoices menu option under the Billing section. This function also allows a listing of all the outstanding invoices for the mall so accounts receivable can be followed up. A list of outstanding invoices is provided when selecting this option with radio buttons beside each one. Select the invoice to view with the radio buttons and press the Next >> button. This will provide a list for the specified store owner of their outstanding invoices and a total outstanding amount. Press the Refresh button to refresh the screen or the Cancel button to end the operation and return to the Open Invoices menu. Select the appropriate invoice with the radio buttons and press Next >>.

A screen will be displayed with the invoice information and two fields. An approval code and receipt number. To note the payment being made, enter an approval number other than 0000 and a receipt number into the boxes. Press Approve for the payment to be noted. This will take the invoice off the open invoices list. Press the Void button to delete the invoice from the system. Press the Back << button to return to the previous page.

2.5.3 Account History

It is possible to look up the account and billing history for a store owner by selecting Account History in the left-hand menu of the Billing section. This will provide a select box of stores to choose from. From the list, select the store to view the account information. Press the Next >> button.

A list of all invoices, both paid and outstanding, will be displayed with radio buttons. A total outstanding amount is also displayed along with the details on the store. To view the details of an invoice, select the invoice with the radio button and press the Next >> button. If the invoice is not paid, the option to pay it will be given. To note the payment being made, enter an approval number other than 0000 and a receipt number into the boxes. Press Approve for the payment to be noted. This will take the invoice off the open invoices list. Press the Void button to delete the invoice from the system. Press the Back << button to return to the previous page.

2.5.4 Billing Plans

The Billing Plan Manager lets you create and edit various billing plans for individual stores in the mall. To activate this feature, select Billing Plans from the left-hand menu of the Billing section. Use the radio buttons to select whether you wish to create a new billing plan, or copy, edit or delete an existing one. Press the Next >> button.

As you proceed through the Billing Plan Manager, you may encounter the following fields. Some of these fields are basic to all four billing options (Standard, Base + Per Order Charge, Base + Percent of Sales or Free), while others you may only encounter depending on what billing option you have chosen.

Plan Name: This field indicates the name of the billing plan. Enter the desired name in the text box provided.

Billing Interval: This field specifies the billing frequency. Stores can be billed on a monthly, quarterly, semi-annual or annual basis. Choose the desired option from the select box provided.

Base Rate: This field allows you specify the base rate of your billing plan. This rate will be charged every billing period. Enter the desired amount in the text box provided.

Payment Method: This field allows you choose whether you want to bill the store owner directly using their credit card information, or whether you prefer to email them an invoice. Choose the desired option by selecting the appropriate radio button.


55

Setup Fee: This field allows you specify the charge for the initial store setup. Enter the desired amount in the text box provided.

Transaction Charge: This field allows you to charge an additional fee that is applied to each transaction processed through the store’s web site. This field is only provided if you have selected the Base + Per Order Charge billing option.

Commission: This field allows you to charge an additional fee that is applied to a percentage of all sales for the store. It is expressed as a percentage so that for 5% commission, you would enter 5. This field is only provided if you have selected the Base + Percent of Sales billing option.

Maximum # of Products: This field allows you to specify the maximum number of products a store is able to host. Enter 0 for an unlimited number of products.

Maximum # of Categories: This field allows you to specify the maximum number of categories a store is able to host. Enter 0 for an unlimited number of categories.

Description: This field allows you to provide a description of your new billing plan. Your description cannot exceed 254 characters.

Visible: The above description can be displayed on the web site for current and prospective customers. If you prefer not to show this billing plan description on the web site, select No.

2.5.4.1 Create a New Billing Plan

To create a New Billing Plan, select the appropriate radio button and press Next >>. Enter the name of the new billing plan that you want to create and use the radio buttons to select a plan type from the billing options shown below. You are able to choose between a Standard, Base + Per Order Charge, Base + Percent of Sales or Free billing option. Refer to “Billing Mode” in section 2.3.1.2 for a description of these billing options.

For a Standard billing option: Using the radio buttons, select the Standard billing option and press Next >>. In the next window, you will be required to provide information for the following fields: Billing Interval, Base Rate, Payment Method, Setup Fee, Maximum # of Products and Maximum # of Categories.

Once the information for all the fields has been entered, press the Next >> button. The following window will ask you to input information for the Description and Visible fields. Enter a description and choose a visibility option. Press the Next >> button. The next window will confirm whether or not your billing plan was saved to the database. To return to the Billing Plan Manager, press the Next >> button. Figure 2.5-1 shows the Billing Plan Wizard screen for a standard billing option.


56

Figure 2.5-1 Standard Billing Plan - New Billing Plan Wizard

For a Base + Per Order Charge billing option: Select the Base + Per Order Charge billing option using the radio button and press Next >>. In the next window, you will be required to provide information for the following fields: Billing Interval, Base Rate, Setup Fee, Maximum # of Products and Maximum # of Categories. In addition, you will be asked to specify a Transaction Charge.

Once the information for all the fields has been entered, press the Next >> button. The following window will ask you to input information for the Description and Visible fields. Enter a description and choose a visibility option, then press the Next >> button. The next window will confirm whether or not your billing plan was saved to the database. To return to the Billing Plan Manager, press the Next >> button.

For a Base + Percent of Sales billing option:Select the Base + Percent of Sales billing option using the radio button and press Next >>. In the next window, you will be required to provide information for the following fields: Billing Interval, Base Rate, Setup Fee, Maximum # of Products and Maximum # of Categories. In addition, you will be asked to specify a Commission fee.


For a Free billing option:Select the Free billing option using the radio button and press Next >>. In the next window, you will be required to provide information for the following fields: Setup Fee, Maximum # of Products and Maximum # of Categories.As this is a free billing option, you will not be asked to specify a Billing Interval or a Base Rate. You may still have the option of charging an initial store setup fee and can limit the number of products and categories within the store.



57

2.5.4.2 Copy an Existing Billing Plan

To copy an Existing Billing Plan, select the appropriate radio button and press Next >>. The next window provides a list of all the billing plans currently in the Mall system. These billing plans are listed within a Windows-like directory structure for easy viewing. Click on the existing billing plan that you would like to copy. For existing billing plans, you are only able to modify the billing rates and not the billing options.

If you would like to change the billing options (Standard, Base + Per Order Charge, Base + Percent of Sales and Free), click on “Add a New Plan” at the bottom of the directory. This will bring you to the New Billing Plan Wizard. See Section 2.5.4.1 for more information on creating new billing plans.

The next window displays a copy of the selected billing plan. You are now able to change the Billing Interval, Base Rate, Setup Fee, Maximum # of Products, Maximum # of Categories and any other rate fields that may be listed depending on the billing option you have chosen. You also have the option of changing the billing plan’s Web Site Display. This consists of the Plan Name, Description, and Visible fields. Once you have made your changes, press the Next >> button. The next window will confirm whether or not your billing plan was saved to the database. To return to the Billing Plan Manager, press the Next >> button.

