Track and trace

Yurple

Hi All,

Im redesigning a website for a client. Its a logistics website with several forms and online purchase options.. nothing too difficult to make them work with the new design.

The only thing im unsure about is their track and trace module. I checked out the source code and it's just a form:

<form id="trackParcel" action="" method="get"><input id="tracking-number" class="textInput" type="text" name="tracking-number" value="" maxlength="20" /><div class="submitButton"><input id="track" type="submit" name="submit" value="Track" />

So how do I find out where this form submits and checks the tracking number that has been inserted? I need to copy the exact code to make this track and trace work on the new website.

If anybody has any experience with this or can give me some pointers that would be fantastic! Thanks!

Creamy Goodness

action=""

this means the form submits to the page it's currently on. have a look at the address bar for the file that it is. probably something like index.html or trackandtrace.html or similiar

Yurple

Yea you are right it goes to trace.html. So this page has the code on it and I can just copy this to the new website that will be created. Great! Thank you so much!

HellFireClub

I've just developed a Track & Trace solution for a client in C#/.NET, I don't think using a form like that is a suitable way to go at this at all, even if this was how it was done before you got involved. You really need to get an SQL database created and use one page to insert new transactions into the DB, another update type page to edit the life-cycle for the transaction, and another page to view the status of the transaction (this is your tracking page). If you have clients that are creating jobs/transactions on the system using their own login, then they can view all transactions that are associated with their account, using their .NET UserID parameter.

If you can separate yourself from that solution that was in place and start from scratch using the proper data driven approach and a suitable development framework (doesn't have to be .NET), you could hugely improve the functionality that is available to your client.

The way that is being done there so far, seems to be using old HTML submit button functionality that is genuinely antiquated.

TonyStark

HellFireClub wrote: »

I've just developed a Track & Trace solution for a client in C#/.NET, I don't think using a form like that is a suitable way to go at this at all, even if this was how it was done before you got involved. You really need to get an SQL database created and use one page to insert new transactions into the DB, another update type page to edit the life-cycle for the transaction, and another page to view the status of the transaction (this is your tracking page). If you have clients that are creating jobs/transactions on the system using their own login, then they can view all transactions that are associated with their account, using their .NET UserID parameter.

If you can separate yourself from that solution that was in place and start from scratch using the proper data driven approach and a suitable development framework (doesn't have to be .NET), you could hugely improve the functionality that is available to your client.

The way that is being done there so far, seems to be using old HTML submit button functionality that is genuinely antiquated.

Care to elaborate as to why in your view they are antiquated?

HellFireClub

TonyStark wrote: »

Care to elaborate as to why in your view they are antiquated?

Maybe it's possible, but try creating specific actions around event handlers using the solution above?

TonyStark

HellFireClub wrote: »

Maybe it's possible, but try creating specific actions around event handlers using the solution above?

But from my reading of the problem he is using a track and trace solution already and just wants to submit the form? I can't understand the wanton desire to introduce complexity into a seemingly simple solution.

HellFireClub

TonyStark wrote: »

But from my reading of the problem he is using a track and trace solution already and just wants to submit the form? I can't understand the wanton desire to introduce complexity into a seemingly simple solution.

Well that's a very simple analysis of what appears to be a new relationship with a new client. I do a lot of web development work for an Irish logistics company and first thing I was asked to do, after taking over the system, was improve functionality. The Track & Trace end of the system wasn't even working when I took it over, but then once that was resolved, it was straight into getting clients set up with their own login capability, job generation via that login system, dynamic manifesting for drivers, etc. If your client starts asking for this kind of functionality, I think it's good to be able to say, "can do" and develop it, rather than having to pass him/her onto someone else...

TonyStark

HellFireClub wrote: »

Well that's a very simple analysis of what appears to be a new relationship with a new client. I do a lot of web development work for an Irish logistics company and first thing I was asked to do, after taking over the system, was improve functionality. The Track & Trace end of the system wasn't even working when I took it over, but then once that was resolved, it was straight into getting clients set up with their own login capability, job generation via that login system, dynamic manifesting for drivers, etc. If your client starts asking for this kind of functionality, I think it's good to be able to say, "can do" and develop it,
rather than having to pass him/her onto someone else...

Firstly if it is a new client and they haven't budgeted for you to do an entire re-write of the system then your on thin ice already... just saying.

Interestingly I probably wouldn't go down the .NET forms approach for handling something like a track and trace request. I'd probably just create a new implement a new HTTP handler for it and spew the information back using some neat REST-based XML or JSON data type format or whatever is hip with the kids these days.

HellFireClub

TonyStark wrote: »

Firstly if it is a new client and they haven't budgeted for you to do an entire re-write of the system then your on thin ice already... just saying.

Interestingly I probably wouldn't go down the .NET forms approach for handling something like a track and trace request. I'd probably just create a new implement a new HTTP handler for it and spew the information back using some neat REST-based XML or JSON data type format or whatever is hip with the kids these days.

Sure your client mightn't even know they could use the extra functionality, you might have to up sell it to them after seeing what they have available in their business and then price it for them, but it starts with being able to deploy a solution the solution in the first place.

I'm not saying .NET is always answer, but in relation to creating and managing data driven solutions, it certainly can be used to do that very successfully or so I've found.