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Online Retail with Perl
Jon Allen
http://perl.jonallen.info - jj@jonallen.info
Background
• www.pennysarcade.co.uk launched November 08
• Lots of CPAN used…
– 169 CPAN distributions (including dependencies)
– Three key modules power the site:
• Catalyst (web framework)
• Handel (basket & order processing)
• OpenThought (AJAX user interface)
• Proud to use Perl!
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
Catalyst intro (1)
• Very different to “traditional” CGI programming
– No scripts
– Website is a complete application
– URL dispatch controls which methods are invoked
• http://mysite.com/view/image/1234/square
• MySite::View::image(1234,’square’);
– Very flexible
• Method behaviour defined using attributes
• Multiple methods can be called in a single request
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
Catalyst intro (2)
• Layered architecture
– Model (database / business logic)
– Controller (application logic)
– View (output)
• Example – customer receipts
– Model = data logic, delivery calculation, etc
– Returns an “order” object
– HTML View produces web page
– PDF View produces shipping receipt
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
Why did we choose Catalyst?
• Proven, stable technology
• Fantastic documentation
• Plugins
– Session handling, access control, etc
• Support – community and commercial
• Quick to develop in
– Easy to install, built-in development server
• Simple deployment
– FastCGI application server
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
e-Commerce basics
• SKU = Stock Keeping Unit
SKUs – Represents an individual item sold, i.e. a
product in 2 colours and 3 sizes = 6 SKUs
Baskets
• Shopping basket = temporary storage
– User browses site, adds items to basket
• Orders = the good part!
Orders
– Basket converted to order = revenue
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
e-Commerce basics
• SKU = Stock Keeping Unit
SKUs – Represents an individual item sold, i.e. a
product in 2 colours and 3 sizes = 6 SKUs
Baskets
• Shopping basket = temporary storage
– User browses site, adds items to basket
Handel
• Orders = the good part!
Orders
– Basket converted to order = revenue
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
Handel
• Not a complete e-Commerce package
– Toolkit for building e-Commerce applications
– This is a good thing
• Manages baskets and orders
– Object-oriented
– Add / Remove / Update / Inspect methods
• Catalyst model
• Easy to subclass
– e.g. add custom delivery calculations / data fields
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
Taking payments
• Merchant account
– Lets you accept credit / debit cards
– Different types: Internet, MOTO, Retail
– Available from most banks or American Express
– Small cost per transaction
• Payment processing
– XML over HTTPS
– Complex security requirements – PCI-DSS
– Often easier to outsource this bit!
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
Payment process
Order amount in Customer enters
HTML form
credit card details
https://yoursite/ https://payment/
POST
checkout
processor
Basket converted
to order (Handel)
Acquiring bank
(3D Secure)
https://yoursite/
success
https://payment/
POST
processor
https://yoursite/
fail
Success or failure
page displayed
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
User Interface
• Crucial to the shopping experience
• OpenThought – AJAX transport library
• See http://perl.jonallen.info/talks/lightweightajax
• Developed a Catalyst view for OpenThought
– Not on CPAN yet, but will be
• Live demo
– Weather permitting!
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
Other useful things (1)
• PDF::Reuse
• Modifies existing PDF files
• Great for printing receipts
– Design template (e.g. in Microsoft Word)
– Save as PDF
– Create a Catalyst view using PDF::Reuse to insert
customer details from Handel model
– Much less work than coding the full PDF document by
hand
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
Other useful things (2)
• Read Léon’s book
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
Other useful things (2)
• Read Léon’s book
• Buy Léon’s book!
• www.tickmyboxes.com
• 100-point checklist of best
practice
• Lots of useful tips
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
Conclusion
• Site was delivered under budget and ahead of
schedule
– Could not have achieved this without Perl and CPAN
• Development and Operations are the easy bits…
– Marketing and Promotion is where it gets difficult!
• Treat your home, treat someone special, treat
yourself… at www.pennysarcade.co.uk
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
Fin!
Thank you for listening!
Any questions?
http://perl.jonallen.info/talks
Online Retail with Perl
perl.jonallen.info
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