Hi there,
I am sure most of you are aware of the excellent capabilities of the Dynamicweb Extensibility API. Pretty much anything that can't be accomplished with out-of-the-box functionality can be done through extensibility. In addition, the API can be used for many integration scenarios such as submitting eCommerce orders to a backend ERP system.
But I am also pretty sure that you're having a hard time figuring out how to use the API. There's a document that outlines many of the possibilities (http://engage.dynamicweb-cms.com/Admin/Public/Download.aspx?File=Files%2fFiler%2fDocumentation%2fDevelopment%2feCommerce%2f(en-US)+eCommerce+Extensibility+API%2c++Dynamicweb+eCommerce.pdf) but it's not a perfect document. First of all, it doesn't list all the extensibility points. But most importantly, many of the samples lack a real-world use. It's pretty cool we can do a Base.Wa from a NotificationSubscriber, but that's not the best way to show why you need a particular subscriber in the first place.
So hopefully, with your help, we can improve this situation. Do you have implementations of Dynamicweb Extensibility you want to share? Then please post them here. I'll also add them to the complete list of articles on my company's web site at http://devierkoeden.com/articles.aspx (with credits where appropriate). In addition, I'll work with Dynamicweb's documentation team and see if the examples you're contributing can be added as examples to the API documentation on the Engage web site.
If you post sample implementation here, please consider the following:
1. Make sure the code doesn't have (too much) dependencies. For example, if your code accesses a custom database, try to rewrite the example so it uses an in-memory hardcoded list of values instead. This makes it easier to copy and paste the example and get started with it.
2. Consider adding XML comments to your code to describe what it does.
3. If possible, post in VB and C#. I know I haven't done that with the article on my site yet, but I am considering translating them here.
4. Try to be concise and short and focus on the main problem your code solves.
5. Write your code and documentation in English.
6. Include a short header with your code that briefly explains what the code does and what it's used for.
I have already written a number of articles on real-world extensibility implementations that can be found here:
Providers
http://devierkoeden.com/articles/providers.aspx
Extenders
http://devierkoeden.com/articles/extenders.aspx
Notification Subscribers
http://devierkoeden.com/articles/notification-subscribers.aspx
So, if you like this idea, please post whatever you want to share. If you have larger examples you can attach them as files, or e-mail them to me so I can post them on my site. In addition, I may be using some of the examples in my upcoming book on Dynamicweb eCommerce, so if you're posting code in this thread, you're hereby granting me permissions to reuse that code - with full credits of course ;-)
I hope you like this idea and are willing to contribute. Sharing knowledge is about taking and giving.....
Thanks,
Imar