Developer Guide

• Getting Started - explains how to create pages, and how to build an eCommerce website
  • Understanding Themes
    • Enabling Theming - explains how to enable Theming feature in existing LemonStand installations.
  • The Page Basics - learn the basics about page anatomy in LemonStand
    • How to Create a LemonStand Page - explains how to create a page
    • Adding a Layout - explains what templates are and how to use them
    • Creating a Partial - explains partials and how to use them to reuse code in your pages.
    • Using the Page Head Declarations Field - explains how you can output page-specific elements in the page HEAD element.
    • Using the Page Blocks Feature - explains how to inject page-specific blocks into page layouts.
  • Combining and Minifying JavaScript and CSS files - explains how you can reduce the number of JavaScript and CSS resource requests on your pages
  • Creating Editable Blocks - explains how to create editable content blocks on a page
  • Global Content Blocks
  • Managing Resources - explains how to manage a website's CSS, image and JavaScript files.
  • Ecommerce Security - explains how to protect your website pages and force HTTPS protocol for specific pages.
• Advanced Features for your Online Store - explains how to implement special features for your online store
  • How to Display a Customer Order History Page - learn how to output a list of customer orders and their statuses.
  • Integrating Option Matrix - explains how to implement Option Matrix support.
  • Creating the Search page - explains how to create the product search page.
  • Implementing the Compare Products feature - explains how to add the Add to Compare links to your products and how to create a Compare Products page.
  • Manufacturer List page - explains how to build a page displaying all manufacturers created in your store.
  • Manufacturer Details page - explains how to build a page displaying all manufacturers details and a list of manufacturer's products.
  • Caching Pages and Partials - explains how you can cache pages and partials using the built-in caching system.
• Checkout Process - explains how to implement the checkout process.
  • AJAX-driven single-page checkout - explains how to implement a single-page AJAX-driven checkout process.
    • Creating a Form for Billing Information - explains how to create a partial for gathering customer billing information.
    • Creating a Form for Shipping Information - explains how to create a partial for gathering customer shipping information.
    • Creating a Form for Shipping Method - explains how to create a partial for selecting a shipping method.
    • Creating a Form for Payment Method - explains how to create a partial for a selected payment option.
    • Creating an Order Review Page - explains how to create a partial for reviewing an order content.
    • Configuring a Non-Required Shipping for Digital Products and Services - explains how to configure LemonStand in such a way that the Shipping Method step is automatically skipped for downloadable or service-type products.
  • Adding a Field for Customer Order Notes in Checkout - explains how to create a text field for entering customer order notes during the checkout process.
  • Implementing the Step-By-Step Checkout - explains how to implement a checkout process with one page per one checkout step.
  • Implementing a One-Step Checkout - explains how to create a one-step checkout, where the customer does not need to enter the most part of the usual checkout information.
• Reference - learn about PHP Classes which work behind the scenes on LemonStand-driven websites
• Extending LemonStand - learn how to develop modules, payment and shipping methods, dashboard indicators and reports.
  • Understanding LemonStand Modules - describes the module anatomy and explains what tasks you solve with custom modules
    • Guide to Build a Simple LemonStand Module - describes a process of developing a simplest LemonStand module
    • Programming Module CMS Actions - explains how your modules can add new items to the CMS action list and extend the front-end website with new functions
    • Using Module Access Points - explains how you can register a module access point for invoking module features them through specific URLs
  • Working with the Database - describes methods of working with database tables and creating model classes
    • Creating and Updating Database Tables - explains how you can create or update module-specific database tables
    • Creating Data Relations - explains how you can organize data relations using ActiveRecord - "many to many" and "one to many"
  • Handling LemonStand Events - explains how you can customize LemonStand by handling system events
  • Guide for Developing a Payment Module - explains how you can implement integration with payment gateways not supported by native LemonStand payment modules
    • Using a Redirection Integration Method - explains how you can implement payment modules for redirection integration methods like PayPal Standard
    • Using a Server-to-Server Integration Method - explains how you can implement payment modules for server-to-server integration methods like PayPal Pro
  • Extending Existing Models - explains how you can add new fields to the customer, product and order models
    • Extending Models with Related Columns - explains how you can add data relations in run-time and extend existing models with columns which refer to another model
  • Guide to Developing Shipping Modules - explains how you can implement integration with shipping services not supported by native LemonStand shipping modules.
