SYNOPSIS

userdb $function, %options

DESCRIPTION

The Interchange user database saves information for users, including shipping, billing, and preference information. It allows the user to return to a previous session without the requirement for a ``cookie'' or other persistent session information.

It is object-oriented and called via the [userdb] usertag, which calls the userdb subroutine.

It restores and manipulates the form values normally stored in the user session values --- the ones set in forms and read through the "[value variable]" tags. A special function allows saving of shopping cart contents.

The preference, billing, and shipping information is keyed so that different sets of information may be saved, providing and ``address_book'' function that can save more than one shipping and/or billing address. The set to restore is selected by the form values "s_nickname", "b_nickname", and "p_nickname".

METHODS

User login:

    $obj->login();        # Form values are
                          # mv_username, mv_password

Create account:

    $obj->new_account();  # Form values are
                          # mv_username, mv_password, mv_verify

Change password:

    $obj->change_pass();  # Form values are
                          # mv_username, mv_password_old, mv_password, mv_verify(new)

Get, set user information:

    $obj->get_values();
    $obj->set_values();
    $obj->clear_values();

Save, restore filed user information:

    $obj->get_shipping();
    $obj->set_shipping();
    $obj->get_billing();
    $obj->set_billing();
    $obj->get_preferences();
    $obj->set_preferences();
    $obj->get_cart();
    $obj->set_cart();

Shipping Address Book

The shipping address book saves information relevant to shipping the order. In its simplest form, this can be the only address book needed. By default these form values are included:

        s_nickname
        name
        address
        city
        state
        zip
        country
        phone_day
        mv_shipmode

The values are saved with the $obj->set_shipping() method and restored with $obj->get_shipping. A list of the keys available is kept in the form value "address_book", suitable for iteration in an HTML select box or in a set of links.

Accounts Book

The accounts book saves information relevant to billing the order. By default these form values are included:

        b_nickname
        b_name
        b_address
        b_city
        b_state
        b_zip
        b_country
        b_phone
        mv_credit_card_type
        mv_credit_card_exp_month
        mv_credit_card_exp_year
        mv_credit_card_reference

The values are saved with the $obj->set_billing() method and restored with $obj->get_billing. A list of the keys available is kept in the form value "accounts", suitable for iteration in an HTML select box or in a set of links.

Preferences

Preferences are miscellaneous session information. They include by default the fields "email", "fax", "phone_night", and "fax_order". The field "p_nickname" acts as a key to select the preference set.

Locations

There are several database locations that have special purposes. These fields are not saved as user values.

USERNAME                               default: username

The username or key field of the database table.

BILLING                                default: accounts

Billing address hash field.

SHIPPING                               default: address_book

Shipping address hash field.

PREFERENCES                    default: preferences

Miscellaneous information hash field.

FEEDBACK                               default: feedback

Customer feedback hash field.

PRICING                                default: price_level

Customer pricing level marker.

CARTS                                  default: carts

Saved carts hash field.

PASSWORD                               default: password

Customer password info. If "crypt" is set, may be encrypted.

LAST                                   default: mod_time

Last login time

EXPIRATION                     default: expiration

Expiration of account.

OUTBOARD_KEY          default: (none)

Key information for linking to another table of address or other info.

GROUPS                         default: groups

Groups they should be logged into.

SUPER                                  default: super

Whether they are a superuser (admin).

ACL                                    default: acl

FILE_ACL                             default: file_acl

DB_ACL                                default: db_acl

Location of access control information.

CREATED_DATE_ISO               default: (none)

CREATED_DATE_UNIX            default: (none)

UPDATED_DATE_ISO              default: (none)

UPDATED_DATE_UNIX             default: (none)

Date fields.

MERGED_USER                    default: (none)

The user id of another account this was merged into. If present, and data (should be a valid user id) is present in the field, the user will be logged as that username.