Php website

In this project you will develop a web-based application for an e-Commerce site.

The application will provide a fully functioning web site for a company called “DealOn”. This is a site rather like Groupon ( http://www.groupon.co.uk ) which issues vouchers to customers to enable them to get a discounted offer on a variety of services, such as restaurant meals, hotel rooms, beauty & spa treatments, golf lessons, etc..

Each offer is normally open for just 24 hours and may require a minimum number of customers to subscribe to ensure they go ahead (Deal is on!). Some offers have a limit to the maximum number of vouchers that can be issued. On any given day there are normally at least 2 offers available.

Customers are required to register their details with DealOn before they can obtain a voucher. Details include: Name, Address, Date of Birth, email address and each customer needs a password to log in to their account.

There is no charge to customers for registering and no charge for issuing the voucher.

Every voucher is issued with a unique identification number which is communicated to the customer and recorded in the DealOn website database. Customers can print their vouchers by clicking a button on the screen.

For each offer DealOn sends a file to the service provider (e.g. the restaurant, hotel, beauty & spa clinic, golf pro, etc.) with the details of all the customers who subscribed to the offer and their voucher identification numbers. When the customers present their discount voucher to the service provider the voucher code is checked against this list.

DealOn receives payments (negotiated and agreed in advance) from the service provider for every customer who subscribes to an offer and further payments for every customer who subsequently redeems the voucher with the service provider.



FAQs relating to the website

These clarifications of the project specification details are provided in response to relevant queries.
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I have a question about php. is it okay for you if I program my
website in php using object oriented programming?
Yes, that should be fine. PHP is recommended as a suitable tool.
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my other question is about the website, the website we are suppose to do
needs to be something different than groupon or if it is really close it
is not a problem? Like for example I thought about a website like
'collect vouchers in Edinburgh'.

The website should have a similar functionality to groupon, as described in the Specification. The key point is that you should meet all the requirements in the task description.
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> Does the website we create have to be called "DealOn" or can we choose
> any name we prefer?
The Specification says that the web site is for a company called “DealOn”.
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Does it have to be exactly like Groupon on the
> deals? I mean, could I have a theme of lets say movies, and offer deals
> on DVD's, Blu Rays, Cinema tickets, etc, and just focus on cinema, or
> does it have to be with general offers?
It doesn't have to be exactly like Groupon, but the website should have a similar functionality, as described in the Specification. Your web site should meet all the requirements in the task description, including "offers on a variety of services, such as restaurant meals, hotel rooms, beauty & spa treatments, golf lessons, etc.".
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How exactly is a deal submitted to DealOn?
You have said:
"DealOn receives payments (negotiated and agreed in advance) from the
service provider for every customer who subscribes to an offer and
further payments for every customer who subsequently redeems the voucher
with the service provider."
Does this mean we don't have to worry about money at all? Does this mean
that in order for someone to add a deal they must first contact DealOn
directly discus the deal and then agree on a price?
If so does this mean we have to create a page that will enter the deals
to the website that only admin have access too?
Yes. You need to create a process that will enter the deals. You don't need to create any systems for invoicing or collecting the money.
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My second question is how would you like the company to receive the list
of vouchers and names that have received the vouchers?
I am currently debating 3 methods,

1: If I sent them all once the vouchers time online has expired then the
company will not have any list until this point, meaning if someone
tries to use the voucher before this point the company will have no
record of them.
2: If I sent them an updated list everytime someone receives a voucher
then they will be constantly spammed with updated lists.
3. I could do the first method with a link to a web page of all the
people that have been taking the voucher.

Method 1 would be fine. The file listing all the voucher details is sent just once for each offer.
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> Firstly can a customer get multiple copies of a voucher? So if there is
> a voucher for say a cheap meal, can the customer claim 2 vouchers so
> they can go multiple times? I had assumed they would be able to as
> GroupOn allows such behaviour.
No, a customer can only get one copy of a voucher.
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> Secondly which party enters the information about the vouchers? will it
> be the site maintainer or the company? I assumed that it would be an
> administration member for the site that adds the voucher because as you
> said the company will have a discussion about the prices and during this
> discussion I had would have thought the voucher details would also be
> exchanged.
The DealOn website administrator adds the details of the offers.
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> Lastly your specification does not detail whether we require a category
> system for vouchers. You have listed some examples of what vouchers
> could be used though. Do we require a category system for the vouchers
> website?
It is up to you whether you use a category system for the vouchers. Your website should be able to include "offers on a variety of services".
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