Problem with version 1.4

[socrates]

Hello,
I am trying to backup my dbase but it results in an error.
Checking the log,
It says:
SQL error: Table 'affiliat_postaff.seq_pa_affiliatescampaigns' doesn't exist SQL:select * from seq_pa_affiliatescampaigns

Under Banners/Links in the merchants area, at the botton under minihelp it gives me:
Warning: constant(): Couldn't find constant Notice! When computing Clickthroughs ratio, only those affiliates are considered that made more impressions than clicks, otherwise the results will not make sense.
This situation can happen if affiliate places the reference to your page, but he doesn't place the code for registering impressions (which is not mandatory and doesn't affect the work of the system). in /home/affiliat/public_html/fw/global_funcs.php on line 66

Please advise.

Questions:
1. How do sessions and ip tracking work? Can they be used with Paypal IPN?
2. How does the script uses P3P.

Thank you,
Socrates

[mark]

Hi,

this was a bug, the problem was that sequence tables might not exist on new installations.

The problem with Warning: constant(): should be solved now as well.

I released a patch for version 1, it is available in member's area.


1. How do sessions and ip tracking work? Can they be used with Paypal IPN?


no, they work only in invisible images. PayPal does not send IP address of customer's computer as far as I checked.
It works as follows - if cookie is not found, first the PHP session is checked if it contains referring affiliate.
If not, system searches for the latest click transaction with the same IP address as IP address of customer who is making purchase.
If such transaction is found, affiliate that was the "source" of this click transaction will get commission for this sale.

You can specify how long will the IP addres be valid in Settings.


2. How does the script uses P3P.


When you specify P3P settings, such as compact policy, it will be sent in headers of every script that works with cookies.
So the browser will find a P3P policy for the loaded page.

with regards,

mark

[socrates]

Is it possible to pass the IP address to paypal , through optional variables, (or concatenate with the decoded cookie value), and receive it within my IPN script?
If I do so, how do I register that transaction?

Session tracking should be virtually impossible to use once the ipn script uses its own session.

[mark]

Hi,

generally it is possible, but it would require some not really trivial customizations of the scripts.

You can put IP address to 'custom' field together with cookie data.
Then you have to split the cookie data and IP in paypal.php script, and call SaleRegistrator to register the sale.

The classes SaleRegistrator and Registrator have to be customized in a way that they will take IP address from passed parameter, not from PHP constant $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'].


PHP sessions will not work with PayPal IPN, I don't see any possible way to make it work.

regards,

mark

[socrates]

Thanks Marc,
By the way, You should fix the download link for the patch in the member's area. It points to the full version. I had to change the file name to download it.

I will probably implement the IP passing script. I have my own IPN script so I had to modify my script to post the data to PostAff by simulating a GET request . By using that approach the IP is always my server's IP which doesnt really help me in anything.

-Socrates

[socrates]

I replaced the files in the fw dir,
Still doesnt let me backup the dbase

Says Internet explorer cannot download ... onstartbackup&zipcompress=0
Same for the compressed option
Please advice
-Socrates

[mark]

I'm sorry, there was one more problem, but it happened only with Internet Explorer. I tested it in Opera before.

Download the patch again, there is one more file.

regards,

mark

[socrates]

Thanks Mark,
It is working now,

Socrates