[SOLVED] Please explain how to get "checkout by email" activated.

hpstudios

Joined: 2009-10-17
Posts: 10
Posted: Wed, 2009-11-04 15:21

No matter how many times I have installed and reinstalled all of the "checkout" modules, carefully configured them (starting with checkout first), Checkout By Email REFUSES to activate or show up in the sidebar. It just says "configure" while all the other checkout modules activate successfully.

PLUGINS INSTALLED:

Checkout
Checkout By Email
Checkout By Paypal
Checkout Downloads

ACTIVATED:
Checkout
Checkout by Paypal
Checkout Downloads

IN SIDEBAR:
Checkout Configuration
Checkout Downloads
Checkout Orders
Checkout by Paypal

No, I do NOT have "Zip Download" or the cart module installed. Yes, all the modules have been "activated" and configured. The products have been "ticked" (made downloadable" in the checkout downloads module.

I am trying to set it up where users who choose a priced image checkout by Paypal. However, those who choose a free image checkout "by email" (enter email address to get zipped image). This was very easy to set up when I had the Fantastico version of Gallery 2. But now I can't do it with the non-Fantastico, "official" version that I downloaded from this site and installed to my server.

SYSTEM INFO:

Gallery version = 2.3 core 1.3.0
API = Core 7.54, Module 3.9, Theme 2.6, Embed 1.5
PHP version = 4.4.4 apache
Webserver = Apache/1.3.37 (Unix) mod_auth_passthrough/1.8 mod_log_bytes/1.2 mod_bwlimited/1.4 PHP/4.4.4 FrontPage/5.0.2.2635.SR1.2 mod_ssl/2.8.28 OpenSSL/0.9.7a
Database = mysqlt 4.1.22-standard, lock.system=flock
Toolkits = ArchiveUpload, Exif, NetPBM, Gd
Acceleration = none, none

Thanks.

 
alecmyers

Joined: 2006-08-01
Posts: 4342
Posted: Wed, 2009-11-04 16:34
Quote:
It just says "configure" while all the other checkout modules activate successfully.

Um, click on the "configure" link, and configure the module.

 
hpstudios

Joined: 2009-10-17
Posts: 10
Posted: Wed, 2009-11-04 19:25

I finally figured it out. The reason why it didn't activate is that putting something in the description field for Payment Options is *mandatory* to activate it, unlike the other checkout modules where you can just configure/ activate them without having to fill *all* the text fields right away. I had left that field blank, since I'm using the Checkout By Email option for users wanting to download free images (as opposed to the priced images on the site), making the "Payment Options" description field unnecessary to fill.

I'm posting this solution here in case someone else who's using Checkout By Email option for *free downloads* and doesn't want anything under "Payment Options" runs into the same problem, as it's not altogether obvious that it's a mandatory field. You have to fill it with *something*, even if you're using this option to allow users to immediately download free images.

 
nivekiam
nivekiam's picture

Joined: 2002-12-10
Posts: 16504
Posted: Wed, 2009-11-04 19:08

Alec is the maintainer for the checkout module, you're not going to get much better help using these modules than from him.

On the part that says "configure", click that. Once it's configured and the settings are saved you can then go and activate it.

Several other modules work the same way, URL Rewrite for one (off the top of my head)
____________________________________________
Like Gallery? Like the support? Donate now!!! See G2 live here

 
hpstudios

Joined: 2009-10-17
Posts: 10
Posted: Wed, 2009-11-04 19:43
nivekiam wrote:
Alec is the maintainer for the checkout module, you're not going to get much better help using these modules than from him.

See my post above. I figured out the problem. All of the fields have to filled in for that module, as opposed to the other ones, where not *all* of the fields or options have to be configured or filled in right away to get them activated.

Thanks for the help, anyway.

 
alecmyers

Joined: 2006-08-01
Posts: 4342
Posted: Wed, 2009-11-04 22:00
hpstudios wrote:
Is there someone out there who actually understands my problem that can help me with it?

It does depend on how well you explain the problem. Initially, you hadn't said that you'd actually tried to configure the module and that it hadn't worked.

I've just taken a look at the code, and, for some historical reason, yes, you do need to fill in that field (only) before the module considers itself "configured" and can be activated. I don't see off they top of my head why that should still be necessary. I suspect it's inconsistent because that's a part of the module I've never rewritten (it has various other anachronisms too, I see) whereas the other modules have all had that bit rewritten by me. Thanks for pointing it out, and I'll put it on the list to be fixed next time I update that module.

 
alecmyers

Joined: 2006-08-01
Posts: 4342
Posted: Wed, 2009-11-04 22:36

I would prefer to do with this module what is done with all the others, which is not to have this text or in fact the button title either configured in an admin page at all, but to put them in the relevant template, which can be edited in the usual way. Text in templates can be translated (although it would be awkward - not impossible, but awkward) to arrange translations of your own custom text.

So I think the only current setting that will be left in the module configuration page will be the "Activate this method of payment?" button.

Also I have been asked recently (twice) how to arrange that the email option is not presented if a payment is required (so only 'free' orders can be checked out this way) and I can see why that would be a popular option. So I might add that to the config page.

 
hpstudios

Joined: 2009-10-17
Posts: 10
Posted: Thu, 2009-11-05 02:24
alecmyers wrote:
hpstudios wrote:
Is there someone out there who actually understands my problem that can help me with it?

It does depend on how well you explain the problem. Initially, you hadn't said that you'd actually tried to configure the module and that it hadn't worked.

I apologize for not being clearer. I just thought that configuring the module was such a no brainer that it was obvious I probably had before posting my question.

At any rate, thanks for explaining the history of the module and taking note of this issue... This definitely needs to be dealt with, because it's one of those weird things that on the surface seems completely harmless but believe it or not can make for a lot of hairpulling.

Personally, I don't really think it's necessary to toy around with the code to deal with this issue. One very quick, easy solution is to simply write "(required)" next to Payment Options so users understand that this text field *must* be filled in to activate it.

 
hpstudios

Joined: 2009-10-17
Posts: 10
Posted: Thu, 2009-11-05 02:33
alecmyers wrote:
Also I have been asked recently (twice) how to arrange that the email option is not presented if a payment is required (so only 'free' orders can be checked out this way) and I can see why that would be a popular option. So I might add that to the config page.

That would be most excellent-- thank you! :-)

 
alecmyers

Joined: 2006-08-01
Posts: 4342
Posted: Thu, 2009-11-05 09:57
Quote:
I just thought that configuring the module was such a no brainer that it was obvious I probably had before posting my question.

Spend a couple of years answering support-type questions on a technical forum and you will realise there is no such thing as a 'no-brainer' and how much time you waste by assuming someone has done 'the obvious' before posting a request for help.