Temporal Cart Controller Documentation

    Overview

    Documentation for WebMe Temporal Cart Controller.

    User Documentation: WebMe Temporal Cart Controller

    Table of Contents

    1. Installation
    2. Setup
    3. Workflows
    4. Troubleshooting
    5. FAQ

    Installation

    1. Install and activate WooCommerce.
    2. Install and activate WebMe Temporal Cart Controller.
    3. Open WooCommerce > Order Windows.

    Setup & Configuration

    1. Add a new rule or start from a template.
    2. Set the rule label and priority.
    3. Choose scope:
      • Storewide
      • Products
      • Categories
      • Tags
    4. Enter scope IDs when scope is not storewide.
    5. Enter weekly windows using HH:MM-HH:MM ranges separated by commas.
    6. Add blackout ranges as YYYY-MM-DD|YYYY-MM-DD or YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM|YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM.
    7. Choose enforcement:
      • Add to cart
      • Checkout
      • Both
    8. Set optional closed button text and customer message.
    9. Save rules.

    Common Workflows

    • Storewide business hours

      1. Use the Weekly ordering hours template.
      2. Keep scope as storewide.
      3. Enter open hours for each weekday.

    • Timed product drop

      1. Use the Product drop window template.
      2. Change scope to products and add the product ID.
      3. Set the weekly window for the drop period.

    • Holiday closure

      1. Use the Holiday blackout template.
      2. Keep all-day weekly windows.
      3. Add the date blackout range that should override normal ordering.

    • Category pause

      1. Use the Category closed period template.
      2. Enter category IDs.
      3. Add blackout dates or keep an always-open weekly window if only blackout periods should block ordering.

    Troubleshooting

    • Rules do not match expected products
      Confirm scope type and numeric scope IDs. Product rules also consider parent product IDs for variations.

    • Customers can still add to cart
      Confirm the rule is enabled and enforcement includes add_to_cart.

    • Customers reach checkout before the rule triggers
      Confirm enforcement includes checkout.

    • No future reopening time appears
      This happens when a rule has no upcoming valid transition inside the current rule definition.

    • Overnight windows do not work
      Weekly windows require same-day ranges where end time is later than start time.

    FAQ

    Scale & Performance

    • Q: Will this add heavy database load?
      A: No custom tables or background jobs are used. Runtime reads one option payload and evaluates it in PHP during product, cart, and checkout flows.

    Data & Footprint

    • Q: What data does the plugin store?
      A: One option named webme_tcc_rules containing sanitized rule definitions.

    Lifecycle & Uninstallation

    • Q: What happens if I uninstall the plugin?
      A: Current codebase does not include an uninstall routine, so stored rule data is expected to remain unless removed manually.

    Compatibility & Conflicts

    • Q: Does this require another service?
      A: No. It depends on WooCommerce only.

    • Q: Is HPOS supported?
      A: Yes. The plugin declares HPOS compatibility, although it does not create or manage order records itself.

    Best Practices

    • Keep priorities simple and documented for store staff.
    • Use preview before saving large rule changes.
    • Prefer product/category/tag rules only when storewide rules are too broad.
    • Keep customer-facing closed messages explicit about reopening time.