Getting Started with AbleCommerce Builder

Getting Started with
AbleCommerce Builder™

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AbleCommerce Builder™ is a real-time electronic commerce shopping system and multiple store online management tool.

The online datasource manager gives the administrator the ability to add a new datasource group with new global settings and separate database for one or more stores. The online administration module supports the creation and editing of dynamic web pages and product inventory management.

Additional sub-modules include shipping, taxes, order retrieval, reports, and custom form building. AbleCommerce Builder can support multiple domains and custom or shared templates while still having the ability to use the dynamic page wizardry through the online administration module.

A web server, such as O'Reilly WebSite or the Microsoft Internet Information Server (IIS), should have a secure key installed for the hosting domain. This enables stores to share a common secure certificate and use the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) to request, retrieve and complete an online transaction immediately and securely.

Administration

After a successful installation, you should arrive on the AbleCommerce Builder Administrator Menu (in frames). Place a bookmark to this page.

(I.E.) http://YourDomainName/acb/dsmaster/index.cfm

The left frame shows two active store group links: 'Demo Stores' and 'Store Group 1'. Each store group has its own set of databases called the datasource group.
The 'Demo Stores' group has three demonstration store sizes: Bronze Sculptor Joseph Macy has a small store, ABC Computers has a medium store and Main Street Books has a large store. The master store and a new store template are for the program. The 'Demo Stores' group is protected and the stores within are not editable.
'Store Group 1' is an empty store (datasource) group that is ready for the addition of new stores.
Additional store (datasource) groups can be added using the datasource manager.
You should be prompted with the security login page when switching between store groups that haven't been accessed within 10 minutes.

User Security

From the bottom of the Administrator Menu, click on the 'Users' link to change the administrator information and your password; From the User Manager, select 'All Users' and press 'Search'.
Select 'Builder,Administrator' and press 'Basic Info'. Complete the form fields and select a new user name and password for future access. Make sure to write these down. Press 'Update' to continue.
From User Records, press 'Group Info' to see that you are a member of the Administrators group. DO NOT CHANGE - anyone that is a member of the Administrators group has full access privileges. Press 'Cancel'.
As the administrator, you can limit access privileges of store users by creating and assigning them to a new user group. By assigning the user group to a new store, the users of that group will only be able to access the merchant menu for that particular store.
To add a new user, press 'Create New' from the User Records page; Complete the form fields including a unique user name and password. Press 'Update'.
To add a new user group, click the blue up arrow twice to return to the Administrator Menu; Click the 'User Groups' link from the bottom menu.
Type in a name for the new group in the empty field and press 'Create'; Select the new group and press 'Manage'. You may need to use the filter to have the new user appear in the left selection listing.
Select a user from the 'Non-Member' listing and press ' > ' to assign him or her as a member of the new user group. A single user group can have many members, and a store is assigned to just one user group.
Press 'Finish' and click the blue up arrow once to return to the Administrator Menu.

Create a Store

There are three demonstration stores provided to help you make choices regarding store setup. Please spend a few minutes looking at the Store Settings for each of the three demonstrated store sizes.
You cannot add or delete stores from the protected store group 'Demo Stores'. From the left frame of the Administrator Menu, click on the 'Store Group 1' link for a new empty main viewing frame. Click the 'Create Store' link and follow the two steps on the Add New Store page.
The default store is created directly under the web server root, resulting in the example URL below:

(I.E.) http://YourDomainName/newstore/index.cfm?did=(insert)

You can also create a new store under another directory under the web server root, resulting in the example URL below:

(I.E.) http://YourDomainName/acbstores/newstore/index.cfm?did=(insert)

After creating a new store, you will arrive at the Merchant Menu. The store name is temporarily called 'New Store'; Click on the '[ Store Settings Menu ]' link to begin setup.

