How to Build an E-commerce Platform with PHP and Typecho: From Basics to Implementation

M66 2025-06-13

How to Build an E-commerce Platform with PHP and Typecho

Typecho is a simple and efficient open-source PHP framework, suitable for building various types of websites, including e-commerce platforms. In this article, we’ll discuss how to use PHP and Typecho to create a basic e-commerce platform, covering aspects such as database configuration, creating product tables, and customizing themes.

1. Preparation

Before you begin, make sure you have a PHP environment set up and have installed the latest version of Typecho. You can download the latest version of Typecho from the official website and follow the installation instructions provided.

2. Configure the Database

Typecho uses MySQL as the backend database. After installing Typecho, you need to configure the database connection. In the Typecho installation directory, find the `config.inc.php` file and edit the following database connection parameters:

/** Database username */
define('__TYPECHO_DB_USER__', 'root');
/** Database password */
define('__TYPECHO_DB_PASSWORD__', ''); 
/** Database host */
define('__TYPECHO_DB_HOST__', 'localhost');
/** Database name */
define('__TYPECHO_DB_NAME__', 'typecho');
/** Database type */
define('__TYPECHO_DATABASE_TYPE__', 'mysql');

Modify these parameters according to your database configuration.

3. Create the Product Table

To store product information, we need to create a `products` table in the database. Use the following SQL query to create the table structure:

CREATE TABLE products (
  id INT(11) AUTO_INCREMENT PRIMARY KEY,
  name VARCHAR(255) NOT NULL,
  price DECIMAL(10,2) NOT NULL,
  description TEXT,
  image VARCHAR(255)
);

This table includes fields for the product name, price, description, and image URL. You can further expand it based on your requirements.

4. Create a Typecho Theme

Typecho uses themes to control the appearance of the website. To build an e-commerce platform, you need to create a custom theme. In the `usr/themes/` directory of Typecho, create a new folder, such as `ecommerce`.

Inside this folder, create a file named products.php, and add the following code:

<?php while($this->next()): ?>
  <div class="product">
    <h3><?php $this->title(); ?></h3>
    <p><?php $this->content(); ?></p>
    <p>Price: <?php $this->fields->price(); ?></p>
    <?php if ($this->fields->image): ?>
      <img src="<?php echo $this->fields->image(); ?>" alt="<?php $this->title(); ?>" />
    <?php endif; ?>
  </div>
<?php endwhile; ?>

This code will display the product's title, content, price, and image. You can further customize it according to your needs.

5. Create a Product List Page

Next, you need to create a page to display the product list in the Typecho admin panel. Go to the admin panel and click "Appearance" > "Pages", then create a new page. In the page editor, enter the following code:

title: Product List
---
<?php $this->widget('Widget_Contents_Post_Recent', 'pageSize=10&type=page')->to($products); ?>
<?php while($products->next()): ?>
  <div class="product">
    <h3><a href="<?php $products->permalink(); ?>"><?php $products->title(); ?></a></h3>
    <p><?php $products->content(); ?></p>
    <p>Price: <?php $products->fields->price(); ?></p>
    <?php if ($products->fields->image): ?>
      <img src="<?php echo $products->fields->image(); ?>" alt="<?php $products->title(); ?>" />
    <?php endif; ?>
  </div>
<?php endwhile; ?>

This code will display the title, content, price, and image of the products, with links to their detail pages.

6. Create a Product Detail Page

Similar to the product list page, you need to create a product detail page. In the Typecho admin panel, click "Appearance" > "Pages" and create a new page. In the page editor, enter the following code:

title: Product Detail
---
<div class="product">
  <h3><?php $this->title(); ?></h3>
  <p><?php $this->content(); ?></p>
  <p>Price: <?php $this->fields->price(); ?></p>
  <?php if ($this->fields->image): ?>
    <img src="<?php echo $this->fields->image(); ?>" alt="<?php $this->title(); ?>" />
  <?php endif; ?>
</div>

7. Add Products

To add products, go to the Typecho admin panel, click "Write", and create a new product post. Enter the product title, content, price, and image. After saving the product, it will appear on the product list page.

Conclusion

With these steps, you’ve successfully built a basic e-commerce platform using PHP and Typecho. You can now display product lists and detailed product information on your site. From here, you can further extend the platform by adding shopping cart functionality, payment gateways, and more to create a fully-fledged e-commerce system.