Ihtml Merchant Mall Version 1.05

iHTML Merchant Mall
Version 1.05

Inline Internet Systems, Inc.
Copyright © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001

INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. LICENSE AGREEMENT

This is a legal agreement between you, the end user, and Inline Internet Systems, Inc. BY AGREEING TO AND INSTALLING THIS PRODUCT PACKAGE, YOU ARE AGREEING TO BE BOUND BY THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THE TERMS OF THIS AGREEMENT, PROMPTLY RETURN THE PRODUCT AND THE ACCOMPANYING ITEMS (including all manuals) TO THE PLACE YOU OBTAINED THEM FOR A FULL REFUND. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL ALSO RETROACTIVELY APPLY TO ANY INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. SOFTWARE PROGRAM PREVIOUSLY PURCHASED.

1. GRANT OF LICENSE

(a) Dedicated Use - INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. grants you the right to use the enclosed Inline Internet Systems, Inc. software program (the "SOFTWARE") on a single computer ("DEDICATED COMPUTER"). You may transfer the SOFTWARE to another single computer, PROVIDED you do so no more often than once every thirty days, and no copies of the SOFTWARE licensed herein are retained for use on any other computer. The software is however only licensed for the web server and operating system combination specified on the initial purchase. It can not be transferred to a different web server or operating system. A developers license is required to allow use of a copy on a second machine for testing or development purposes.

(b) Transitory Use - Notwithstanding (a), you may transfer the right to use the SOFTWARE licensed herein as often as you like if you require each user of the SOFTWARE to have physical possession of the enclosed INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. proof of license card at all times during the use of the SOFTWARE, and PROVIDED that no copy of the SOFTWARE licensed herein is retained for use by any other user.

For purposes of this Section 1, "use" means loading the SOFTWARE into RAM, as well as installation on a hard disk or other storage device. You may access the SOFTWARE from a hard disk, over a network, or any other method you choose so long as you otherwise comply with this Agreement.

2. COPYRIGHT

The SOFTWARE is owned by INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. or its suppliers and is protected by Canadian copyright laws, international treaty provisions, and all other applicable national laws. Therefore, you must treat the SOFTWARE like any other copyrighted material (e.g., a book) except that if the software is not copy protected you may either (a) make one copy of the SOFTWARE solely for backup or archival purposes, or (b) transfer the SOFTWARE to a single hard disk provided you keep the original solely for backup or archival purposes. You may NOT copy the Product manual(s) or written materials accompanying the SOFTWARE without written permission from INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. For the iHTML Merchant, you may change the logo on the admin screens as long as the copyright notice remains.

3. FTP ACCESS

You may not provide FTP access or any other access to the iHTML Merchant software without proof of license. A license must be purchased by each user that FTP access is provided to. Specifically, the iHTML Merchant software can not be given to hosting clients, they must purchase a license from INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. They require the single user license of the Merchant product.

4. OTHER RESTRICTIONS

You may NOT rent or lease the SOFTWARE, but you may transfer your rights under this INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. License Agreement on a permanent basis provided you transfer the INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. proof of license card, all copies of the SOFTWARE and all written materials, and the recipient agrees to the terms of this Agreement and to take over regular payment of any maintenance or update fees that may apply. You may not reverse engineer, decompile or disassemble the SOFTWARE. Any transfer must include the most recent update and all prior versions.

5. MULTI-CPU INSTALLATIONS

Licensing is on a per server basis up to 4 CPU's.

LIMITED WARRANTY

INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. warrants that (a) the SOFTWARE will perform substantially in accordance with the accompanying Product Manual(s) for a period of 90 days from the date of receipt; and (b) any INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. supplied hardware accompanying the SOFTWARE will be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and service for a period of one year from the date of receipt unless otherwise specified. Any implied warranties on the SOFTWARE and hardware are limited to 90 days and one (1) year, respectively.

CUSTOMER REMEDIES

INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC.'s entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be, at INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC.'s option, either (a) return of the price paid or (b) repair or replacement of the SOFTWARE or hardware that does not meet INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC.'s Limited Warranty and which is returned to INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. with a copy of your receipt. This Limited Warranty is void if failure of the SOFTWARE or hardware has resulted from accident, abuse, or misapplication. Any replacement SOFTWARE will be warranted for the remainder of the original warranty period or 30 days, whichever is longer.