2.5.4.3 Edit an Existing Billing Plan

To edit an Existing Billing Plan, select the appropriate radio button and press Next >>. The next window provides a list of all the billing plans currently in the mall system. These billing plans are listed within a Windows-like directory structure for easy viewing. Click on the existing billing plan that you would like to modify. For existing billing plans, you are only able to modify billing rates and not the billing options.

If you would like to change the billing options (Standard, Base + Per Order Charge, Base + Percent of Sales and Free), click on “Add a New Plan” at the bottom of the directory. This will bring you to the New Billing Plan Wizard. See Section 2.5.4.1 for more information on creating new billing plans.

The next window displays the selected billing plan. You are now able to change the Billing Interval, Base Rate, Setup Fee, Maximum # of Products, Maximum # of Categories and any other rate fields that may be listed depending on the billing option you have chosen. You also have the option of changing the billing plan’s Web Site Display. This consists of the Plan Name, Description, and Visible fields. Once you have made your changes, press the Next >> button. The next window will confirm whether or not your billing plan was saved to the database. To return to the Billing Plan Manager, press the Next >> button.

2.5.4.4 Delete a Billing Plan

To delete or remove an existing billing plan from the mall system, select the appropriate radio button and press Next >>. The next window provides a list of all the billing plans currently in the mall system. These billing plans are listed within a Windows-like directory structure for easy viewing. Click on the existing billing plan that you would like to delete.


N o t e

N o t e

58

The next window will confirm whether or not your billing plan was deleted from the database. To return to the Billing Plan Manager, press the Finish button.

2.5.5 Billing Check

When the administration screens are first accessed, the billing information is checked. It is at that time that any billing that needs to be done is performed. If no billing needs to be done then a message "No Billing Required" is displayed in red in the bottom right-hand corner of the Current Account Status window. Selecting the Billing Check option from the left-hand menu of the Billing section allows this process to be performed on demand. Figure 2.5-2 shows the confirmation screen for the billing check and the total billed. In this case, there was no outstanding bills for the Mall.

Figure 2.5-2 Billing Check Confirmation Screen


59

3 Mall Front EndThe individual stores in the Mall can still act as standalone stores in their own right with their own virtual domain name. The individual store also benefit from the additional traffic that a mall generates. The Mall front-end presents a number of features and options that make online mall shopping easy and enjoyable to customers visiting your mall. These features are described in this chapter.

3.1 General Features While some mall features will be described in greater detail throughout the following sections, the Mall also contains basic web site features. These features can all be accessed from the Home Page and the navigation bar.

3.1.1 Mall Banner

The Mall banner is continuously present as customers browse through the Mall system, and is the top-most image on any Mall page. It contains both the graphical logo, as well as the Web Site Title. This title is essentially the name of your Mall, and is automatically preceded by a “Welcome to…” greeting. See “Web Site Information” in section 2.2.1 for information on how to change the Mall’s logo and title. See Figure 3.1-1 for a picture of the Mall Banner.

Figure 3.1-1 Mall Banner and Navigation Bar

3.2 Navigation BarThe Mall’s navigational bar is always found directly underneath the Mall Banner. Like the banner, this feature is continuously present throughout the Mall system. The purpose of the navigation bar is to give


60

customers quick and easy access to main features of the Mall. It consists of the following headings: Home, Browse Mall, Search, Get A Store, About Us and Contact Us. These headings will be described in greater detail in the following subsections. See Figure 3.1-1 for a picture of the navigation bar.

3.2.1 Home

Clicking on this heading in the navigation bar will bring the customer back to the Home Page from anywhere in the mall system. It is from the Home Page that customers can view and access the Mall’s main features and search capabilities. See section 2.2.7 for more information on customizing your Home Page.

3.2.2 Browse Mall

Clicking on this heading in the navigation bar will bring up a new page where customers can have the option of browsing general areas or specific stores. The stores in the Mall are organized under categories which contain the names of all the stores who carry products that fall under the specified categories. In the Mall Manager, these categories are referred to as zones.

All the parent zones are listed under the heading “Browse These Areas”. Child zones are locating in smaller type directly under their respective parent zone. Examples of zones include general areas such as Automotive, Books, Music and Clothes. See Figure 3.2-1 for a picture of the Mall’s browse screen.

Figure 3.2-1 Mall Browse Screen

Beside each zone title is a zone description. This description can be used to give further information on the zone contents which may encourage customers to browse the zones. It is the responsibility of the mall manager to create and name zones. For section 2.3.1 for more information on adding/editing zones.


61

Once a customer clicks on a desired zone, a new page displays the zone title, description and a list of all the stores currently under that zone category. This list of stores is displayed under the header “Visit These Stores”. From here, customers can click on the store name and be taken to a search mechanism (Figure 3.2-3).

Using the search, customers can search for products in the store without having to leave the mall system. To search, simply type in a keyword and press the Search >> button to the right of the text box. If customers choose to, they can be sent directly to the individual store’s own web site by clicking on the store name or the URL directly underneath.

Note: Stores that do not belong to any zones, orphan stores, are listed underneath the zone list under the heading “Visit These Stores”. Clicking on these stores will bring customers directly to the mall’s search mechanism where they can search the store for their desired product, or be able to visit the store directly.

3.2.3 Search

Clicking on this heading in the navigation bar will bring the customer to the Mall’s search screen. From here, customers can search by store name or by product. To search type the search word into the text box, select either “Stores” or “Products” from the select box and press Search >>. Use AND/OR to refine your search. Do not use quotes.

When searching by the “Stores” field, the list of search results will contain the name of all the matched stores. The customer can choose a store by clicking on it. From there, the next screen will display the store graphic, URL and any new product additions or specials. Customers can be sent directly to the individual store’s web site by clicking on the store name or URL. A store search mechanism also enables customers to search the individual store directly from the mall. Figure 3.2-2 shows this store information screen in the Mall.

Figure 3.2-2 Store Information Screen

When searching by the “Product” field, the list of search results will contain the name of all the matched products. The customer can choose a product by clicking on it. From there, the next screen will display the product description, product code, retail price and the customer price. The customer now has the choice of whether to add the product to his/her shopping basket or to their custom catalog. See section 3.5 for more information on the shopping basket feature.


62

3.2.4 Get A Store

Clicking on this heading in the navigation bar will provide interested store owners information on how they can join your mall system. This area should include any promotional offers or incentives for store owners, advantages of joining a mall system and any other additional registration information. Interested store owners can now set up their online store from the Mall front-end by filling out all the information screens contained in the store creation wizard.

The Get A Store option will only appear after a billing plan has been added.

