Rails: when would one use shopping cart software when developing a webstore with rails?

Question

For someone who would like to develop a webstore type web application, and at the same time learn about web development with rails, would you recommend using a shopping cart service or starting from scratch? I guess I'm not entirely sure exactly what shopping cart software is either, so if someone could elucidate this and explain why someone would use a shopping cart and someone else wouldn't, I'd appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

Typically, I'd say use a service if it can meet your needs. I think it is better to focus on developing the meat of your application -- that which makes your app unique -- so you can get it out there. You can always replace a service with your own shopping cart later.

If a service can't meet your needs, or you are developing the Uber Holy Grail of online shopping carts, then sure, roll your own. No sense in letting other people's technology stand in your way. Just be prepared to invest a lot of time into it.

Building your own shopping cart is certainly a good learning experience, but I'd imagine that there is plenty of learning to be had in the rest of your application as well. You can replace a service with your own code later.

Answer 2

From a business perspective, I'd imagine you would want to start generating revenue as soon as possible, so I'd probably go with an existing solution that is already developed and already proven.

You may check out Shopify as a hosted solution. Not only does it provide a solid foundation to work with, it can also be heavily customized and also can be extended through their API. Since it is Rails-based, they have a lot of examples in Rails at http://api.shopify.com/.

As you become more comfortable with Rails, you may build your own shopping cart. By that time, you will not only be comfortable with the language but you will know more of what you need in a shopping cart.