PCMech Forums - View Single Post - Building an E-commerce site

mosquito · 02-13-2001, 08:52 AM

E-Commerce sites are VERY difficult to code. Not as much the functionalities, but security is a major issue when you want to do on-line trading.
You have to make sure that no user information is sent over the net without encryption (usually SSL), but you also have to make sure that you don't send everything using SSL because this makes the site dog slow, and creates a huge overhead on the server (the server has to do the encryption).

I suggest that you analyse the needs of the user very well, and check if it is cheaper to purchase an e-commerce product. (I think that MS has Commerce server now, but I'm sure that there are other and better (cheaper) solutions available.)

If you decide to do all coding yourself, make sure that you do the following things:

build a solid security framework, and request validation from the customer (also make sure that you can increase security if necessary)
Build a database model of how you are going to store the commerce info.
Make a clear list of the hard and software requirements.

Also make sure that the customer agrees with every step you take during the development process.

I will look for links and supply them below:
MS Commerce server
this looks interesting too.
On-line merchant

[Edited by mosquito on 02-13-2001 at 09:57 AM]

02-13-2001, 08:52 AM	#3
mosquito SQL nutcase Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Belgium Posts: 1,136	E-Commerce sites are VERY difficult to code. Not as much the functionalities, but security is a major issue when you want to do on-line trading. You have to make sure that no user information is sent over the net without encryption (usually SSL), but you also have to make sure that you don't send everything using SSL because this makes the site dog slow, and creates a huge overhead on the server (the server has to do the encryption). I suggest that you analyse the needs of the user very well, and check if it is cheaper to purchase an e-commerce product. (I think that MS has Commerce server now, but I'm sure that there are other and better (cheaper) solutions available.) If you decide to do all coding yourself, make sure that you do the following things: build a solid security framework, and request validation from the customer (also make sure that you can increase security if necessary) Build a database model of how you are going to store the commerce info. Make a clear list of the hard and software requirements. Also make sure that the customer agrees with every step you take during the development process. I will look for links and supply them below: MS Commerce server this looks interesting too. On-line merchant [Edited by mosquito on 02-13-2001 at 09:57 AM] __________________ Join The PCMech RC5 Team Today!