Is there a script or program I need to do this?

I keep toying with the idea of creating a site that sells original pre-written articles. I would like to make it somewhat automated in that someone can pay for the article and immediately be emailed the article or given a download link.

I'd rather not mess with a full shopping cart/e-commerce site if I don't have to.

Does anyone know of such a script/program and is it possible to do without a full e-commerce program running the site?

you can use paypal. your customers will be forwarded to the download link after payment.

yes right, but you still need to protec that site (using some encoded string in the URL or somthing)

Michele do you checked hotscripts.com?

othwerwise I'm afraid you need some shopping cart script (and maybe some custom coding too)

i have just the script. just let me know if you need it.

what is the function of this script Vince?

http://www.webdigity.com/index.php/topic,7333.0.10+projects+every+php+developer+should+use.html
The paypal option ;)

its a download script where the buyer will be directed to a download page after paying with paypal. the page expires after some time so anyone who might bookmark the page or give it away will be redirected to another page. the landing page url is not encoded in the paypal button.

edit: its very easy to implement, esp. for non-programmers like myself.

Just a paypal checkout is only a part of the whole application....

what if a customer will buy more than 1 article? she needs at least a database and shopping cart (with paypal checkout).

I think there is also a need to remove articles from the catalog after the articles is sold.

Michele,

you idea is great but its not that easy ;)

the script is only good for one item. if you have many items, you have to setup one for each.

but since Michelle doesnt want to use shoping carts...

I think she mean systems like oscommerce...

To be honest, I don't know what I want.  :-[

I have two directories, 2 blogs, and a site using CMS Made Simple. I don't really like having sites that are so very dependent on the work of someone else. When something goes wrong, I end up in beg, borrow, plead mode and totally frustrated while I have to wait for answers. I have little doubt I could learn to program something, but I worry that I would miss some security thing. Plus I admit that I don't want to take the time for that.

The more I think about this, the more I'm thinking I might have to go with an e-commerce solution as I wouldn't want someone to buy and article and then before I could manually remove it or mark it as sold have someone else try to buy the same one. At the same time, I'd rather have to manually update if it gives me more control of the site.

Is there something that would work like that or do I really need to set up a shopping cart/inventory type of thing? If you were to buy from such a site, what would you prefer?

id say you go with Olaf's suggestion and use a shopping cart script.

Michele it really depends on how much work you like to invest for each article.

having some catalog + a shopping cart is the most common version and more intelligent than handling each article as a kind of mini site.

maybe you can start with this free script (play with the examples to start)

How do I use that class? Is there a tutorial somewhere? I see there is good documentation as to what variables need to be changed, but how do I use the class with a website? Sorry, I know this is probably basic stuff.

start with the files like provided install them into /classes/db_cart/ and install the databases

the examples are a kind of website

I'm sorry, I'm still a bit confused. According to:

DB_cart Class is a MySQL shopping cart script and can be used with 3rd party product catalogues and membership systems

Don't I need to have a 3rd party product catalog?

yes you can use some existing one, but there is also an example catalog included