This store creation wizard is made up of various screens that will allow store owners to enter their contact information, billing plan details, tax setup, site information and appearance, administrative passwords, and store graphics submissions. These setup screens are identical to the screens that are displayed in the Mall Manager upon adding new stores to the mall system. See section 2.3.1.2 for more information on how to add stores from the Mall Manager as this is the same information needed to add a store from the Mall’s front-end. By allowing the store owner to enter all their personal and customization information for their individual store, mall managers save time in the store creation process.

Once the store owner has entered all their setup information, they will have an opportunity to review all the information that they have just entered in the previous setup screens. Once they are satisfied with their information, they must press the Create Store button in order for the store to be fully installed and setup onto the Mall system, and as an individual store.

New stores will automatically be registered on the iHTML Merchant web site for increased visibility.

The actual store creation process will take a few minutes as the Mall adds the new store to its system. Once the installation is complete, store owners will receive a confirmation screen. From this screen, store owners now have two options. If they choose to, they are able to add another store to your Mall system by pressing the Add Store button. Store owners will then be lead through the store creation process another time.

By pressing the Administer Store button, new store owners will be sent to their individual store’s administration screen. From there, store owners can further customize and manage their store. This individual store is now running under the iHTML Merchant Enterprise 2.0 Edition. For more information on Enterprise edition system, consult the iHTML Merchant Enterprise manual.

3.2.5 Master Shopping Basket

Clicking on this heading in the navigation bar will bring the customer to the Mall’s Master Shopping Basket. This is an alternative to the individual store’s shopping basket as it allows customers to store their desired purchases in cache for easier retrieval, but still have to opportunity to browse other stores and add additional products. This simplifies the purchasing process and saves time because all the desired products are viewed under a single list, and customers do not have to manage multiple shopping baskets if purchasing from different stores.

As customers enter the Mall through the main Home Page, they are automatically assigned a unique customer identification number in the form of a cookie. This number is visibly attached to the URL. The


N o t e

N o t e

63

customer ID is used for the purpose of retrieving the correct master shopping basket for each customer so that upon checkout time, the basket will contain all of the customer’s desired items.

In order to add purchases to their master shopping basket, customers must first use the Mall’s search engine or browse capabilities to find products, and then add these items to the individual store’s shopping basket. Once this shopping basket is displayed, customers now have the following options: They can checkout all basket contents through the individual store interface via the CHECKOUT button. They can empty their basket and all of its contents via the Empty Basket button. Finally, customers can check out all their basket contents through the mall interface via the MALL CHECKOUT button. Both buttons will not appear. This is designed so that the checkout will work in conjunction with the Mall’s single master basket.

In order to checkout basket contents through both the store and mall interfaces, customers need to fill out the Email field in the customer information box before they can proceed with the checkout process. The customer information fields will be saved and transferred over to the Master Shopping Basket upon Mall checkout.

The actual Master Shopping Basket is similar in design to the individual shopping basket. From here, customers can change the product quantity, and view the subtotal and the grand total. The Grand Total field calculates the order cost of all the products in the shopping basket, including any additional taxes or shipping costs. It is important for customers to press the Recalculate button when deleting any products or changing any of the following fields: quantity email address country and postal code information

Changing any of the above fields can result in a change in the tax rates or shipping costs, and consequently, a change in price of the order. See Figure 3.2-4 for a picture of the Mall’s Master Shopping Basket.


N o t e

64

Figure 3.2-4 Master Shopping Basket

If customers are satisfied with the contents of their shopping basket, they can press the Checkout button to initiate the step by step ordering process. From there, customers fill out their order form containing the contact information and the Ship To and Bill To addresses. Once this information is complete, they will be guided to the store’s Secure Credit Card Server where they can enter their credit card information. Figure 5.3-1 shows this order form.

3.2.6 About Us

Clicking on this heading in the navigation bar will provide a page of information on the company that has purchased the mall, and is currently running the mall system This is where you would write a description of your company. See section 2.2.7 for information on how to edit the About Us page.

3.2.7 Contact Us

Clicking on this heading in the navigation bar will provide your company’s contact information, and a feedback form for customer comments or questions. The page should contain the company’s full mailing address, phone and fax number (if applicable). To submit the form, customers enter the information in the appropriate fields and press the Send Feedback button. This form will be sent to the email address specified by the mall manager. See section 2.2.7 for information on how to edit the Contact Page, and section 2.2.1 for information on how to change the mall manager’s email address.


N o t e

65

If customers chose to, they can also email the mall manager directly from their own mail program by clicking on the hot-linked email address at the very bottom of all Mall front-end pages. This will automatically create a new message window in their mail program.

3.2 The Mall Directory The Mall Directory is located on the Home Page. It consists of all the zones currently in the mall system. Child zones are locating in smaller type directly under their respective parent zone. Once a customer chooses one of the zones, a page will appear that will give them a list of all the stores that are included under the zone. These stores are located under the header “Visit These Stores”.

From here, customers can click on the store name to view the store information page. This page displays the store graphic, URL and any new product additions or specials. Customers can be sent directly to the individual store’s own web site by clicking on the store name or URL provided. A store search mechanism also enables customers to search the individual store directly from the mall. This page can also contain the Browse Store window. This window will appear in the left-hand column of the store information page, but only if the individual store is divided up into product sections. These product sections are created in the individual store by the store owner, and can help customers browse quickly through a store’s product line. By clicking on a particular section of the store, the customer will be taken to a page in the individual store which lists all the particular products that fall under that section.

3.3 Product and Store Spotlight

The product and the store spotlights are useful for marketing the store to both consumers and store owners as they draw attention to a particular store/product, and consequently, can increase sales.

When clicking on the featured store, the store’s information page will be displayed. This page contains the store’s graphic, URL and any new product additions or specials. Customers can be sent directly to the individual store’s own web site by clicking on the store name or URL provided. A store search mechanism also enables customers to search the individual store directly from the mall. This page can also contain the Browse Store window, but only if the individual store is divided up into product sections.

See section 2.2.2 for more information on setting product and store spotlights. See the Home Page in Figure 3.2-1 to view the product and store spotlights.

3.4 Newest StoreThis feature is important as it can draw customer attention, and provide an additional incentive for store owners to join your mall system. The mall manager is able to select and display the newest stores that have joined the mall so that they may gain initial customer exposure. This feature may be useful to mention when marketing your mall to store owners, and as information on the Get A Store page. For more information on how to select stores for this feature, see section 2.2.2.

3.5 Shopping Basket

The Merchant Mall system supports two shopping baskets. One is the traditional shopping basket feature found in each individual store in the Mall. In order to access this shopping basket, customers use the Mall’s browse and search capabilities to find an individual store and view its products and product categories from the Mall interface.


