Page 168 - DCAP306_DCAP511_E-COMMERCE_AND_E-BUSINESS

Unit 13: Designing and Building E-Commerce Web Site - Basics

Figure 13.5 is a snapshot of manufacturer’s information form which is filled by the manufacturer during
the process of adding product to the Web site.

Figure 13.5: Manufacturer Category Form of
VirtueMart

Source: http://www.packtpub.com/article/managing-manufacturers-vendors-product-categories-joomla-
ecommerce-virtuemart
If such a form is expanded, it should contain the manufacturer name, URL of the company, category of
the manufacturer, description of the manufacturing company, and customer support e-mail id for the
customers to send their queries directly to the manufacturer. Once the manufacturer information is
added, it gets updated in the Web site and the customer can choose the products with complete details.

VirtueMart is an e-commerce Web site. It offers various products for sale with
advanced features of product management. The VirtueMart Web site contains a
manufacturer category form in which the details of the manufacturer advertising
the product are entered before publishing the product for sale. The figure 13.5 is a
snapshot of the manufacturer category form present in the VirtueMart Web site.

The products are updated in the Web site according to the release of its new versions and variable
changes in the prices.
13.3 Database
A database is mainly required to store and update large quantities of data. The online Web sites dealing
with buying and selling of products provide great importance to database. The database management
system is a systematic approach of storing, accessing, and retrieving data effectively. The database
management systems consist of a data warehouse that archives the data provided by the manufacturers
regarding the product. The data is classified, summarized, and categorized in the data warehouse so
that the end users are provided with information at a faster rate.
The database stores the information of the product, manufacturer, and customers who regularly visit
the Web site, and so on. It provides a convenient mode of transaction over the Internet to locate,
purchase, make inquiries, and review the products or services. It provides greater access for choosing
various products that are stored in the database.
The designing of e-commerce Web site database usually consists of four primary tables. They are:
1. Customers Table: It stores the information of the customer logging into the Web site like
customer’s residential address, billing address, shipping address, and so on.
2. Products Table: It stores the product information such as description, size, color, price, and so on.
3. Orders Table: It stores the information regarding customer ID, date of order, shipping date, and so
on.
4. Order Details Table: It stores information on each product ordered which includes quantity, price,
any discounts on product, and so on.

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