spree_sogi

= Spree Order Gateway Input (SOGI, pronounced "soggy")

== What it is Sogi is an extension to allow spree to accept orders via a web-service. The goal is to be flexible enough to support orders from many different vendors. The goal of the first release is to support Amazon.com orders.

The goal is order input. A later plugin will deal with orders that need to be delivered to other services (e.g. a fulfillment house).

== What it isn't It isn't a full RESTful interface for managing orders. Again, the goal is order input not order management. The current goal of the project does not include show, update, or delete commands. However, if someone believes it would be useful, feel free to write it and submit a pull request on github.

== Requirements

• spree custom_order_data extension (to be released).
• REXML hpricot

== Friends It is designed to be used with the amazon_merchant gem. However, this gem is not required. (alpha version ready, soon to be released)

== My notes TODO, move these into a new file once we start making releases.

should have a generator eventually? subclass of Sogi::OrderParser Sogi::AmazonOrderParser < Sogi::OrderParser

you post the order to the controller. the controller makes an instance of order_input_format order parser then passes the param[:order] to it. today this is a single order? however, in the future, should probably support multiple orders at a time.

the parser should just turn the orders into spree objects.

• how do we deal with, say,
  • existing orders?
  • existing customers, if we can even tell that
  • a failure to have enough information? a failure to parse?

what we dont want to do is leave the db in a half-baked state.

... when parsing xml the assumption is that the order is all a subelement of a particular element (Even when you have many), so somehow specify what that order element is then all of your method values and be dsl-like specifying that the xpath to the element where you can find your data will be.

So there is a parser, then something else takes the parser and actually creates the objects based on it.

what is a good name for it? Sogi::OrderCreator The OrderCreator calls methods on the Parser which, in turn, returns the values. The OrderCreator deals with all the transaction based stuff.

what if you want to do validation? validate it in code. raise an exception and return that in the xml

return an xml response. what should the xml response look like? make a general xml exception catcher

So, to recap

1. something POST's xml -> OrderGatewayInputController
2. OrderGatewayInputController creates a new Sogi::OrderParser based on the class name of the input format variable. If it cant find it, raise an exception
3. The parser is passed to an Sogi::OrderCreator
4. The order_creator, in a safe, transaction way deals with the messyness of creating the objects in a transaction safe way, creates any custom variables and returns a Spree order object.
5. the controller sets @order, and renders the view
6. if something fails, it should raise a specific exception, the view should render an XML page (if XML was requested) outlining the error message

use #rescue_from - it looks useful:

class ApplicationController < ActionController::Base rescue_from User::NotAuthorized, :with => :deny_access # self defined exception rescue_from ActiveRecord::RecordInvalid, :with => :show_errors

rescue_from 'MyAppError::Base' do |exception|
  render :xml => exception, :status => 500
end

protected
  def deny_access
    ...
  end

  def show_errors(exception)
    exception.record.new_record? ? ...
  end

end

TODO - add keys to custom order data

== Things to add: MIGRATIONS TO ADD:

• orders - ship_tax?
• line_items - ship_amount, tax_amount, ship_tax_amount
• address email

NEW EXT:

• add order_properties x

added tracking numbers for line items, couldn't wait for spree shipping modules addded special instructions to particular line items