66

Once a customer selects a particular product from a store, they will automatically be directed to that store’s shopping basket page. From here, customers can change the product quantity, and view the subtotal and the grand total. The Grand Total field calculates the order cost of all the products in the shopping basket, including any additional taxes or shipping costs. It is important for customers to press the Recalculate button when deleting any products or changing any of the following fields: quantity email address country and postal code information shipping method

Changing any of the above fields can result in a change in the shipping costs, and consequently, a change in price of the order.

Once satisfied with quantity and price of the order, customers have a variety of choices. To continue shopping within the individual store, customers press the Continue Shopping button. This will direct them back to the product listing page in the individual store. From there, customers can view and purchase more products from that store.

If customers are satisfied with the contents of their shopping basket, they can press the Checkout button to initiate the step by step ordering process. From there, customers fill out their order form containing the contact information and the Ship To and Bill To addresses. Once this information is complete, they will be guided to the store’s Secure Credit Card Server where they can enter their credit card information. Figure 3.5-1 shows the order form which is displayed upon checkout.


67

Figure 5.3-1 Order Form

Customers also have another shopping basket option available to them. If they choose to, they can return to the Mall interface to continue browsing and shopping in other stores in the Mall. Pressing the Checkout to Mall button will bring customers back to the Mall interface, and will place the contents of the store’s original shopping basket into a Master Shopping Basket used by all stores in the Mall.

In order to checkout basket contents through both the store and mall interfaces, customers need to fill out the Email field in the customer information box before they can proceed with the


N o t e

68

checkout process. The customer information fields will be saved and transferred over to the Master Shopping Basket upon Mall checkout.

For more information on the Mall’s Master Shopping Basket feature, see section 3.2.5


69

4 Mall Technical Information

The iHTML Merchant Mall is written in iHTML and uses SQL stored procedures/functions to perform many of its functions. This section describes some of the technical aspects of the Mall. It assumes a reasonable knowledge of computers, HTML, databases and iHTML. If you are not familiar with those subjects, please reference other documentation on them.

4.1 How it Works The iHTML Merchant Mall uses iHTML as its application server and programming language. Due to this, the Mall is cross platform capable as long as iHTML runs on that platform. The Mall requires iHTML Enterprise 2.19 or above to operate correctly. It is recommended that you always run the latest version of iHTML to ensure any issues that have been brought to our attention have been addressed and your Mall performs to it's utmost ability. More information on iHTML is available on the web site http://www.ihtml.com

The Mall software is comprised of a number of SQL scripts, HTML files, iHTML enhanced files, iHTML Include files and SQL statements. The SQL scripts are used to create the mall database structure in the database server of your choice. There are different scripts for each database server due to differences in syntax and reserved words between them. The Mall will not run with Microsoft Access since that is a desktop or single tier database program. All database access is done through and ODBC driver whether the software is running on Unix or Windows. See http://www.freeodbc.org for more information on ODBC drivers for various databases. The database server can reside on a machine separate from the web server as long as the ODBC drivers are set up correctly.

The HTML, iHTML enhanced files and iHTML include files are simply text files and can be edited with any text editor. These are processed by iHTML when requested by a browser. This may include doing a query to a database to get information such as the products in a store. Once the file has been processed, it is sent to the requesting browser for display on their computer. At that time, the file is all standard HTML code and no iHTML code is sent to the browser so no plug-ins or special browser software is required to use the Mall.

The front end of the store has been designed to use as little Javascript, Java and other components as possible to allow the widest audience for using the Mall front end and the store front ends. The back end administration and manager screens do require at least a level 3.x browser to operate correctly. This is mainly due to the heavy use of Javascript.


70

The Mall and stores in it, use a database structure that includes a field on each table called storeid. This is what distinguishes one store from another store. Therefore, all the stores in the mall have their products in the same table, they are simply differentiated by the storeid field. This allows the capability to shop across all the stores in the mall with a single basket. Each store has it's own sub-directory on the server and when a new store is setup, the /manager/base directory is copied to this new directory so each store takes up about 15MB of space on the hard drive. If customizations are made to the stores, you only need to make them in the base sub-directory and all new stores will have these customizations applied to them. Each store uses the same datasource and login to the database and that information is stored in the datasource.inc file in the administration directory of the store.

Each store acts independently and can have it's own payment processor and features since it has it's own records in the database and own set of files on the web server.

4.2 Mall Database LayoutThis does not include the layout of the individual store database since that is covered in the Enterprise store documentation that is included later in this manual. This does cover the specific tables that are used by the mall and their purpose. For a full detailed look at the database structure and stored procedures, open the mall10_structure.txt file that exists in the manager/scripts/sub-directory.

4.2.1 Tables

There are a number of tables that are used specifically by the Mall. For a description of the tables used by the stores only, see later in this manual under the Enterprise Store features. The following is a list of the tables and their purpose and structure.

PLANS TABLE

This is the table that contains the information on the billing plans.

planid numeric(18, 0) IDENTITY (1, 1) NOT NULL ,name varchar (96) NOT NULL ,description varchar (254) NULL ,interval int NOT NULL DEFAULT (1),setup float NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),baserate float NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),planmodel varchar (3) NOT NULL DEFAULT ('std'),basemod float NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),active bit NOT NULL DEFAULT (1),maxproducts numeric(18, 0) NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),paytype int NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),maxcats numeric(18, 0) NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),pid numeric(18, 0) NULL

SALESDATA TABLE

This table contains all the sales data across the stores that is used in the different sales reports.

id numeric(18, 0) IDENTITY (1, 1) NOT NULL ,storeid numeric(18, 0) NOT NULL ,orderid numeric(18, 0) NOT NULL ,saledate datetime NOT NULL DEFAULT (getdate()),custid numeric(18, 0) NOT NULL ,qty int NOT NULL DEFAULT (1),


71

taxcharge float NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),commissionpaid float NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),discount float NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),shipcharge float NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),totalcharge float NOT NULL DEFAULT (0)

SECTION TABLE

This table contains the information related to the different zones in the Mall.

id numeric(18, 0) IDENTITY (1, 1) NOT NULL ,name varchar (64) NOT NULL ,description varchar (254) NULL ,picture varchar (64) NULL ,active numeric(1, 0) NOT NULL

STORES TABLEid numeric(18, 0) IDENTITY (1, 1) NOT NULL ,startdate datetime NOT NULL DEFAULT (getdate()),enddate datetime NULL ,maxproducts int NOT NULL DEFAULT (9),active bit NOT NULL DEFAULT (1),billtype varchar (3) NOT NULL ,billinterval int NOT NULL DEFAULT (1),lastbilled datetime NULL ,paytype bit NOT NULL DEFAULT (1),basemod float NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),baserate float NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),siteurl varchar (64) NOT NULL ,sitetitle varchar (64) NOT NULL ,sectionid numeric(18, 0) NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),basedir varchar (32) NOT NULL ,planid numeric(18, 0) NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),custid numeric(18, 0) NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),maxcats numeric(18, 0) NULL DEFAULT (0),description varchar (255) NULL ,pictureurl varchar (128) NULL ,tax1 float NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),tax2 float NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),tax3 float NOT NULL DEFAULT (0)

