Newbie help - Simplest way to build a product catalogue + email ordering system?

[3stripe]

Hey people,

I'm developing a site for a company which will have a catalogue of about 100 products with a title, description and image for each.

There will also be a login section where selected clients can login, and scroll though a list of relevant products, organised by category, add these to a shopping cart with a running total, and then submit an order by email. (no payment will be taken online, just a case of emailing the details of their selection, so it can be processed manually.)

I'm used to working with actionscript to pull in external text files and jpgs, and this would certainly seem the easiest way for me to build the catalogue. But I'm not sure how to build the ordering system using these methods, or even if it's possible without adding some php or whatever.

I've looked at a lot of tutorials - should I think about updgrading from Flash MX to Flash MX 2004 Pro and then use the new data binding components? I've seen the Flash/AMFPHP store tutorial here, but it looks quite daunting and I'm not sure if I can handle it on my own. 

That said a simpler combination of PHP and a my SQL database such as at http://www.sephiroth.it/tutorials/flashPHP/catalog/ looks a little easier.... and I've done  some basic PHP/Flash integration before to send form results etc.

Would be grateful for your thoughts on the above 

Thanks.

[Jorge Solis]

Probaly you're looking to something around the lines of http://www.flash-db.com/Tutorials/newstore/
It could look difficult because is a difficult work. About Alessandro tutorial, perhaps the best is to ask in his Board.

Jorge

[3stripe]

hey jorge.

can you think of any easy way to add someone's selection in the ordering system into a shopping cart using just actionscript/cookie's, so it could add up a total and email it? or should i just bite the biscuit and start looking into doing it properly???!

thanks for your help, i love this board because someone is always willing to lend a hand

[Musicman]

Hi,

I recently added a form like http://wolfgang.remsnet.de/shop.swf  to existing product selections: the main effort was to make all purchase buttons call _root.addtocart('productname', 1, '27.95')
The form manages the running total, and deleting from the cart.
This approach requires that the visitor does not leave the movie untile the order is complete

Musicman