NO OTHER WARRANTIES

INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SOFTWARE, THE ACCOMPANYING PRODUCT MANUAL(S) AND WRITTEN MATERIALS, AND ANY ACCOMPANYING HARDWARE. THIS LIMITED WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS.

NO LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES

IN NO EVENT SHALL INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY OTHER DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION, LOSS OF BUSINESS INFORMATION, OR OTHER PECUNIARY LOSS) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THIS INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. PRODUCT, EVEN IF INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC. HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. IN ANY CASE, INLINE INTERNET SYSTEMS, INC.'s ENTIRE LIABILITY UNDER ANY PROVISION OF THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT ACTUALLY PAID BY YOU FOR THE SOFTWARE.

All listed applications other than those provided by Inline Internet Systems, Inc. are registered trademarks of their respective companies.

iHTML Merchant Mall Edition 1.05

Contents

Write To Us! 6

1 About the iHTML Merchant Mall 7

1 7

1.2 Hardware Requirements 8

1.3 About this Manual 8

1.4 Installing the iHTML Merchant Mall 9

1.4.1 Installing on a Windows Platform 9

1.4.2 Installing on a Unix Platform 10

1.4.3 Creating a Mall Database 17

1.5 Using the iHTML Merchant Mall - Getting Started: 20

1.6 Getting Support and Updates 20

1.6.1 Free Support Options 21

1.6.2 Paid Technical Support Options 22

1.7 Security 23

1.7.1 iHTML Security 23

1.7.2 iHTML Merchant Mall Security 24

1.8 Copyright Notices & Trademark Notices 25

2 Initial Mall Setup 26

2.1 Manager System 26

2.2 Site Configuration 27

2.2.1 Site Properties 27

2.2.2 Appearance 29

2.2.3 E-commerce 30

2.2.4 Tax Setup 41

2.2.5 Banner Ads 43

2.2.6 Server Setup 44

2.2.7 Content Editor 45

2.2.8 Store Templates 46

2.2.9 View/Purge Visitor Log 46

2.3 Stores 46

2.3.1 Browse Mall 46

2.3.2 Mail Center 51

2.3.3 Newsletters 51

2.3.4 Export Contacts 52

2.3.5 Set Defaults 52

2.4 Reports 53

2.4.1 Daily Sales 54

2.4.2 Monthly Sales 54

2.4.3 Banner Statistics 54

2.5 Billing 55

2.5.1 Manual Billing 55

2.5.2 Open Invoices 55

2.5.3 Account History 55

2.5.4 Billing Plans 56

2.5.5 Billing Check 59

3 Mall Front End 60

3.1 General Features 60

3.1.1 Mall Banner 60

3.2 Navigation Bar 60

3.2.1 Home 61

3.2.2 Browse Mall 61

3.2.3 Search 62

3.2.4 Get A Store 63

3.2.5 Master Shopping Basket 63

3.2.6 About Us 65

3.2.7 Contact Us 65

3.2 The Mall Directory 66

3.3 Product and Store Spotlight 66

3.4 Newest Store 66

3.5 Shopping Basket 66

4 Mall Technical Information 70

4.1 How it Works 70

4.2 Mall Database Layout 71

4.2.1 Tables 71

4.2.2 Stored Procedures 72

4.3 File Layout & Directory Structure 75

Appendix A: Manually Installing a Merchant Mall 77

Appendix B: Common Merchant Support Issues 80

Appendix C: Common Technical Questions 82

Appendix D: Standard Configuration Options 84

Index 85

Write To Us!

This manual is written to help you - our customers. If you experience any problems using it, or you have any suggestions for improvement, please let us know! We pride ourselves on listening to input from our customers, and many of the changes made to this version of Merchant are the result of their suggestions. This is just one way that we strive to satisfy you, and we aim to keep doing so.

Please mail all constructive criticisms, comments, and suggestions to:

Inline Internet Systems Inc.

405 Britannia Rd. E., Suite 212

Mississauga, ON

L4Z 3E2

or email

In addition, please visit us at our company website http://www.inline.net

We’d like to thank you in advance for taking the time to help us improve this manual.