CONFIG TABLE

This table is used by both the individual stores and by the Mall itself. The Mall has a store id of 0. Base default store information that is copied when a new store is created as an id of -1.

id numeric(18, 0) IDENTITY (1, 1) NOT NULL ,cname varchar (32) NOT NULL ,cvalue varchar (254) NULL ,required int NOT NULL DEFAULT (0),storeid numeric(18, 0) DEFAULT (0),


72

4.2.2 Stored Procedures

Stored procedures are used extensively throughout the Mall software. In Postgres on Unix, however, functions are used instead. The sub-directory Q is used based on the setting of the DBMS_SERVER configuration setting. This allows the support of varying database systems. The following is a list of the stored procedures that are used in the MS SQL version of the Mall, with a short description of the function of each.

mall_addBillingPlan This procedure adds a new billing plan to the mall database.mall_addOrderData This procedure examines all the non-test orders for a given store, and

inserts them into the salesdata table for the Mall. This is used to keep track of sales and commissions for the Mall.

mall_addStore This procedure adds a new store, and all its information, to the mall database.

mall_addToOrder This procedure adds a product to an existing order. A new record is added to the orderdetail table, and the totalcharge field is updated for the corresponding orders record.

mall_approveOrder This procedure updates a given order with a given approval code and receipt number.

mall_billingCheck This procedure checks billing for all the stores in the mall, and returns a list of all those stores who are due to be billed.

mall_billingHistory This procedure returns a list of past invoices for a particular store owner in the Mall.

mall_billingHistoryByStore This procedure returns a list of past invoices for a particular store in the Mall.

mall_billingOpenInvByCust This procedure returns a list of open invoices for a mall customer.mall_billingOpenInvByStore This procedure returns a list of open invoices for a given store in the

Mall.mall_billingOpenInvoices This procedure returns a list of all open invoices in the Mall, grouped

by store.mall_cancelOrder This procedure deletes an order for a given customer in a given store.

This function removes both the orderdetail and order records. The lastbilled date for the store is also checked and updated.

mall_copyStore This procedure copies the store, and all its settings.mall_createInvoice This procedure generates an invoice for a store in the Mall. The

various setup charges, base charge, tax charges and commissions, etc. are handled as parts of that order.

mall_createOrder This procedure returns all new order information to the database for all the stores in the Mall.

mall_deletePlan This procedure deletes a mall’s billing plan from the database.mall_getCatCount This procedure returns either the number or zones in the Mall (if

storeid=0), or the number of categories in a store (if storeied=< > 0).mall_getChildCats This procedure returns a list of active child categories for a given

parent category and store in the Mall.mall_getChildSections This procedure returns a list of child categories for a given parent

category and store, and orders them by name. This also allows for an optional active flag which determines whether to return active or inactive categories.

mall_getConfig This procedure returns a configuration value for a store, based on the configuration name passed in.

mall_getNew This procedure returns all products flagged as ‘new’ for a given store.mall_getNewsletter This procedure returns the title and body of a newsletter.mall_getNewsletterList This procedure returns a list of titles of all message records with

storeid=0, whose titles begin with NL. This is the definition of a


73

newsletter.mall_getOrder This procedure returns a list of the individual items, and their selling

price, in a given order.mall_getOrderInfo This procedure returns all the aggregate information about a give

order, not about the individual parts of the order.mall_getParentCats This procedure returns a list of all the top level, active categories or

zones (depending on the storeid).mall_getParentSections This procedure returns a list of all the top level, active or inactive

(determined by flag), zones for the mall. This list is ordered by zone name.

mall_getPlanInfo This procedure returns all relevant information about a given plan.mall_getPlanListAll This procedure returns a list of all billing plans in the Mall, ordered by

name.mall_getProductCount This procedure returns the total number of products across all stores in

the Mall.mall_getProductSnapshot This procedure returns all relevant store and product information for a

given product in the Mall.mall_getSectionList This procedure returns a list of active or inactive zones in the Mall,

ordered by name.mall_getSectionListAll This procedure returns a list of zones in the Mall, ordered by name. An

active flag determines whether active or inactive zones are returned.mall_getSectionListBut This procedure returns all records from the section table except those

whose ids are in the comma delimited list of integers that is passed in.mall_getSectionListOne This procedure returns a single record from the section table.mall_getSpecials This procedure returns a list of items that are on special in a given

store.mall_getStoreContacts This procedure returns a complete customer list containing all

customers for all the stores in the Mall.mall_getStoreData This procedure returns all relevant information about a store and the

store owner.mall_getStoreDetail This procedure returns store specific information such as store name,

store description, URL, images information, contact email and active flag.

mall_getStoresInZone This procedure returns a list of stores in a particular zone.mall_getStoresListAll This procedure returns a list of all stores, both active and inactive, in

the Mall.mall_getStoresListBySection This procedure returns a list of all stores in a given section, ordered by

store name.mall_listAds This procedure returns a list of all banner ads for a given store.mall_mallEmailListAll This procedure returns a list containing the store name, store owner

name and the email address of the store owner for all the stores in the Mall.

mall_mallEmailListBySection This procedure returns a list containing store name, store owner name and the email address of the store owner for all the stores in a given zone.

mall_purgeBasket This procedure empties all the baskets for all the customers of a given store.

mall_purgeCustomers This procedure permanently removes all customer information for a given store. This procedure empties all shopping baskets, customer catalogs and subscriber information for that store.

mall_purgeMonitor This procedure empties all customer catalogs for a given store.mall_purgeOrders This procedure permanently removes all orders, order detail and

recurring billing information for a given store.mall_purgeStore This procedure permanently removes all database references to a

given store.


74

mall_salesDailyByStore This procedure generates a report of sales for a given day for a given store. Returned is a list of orders placed on that day.

mall_salesMonthlyByStore This procedure returns a list of orders placed in a given month and year for a given store.

mall_salesSumsDailyByStore This procedure returns aggregate sales statistics for a given store on a given day.

mall_salesSumsMonthlyByStore This procedure returns aggregate sales statistics for a given month and year for a given store.

mall_saveBillingPlan This procedure is used to update an existing billing plan. Both the plans table and stores table are updated. Existing stores using the changed plan will reflect the new changes.

mall_setConfig This procedure updates a configuration setting for a given store based on the name and value pair passed in.

mall_showAd This procedure updates the number of banner view for an ad and returns the HTML code needed to render the banner on a page.

mall_showProduct This procedure returns all the necessary information to display a product from any store in the Mall.

mall_switchPlan This procedure updates all stores using one plan to use another so that all stores can be switched to a different billing plan.

mall_updateStoreBilling This procedure updates the billing information for a store. This includes setup and base rebates, tax information, commissions and credit card information for the store owner.

mall_updateStoreChgPlan This procedure changes the billing plan for a store and also updates new tax and credit card information for the store owner.

mall_updateStoreContact This procedure updates the store owner’s contact information in both the customers and config table.

mall_updateStoreServerOpts This procedure updates server settings for a given store. This includes maximum number of products allowed in the store, maximum categories, store template, store title, store URL, administer password and login, as well as path information.

