osCommerce is more than simply an open-source e-commerce solution. For thousands and thousands of people, tweaking, adding, removing, and devising new and ingenious ways to enhance their online stores is not so much a chore as an engaging, fun, and above all, productive way of life.

Joining the osCommerce community means becoming part of a team of users and developers from all over the world who share a common passion for contributing to the project, or making use of it in any number of different ways. With a project like osCommerce that lends itself to such a wide variety of contributions, tools, tips, and tricks, it is important that you keep your finger on the pulse of the project.

Using the osCommerce website to discuss techniques and to share your ideas and solutions is part and parcel of being an active community member. It is also a great way to meet people with common ground, and help them with their projects or be helped in return; there is much to be learned from this medium.

I daresay, however, that there are few such members out there who have been more helpful and more supportive of osCommerce as whole than Monika—including helping me out, a while back!

It is really only fitting then that she has taken a step out of her normal online arena and written a book that mixes one part development experience with two parts fun to bring you an osCommerce cookbook to take delight in.

Good luck and have fun,

David Mercer