Store Settings

From the Store Settings Menu, click on the 'Activate Storefront' link to begin an 8 step procedure for setting up the administration features of a store. Each screen will display instructions and selections.
1. Activate Storefront - ( default - off ) Turn 'on' after the store is completed, or select 'hide' to separate the store from any mall pages.
2. Shipping Class - ( default - C, none ) Five shipping types are available, each can be further customized from the Merchant Menu.
3. Store Settings - ( default - Medium ) A small store would generally output group or product links directly from the home page. A medium store would generally output a link to a separate directory page listing categories and group links. A large store would generally have category links on the home page which go to navigable category pages with group link listings. Refer to demo stores.
4. Payment Methods - ( default - Visa ) All options can be selected and will work immediately for the new store except the CyberCash™ option. Before enabling CyberCash, please verify that you have server software installed and a valid CyberCash merchant account for each store using real-time transactions. The Cold Fusion CFX tag must also be working to pass the information to the remote CyberCash verification server. We recommend using a test server before actually accepting real transactions. Click here for additional information.
5. Company Description - ( default - null ) Use this to customize a description for the store if it will be used in the mall directory page. A hidden store would not use this information.
6. Security User Group - ( default - Administrators ) Select from the drop-down list, a user group for this store. The Administrators group is given full access to all stores. If you need to create a new users group, return to the Administrator Menu and click on 'User Groups'.
7. Multiple Domains - ( default - null ) The web server path is automatically inserted with the creation of a new store. This can be changed, but make sure the path physically exists. If a store has its own domain name, then enter the domain name or IP address. If the upload directory changes from default, enter a physical path to the store's directory. Select 'Yes' if there is an SSL certificate installed for the store's domain name. The default selection of 'No' allows the store to share the hosting domain's secure SSL certificate. The store's domain name will change to the secure domain at checkout.
8. Wizard Settings - Select all the shared wizards that this store will have access to use from the Merchant Menu wizard pages. You can change the default wizards for any store by following the legend for each size of store. Not all wizards should be made available to all sizes of stores because they may not function properly. Please refer to the Wizards guide for more information.

Store Building

After administration setup, return to the Merchant Menu for 'New Store'. Click on the 'Company' link to change global color and font face preferences and company information. It is important that the company email is correct because automatic order notification (if enabled) will be sent to this email address. The headers and footers are for custom HTML that can be applied globally (i.e.: copyright notice). All modifications in the company fields are temporary until you press 'Finish'.
If an active shipping class was selected through administration, then click the 'Shipping' link and press '+Add' to enter custom shipping methods with appropriate charges (i.e.: UPS Ground, UPS Red, Federal Express, etc.). If a shipping rate based on weight is used, then the product weight must be entered from the product editing page.
If taxes for a particular state(s) need to be collected, then click the 'Tax Rates' link and press '+Add' to select from a list of states and add a tax rate. You can also have your shipping charges taxable by selecting 'Yes' for the selected state. Taxes are based on where the item is being shipped to.
Inventory must be entered prior to using the wizards, begin by clicking 'Inventory' from the Merchant Menu. You can quickly begin by adding one category, then one group, then one product. Activate all. Use these for your templates to create additional groups and products. All fields have been designated with Required, Optional, and/or HTML is OK to use.
- Categories - Use multiple categories if you have many groups to differentiate. A small store would normally have only one category that is not used. A large store would have navigating (browsable) category pages with additional wizard options as well. Category pages output group images and/or group title links.
- Groups - Also termed 'sub-category', these can be titles for grouping your products together. Group pages are navigating (browsable) if you have more than one, and the navigation bar is active. Group pages output small product images and/or product title links. A purchase can be made from the group page if selected as a wizard option or product options can also be displayed at this level.
- Products - The minimum a product needs is a title and price. Additional fields that can be used: product id# (sku), retail price, unit, weight, sorting, table border width, and up to three levels of product options. A product has a short description that can be used on the previous group pages, a standard description for the product detail page, and a large description that will generate another product page of extended detail (optional).
- Options - Select a product to add up to three levels of options. Each option can have its own title, option id#, price, and sorting. An option can be activated, deactivated, editable, or deleted if unused. A custom option header will be shown on the product detail page if used.
To use the wizards at each level, go to the editing page for any existing category, group, or product and press 'Wizard'. The default wizard should be selected, you can select another if available and 'Change' to show the options available for that particular wizard. All changes are temporary until you press 'Finish'. You can preview your changes at any time and return to the administration by clicking the large link on the bottom of the retail preview pages.
Wizard options may include your choice of font sizes, image alignment, number of columns per table, number of products per page, and many more. After the templates are created for each category, group, or product, you can select one and press '+Add' to make a copy.
Final steps include customization of the home page and/or directory page from the 'Web Pages' link. Web pages can be of three types: a home page (only one), a directory page (only one), or a general page (unlimited). Begin with a home page and add your custom html into the fields as provided. There are three main fields that can be used, however, if a wizard is selected, one of the fields should be left blank. If you decide to use a html editor to design a custom page, just remember to only copy the source code between the starting and ending body tags.