Introduction
PHP is a popular programming language used for developing e-commerce websites. This document serves as a guide to developing an e-commerce website using PHP. The website will have the following features:
- User registration and login
- Product catalog with search functionality
- Shopping cart
- Checkout process with payment gateway integration
- Order confirmation and tracking
User Registration and Login
For users to access the website, they must first register and create an account. The registration form should collect the user's name, email address, password, and shipping address. Once the user submits the form, the data should be validated and saved to the database. The user can then log in using their email address and password. The login form should verify the user's credentials and redirect them to the home page.
Product Catalog and Search Functionality
The website should have a product catalog displaying all available products. Each product should have a name, description, image, and price. The catalog should also have a search bar where users can search for products by name or category. When a user searches for a product, the website should display a list of matching products. The user can then select a product and view its details.
- The product catalog should be stored in the database and fetched using SQL queries.
- The search functionality should use SQL queries to search for products by name or category.
Shopping Cart and Checkout Process
Once a user has selected a product, they can add it to their shopping cart. The shopping cart should display all the products the user has added, along with their quantities and prices. The user can then update the quantities or remove products from the cart. When the user is ready to checkout, they should be redirected to the checkout page. The checkout page should display the user's shipping address, order summary, and payment options. Once the user selects a payment option and submits the form, the website should process the payment and display an order confirmation page.
- The shopping cart should be stored in the user's session and updated using PHP scripts.
- The checkout process should integrate with a payment gateway such as PayPal or Stripe.