Completed2024 – Present

Drox Vehicle Manager – WordPress Vehicle Compatibility & WooCommerce Order Management Plugin

A comprehensive WordPress/WooCommerce plugin for managing vehicle compatibility of auto parts with brand/model/engine linking, product imports, article generation, and a complete order management system with returns, claims, and shipment tracking.

Role: Full-Stack WordPress Developer

Client: Drox Auto (droxauto.com)

Drox Vehicle Manager – WordPress Vehicle Compatibility & WooCommerce Order Management Plugin

Problem

Auto parts businesses need to manage complex vehicle compatibility data — linking products to specific brands, models, and engines — while also handling the complete order lifecycle including custom statuses, return requests, claims, shipment tracking, and label generation. WooCommerce alone doesn't provide vehicle compatibility management or after-sales service workflows, forcing businesses to use multiple disconnected plugins or manual spreadsheets.

Solution

Drox Vehicle Manager is a comprehensive WordPress/WooCommerce plugin that adds complete vehicle compatibility management and order lifecycle management to any WooCommerce store. Admins manage brands, models, and engines through an intuitive tree interface, link products to compatible vehicles, import data from XML/JSON/CSV files, and generate SEO-optimized articles with shortcodes. The order management subsystem provides 6 custom statuses, return and claim workflows with custom post types, shipment tracking via 17TRACK, bordereau generation via DPD, and client-facing My Account pages with timeline visualizations — all within a single plugin.

Tech Stack

PHP 7.4+WordPress 5.8+WooCommerce 5.0 – 8.0MySQLJavaScript (Vanilla JS, jQuery)CSS3AJAX (WordPress admin-ajax.php)REST API (WordPress)Custom Post TypesCustom TaxonomiesWordPress Hooks (Actions & Filters)Background Processing (WP_Background_Processing)17TRACK API (Shipment Tracking)DPD Cloud API (Bordereau Generation)Chronopost API (Placeholder)SVG (Order Timeline Graphics)JSON/XML/CSV Import Parsers

Architecture

WordPress Plugin Architecture with Class Autoloading
WooCommerce Extension with Custom Order Statuses
Custom Post Types (drox_return, drox_claim)
Custom Taxonomies (drox_product_type)
13 Custom Database Tables
MVC-like Pattern (Classes → Admin Pages → Templates)
Ajax Handler Layer (11 Handlers)
Service Layer (Vehicle, Product, Article, Order Services)
Repository Layer (Vehicle, Supplier, Category SEO Repositories)
Background Job Processing for CSV Imports
Cron-based Automation (auto-complete, return deadlines)
Provider Pattern (Tracking, Bordereau)
Registry Pattern (Carrier Registry, Field Registry)
Shortcode System for Frontend Display
Template Engine for My Account Pages
Tabbed Admin Settings with AJAX Save

Features

• Vehicle brand, model, and engine CRUD management

• Hierarchical brand → model → engine tree structure

• Product-to-engine compatibility linking

• Vehicle compatibility metabox on WooCommerce products

• Multi-file JSON vehicle import

• XML product import with mapping rules

• CSV product import with background processing

• Manual product entry interface

• Bulk image import from URLs

• Product type taxonomy (Catalyseur, Compresseur, etc.)

• Product type CSV column template management

• Category SEO management with FAQ support

• Supplier management with logo upload

• Field registry for dynamic product fields

• Article generation from templates

• Brand-scope and model-scope article types

• Article bulk selection and management

• Article product shortcodes for frontend display

• Article assets (CSS/JS) management

• VIN number matching and diagnostics

• Autoref client integration

• WooCommerce product export to CSV

• Product detail query for frontend display

• Mapping tree service for vehicle hierarchy

• 6 custom WooCommerce order statuses

• Order flow with status enforcement and tracking

• Order email notifications on status changes

• Order admin dashboard widget

• Pro forma and invoice document generation

• Factures endpoint for document downloads

• Auto-complete and assume-delivered cron jobs

• Refund metadata tracking

• Client cancellation request system

• My Account order detail with SVG timeline

• My Account returns list and request form

• My Account claims list and detail view

• My Account invoices/factures list

• Custom return CPT (drox_return) with 7 statuses

• Return flow with AJAX endpoints

• Return admin metaboxes and columns

• Return deadline and bordereau expiry cron jobs

• Custom claim CPT (drox_claim) with 7 statuses

• Claim flow with AJAX endpoints

• Claim admin metaboxes, columns, and attachments

• Shipment tracking via 17TRACK API

• Carrier registry mapping carriers to 17TRACK codes

• Bordereau (return label) generation via DPD Cloud API

• Chronopost bordereau provider (placeholder)

• Après-vente hub page (returns, claims, settings)

• Tabbed admin settings with AJAX save

• Custom WooCommerce order list columns and filters

• 20+ admin JavaScript modules

• 4+ CSS stylesheets (admin + frontend)

• 8 admin view templates

• 7 My Account frontend templates

• 11 Ajax handler classes

• 40+ PHP include classes

• 13 custom database tables

• Plugin lifecycle management (activation, deactivation, upgrades)

• Seed data on activation

• Database upgrade routines

• Comprehensive uninstall cleanup

About this project

Drox Vehicle Manager is a WordPress/WooCommerce plugin built for auto parts businesses that need to manage vehicle compatibility data alongside their e-commerce operations. The plugin adds a complete vehicle hierarchy system — brands, models, and engines — that links to WooCommerce products to define which parts fit which vehicles.

Admins manage the vehicle tree through an intuitive interface, importing data from JSON files or entering it manually. Products are linked to compatible engines through a metabox on the product edit screen, and the system supports bulk operations, CSV exports, and multi-format imports (XML, JSON, CSV) with configurable mapping rules. A product type taxonomy categorizes parts (Catalyseur, Compresseur, etc.), and a field registry manages dynamic product attributes.

The article system generates SEO-optimized content pages from templates, supporting both brand-scope and model-scope articles. Articles are managed through a bulk selection interface, rendered with custom templates, and displayed on the frontend using shortcodes. Category SEO management includes FAQ support for rich search results.

The order management subsystem extends WooCommerce with 6 custom order statuses and a complete after-sales workflow. Returns are managed through a custom post type (drox_return) with 7 statuses, deadline tracking, and bordereau expiry crons. Claims follow a similar pattern (drox_claim) with 7 statuses, attachment support, and admin metaboxes. Both systems provide client-facing interfaces through My Account endpoints with SVG timeline visualizations.

Shipment tracking integrates with the 17TRACK API through a provider pattern, with a carrier registry mapping real-world carriers to tracking codes. Bordereau (return label) generation uses the DPD Cloud API, with a provider interface that supports additional carriers like Chronopost. The system handles webhook callbacks for tracking updates and automated status transitions.

The plugin includes comprehensive admin pages for every subsystem — vehicle management, product imports, article management, supplier management, category SEO, field registry, image imports, and an après-vente hub for returns and claims. All admin interfaces use AJAX for responsive interactions, and the settings system provides tabbed configuration with type-safe validation. The entire plugin is built with 13 custom database tables, 40+ PHP classes, 20+ JavaScript modules, and 7 My Account templates — all managed through a clean lifecycle system with activation seed data and database upgrade routines.