Software Implementation of an Online Shopping Cart System for an Online Store

1.1 Introduction

A shop is a place where various types of goods are packed and sold. Shopping is the process of purchasing items in exchange for money. Shopping intranet simply means using a private computer network, which uses the internet protocol in managing a shopping centre in a campus environment. It will be used by the students, staffs and management of the school including the school book shop. The place where it will be used is within the campus environment, through the software to be developed called a campus shopping intranet where you can select and purchase what you want at any time of the day.

Chapter one introduces the research work and the problem definition of the research, and to know the aim of this research work, research justification tells us why it is important to research on this topic; it also covers areas like scope and limitation of study which entails the boundary of this work. Definition of terms gives summarize what each chapter entails.

1.2 Background of Study

An E-commerce is the trading in products or services using computer networks, such as the Internet (Wikipedia, 2015). Electronic commerce draws on technologies such as mobile commerce, electronic funds transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, online transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems, and automated data collection systems. Modern electronic commerce typically uses the World Wide Web for at least one part of the transaction's life cycle, although it may also use other technologies such as e-mail. Every business that want to shoot online, irrespective of it's types need an e-commerce software product that fits your online store's unique needs and requirements. For the past years e-commerce has been the trend for most business spanning across different cities and countries. Where product and service can be deliver through their web service and delivery is done using different transport medium like ship,car or through post office.

This work is an attempt at delivering an online shopping cart system capable of delivering goods and services on demand, using a small Mobile outlet as a case study.

1.3 Problem Definition

This research work was undertaken to solve the various challenges encounter in showcasing and delivering goods and services to different client around the globe where every business transaction involves an on presence for transaction to be successfully executed.

1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study

In view of the problems mentioned above, this project is aimed at implementing an online shopping cart system for a mobile shop will exclusively:

1. Display goods and services in the store
2. Automate every sales effectively without mixing product prizes
3. Store product detail using a secure database.

1.5 Research Methodology

This research work “Design and implementation of computerized shopping cart system for a GSM/Mobile shop”. the system will be a web-based application and will be implemented on a relational database system (MySQL). Html (hypertext markup language), CSS (cascading style sheet) and Java Script will be used to design the web-user interface, php (hypertext pre-processor) will be used as the serve- side script language to link the interface and the database and Ajax technology for automation of the cart system.

1.6 Scope and Limitation of Study

This research work is to develop a system capable of handling sales by automating in itself a cart system that stores all sales details prior to when the user request close the sales service.

The system will also incorporate in its design a billing system that will display the total sales and product at the close of each transaction.

The system will not incorporate in its development all the functions of a functional business activities system but will focus only on the aforementioned functionalities. The system will not be responsible for any loss of data if its environment (network/system installed on) is corrupt.

1.7 Definition Of Term

Application Service Provider (ASP): Is defined as an enterprise that delivers application functionality and associated services across a network to multiple customers using a rental or usage-based transaction-pricing model.

E-commerce: Electronic commerce, commonly written as e-commerce, is the trading in products or services using computer networks, such as the Internet.

Electronic data interchange (EDI): Electronic data interchange (EDI) is an electronic communication method that provides standards for exchanging data via any electronic means.

Merchant: A person or company involved in wholesale trade, especially one dealing with foreign countries or supplying goods to a particular trade.

URL: Is an acronym for Uniform Resource Locator and is a reference (an address) to a resource on the Internet

Shopper: A person who is shopping.

Web hosting service (WHS): Is a type of Internet hosting service that allows individuals and organizations to make their website accessible via the World Wide Web.

Web server: Are computers that deliver (serves up) Web pages

Expert system: This is a computer system that emulates the decision-making ability of a human expert.

Research methodology: The process used to collect information and data for the purpose of making decision.

Coding: This means writing a list of instructions that will enable the computer to perform any specified operation.

MySQL: This is relational database server that is ideal for both small and large applications.

ICT: Information and communication technology refers to technologies that provide access to information through telecommunication.

Programming: Is the process of taking an algorithm and encoding it into a notation, a programming language, so that it can be executed by computer.

Methodology: A collection of methods, practices, procedures and rules used by those who work in some field.