osCommerce is web based ecommerce solutions that serve as ready to use online shopping system. The source code of osCommerce is easily available and anyone can modify it according to their requirement.

osCommerce is a perfect solution for an ecommerce based website. It is shareware licensed software which means it is available for free under the GNU General Public License. osCommerce is the foremost databases driven shopping carts present in the market. It has many features which is very helpful for the store sellers to run and maintain their online stores with minimum amount of effort. An osCommerce mall can easily be managed by a person who has a basic knowledge about computers.

osCommerce combines Open Source solutions to give a free platform which supports the PHP and MySQL. It can run on any PHP web server which is running on Solaris, Linux, Windows and Mac OS environments.

History

The osCommerce development started in year 2000 by Harald Ponce de Leon as The Exchange Project. In year 2001, the project name changed from The Exchange Project to osCommerce to prove its development and to make its existence stronger in the Open Source community. Not only a devoted team managed the project but also communities played an important part where members assisted each other and contributed their work in the development of the project. The combination of devoted team members and dynamic and active community has assured the success of the project. In year 2007 there are more than 12,000 active websites exercising this program.

Features

There are large numbers of people that are working online and doing business. For an online business a website is required to provide a platform for sellers and buyers where they meet and exchange commodities. Through this platform sellers can display their products and customers can buy these products according to their requirements. So osCommerce is a perfect solution for them. The following are some main features that osCommerce have for its users:

• Multi- language support such as English, French, Italian, German and so on.
• Database backup and restore.
• Compatible with PHP, MySQL and with almost all the browsers.
• Use different layouts, templates and colors that can easily change and modified.
• Easy editing; can change, edit, remove, add and enlist more information about the product.
• Many shipping and payment processing functions are available with respect to weight, price, or destination.

Installation

It is better to read all the terms and conditions before starting to install the osCommerce.

Step 1: Enter the following information:

• Admin User - Enter the administrator’s username.
• Admin Pass - Enter the administrator’s password.
• Email - Enter the administrator’s email contact information.
• Installation URL - Pick the domain in order to install the osCommerce.

Step 2: Click on the “Install” button.

Step 3: Following statement will appear:

• “Done! You can access your new add-on at “URL Name”

Advantages

• Cost Effective It is shareware software and is free to download. Its existing codes are also free to use.

• Easy To Use Gives user-friendly interface with all the features required for a complete ecommerce store.

• Suitable For A Wide Range Of Stores osCommerce supports worldwide malls because it supports multi-language and multi-currency shops.

• Flexible osCommerce is customizable and expandable that can turn a simple website into a comprehensive E-commerce website with just few clicks.

Disadvantages

• No password protection There is no built-in method to password protect the administration region. There are lots of simple methods to do this, but they are not present in the default installation of osCommerce.

• Not template driven osCommerce is not template driven, there are style sheets and can also promptly modify the common header, footer and so on. Still, modifying the site looks might not be as flexible in osCommerce as in a template driven.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 22nd, 2008 at 3:26 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.