Initial orders documentation

guides/orders/display-total-methods.md

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+# Display total methods
+
+The `Spree::Order` model includes a number of useful methods for displaying
+totals and balances:
+
+- `display_outstanding_balance`: The outstanding balance for the order, calculated by
+  taking the `total` and subtracting the current `payment_total`.
+- `display_item_total`: The total of the line items on the order. 
+- `display_adjustment_total`: The total of the adjustments on the order.
+- `display_total`: The order total.
+- `display_total_available_store_credit`: The total available store credit.
+- `display_order_total_after_store_credit`: The order total after store credit
+  has been applied.
+- `display_store_credit_remaining_after_capture`: The amount of store credit
+  remaining after an order payment has been captured.
+
+<!-- TODO:
+  Write and link to documentation about store credit in the Payments
+  documentation.
+-->
+
+By default, the following methods return `Spree::Money` objects configured with
+the order's currency symbol. For example:
+
+```ruby
+@order.display_total.to_html 
+# => "$10.99"
+```
+
+Because `Spree::Money` objects are based on the [Ruby Money
+library][ruby-money], you can further change what information is displayed using
+its [`format`][ruby-money-format] method:
+
+```ruby
+@order.display_total.format(with_currency: true)
+# => "$10.99 USD"
+```
+
+[ruby-money]: https://github.com/RubyMoney/money
+[ruby-money-format]: http://www.rubydoc.info/gems/money/Money/Formatting
+

guides/orders/order-state-machine.md

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+# Order state machine
+
+Orders flow through a state machine, which is defined in the
+`Spree::Order::Checkout` module. It begins with a `cart` state and ends with
+at a `complete` state.
+
+There are six order states by default:
+
+1. `cart`
+2. `address`
+3. `delivery`
+4. `payment`
+5. `confirm`
+6. `complete`
+
+If you go through the checkout provided in the `solidus_frontend` gem, you can
+see that there is a clearly defined step for each of these states during checkout.
+
+In some circumstances, the `payment` and `confirm` states are optional:
+
+- The `payment` state is only triggered if `payment_required?` returns `true`.
+- The `confirm` state is only triggered if `confirmation_required?` returns
+  `true`.
+
+The `complete` state is triggered in one of two ways:
+
+1. No payment is required on the order. (The `total` equals `0`.)
+2. Payment is required on the order, and at least the order total has been
+   received as payment.
+
+## State criteria
+
+Each order state has criteria that must be met before the state can change. For
+example, before the state can change from `cart` to `address`, line items must be
+present on the order. Then, to change from `address` to `delivery`, the user
+must have a default address assigned.
+
+Once an order meets the criteria to go to the next state, you can call `next` on
+the order object to transition into the next state. For example, in the
+`solidus_frontend` gem, the [`Spree::CheckoutController`][checkout-controller]
+defines a `transition_forward` method that always calls `next` unless the order
+can be completed:
+
+```ruby
+# /frontend/app/controllers/spree/checkout_controller.rb
+def transition_forward
+  if @order.can_complete?
+    @order.complete
+  else
+    @order.next
+  end
+end
+``` 
+
+If `next` returns `false`, then the order does not meet the criteria and does
+not transition to the next state.
+
+[checkout-controller]: https://github.com/solidusio/solidus/blob/master/frontend/app/controllers/spree/checkout_controller.rb
+
+## Payments and shipments have their own state machines
+
+Note that a `Spree::Order` with the state `complete` does not mean that the
+payment has been processed or the order shipments have been shipped. See also the
+values of the `payment_state` and `shipment_state` attributes.
+
+<!-- TODO:
+  Once it's merged, link to documentation about checkout. This section only
+  attempts to summarize some of what happens during the checkout flow.
+
+  It may be useful to link to the payments documentation once it's merged, too.
+-->
+

