need help with ecommerce design issue

[Terry Murray]

Hi everyone:

I have started an ecommerce application that involves allowing participants
being allowed to register and pay for games that they play online. I have
proceeded on to the point where a cart can be created that allows for the
addition and removal of games that they select to play. I use a database to
keep track of state during the application as well as for the cart itself.
I have come to the point now where I have to handle checking out. My design
calls for a url (used to hit the credit card handling institution) that
identifies the participant as well as the cost of the games being registered
for. What I am not sure how to handle is coming up with a unique identifier
for the particular registration (could be for more than 1 game)
Presently, I have a table, gameRegistrations, that has a primary key called
gameRegId (an autonumber), a field called playerId (used to uniquely
identify the registrant), and a field called gameId (used to uniquey
identify the game being registered for). I am wondering how I could
identify the whole batch of games that a player might be registering for. I
don't think that the url that I create should have a number representing
each game being registered for but rather one number or value that
represents that particular batch registration.
I have thought of using a timestamp to represent the particular batch
registration.

I would really appreciate it if anyone could suggest to me the best way to
handle the situation. Perhaps, my idea is a good one. If that is case
please let me know.

P.S I am not using Session variables or a Global.asa file.

Thanks in advance

Terry

[Invotion]

Try splitting the transaction detail to another table
which will serve as a collector for all games purchased
at one time.

Instead of :
///////////////////
players
*********
playerId

games
*********
gameId
gameRegistrations
*****************
gameRegId
playerId
gameId
////////////////////

How about something more like this?
players
*********
playerId

games
*********
gameId

transactions
************
transactionId

gameRegistrations
*****************
gameRegId
playerId
gameId
transactionId
////////////////////

Of course, you still have the problem of coming up with
the transactionId. You could use a function to create a
guid, but that may be too much for your credit card
processor to handle. I would suggest finding out the
constraints on the field imposed by your credit card
processor and write a function to generate a random
number that is as big as possible while still within
limits.

Sincerely,
Invotion Engineering Team
Advanced Microsoft Hosting Solutions
[url]http://www.Invotion.com[/url]

>-----Original Message-----
>Hi everyone:
>
>I have started an ecommerce application that involves

allowing participants

>being allowed to register and pay for games that they

play online. I have

>proceeded on to the point where a cart can be created

that allows for the

>addition and removal of games that they select to play.

I use a database to

>keep track of state during the application as well as

for the cart itself.

>I have come to the point now where I have to handle

checking out. My design

>calls for a url (used to hit the credit card handling

institution) that

>identifies the participant as well as the cost of the

games being registered

>for. What I am not sure how to handle is coming up with

a unique identifier

>for the particular registration (could be for more than

1 game)

>Presently, I have a table, gameRegistrations, that has a

primary key called

>gameRegId (an autonumber), a field called playerId

(used to uniquely

>identify the registrant), and a field called gameId

(used to uniquey

>identify the game being registered for). I am

wondering how I could

>identify the whole batch of games that a player might be

registering for. I

>don't think that the url that I create should have a

number representing

>each game being registered for but rather one number or

value that

>represents that particular batch registration.
>I have thought of using a timestamp to represent the

particular batch

>registration.
>
>I would really appreciate it if anyone could suggest to

me the best way to

>handle the situation. Perhaps, my idea is a good one.

If that is case

>please let me know.
>
>P.S I am not using Session variables or a Global.asa

file.

>
>Thanks in advance
>
>Terry
>
>
>.
>

[Terry Murray]

Thanks for getting back to me anonymous (at Inovtion). I am not sure what
is gained by splitting the transaction detail to another table. If you
could enlighten me I would appreciate it. Also, would my idea of creating a
time stamp function as transactionId since it would be guaranteed to be
unique. I thought that I might also add that the database being used for
the project is MS Access.

Thanks,

Terry

"Invotion" <anonymous@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:4a9a01c3e44b$53f26320$a401280a@phx.gbl...

> Try splitting the transaction detail to another table
> which will serve as a collector for all games purchased
> at one time.
>
> Instead of :
> ///////////////////
> players
> *********
> playerId
>
> games
> *********
> gameId
> gameRegistrations
> *****************
> gameRegId
> playerId
> gameId
> ////////////////////
>
> How about something more like this?
> players
> *********
> playerId
>
> games
> *********
> gameId
>
> transactions
> ************
> transactionId
>
> gameRegistrations
> *****************
> gameRegId
> playerId
> gameId
> transactionId
> ////////////////////
>
> Of course, you still have the problem of coming up with
> the transactionId. You could use a function to create a
> guid, but that may be too much for your credit card
> processor to handle. I would suggest finding out the
> constraints on the field imposed by your credit card
> processor and write a function to generate a random
> number that is as big as possible while still within
> limits.
>
> Sincerely,
> Invotion Engineering Team
> Advanced Microsoft Hosting Solutions
> [url]http://www.Invotion.com[/url]
>

> >-----Original Message-----
> >Hi everyone:
> >
> >I have started an ecommerce application that involves

> allowing participants

> >being allowed to register and pay for games that they

> play online. I have

> >proceeded on to the point where a cart can be created

> that allows for the

> >addition and removal of games that they select to play.

> I use a database to

> >keep track of state during the application as well as

> for the cart itself.

> >I have come to the point now where I have to handle

> checking out. My design

> >calls for a url (used to hit the credit card handling

> institution) that

> >identifies the participant as well as the cost of the

> games being registered

> >for. What I am not sure how to handle is coming up with

> a unique identifier

> >for the particular registration (could be for more than

> 1 game)

> >Presently, I have a table, gameRegistrations, that has a

> primary key called

> >gameRegId (an autonumber), a field called playerId

> (used to uniquely

> >identify the registrant), and a field called gameId

> (used to uniquey

> >identify the game being registered for). I am

> wondering how I could

> >identify the whole batch of games that a player might be

> registering for. I

> >don't think that the url that I create should have a

> number representing

> >each game being registered for but rather one number or

> value that

> >represents that particular batch registration.
> >I have thought of using a timestamp to represent the

> particular batch

> >registration.
> >
> >I would really appreciate it if anyone could suggest to

> me the best way to

> >handle the situation. Perhaps, my idea is a good one.

> If that is case

> >please let me know.
> >
> >P.S I am not using Session variables or a Global.asa

> file.

> >
> >Thanks in advance
> >
> >Terry
> >
> >
> >.
> >