================================================== =======
Salutation instead of Gender 1.0
================================================== =======
1:03 PM 5/14/2009

I don't know about other folks, but I've got this vague uneasiness about giving out too much information on the internet - even though I still do.

Anyway, it always seemed to me a little invasive to ask "Male/Female" during account registration in osCommerce. But I also thought that this would be good demographic information to have about your cusotmer base. Being a good marketeer, I realized that this could be turned around by simply asking the question differently.

By changing the selection to "Salutation" (as in Mr. or Ms.) customers may be more inclined to give you the same information.

So, this contribution changes:
"Gender: Male / Female"
to "Salutation: Mr. / Ms."

in both the account creation and edit screens, and the admin screen (with the SQL changes).

Full package. Screen shots are included.


Installation:
================================================== =======
Step 1 ALWAYS BACKUP FIRST!
================================================== =======


================================================== =======
Step 2 Change Admin text
================================================== =======

catalog/admin/includes/languages/english.php

FIND: (about line 51)

// text for gender
define('MALE', 'Male');
define('FEMALE', 'Female');

REPLACE WITH:

// text for gender
// BOF Salutation instead of Gender
// define('MALE', 'Male');
// define('FEMALE', 'Female');
define('MALE', 'Mr.');
define('FEMALE', 'Ms.');
// EOF Salutation instead of Gender

-----------

FIND: (about line 156)

define('ENTRY_GENDER', 'Gender:');

REPLACE WITH:

// BOF Salutation instead of Gender
// define('ENTRY_GENDER', 'Gender:');
define('ENTRY_GENDER', 'Salutation:');
// EOF Salutation instead of Gender


================================================== =======
Step 3 Change Account Creation text
================================================== =======

catalog/includes/languages/english.php

FIND: (about line 63)

// text for gender
define('MALE', 'Male');
define('FEMALE', 'Female');

REPLACE WITH:

// text for gender
// BOF Salutation instead of Gender
// define('MALE', 'Male');
// define('FEMALE', 'Female');
define('MALE', 'Mr.');
define('FEMALE', 'Ms.');
// EOF Salutation instead of Gender

-----------

FIND: (about line 165)

define('ENTRY_GENDER', 'Gender:');
define('ENTRY_GENDER_ERROR', 'Please select your Gender.');

REPLACE WITH:

// BOF Salutation instead of Gender
//define('ENTRY_GENDER', 'Gender:');
//define('ENTRY_GENDER_ERROR', 'Please select your Gender.');
define('ENTRY_GENDER', 'Salutation:');
define('ENTRY_GENDER_ERROR', 'Please select your Salutation.');
// EOF Salutation instead of Gender

================================================== =======
Step 4 Change field labels in database (for Admin display) - use phpMyAdmin or similar.
================================================== =======

SQL code :

UPDATE 'configuration' SET 'configuration_title' = 'Salutation' WHERE 'configuration'.'configuration_id' =63 LIMIT 1 ;
UPDATE 'configuration' SET 'configuration_description' = 'Display salutation in the customers account' WHERE 'configuration'.'configuration_id' =63 LIMIT 1 ;

================================================== =======
Step 5 BACKUP Again!
================================================== =======

And you're done.


More...