New to Konakart

[fernando]

Hello...

   I'm new to Konakart... I downloaded the code and already got to install it. Everything seems to work fine. I've seen the "konakart" webapp example, and I've seen the javadocs a little bit, buy I feel a luck of guidance on mounting it all toghether in a "progressive" way. Besides, I've seen some of the files included into the "examples" folder; they correspond to some of the Struts KK classes, but I think these are not the whole of them.

Maybe I'm not in the right way, but I'm a little bit lost... But I would feel a little bit more comfortable with KK if I had:

* The full source code of KK to see what it really does "behind the scene".
* Some kind of Tutorial for beginners, teaching how to build a KK-web, first using just the minimal ammount of classes to make it all work, and then then making it grow up to more complete examples.

Please let me know.

Thanks in advance!!

Fernando

[Brian]

Hi Fernando,

I'm glad you managed to install KonaKart and get it all working. That's a good start 

But I would feel a little bit more comfortable with KK if I had:

* The full source code of KK to see what it really does "behind the scene".

We don't provide the full source code for KonaKart, however, we do provide source code for all the customizable parts.  We supply the source code for all of the Struts actions, Struts forms, JSPs  and the modules (shipping, payment, order totals). We even supply the GWT source code used for the one page checkout functionality.  By retaining control of the central core of KonaKart we aim to make it easier to add core features in new releases whilst ensuring that backwards-compatibility is maintained at the KonaKart API level.  We try to ensure that successive releases of KonaKart will continue to work against all programs that users have written against the KonaKart APIs in all previous releases.  Retaining control over the central core of KonaKart also makes it a lot easier to support and maintain which is critical for most users of the product.

Some kind of Tutorial for beginners, teaching how to build a KK-web, first using just the minimal ammount of classes to make it all work, and then then making it grow up to more complete examples.

We don't have such a tutorial but all the code you need to set up a fully-functioning, full-featured web store is provided in the download package.   

I don't really know what your objective is?   You have all you need to deploy an online store;  was there something specific that you wanted to do?

Regards,
Brian

[fernando]

Thanks Brian for your fast answer!!

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I don't really know what your objective is?   You have all you need to deploy an online store;  was there something specific that you wanted to do?
------------------

Well... I suppose I want the same a lot of people wants when choosing an e-commerce open-source solution. I'd like it to be...

* Easy to start-up. (I see KK is it)
* Easy to adapt/customize in every layer: (I still have will have to study how flexible KK is about it)
    - Model Layer: Introduce any kind of modifications to the products in order to adapt it to different entities.
    - Business Logic: Take control of all the life-cycle during the whole selling process.
    - Presentation Layer: Create/Adapt the front-end to any need I could have.

About the first two layers I still cannot give you concrete details, But I suppose that in some moment I will feel the need to overload the Model and Business-Logic classes. That's why I was asking for the source code. Besides, maybe when I get some experience I find that it's not really necessary, or maybe KK is already flexible-enough to cover most common issues of customization. Too far for me now to see it...

About the Presentation layer, I liked the idea of using other technologies like Laszlo of Flash. Don't you have the source code of the Laszlo example? It would be great to use it to learn...

Thanks again...

Fernando

 

[Brian]

Hi Fernando,

Thanks for your post which contains some important questions.

* Easy to start-up. (I see KK is it)

Good to hear.

* Easy to adapt/customize in every layer: (I still have will have to study how flexible KK is about it)
    - Model Layer: Introduce any kind of modifications to the products in order to adapt it to different entities.

There are custom attributes on the major entities for this kind of customization (eg. 5 on product, 5 on customer, etc)

- Business Logic: Take control of all the life-cycle during the whole selling process.

There are integration callbacks that allow you to run your own code at critical points in the process.  An example is:  http://www.konakart.com/configurationfaq.php#how_can_i_make_something_happen_when_an

Once you have studied the FAQs, if you consider there are limitations and you would like to see more integration points, we are responsive to suggestions - and obviously most responsive of all to people who take out support contracts   

- Presentation Layer: Create/Adapt the front-end to any need I could have.

You have complete freedom with the presentation layer- and all our source for the Struts application.  We also expect that many users will want to add the KonaKart shopping cart features to existing sites using the technology they are comfortable with.

Besides, maybe when I get some experience I find that it's not really necessary, or maybe KK is already flexible-enough to cover most common issues of customization.

We hope that this is what you discover;  but please let us know, either way.

About the Presentation layer, I liked the idea of using other technologies like Laszlo of Flash. Don't you have the source code of the Laszlo example? It would be great to use it to learn...

We positively encourage people to create their presentation layers using other technologies.  We have put a great deal of effort into the KonaKart APIs to make this as easy as possible.   Note that all our applications use the KonaKart APIs "religiously" so we take our own medicine :-)

As for the source for the OpenLaszlo demo, please write a mail to enquires at konakart dot com from your company email address explaining your intended use of the source and someone should send it to you promptly.

Regards,
Brian