Posted by Jonathan N. Little on 09/12/06 14:32

Jukka K. Korpela wrote:
> Frederick Smith <someone@microsoft.com> scripsit:
>
>> Is there some way that I can get the drop down to send different
>> hidden values for the amount of the transaction AND the size.
>
> No. Not in HTML, and you don't want to get different data depending on
> whether client-side scripting is enabled or not, do you?
>
>> but I dont even know of its possible to join
>> the parameters together, let alone what sort of operator or syntax to
>> use.
>
> You seem to think that HTML might be some kind of a programming
> language. Well, it isn't.
>
>> If its just impossible, I will resort to perl scripting
>
> "Resort to"? _Any_ reliable processing of form data _requires_ some
> server-side code (though not necessarily in Perl, of course), so it's
> the Real Thing to be done. You simply get the user input as defined by
> the form markup and actual user actions, and then you can process it any
> way you need to.
>
> It would be grossly unsafe to include product prices into the HTML
> markup and rely on their correctness. Even a child could create a copy
> of your form, edit it, and submit an order with the price set to 0.
>

So to simplify a little of what Jukka wrote, you need to build an order
form that collects your product's part/stock numbers, quantities,
customer info then set that to *your* server-side script
(Perl|Php|Python|ASP|Whatever) that will

1) Verify the user input as valid
2) Look up prices and stuff (out of reach of customers)
3) Build and format data for PayPal
4) Transmit to PayPal

Your HTML form should not go directly to PayPal.

--
Take care,

Jonathan
-------------------
LITTLE WORKS STUDIO
http://www.LittleWorksStudio.com

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