About MetaCart2 for SQL Server

Overview
Hardware/Software Requirements
Credit Card Processing
Installation/Setup
Support/Add-ins
Browser-based Administration
The MetaCart2 Demos

Overview

MetaCart2 forMicrosoft SQL Server was designed for small businesses and developers requiring the scalability and functionality of an eCommerce system powered by a high-end database.

Like its counterpart, MetaCart2, it remains fully customizable for easy integration into your current website. To customize its interface, you will need to know basic HTML, have some familiarity with Active Server Pages, VBScript and, of course, a working knowledge of Microsoft SQL Server databases.

With MetaCart2 for SQL Server, your electronic storefront will have the following capabilities and functionality:

• Catalogs and products will be fully searchable from every page by category, product name, product description, or price level.
• Database administration and order processing is accomplished through an integrated browser-based interface.
• Processed transactions can be archived through the same administrative interface.
• Automatic application-based customer, shipping, and warehouse e-mail notification using Microsoft's Collaboration Data Objects (CDONTS). Can be configured to work with third-party ASP-based e-mail components, such as JMail.
• Customer credit card validation using the Luhn Modulus 10 method.
• Encryption of credit card numbers stored in database.
• Ability to charge sales tax for in-state purchases,
• Automated inventory reporting and updating,
• Calculation of shipping charges based on weight,
• Support for subcategories under main catalog listings,
• An enhanced catalog and products search engine, and
• a stored procedure for cleaning abandoned orders from the database.

Like its predecessors, MetaCart2 for SQL Server was designed for manual credit card processing. See "Credit Card Processing" below for more information regarding accepting credit card payments.

MetaCart2 for SQL Server is based on Microsoft Active Server Pages (ASP) technology hooked to a Microsoft SQL Server database.

After installation and setup, the system readies your site for eCommerce. Customers can peruse your catalog of products and add the items they wish to purchase to their "shopping basket."

The customer then enters shipping and payment details and submits his/her order, which is then processed and posted to the database.

Hardware/Software Requirements

To use MetaCart2 for SQL Server, your eCommerce site will need to be hosted on a web server that supports Active Server Pages, such as Microsoft NT Server with at least Internet Information Server (IIS) 4.0 or Windows 2000 Server with IIS 5.0.

You will also need a good website design and HTML editing program (such as FrontPage 2000 or 2002, or Visual InterDev 6.0), and at least the Desktop Edition of Microsoft SQL Server 7.0 or 2000 to create the database. The MetaCart2 for SQL Server software application was developed on a Microsoft platform, using Visual Studio 6.0 and SQL Server 2000. All MetaCart demos are hosted on a Windows 2000 Server.

The only requirement for your customers is that their machine accept cookies since the application uses browser session cookies for some features. The cookies expire when the user session expires. No cookies are permanently stored on the customer's computer, though the application can be configured for persistent cookies.

Credit Card Processing

The application assumes you will do manual credit card processing. To use MetaCart2 for SQL Server for credit card processing, you will need amerchant account with a bank, an account with a credit card processing agent, and a security certificate for access to your server's secure socket layer (SSL) for secure transactions. Thawte and VeriSign are the two largest issuers of SSL server certificates. Most of these services can be provided by the internet service provider (ISP) hosting your eCommerce web site. One of the largest eCommerce hosting companies is Interland, who hosts this site.

For a complete rundown of accepting credit cards online, see the article, "What You Will Need - Plain and Simple."

Additional Installation/Setup Instructions

Additional installation and setup instructions, as well as the End-User License Agreement, are included in the README file in the MetaCart2 for SQL Server download package. Use of MetaCart2 for SQL Server is governed by the terms of the End-User License Agreement.

NOTE: The README file includes resources for finding answers to the most frequently encountered problems with installation of ASP-based applications. These involve the correct directory location of the global.asa file, the proper setting of permissions on a network or hosting server, connecting to the database and setting up a System DSN (Data Source Name). Please read these instructions carefully.

Also, there are comments throughout the source code, to assist you in customizing and configuring the application to your particular needs or situation.

Support/Add-Ins

MetaLinks.com provides limited installation and setup support for MetaCart2 for SQL Server via e-mail only. Should you discover any bugs in the application, please notify us so we can post any fixes to our master download file.