  • LemonStand Module Templates - this section contains some module templates which you can use as a basement for your own modules
  • Accessing LemonStand API from third-party scripts - explain how you can access any LemonStand class and function from a third-party PHP script
  • Extending the Discount Engine - explains the process of developing new discount engine conditions and actions.
  • Authoring for LemonStand Marketplace - explains the process of becoming an author and developing themes and modules for the Marketplace.
    • Becoming an Author - explains the process of becoming a Marketplace author.
    • Creating Themes for LemonStand Marketplace - explains the process of creating themes for LemonStand Marketplace.
    • Creating Modules for LemonStand Marketplace - explains the process of creating and publishing modules on Marketplace.
  • Creating a Module Settings Page - explains how to add new links to the System/Settings and My Settings pages and how to implement settings forms.
• Tips and Tricks - demonstrates some Shop API tricks which you may want to implement on your website.
  • How to Display Sale Products - explains how you can output a list of discounted products.
  • How to Allow Customers to Provide Item Specific Information - explains how you can add form fields to the Cart page, allowing your customers to enter item-specific information.
  • How to Enable Customers to Customize Products - explains how to allow visitors to customize products before adding them to the cart.
  • How to Support File Uploads on the Product Page - explains how you can allow buyers to customize your products with their own files.
  • How to Use Partials Instead of Flash Messages - explains how you can display partials with rich HTML formatting instead if standard flash messages.
  • Implementing a Ship to Same Billing Address Feature - explains how you can add the "Ship to the billing address" checkbox to the Billing Information page to skip the checkout Shipping Information step.
  • How to Simplify the Checkout Process - explains how you can combine the Payment Method, Pay and Order Review checkout steps.
  • Displaying a List of Active Product Catalog Price Rules - explains how to display a list of catalog price rules applied to a specific product.
  • Storing Cart Content After Customer Places Order - explains how you can leave the cart content non-emptied when a customer places the order.
  • How to Integrate Downloadable Products - explains how to integrate the downloadable products feature.
• Categories - understanding how categories work in LemonStand
  • Displaying a List of Categories - explains how to output a list of product categories.
  • Creating a Category Page - learn how to create a page to output a category name, description and contents.
• Products - understanding how products work in LemonStand
  • Displaying a List of Products - explains how to output a list of category products, custom group products or related products.
    • Displaying a List of Grouped Products - explains how to display a drop-down menu for selecting a grouped product.
    • Displaying a List of Product Attributes - explains how to display a table with product attributes.
    • Displaying Product Options - explains how to create page controls for selecting product options.
    • Displaying Extra Product Options - explains how to create checkboxes for selecting extra options.
    • Displaying a List of Related Products - explains how to display a list of related products.
    • Displaying Product Manufacturer Information - explains how to output product manufacture name, description, logo and other details.
    • Displaying Product Bundle Items - explains how to output user interface for displaying bundle items on the product page.
  • Creating a Product Page - explains how to create a product page and display its attributes, options, related products and images
  • Creating a Product RSS Feed - explains how to add the RSS channel representing a list of recently added products.
  • Displaying Product Ratings and Reviews - explains how you can display product rating and reviews and how to implement the Post a Review form.
    • Displaying a List of Product Reviews - explains how to display a list of product reviews
  • Creating a Write a Review Form - explains how to create a "write a review" form
• Shopping Cart - understanding how to create, customize, and configure the shopping cart
  • Creating a Shopping Cart Page - learn how to create a shopping cart page and allow customers to manage the cart content.
    • Implementing the Shipping Cost Estimator Feature - explains how to add the Estimate Shipping Cost feature to the cart page
  • Creating a Checkout Button with a Coupon Field - explains how to create a checkout button with a coupon field
  • Displaying Bundle Items in the Shopping Cart - explains how to display bundle items in the shopping cart
  • Displaying a List of Shopping Cart Items - explains how to display a list of shopping cart items
• Payment - understanding how payment methods and tax systems work
  • Creating a Payment Page - explains how to create a Pay page to accept credit cards or redirect to an external payment page.
