PHP 5 e-commerce framework design and architecture

This project is in the final stages of Bidder selection and has been extended to finalize communication with bidders. We no longer accept new bids. We are looking for an experience software architect / database engineer with the right background who can help us generate a complete and extendable PHP 5 e-commerce frame work using object oriented principles including creating dynamic websites, shopping cart and backend. While this is not a complex project it not trivial either. ## Deliverables You must have excellent skills in software architecture and design as well, MySQL and SQLite database design, documentation and PHP 5 and strong English communication skills. UML skills will be a great benefit. We want to generate an extendable PHP 5 e-commerce framework based on our existing e-commerce solutions. We have the general concept defined ??" but the database and plug-in structure and interfaces will need to be defined and documented by you. The framework must rely on on object oriented principles - using the advantages of PHP 5 ??" and using ZEND Studio as the IDE. Code must be optimized for PHP 5 and may not contain PHP 4 functions and methods which have been improved or replaced in PHP 5 to achieve greater speed or faster or less complex database interactions. For example XML, PDO, class magic functions etc. We want to develop the architecture for a new extendable e-commerce framework, in PHP 5 which can be extended with an unlimited amount of plug-ins. The idea is to create the architecture and main modules, but in such a way that all extra functions can be plugged in and programmed as separate modules by different people. So for example we have a module which creates web pages with buy now buttons from a database. Special modules also allow extending what gets displayed on the web pages generated dynamically - for example if you add a discount module, discounts can get displayed on the pages. If you add a flash module, some information gets displayed using flash. The buy now buttons connect to a shopping cart which stores the product so it can be passed on to the checkout process. But to calculate shipping costs it must talk to the shipping module - which can be replaced with all sorts of shipping modules depending on the needs. To calculate tax it talks to the tax module - which can calculate tax based on its own info or connect to a tax service. To calculate discounts it uses the discount module. The discount module itself has sub modules which support different types of modules for different discounts, to allow for easy maintenance and for the plugging in of new discounts we haven't thought of. The order then is passed on to the payment system module, which talks to the payment modules for the different payment systems, banks and so on. It then is passed on to the backend system - and here we are looking again at a base module which can be extended virtually in an unlimited way - so for example initially you may only be able to look at your orders. Then you can add backend modules which allow you to add membership functions, voucher systems, statistics, tracking, printing of orders, subscription charges and so on. The database will have to be designed so that each module can have its own space and that info stored on it can easily be called on without creating a huge server load when it gets busy. The important issue for us is that right from the beginning we create a very solid and extendable well documented architecture. There have to be very clear programming guide lines and documentation on how to program, which we can pass on to programmers - including guidelines on how to name variables and so on to ensure that the solution will be streamlined and understandable by anyone who wants to work with it. Once we have the framework clearly defined, we will ask programmers from around the world to create the modules, as otherwise this is not manageable within a reasonably time frame. We may then need your help to manage this process of generating plug-ins - although this would be a separate step. Put simply we need to create a well defined and documented framework which allows us to create a PHP e-commerce solution consisting of a dynamic page builder, shopping cart and backend system, all of which have to be extendable, and all of which can be extended by programmers all around the world generating small modules for specific tasks to quickly generate a world class e-commerce frame work far ahead of solutions such as OsCommerce, X-Cart or Acticnic, for example. Is this something within your skill set you can help with? If yes, let me know - together with detailed explanation of your skills which make you suitable for this work, so I can understand how you will be able to do this job. If you already have some general idea of a ball park price add it, too, as it would be very helpful. We will then ask you to sign an NDA, so we can provide you with more information, at which time you will be able to adjust your bid, as we will then do a private bidding among all interested parties who have signed an NDA and who we believe to be suitable. Obviously since we already have an e-commerce solution we are providing today we have to take into account what our current solution can do - and what others are doing. Looking forward to hearing from you, All the best, ## Platform Deliverables 1) Complete and clearly written documentation defining all functions using flow charts, clearly defined naming conventions for classes, variables and the like which can be used by any programmer. Incomplete or unusable documentation will be regarded as non-delivery. 2) Complete and fully-functional working program(s) in executable form based on object oriented principles and using the advantages of PHP 5 together with well documented and complete source code of all work using ZEND Studio as the IDE. 3) All deliverables will be considered "work made for hire" under U.S. Copyright law. Buyer will receive exclusive and complete copyrights to all work purchased. (No GPL, GNU, 3rd party components, etc. unless all copyright ramifications are explained AND AGREED TO by the buyer on the site per the coder's Seller Legal Agreement). 4) Code must run on all platforms which support PHP 5