4.3 File Layout & Directory Structure There are six main directories off the root of the Mall, plus a directory for each store in the mall. The main directories are described below with any sub-directories contained within them.

/ (or Root)

The main directory for the front end of the Mall. This contains the index page along with any of the pages that have links on the front end of the mall such as About Us, What's New, Feedback, Search etc.

Manager

The is the main directory for the administration screens for the Mall. It has many sub-directories as described below:

Base

This directory in itself has a large number of sub-directories. These are explained in more detail in the Enterprise store documentation found later in this manual. This is the set of files that are copied to a new stores directory when it is created.

Graphics

This is the directory for any graphic files that are used in the administration screens of the Mall.


75

Template

This is a set of templates that can be selected for the individual stores in the Mall when a store is being initially setup from the manager screens. Each sub-directory in here represents a different template. In fact, to add a new template, just create a new sub-directory here and copy in the appropriate files ensuring there is a desc.txt and preview.jpg file.

Q

This directory contains different sub-directories for each of the database servers that are supported. The initially supported databases are Postgres and SQL Server which are the two directories under this one.

Scripts Directory

This directory contains all scripts used to create the database.

RCSigs

This directory is for the Redi-Check payment method. It is used as a temporary work area and also to store verification certificates.

Banners

This directory contains the banner images that are displayed throughout the mall. These are simply GIF or JPG files.

Graphics

This is the graphics for the front end of the Mall and works in conjunction with the Template directory to define the look and feel of the Mall front end.

StoreImg

This directory contains the images that are used in the front end for the different stores of the Mall. Each store has it's own directory for images as well.

Template

This directory contains the template files for the front end of the Mall. At this time there is only one template available for the front end of the mall. To modify the look and feel of the front end of the mall, change the files that are contained in this directory and add any graphic images to the Graphics directory.

ZoneImg

This directory contains the images that are used in the different zones of the Mall.

Drivers

This directory is only in Windows. It contains all the Windows drivers for each available payment processor.

Pay Types

This directory contains all the code allowing the use of each of the payment processors.


76

Appendix A: Manually Installing a Merchant Mall

I. Copy the Merchant files to the Web Document Root

a) Copy the Merchant files to a directory within your web server's document root, an aliased directory, or within a virtual server's document root.

b) Change ownership of the destination directory to the username that the web server runs under. The web server user must have read and write access to the Merchant mall directories and files.

II. Restrict Access to the Mall's Administration Pages

It is recommended that you secure web access to the "manager" directory of your Merchant Mall as a security precaution. Please see your web server's documentation to learn how to apply password protection and IP address restrictions to a directory of your web site.

III. Create the Merchant Mall's Database

For most database systems, creating the Merchant Mall database involves creating a database, running SQL scripts to create the database schema, inserting data and creating a database user which has access to the insert/delete/select/update/drop/create objects directory in the Mall's database.

SQL scripts are provided for supported database servers in the manager/scripts/ sub-directory of your Mall. The following are the commands used to create the database for the Mall, as well as command descriptions.

manager/scripts/[dbmode] :mall10_structure.[dbmode][x] - This creates the database schema.mall10_sps.sql - This creates stored procedures (MS SQL Server only).

[dbmode] = This is the database server used to host your mall. For example, MySQL, Postgres, SQL (for SQL Server), Oracle.

[x] = This is an optional number between 1 and 7 because some scripts need to be split into 20K chunks.

Run all scripts from numbers 1 to 7 in sequence.

IV. Register an ODBC Datasource


77

Locate the odbc.ini file that your ODBC Driver Manager uses, and append the following two config sections to the file:

Here is a sample DSN entry for a Mall using a Postgres database:

[mall1]Database = mall1_DBDriver = /usr/lib/libpsqlodbc.soDSN = mall1HOST = 127.0.0.1PORT = 5432#Server = localhost # May be needed#Servername = localhost # May be needed#Driver = /usr/lib/libmyodbc.so # Driver name for MySQL#Port = 3306 # MySQL Port

# Import/Export DSN for Merchant Stores[store1imex]Driver = /usr/lib/libodbctxt.soDSN = store1imexDatabase = /path/mall1/store1/admin/importexport/sqi_catalog.iniHOST = 127.0.0.1

V. Update the datasource.inc file

After creating an ODBC datasource by hand, update the manager/datasource.inc file within your Mall's directory.

a) Enter the ODBC datasource name you registered in the previous step as the value of "dbname". i.e. <iEQ NAME="datasource" VALUE="mall1">

b) Enter the "username/password" of your database user as the value of "loginname". i.e. <iEQ NAME="loginname" VALUE="mercuser/mercpass">

c) Enter the "storeid" value for your mall. i.e. <iEQ NAME="storeid" VALUE="0">

d) Enter the dbms_type for your mall. i.e. <iEQ NAME="dbms_type" VALUE="mysql">

VI. (Trial Version) Enter the Trial Key in the iHTML Registry

Visit the URL http://www.domainname.com/mallname/manager/trial.ihtml using a web browser, and enter the key provided when you downloaded the software.

VII. Final Installation Steps

a) Run the manager/resetinc.ihtml file within your Mall. To do so, visit the URL http://www.domainname.com/mallname/manager/resetinc.ihtml

b) Continue setup on the 'Site - General Setup' page of your Mall Manager. To do so, visit the URL http://www.domainname.com/mallname/manager/, and click Site. From there, you can select a number of site configuration options from the left-hand menu.

c) Enter the correct values for the Site and Secure URLs. These URLs should end with a forward slash.d) Enter your contact information, and any other settings, then click save to apply your changes.e) Your Merchant Mall setup is now complete.


78

Appendix B: Common Merchant Support Issues

This section contains common support issues associated with the iHTML Merchant System. Before doing any Merchant support, ensure they are running the latest version of the code. If you do not have the latest version, make sure that you have done the appropriate updates and run the update scripts.

:todaydate is not defined Check that DBMODE is defined. If it is defined wrong, make sure that DBMODE is correct, or a date function is not hard coded ( now() or getdate() ).

570 errorsCheck to see which variable is NULL. You might have incorrect or bad data in your database.