  • Creating a Payment Receipt Page - explains how to create an order payment receipt page.
    • Payment Receipt for Inclusive Tax Environments - explains how to modify the order receipt page to work in inclusive tax environments.
  • Custom Payment Methods and Bank Transfers - explains how to create payment methods which should display some textual information instead of a payment form.
  • Implementing Customer Payment Profiles - explains how to create user interface allowing customers to store and reuse credit card data.
• Order History, Status, and Details - understanding how to display and manage order details
  • Displaying Individual Order Details - learn how to display details about a specific order.
  • Order Details Page for Inclusive Tax Environments - explains how to modify the order details page to work in inclusive tax environments.
  • Customizing Invoices Templates - explains how you can create invoices, packing slips and shipping labels consistent with your company identity.
  • Creating a New Shipping Label Template - explains how to create a new shipping label template
  • Creating a New Packing Slip Template - explains how to create a new packing slip template
• Customer Accounts and Registration
  • Enabling Customer Login and Logout - explains how to organize customer login and logout process.
  • Creating a Customer Registration Page - explains how to create a customer registration page.
  • Creating a Customer Account Password Restore Page - explains how to create a page where customers can restore forgotten passwords.
  • Creating a Customer Account Change Password Page - learn how to create a page where your customers can change a password.
  • Automatic customer registration - explains how you can extend the checkout process with automatic customer registration and signing in.
• Notifications and Emails - understanding how to generate email notifications
  • Creating Custom Email Templates - explains how to create or edit templates of email messages which LemonStand sends to customers.
  • Managing Compound Email Variables - explains how to create new or manage existing email variables.
  • How to Manually Send Email Messages - explains how you can send email messages to LemonStand customers or system administrators.
• LemonStand Back-End - understanding the code, infrastructure, and logic of LemonStand
  • Using File-Based Templates - explains how to enable and use file-based templates.
  • Programming Pages - explains how to program your pages and the simple programming model behind LemonStand pages.
    • Actions - learn how to use actions and how to make LemonStand work for you.
    • AJAX - learn how to update page content without reloading the whole page.
  • LemonStand Front-End JavaScript Framework - Describes the AJAX framework features
  • Caching API - describes LemonStand caching features.
  • Third-Party Integrations - explains how to install a third-party software, like a forum, on a same domain with LemonStand.
  • Handling errors - explains how to handle form validation errors on pages.
  • Troubleshooting - describes the detailed error information page and how to disable it.
  • Page Not Found (404) page - explains how to create a 404 error (Page Not Found) page.
  • Managing Page Navigation and Hierarchy - explains methods of creating dynamic website navigation.
  • Using Twig Templating Engine - explains how to use Twig in LemonStand themes.
  • Generating Site Maps - describes how to generate a site map
  • Generating Breadcrumbs - describes how to generate breadcrumbs
• Administrative Dashboard
  • Adding a Back-End User Interface - describes the process of adding new pages to the Administration Area
    • Structure of a View Document - explains the internal structure of a view document
    • Partials - explains how you can re-use common page elements using the partials concept
    • Standard Page Elements - describes the standard Administration Area page elements like breadcrumbs, toolbars, indicators and buttons
    • Handling Errors and Displaying Status Messages - explains how you can throw exceptions and display error and success messages on the pages
    • Extending the Administration Area menu - explains how you can add new items to the main menu and new tabs to the top menu in the Administration Area
    • Using AJAX - describes how you can use AJAX in the Administration Area
    • Lists and Forms in the Administration Area - describes the process of implementing lists and forms
      • Lists - describes the process of implementing lists in the Administration Area
      • List Filters - explains how you can add the filtering feature to a list
      • Forms - explains how you can create forms for adding, modifying and deleting database records
    • Working with Checkboxes and Drop-Down Menus - explains how to work with customized controls in LemonStand Administration Area.
  • Customizing the Administration Area - explains how you can customize the look of LemonStand back-end area.

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