1 About the iHTML Merchant Mall

The iHTML Merchant Mall is a powerful web-based storefront management system. It provides mall managers with the easiest and most cost-effective way to create and administer an unlimited number of e-commerce sites for themselves and for their customers. Each individual store in the mall is based on Inline’s iHTML Merchant Enterprise software. This software can be used to set up a wide range of stores; from small businesses with a limited product line, to large corporations with a database containing thousands of products. For more information on the iHTML Merchant Enterprise system, please consult the iHTML Merchant Enterprise manual.

Note

Complete iHTML Merchant documentation (for the Professional, Enterprise and Mall editions, are available for download on the Merchant web site at http://www.ihtmlmerchant.com/download_doc.htm.

All of Inline’s Merchant products, including the Enterprise and Mall Editions, are written using iHTML. iHTML is a server side web programming/scripting language which enables the creation of dynamic and interactive database driven web sites. Please see the iHTML manual for more details on the iHTML programming language. This can be downloaded at http://www.ihtml.com/download.

The iHTML Merchant Mall comes complete with all the features necessary to run a mall with an unlimited number of online stores. All the source code files are provided to make it possible for any user with a programming background to make any necessary enhancements that might be required by either the mall manager or individual store owners. All administration (including the adding or editing of stores or zones, limiting of features, creating of custom billing plans etc.) is done through a web browser using special data entry screens.

1.1 System Requirements:

The iHTML Merchant Mall requires a web server running O'Reilly, Microsoft, Netscape, Zeus or Apache web server software on Windows 95, Windows NT, Linux, BSDi, FreeBSD, SCO, or Solaris operating systems (MAC OSX and HPUX will be made available soon). The web server must be installed and configured before installing iHTML Enterprise and the iHTML Merchant Mall.

Note

The iHTML Merchant Mall requires the iHTML Enterprise Edition, version 2.18 or greater, to also be installed on the web server.

When using the Windows operating system, ODBC drivers are required for the database that is being used. Make sure that you have at least the MDAC 1.5c version installed. The default database is MS SQL but the iHTML Merchant Mall has been tested with Oracle, Sybase and Postgres. On the Unix operating system (Linux, BSDi, FreeBSD, or Solaris), iODBC or unixODBC database drivers are required to operate the stores.

1.2 Hardware Requirements

It is recommended that the following hardware be used for the iHTML Merchant Mall Edition..

· IBM PC or compatible (Pentium™/266 or above) or other platform supporting your operating system

· 256 MB of RAM

· TCP/IP connection to serve data

· A server operating system such as Windows NT, Linux, Solaris, BSDi etc.

· Netscape, Microsoft, O’Reilly, Zeus, Apache or other supported web server (NSAPI, ISAPI and WSAPI compliant)

· 3 ½” floppy disk drive for installation (may be via Internet download instead)

· VGA graphics monitor

· Mouse pointer

· ODBC driver

· Server based database such as MS SQL, Sybase, MySQL, Oracle or Postgres

TIP

The above is just a recommendation and can vary greatly with the amount of traffic to the stores and the number of stores in the Mall. The system is completely scaleable so the more powerful the hardware, the faster the system will operate.

1.3 About this Manual

This manual uses certain conventions and terms to improve readability. The following is a summary of these conventions.

· The term ‘Computer System’ refers to the hardware and software of the IBM-PC or compatible. The term 'IBM-PC' includes all members and compatibles of the IBM-PC family.

· The term ‘Windows’ refers to Microsoft Windows NT version 3.51 or later.

· The term 'Unix' refers to any flavour of Unix including Solaris, SCO, Linux, BSDi or FreeBSD.

· The term 'DBMS' refers to Database Management System.

· The term 'ODBC' refers to Open Database Connectivity which is a compliance standard used for interpreting standard commands for different DBMS’s.

· The term ‘server’ applies to Internet Web servers and HTTP servers. Most discussions in this document apply to servers on TCP/IP Port 80.

· Any data entry or Windows commands will be displayed in the following format: Command Button

1.4 Installing the iHTML Merchant Mall

To install the Merchant Mall software, it is first necessary to install the iHTML server extension language/ application server. The web server software must be installed before iHTML is installed on the server. It is also recommended that the database server also be installed prior to installing iHTML. The ODBC driver manager and driver must also be installed before the Mall can be installed and running.

1.4.1 Installing on a Windows Platform

The installation of iHTML for Microsoft Windows is very straightforward and uses an install program. The install asks a number of questions based on the web server being used. For more details on the actual installation process of iHTML, refer to the iHTML documentation.