760 errorsCheck which variable is not defined. This might be due to an error happening early on. Also, check tagerror.log or error.log. Check globals.inc to make sure that there are no colon variables in that file.

350 errorsCheck what the problem with the query actually is. If there are Too Few Parameters, run testfields.ihtml from the admin.

Template IssuesRun deletefiles.ihtml from the admin.

A single square in the top-left corner of the screen, or the menu missing from the admin Run resetinc.ihtml and ensure that you are running iHTML version 2.16 or above.

Empty Shopping Basket messageCheck that cookie path and site URL are correct. Note that the cookies and path used for the basket are case sensitive. You may have to delete cookies file on the browser to fix this problem since this may be as a result of bad data. To do this in Netscape, go to Edit/Preferences/Advanced/Cache/Clear Memory Cache. In Explorer, go to Tools/Internet Options/General/Delete Files.

The cookies and path used for the basket are case sensitive.

Errors that do not seem to showCheck the tagerror.log or error.log file to see the exact details of the error.

19xx errorsEither the mail server is not setup, or the email address not valid somewhere in the system.

To find store settings


N o t e

79

Use the diagnostic.ihtml file from the admin to find out the settings for a store.

Check the bug report document to see if a problem has already been reported, and whether or not it has been fixed.

The Merchant Mall Edition must be running under iHTML 2.19beta4 or above.


A d d i t i o n a l N o t e s

80

Appendix C: Common Technical Questions

The following is a list of common technical issues or questions that may very well answer your support inquiry.

I have no menu in the admin screens, or I just upgraded and lost my company info in the General Settings page.

Run the resetinc.ihtml page from the admin screen. This will reset some files that are used by the Merchant, possibly causing the menus to reappear.

Also, make sure you are running iHTML 2.16 or above.

To run the resetinc.ihtml file in the browser, type in something like:http://www.yourdomain.com/storedir/admin/resetinc.ihtml

where the www.yourdomain.com is the domain the store is on or is the IP address of the site the store is on.

The storedir may or may not need to be present. This depends on whether you installed it in a sub-directory or not. After running this file, it will display and create 4-6 files. Remove the text resetinc.ihtml from the URL and hit <enter>. You will then see the admin screen menus.

How do I login to a new Merchant store I just installed?

The default username: administratorThe default password: password.

We highly recommend you change these from the Site/General Settings screen as well as setting up Basic Authentication on the admin directory.

I am getting syntax errors in my store

First, make sure you are running the very latest version of the Merchant software. Also, run the resetinc.ihtml file from the admin screen and reset the template you are using.

If you are getting 350 errors then something is not setup correctly with the ODBC datasource.

I get a message that says my basket is empty when I try to add something to it

This is likely due to a couple of things. The most common is having the cookie path and site URL information incorrect. See “General Settings” in sub-section 2.2.1 for a full description on how to set these fields correctly. Note that the cookies and path are case sensitive.

I get a 404 error when trying to checkout


81

The Secure URL and Secure Cookie Path are most likely set incorrectly. See “General Settings” in sub-section 2.2.1 for a full description on how to set these fields correctly.

I get a message that the transaction failed when paying for an order

Check your e-commerce settings to make sure they are correct. See “E-Commerce” in sub-section 2.2.5.

Also, check with your payment processor to make sure everything is set up correctly with them. Having the payment processor company not have the account setup right is the biggest cause of these problems.

I get colon variables in various places such as the title on my store, how do I fix that?

This is likely due to the database not being setup. Check to make sure the ODBC datasource referenced in datasource.inc (in the admin directory), and is pointing to the MDB file in the admin directory (if using MS Access). Run the resetinc.ihtml file after checking this.


82

Appendix D: Standard Configuration Options

The iHTML Merchant system is completely configurable through the CONFIG table in the database. This means that the user can change background colour, images, and other information to suit their purposes by simply changing a form in a web browser. The options listed below are specific to the Mall version of iHTML Merchant. For a complete listing of store configuration options, consult the iHTML Merchant edition manual.

MALLCLICKS Number of click throughs for the mallMALLVIEWS Number of banner views for the mallTPHOST Host information for the total pay processorWPSC World pay payment processor settingBANPERC Percentage of the banner ads for mall useCPCLICKFLAT Cross promotion flat rate per click throughCPDEFAULT Cross promotion defaultCPMODE Cross promotion modeCPPURCHFLAT Cross promotion flat rate per purchaseCPPURCHPERC Cross promotion percentage rate per purchaseCROSSPROMO Turns on/off Cross Promotion featureSTYORDER The style order field for cross promotion itemsCLICKRATIO The current click through ratio to viewsVIEWRATIO The current view ratio of adsBANNERMANAGER Sets the banner manager on or offPERCLICKRATE How much to pay for each clickPERVEIWRATE How much to pay for each viewINDEXWORDS Sets whether banner ads are tied to keyword search


83

IndexAbout Us Page, 44, 64Access, 82access.conf, 11, 14accounts

history, 54administration pages

restricting access, 14, 76Apache, 7, 11, 14Authorize.NET, 20, 32banner ads

setup, 42statistics, 43, 53

basket. See shopping basketBCE Emergis, 35billing

account history, 54check, 58manual, 54modes, 47open invoices, 54

billing plansabout, 55copying, 57creating, 55deleting, 58editing, 57

browse feature, 60browsers, 19BSDi, 7, 8Cardservice BSDC, 34

LinkPoint, 34CashRegister. See CyberCashClearCommerce, 33ClickPay, 33colours, 27command button, 9company information

About Us Page, 64consulting, 22contact information, 26Contact Us Page, 64cookie paths, 79cookies

deleting cache, 79Copyright, 24Credit Card Network, 35

VERiFY ONLiNE, 35

credit cardssupport, 30, 39

Creditnet.com, 35customer service

support options, 19CyberCash, 20, 30CyberSource, 37Database Management System. See DBMSdatabase servers

MySQL, 14Databases, 8

creating, 76defaults, 8drivers, 8layout, 70MS SQL, 8Oracle, 8Postgres, 8recommended, 8servers, 16stored procedures, 71Sybase, 8tables, 70

datasource, 15datsource.inc file, 77default, 44ODBC, 8registering, 77

datasource.inc, 82datasource.ini, 70DBMODE, 79DBMS, 8, 28DCTI, 32defaults, 51

fonts, 27passwords, 27

deletefiles.ihtml, 79desc.txt, 75diagnostic.ihtml, 80directory, 65

store, 44structure, 74

documentationadditional, 20

downloadsdocumentation, 20

drivers


84

iODBC, 8JDBC, 8managers, 11ODBC, 8

DSNsample entry, 77

Echo, 33e-commerce

additional payment processors, 29credit card support, 30options, 29

EmailMail Center, 50payment method, 39support, 22support mailing list, 20

En-Cynk Services, 34error.log, 79errors

19xx, 79350, 79, 81404, 82507, 79760, 79error.log, 79invisible, 79syntax, 81tagerror.log, 79

feedback, 64Feedback Page, 44files

.conf, 14access.conf, 11, 14datasource.inc, 82datasource.ini, 70datsource.inc, 77deletefiles.ihtml, 79desc.txt, 75diagnostic.ihtml, 80error.log, 79httpd.conf, 11, 14odbc.ini, 11, 15, 77preview.jpg, 75resetinc.ihtml, 82srm.conf, 14tagerror.log, 79

