About This Manual

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Overview

Miva Merchant is a browser-based Storefront Development and Management System. It integrates cataloging, product, fulfillment, maintenance, category management, shopping basket, order and credit card processing. The software is organized as a series of modules that can be field upgraded to provide new functionality without changes to the core system.

This manual describes the functions that are available for use by a module. It is divided into two parts.

• Database functions
• Utility functions

Who Should Read This Guide

This guide is for the developer who wants to build Miva Merchant modules. The guide assumes you have a general knowledge of Miva Script and are familiar with the HyperText Markup Language (HTML).

Guide Organization

This guide is organized as follows:

Chapter	Description
1	About This Manual
2	Describes the database functions that can be used by the module developer.
3	Describes the utility functions that can be used by the module developer.

Related Publications

For additional information about writing modules for Miva Merchant, refer to the manuals on the Miva Developer Resources page of the Miva website at
http://www.miva.com/support/docs/api. Publications you may find useful, include:

• Database Reference Guide: lists the database tables, indices, and fields.
• HOW TO Plan and Create any Module: defines the phases of developing modules; planning, design, and implementation.
• Module Functions Reference Manual: identifies the Miva Merchant modules types and their required functions.
• Miva Script Reference Manual: a complete reference for the Miva Script language.
• Miva Script Commerce Library Reference Manual: Describes what a commerce library is and how it is used, the relationship between a commerce library and a Miva Script, the functions used in a commerce library, and gives an example of a commerce library.

Requirements

To use Miva Merchant on the Internet, you must have an account with an Internet Service Provider (IHP) that is Miva enabled. That means the IHP must be running Miva Empresa on the server. To use Miva Script on your local system, you can use Miva Mia as the engine on Windows systems.

Receive Support

Miva Merchant

Your Miva-enabled hosting provider usually supplies initial installation and configuration support for Miva Merchant. Support for Miva Merchant is available from Miva Corporation at: http://www.miva.com/support.

Miva Script

For developer support, refer to the Miva Users Group Forums listed on the Miva support website at http://www.miva.com/support/usr_grps/. The forums discuss a variety of issues for Miva products, as well as for Miva Script Users and Merchant coders.