README

== Welcome to Shipping

Shipping is a module that connects APIs for various shippers like UPS and FedEx. Shipping currently supports pricing, shipping, labeling and voiding for UPS and FedEx through their XML APIs.

Tracking is also supported through UPS XML API.

== Download

* gem 'shipping', :git => 'git://github.com/ideaoforder/shipping' (bundler)
* https://github.com/ideaoforder/shipping

=== Usage
There is going to be some data that will persist for all connections. For example, you will not want to repeat the fedex account number every time in your implementation code. To set default values, setup a file called .shipping.yml in the home directory of the user who will be using this library. An example file would be:

    fedex_url: https://gatewaybeta.fedex.com/GatewayDC
    fedex_account: 1234556
    fedex_meter: 387878
    
    ups_url: https://wwwcie.ups.com/ups.app/xml
    ups_license_number: 7B4F74E3075AEEFF
    ups_user: username
    ups_password: password
    ups_shipper_number: 855AA0


You can set as many default values as you would like in this file.

    require 'shipping'
    
    ups = Shipping::UPS.new :zip => 97202, :state => "OR", :sender_zip => 10001, :weight => 2
    ups.price => 5.8
    ups.valid_address? => false
    
    ups.city = "Portland"
    ups.valid_address? => true
    
Alternately, you can instantiate the base class and then see both UPS and FedEx information.

    ship = Shipping::Base.new :zip => 97202, :state => "OR", :sender_zip => 10001, :weight => 2
    ship.ups.price => 5.8
    ship.fedex.price => 5.8
    
    ship.city = "Portland"
    ship.ups.valid_address? => true

== DEBUGGING

You can debug requests via the logger or the console. Just pass in 
		
		:debug => 'logger' 
			OR
		:debug => 'console'


== CONFIG

Shipping will look for a global Hash called SHIPPING_CONFIG. This is an easy way to set your UPS/USPS/FedEx account credentials, the debugger, and other defaults options.

If you're using rails, the easiest way to set this up is via a config file (config/shipping.yml) and an initializer--something like:

		SHIPPING_CONFIG = YAML.load_file(File.join(Rails.root, 'config', 'shipping.yml'))[Rails.env].symbolize_keys
		

== Authors    
* Lucas Carlson  (mailto:lucas@rufy.com)
* Jimmy Baker (mailto:jimmyebaker@gmail.com)
* Noah Zoschke (mailto:noah@bitscribe.net)

== Additional Contributors
* Mark Dickson
* David J. Brenes

This library is released under the terms of the GNU LGPL.