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myNicheShop: Framework WordPress Plug-in enters initial development

Posted by Shawn

After getting CafePost and Amazon Post in a semi operational state, I realized many of the functions and processing were common in both of them. With that in mind, I decided to create a framework plug-in where all of our current and future modules could call on common functions. The myNicheShop Framework plug-in will pull all these commonalities together.

In addition to common functions, I will be building a WordPress option submenu which will allow the user to input affiliate codes and other configuration information within the admin interface instead of having to manually edit the config.php files.

Work on the admin panel and the basic framework layout began today. Once I can get a working framework, including the development of several functions for processing API searches (admin panel search interface, results lists, post creations from results, duplicate product checking), I will move CafePost and Amazon Post into a closed beta phase.

Original post available for comments at myNicheShop.com.

myNicheShop: Amazon Post WordPress Plug-in alpha stage

Posted by Shawn

We are in the process of building a WordPress plug-in which works through Amazon.com’s E-Commerce Services. Amazon Post scans a post for a special code which includes either the ASIN# or the ISBN-10 code. When encountered, the plug-in queries the ECS API for the code and retrieves product information to display in the place of the code.

The plug-in currently displays the default product image, list price, amazon.com price, and product description. It also calculates the savings amount and percent for display and in the off chance there is no list price or no amazon.com price returned, displays the customer price accordingly. Likewise if the query returns no description, the plug-in drops headings for the decription and displays no description information.

In its current state, the plug-in does not have the functionality to poll cart information. This is, however, a planned update which will be included prior to release. Other planned features include site administration configuration page, db table containing ASIN/IBSN-10 code to crosscheck when new posts are entered - admin is warned if a product is being entered that already shows in the table, auto creation of post title based on product name returned by Amazon.com, and more.

The alpha version of this plug-in is currently functioning at our MMORPG Gear website.

Original post available for comments at myNicheShop.com.

myNicheShop: Cafe-Post WordPress Plug-in enters planning stage

Posted by Shawn

myNicheShop: Cafe-Post will function similarly to the Amazon Post which just entered alpha. Cafe-Post will look for a tag within the post which will include the product number of a CafePress product. Once found, it will query CafePress’ Product Catalog API and create post information including product thumbnail, name, artist’s description, current price, and artist’s store name.

The initial plug-in will require entry of the codes within the post and the manual entry of a post title. Eventually, I plan to have this automated through the plug-in through a search function in which an administrator can execute a search, select which products they would like to add, click a button for ‘write posts’, and have wordpress automagically create a post for each of the selected products containing the Cafe-Post tag as the post and product name as the post title.

Eventually we also plan to have all/most of the planned features of myNicheShop Amazon Post.

Original post available for comments at myNicheShop.com.

MMORPG Gear: Site near ready to launch!

Posted by Shawn

I have been in the process of redesigning myNicheShop to work as a series of plugins for the WordPress platform. While designing one of these plugins, I decided to work on a domain I bought almost a year ago but due to illnesses and such I wasn’t able to do anything with it.

MMORPG Gear uses WordPress along with our myNicheShop - Amazon Post plug-in to pull a variety of MMORPG titles, strategy guides, and hardware into the site. The plug-in is still in an alpha stage for its overall plan but it seems to be doing a great job pulling in the information!

In addition to the product details pulled in with our plug-in, we also feature several merchant advertisements including Tiger Direct, NewEgg.com, Crucial Memory, as well as banners for downloadable titles from Direct2Drive. The site also features a sidebar which rotates between a ton of different MMORPG related t-shirts available through CafePress artists and designers.

We have a lot of plans for this site, not only with additional products but also in featuring the operation of more of our tools as they are developed. In addition to products and tools, we will be working to setup a few additional pages including a contact us page, privacy policy page, and an about us page detailing information about our network as well as the various organizations we partner with.

If you are an MMORPG player, we would appreciate any feedback you can provide on the site. Also, if there are products which we have posted that you are familiar with/games you have played, we would appreciate any time you could take to add a review of the product via the comments.

New MMORPG Gear Merchant: NewEgg.com

Posted by Shawn

On April 24, 2007 we were accepted into a business relationship with NewEgg.com allowing us to link to their products within the MMORPG Gear website. We are in the process of building the tools which will give us the means to post NewEgg.com products within our infrastructure while keeping prices and other information current via the data we are provided. In the meantime, please do not hesitate to click the NewEgg.com link below or when you see them in our sidebars to check out the awesome deals they offer!

Everything you want for your computer and more at Newegg.com.

Original post available at MMORPG Gear.

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