Signup Integration Module/Ubercart

Hey Tara!

Looks like the system works nicely. Definitely some major limitations that will mean we can't do it without doing some significant custom coding for our clients, but depending on your requirements it might just do the trick!

This video was a fine quick overview: http://vimeo.com/6495928/

What follows are some notes I took for our internal research into this. A lot of our clients need to have certain features like having one parent signup multiple children at once, etc. so some of this might not apply. If you have details on how it would need to be implemented in your case that might help.

Some random notes on features in the works / patches:

• It is a bit tricky to follow all the features, since some are in Ubercart, some in Signup, and some in the uc_signup connector module
• Signup: Admin adding anonymous users to events (http://drupal.org/node/215211#comment-1610740) - apparently working patch so that people who phone/mail registrations in can be added. Not sure how tie-in with Ubercart will work.
• Signup: Signup anonymous users without email addresses (http://drupal.org/node/349228#comment-2404958) - maybe working, but probably only helpful for previous bullet point (Admin adding anon users) because others registering online should have email address
• Signup: Ability to signup for a friend (http://drupal.org/node/45248#comment-2523210) - seems that the Signup for Ubercart module already addressed this?
• uc_signup: Single Email address, multiple unique profiles (http://drupal.org/node/889690) - working patch, but the problem is lack of persistence. For example, when the user returns and signs his kids up for another event, it will create new accounts or reuse the same info instead of letting him reuse and update the past info
• uc_signup: Multiple Ticket types/ Attributes per signup for a product (http://drupal.org/node/889690#comment-3477424) - need to support Ubercart attributes for each person signing up, not just single user
• uc_signup: API for additions to attendee info form (http://drupal.org/node/623900) - might an an alternative to previous bullet point - using Signup form instead of UC attributes?
• Signup: Integrate Signup with the Date Repeat API (http://drupal.org/node/298122#comment-2830504) - currently no support for signup and repeating date nodes

The system works very well for single users signing up for one-time events. It works fine for a single user signing up multiple people for a one time event. It doesn’t work very well for a parent to signup children for repeating events with attributes / custom signup forms. Main limitations:

1. Parents signing up children – Signup centers around the concept of each person who signs up having his/her own user account (including unique email address). This makes it very difficult to have a collection of children connected to a one user account. Maybe can do this with Organic Groups or “Student” nodes referencing a user account, but less than ideal.
2. Repeating events – need this! (Maybe can do it with uc_events module or Signup integration with Events, but sketchy at best.
3. Attributes – if the event offers lunch, or a t-shirt, or… we need to have support for this – and support for multiple people signing up to pick these per attendee signup.

Asking myself the question: If we absolutely needed to do this tomorrow for a client, how would we do it?

Best option I think is:

1. Use Organic Groups to have a Parent create user accounts for his/her children and allow these child user accounts to be shared if needed across other OGs if possible (so another parent/coach could register student as well)
2. Use Signup and uc_signup to allow parent to signup children, but do custom code so instead of entering email address parent picks child from Views generated drop-down.
3. Write the code for uc_signup: Multiple Ticket types/ Attributes per signup for a product as this is absolutely essential
   I based this approach on the fact that having user accounts for each student seems to be a fundamental requirement. Otherwise you lose all of Signup as well as a lot of Ubercart functionality. Plus, it is a good way to stage the approach because you could have users just do a system where they are required to login as each child to do that child’s registration(s). Would buy you time to then implement the OG functionality etc.

Hope this helps a bit!

Joshua

Joshua Stewardson
Client Consultant
Covenant Design
(515) 868-6860

I am currently in Iowa City so I won't be able to be there. Do you have a call-in option? Maybe next month I will try and make it. Thanks Wilbur.