First Data Services, 37SurePay, 37

FreeBSD, 7, 8Get a Store Page, 44, 62graphics

monitor, 8hardware

requirements, 8Home Page, 44, 60hosting

iHTML hosting providers, 19HPUX, 7HTTP, 9httpd.conf, 11, 14ibill, 36

IBMPC, 8

ICVERIFY, 20, 32iHTML, 7, 69, 79, 80, 81

Enterprise edition, 7hosting providers, 19installing, 9

iHTML Merchant Mall. See Mallinstallation

manual, 76support, 21

Internet, 1, 2, 8, 9, 19Internet Secure, 20, 30iODBC, 8, 11IP, 8, 9

restricting access, 14ISAPI, 8iTransact. See Redi-CheckJDBC, 8LinkPoint, 34Linux, 7, 8, 12logging

visitors, 28MAC OSX, 7Mail Center, 50Mall. See also Mall Manager

about, 7About Us Page, 64appearance, 28browsing, 46, 60colour scheme, 27Contact Us Page, 64creating database, 76database layout, 70directory, 65directory structure, 74featured store, 28general features, 59Get a Store Page, 62getting started, 19hardware requirements, 8highlighted product, 28Home Page, 60ID, 13iHTML Merchant web site Store Listing, 27installing on Unix, 10installing on Windows, 9Internet requirements, 19Manager systems, 25manual install, 76master shopping basket, 62navigation bar, 59new store feature, 28new stores, 65newmall script, 12path, 13payment processor setup, 29platforms, 7registering, 27restricting access, 76searching, 61


85

setup, 25shopping basket, 65site configuration, 26spotlights, 65support options, 19system requirements, 7tables, 70technical operations, 69

Mall Managerabout, 25accessing, 25account history, 54adding stores, 47adding zones, 46advanced options, 28banner ad setup, 42banner ads, 53billing check, 58billing modes, 47billing plans, 55contact information, 51Content Editor, 44daily sales reports, 53e-commerce options, 29editing stores, 49editing zones, 49listing stores, 49Mail Center, 50manual billing, 54montly sales reports, 53newsletters, 50open invoices, 54passwords, 26, 27sections, 25security, 27server setup, 43setting defaults, 51store configuration, 45tax setup, 40templates, 45

MDAC, 8Merchant Mall. See Mall

installing on Windows, 9Merchant system, 29, 30Microsoft, 7MS SQL, 9. See SQLMySQL, 14, 15Netscape, 7, 8, 14News Page, 44newsletters, 50

creating, 50deleting, 51editing, 51loading, 51

NSAPI, 8O’Reilly, 8ODBC, 8. See also iODBC. See also unixODBC

datasource, 15driver managers, 77drivers, 8, 11library, 11

registering a datasource, 77ODBC datasources

350 errors, 81odbc.ini, 11, 15, 77Open Database Connectivity. See ODBCoperating systems, 7Oracle, 8O'Reilly, 7payment processors

additional, 20, 29additional options, 20all, 20AssurePay, 35Authorize.Net, 32BCE Emergis, 35Cardservice BSDC, 34ClearCommerce, 33, 34ClearLink, 34ClickPay, 33ComBill, 33Credit Card Network, 35Creditnet.com, 35CyberCash, 30CyberSource, 37DCTI, 32Echo, 33email, 39En-Cynk, 34First Data Services, 37GeoPay, 37ibill, 36ICVERIFY, 32Internet Secure, 30LinkPoint, 34NetCard, 33Payment Net, 34PC Authorize, 31PSiGate, 34Redi-Check, 38setup, 29Signio Payflow Pro, 34SNS/ASSURE, 35SurePay, 37The Processing Network, 37TL Pay, 31Total Merchant Services, 36VERiFY ONLiNE, 35Virtual Terminal, 36WEBSHOP, 36WorldPay, 36WorldSite, 32

PC Authorize, 20, 31Postgres, 8preview.jpg, 75procedures

stored, 71products

spotlight, 28spotlight, 65

propertiessite, 26


86

PSiGate, 34RAM, 8Redi-Check, 38reports

daily sales, 53monthly sales, 53

Required Editslist, 26

resetinc.ihtml, 82SCO, 7scripts, 17

newmall, 12SQL, 16, 76

searchingediting, 44feature, 61

Secure Sockets Layer. See SSLsecurity

accessing Mall Manager, 27restricting access, 14, 76

servers, 2, 8, 9database, 16MS SQL, 9setup, 43SQL, 17web, 7

shopping basket, 65empty, 79master, 62troubleshooting, 79

Signio Payflow Pro, 34Site

properties, 26Solaris, 7, 8, 12source, 8SQL, 8. See SQL

scripts, 16, 69, 76stored procedures, 71

srm.conf, 14SSL, 27statistics

banner ads, 43, 53Store Directory, 44stores

adding, 47billing modes, 47configuring, 45editing, 49listing, 49new store feature, 65new store spotlight, 28server setup, 43spotlight, 28, 65templates, 45

supportannual, 22bugs and feature requests, 21

consulting, 22credit cards, 39database servers, 16free support options, 20general options, 19installation, 21paid support options, 21payment processors, 20UnixODBC and iODBC, 11updates, 20via email, 22via phone, 22

Sybase, 8tables

config, 71plans, 70salesdata, 70section, 71stores, 71

tagerror.log, 79tax

International setup, 41North American setup, 41options, 40

TCP, 8, 9templates, 45

troubleshooting, 79Thawte, 27The Processing Network, 37TL Pay, 20, 31Total Merchant Services

Virtual Terminal, 36troubleshooting

bugs and feature requests, 21common Merchant support issues, 79common technical questions, 81

Unix, 8installing the Mall, 10support, 11

unixODBC, 11drivers, 11

VERiFY ONLiNE, 35Verisign, 27web servers, 7, 9WEBSHOP, 36Windows, 7, 8

installing the Mall, 9Windows NT, 8WorldSite, 32

ComBill, 33NetCard, 33

WSAPI, 8Zeus, 7zones

adding, 46editing, 49


mercmall.inline.netmercmall.inline.net/manager/malldocs.doc · web viewif you would prefer an...

Documents