[ic] Custom shipping

[interchange-users@icdevgroup.org (Bill Carr)]

On Thu, 2002-06-13 at 17:23, Interchange user wrote:
> Hello,
> 
> I've been trying to come up with a solution for a custom shipping routine, 
> and would appreciate any comments or help implementing this. I'm not sure 
> whether this can be done using IC tags in 'shipping.asc', or if I will need 
> to define a user tag, in which case, I am most comfortable with C-style Perl.
> 
> OK, here's the deal:
> 
> Shipping cost will be calculated by weight and zone (there are 4 zones), but 
> items will have different packaging types. For example, posters will use 
> poster tubes, and books will use boxes. Also, there are limits to how many 
> items will fit into any given packaging type. For example, up to 5 posters 
> can fit into a tube. An item can also have more than one packaging type. For 
> example, on their own, a set of postcards would probably go in a padded 
> envelope, but if they were ordered with a book, everything would go into a 
> single box.
> 
> A rough idea of the steps required (I'm using MySQL):
> 
> - Loop through each item in cart,
> - Add weight of all items together,
> - Count the quantities of each packing type required from a 'packaging_type' 
> field in the 'products' table,
> - Index into a 'shipping' table to find a price for the 'weight/zone' pair,
> - Index into a 'packaging' table to find a price for the 
> 'quantity/packaging_type' pair, for each required packaging type,
> - Add the looked up shipping cost and packaging cost(s) together
> 
> This method is not perfect, but it's the best I have come up with so far. For 
> example, if more than two packaging types are required (say, a poster tube 
> and a box), it does not account for the fact that it is more expensive to 
> send split orders than just one of the same weight. Then there is the 
> situation where someone orders items from various categories, that together 
> use a different packaging type than they would individually, and the customer 
> could be charged for packaging they don't need. Again, taking the above 
> example; on their own, a set of postcards would probably go in a padded 
> envelope, but if they were ordered with a book, everything would go into a 
> single box.
> 
> However, I think it will be better to lose some here and gain some there, 
> than to have a horribly complicated and cycle-hogging routine that takes into 
> consideration every possible combination of items ordered.
Here is a set up I use for a Wine merchant. It is simpler than your
setup but it should help.

My checkout page sets scratch weight.

catalog.cfg:
UserTag shipping_cost Order mode weight zip country
UserTag shipping_cost Routine <<EOR
sub {
        my ($mode, $weight, $zip, $country) = @_;
        $mode = $Variable->{SHIPPING_DEFAULT_MODE} unless $mode;
        if ($Values->{zip} =~ /^(\d{5})/) {
           $zip = $1;
        } else {
          $zip = $Variable->{SHIP_DEFAULT_ZIP};
        }
        my $ups_charge  = $Tag->ups_query( {
                                         zip => $zip,
                                         mode => $mode,
                                         weight => $weight,
                                         country => $country
                            } );
        return $ups_charge + &container_charge();
        sub container_charge {
                my $bottles = 0;
                for (@$Items) {
                        next if $_->{mv_ib} eq 'products';
                        $bottles += $_->{quantity} * $_->{pack};
                }
                return 3 if $bottles <= 1;
                return 4 if $bottles <= 2;
                return 5 if $bottles <= 3;
                return 6 if $bottles <= 6;
                return 12 if $bottles <= 12;
                return $bottles * 1.30;
        }
}
EOR

shipping.asc:
1DA: UPS Next Day Air
        criteria        [scratch weight]
        min             1
        max             150
        at_least        5
        cost            f [shipping_cost mode=1DA weight=@@TOTAL@@
zip='[value zip]']

2DA: 2nd Day Air
        criteria        [scratch weight]
        min             1
        max             150
        at_least        5
        cost            f [shipping_cost mode=2DA weight=@@TOTAL@@
zip='[value zip]']

GNDRES: UPS Ground
        criteria        [scratch weight]
        min             1
        max             150
        at_least        5
        cost            f [shipping_cost mode=GNDRES weight=@@TOTAL@@
zip='[value zip]']

XPD: UPS Worldwide Expedited
        criteria        [scratch weight]
        min             1
        max             150
        at_least        5
        cost            f [shipping_cost mode=XPD weight=@@TOTAL@@
zip='[value zip]' country='[value country]']

XPR: UPS Worldwide Express
        criteria        [scratch weight]
        min             1
        max             150
        at_least        5
        cost            f [shipping_cost mode=XPR weight=@@TOTAL@@
zip='[value zip]' country='[value country]']




> 
> Thank you in advance!
> 
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> 
-- 
Bill Carr
Worldwide Impact
bill@worldwideimpact.com
413-253-6700