I'd be interested to know how people have implemented shipping
calculations on their sites.
Our site sells a variety of items weighing from 1g to several Kg and a
variety of sizes from things that fit into an envelope to things that
are over a metre long. This means that a large number of shipping rates
could apply and calculating the best one is non-trivial as the choice of
packaging can affect the rate.
I've written some code which seems to be fairly accurate at predicting
the correct postage under most circumstances; but even I stopped short
of implementing a packing algorithm which could predict how much of an
order can fit into a Jiffy bag! I take into account the maximum volume
of envelopes and boxes, their weight, individual item weights and
volumes etc. I also take into account the maximum weights and
dimensions allowed for each postage rate.
How do most people cope with this situation?
Regards,
David Legg