guides/orders/overview.md

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+# Overview
+
+The `Spree::Order` model is one of the key models in Solidus. It provides a
+central place around which to collect information about a customer order. It
+collects line items, adjustments, payments, addresses, return authorizations,
+and shipments. 
+
+Whenever information about the order is updated, the `Spree::OrderUpdater`
+should update the order. If your store creates or changes the functionality
+around the order, you may need to [manually call the order
+updater][update-orders].
+
+Orders have the following attributes:
+
+- `number`: The unique identifier for this order generated by
+  `Spree::Order::NumberGeneratr`. It begins with the letter `R` and ends in a
+  nine-digit number (for example, `R123456789`). This number is shown to the
+  users, and can be used to find the order by calling
+  `Spree::Order.find_by(number: "R123456789")`.
+- `item_total`: The sum of all the line items for this order.
+- `total`: The sum of the `item_total` and the `adjustment_total` attributes.
+- `state`: The current state of the order. See the [Order state
+  machine][order-state-machine] article for more information.
+- `adjustment_total`: The sum of all adjustments on this order.
+- `user_id`: The ID for the order's corresponding user. Stored only if the order
+  is placed by a signed-in user.
+- `completed_at`: The timestamp that logs when the order is completed.
+- `bill_address_id` and `ship_address_id`: The IDs for the related
+  `Spree::Address` objects with billing and shipping address information.
+- `payment_total`: The sum of all the *finalized* payments on the order.
+- `shipment_state`: The current [shipment state][shipment-states] of the order.
+- `payment_state`: The current payment state of the order. <!-- TODO: Add link. -->
+- `email`: The customer-provided email address for the order. This is stored in
+  case the order is for a guest user.
+- `special_instructions`: Any [special shipping
+  instructions][special-instructions] that shave been specified by the customer
+  during checkout.
+- `currency`: The currency for this order. Determined by the
+  `Spree::Config[:currency]` value that was set at the time of order.
+- `last_ip_address`: The last IP address used to update this order in the
+  frontend.
+- `created_by_id`: The ID of object that created this order.
+- `shipment_total`: The sum of all the shipments associated with an order.
+- `additional_tax_total`: The sum of all the `additional_tax_total`s (sales tax)
+  on an order's line items and shipments. 
+- `promo_total`: The sum of all of the `promo_total`s on an order's shipments,
+  line items, and promotions.
+- `channel`: The channel specified when importing orders from other stores. For
+  example, if you operate as an Amazon Seller and import orders from Amazon,
+  some orders may have a channel value of `amazon`. Otherwise, this value is
+  `spree`.
+- `included_tax_total`: The sum of all the `included_tax_total`s (value-added
+  tax) on an order's line items and shipments.
+- `item_count`: The total amount of line items associated with the order.
+- `approver_id`: The ID of user that approved the order.
+- `approver_name`: The name of the user that approved the order.
+- `approved_at`: The timestamp logging when this order is approved by the
+  approver.
+- `confirmation_delivered`: Boolean value that indicates that an order
+  confirmation email has been delivered.
+- `guest_token`: The guest token that links an uncompleted order to a specific
+  guest user (via browser cookies).
+- `canceler_id`: The ID of user that canceled this order.
+- `canceled_at`: If the order is cancelled, this timestamp logs when the order
+  was cancelled.
+- `store_id`: The ID of `Spree::Store` in which the order has been created.
+
+Because orders are so integral to Solidus, there are a number of methods
+available that let you easily display order totals and subtotals. For more
+information, see the [Display totals methods][display-total-methods] article.
+
+[display-total-methods]: display-total-methods.md
+[order-state-machine]: order-state-machine.md
+[shipment-states]: ../shipments/overview-of-shipments.md#shipping-states
+[special-instructions]: ../shipments/user-interface-for-shipments.md#shipping-instructions
+[update-orders]: update-orders.md
+
+## Related models
+
+The `Spree::Order` model touches many other models. This section highlights
+essential models that orders depend on and links to their existing
+documentation.
+
+### Line items
+
+The `Spree::LineItem` model provides the cost of each item added to an order.
+Line items provide a link between the order and `Spree::Product`s and
+`Spree::Variant`s.
+
+<!-- For more information about line items, products, and variants, see the
+[Products and variants][products-and-variants] documentation. -->
+
+<!-- TODO:
+  Add link to products and variants documentaiton once it is merged.
+  Add link to line item-specific documentation once it has been written and
+  merged.
+-->
+
+### Adjustments
+
+The `Spree::Adjustment` model provides the cost of each adjustment to an order,
+line item, or shipment on an order. Adjustments can decrease the total (via
+promotions) or increase it (via [shipments][shipments] and [taxes][taxes]).
+
+<!-- For more information, see the [Adjustments][adjustments] documentation -->
+
+<!-- TODO:
+  Add link to promotions guide once it is merged.
+  Add link to adjustments guide once it is merged.
+-->
+
+[taxes]: ../taxation/overview-of-taxation.md
+
+### Shipments
+
+The `Spree::Shipment` model creates shipments according to the items in an
+order. An order may have multiple shipments: this depends on your store's
+configured shipping categories and shipping methods and the item in the order. 
+
+Shipments use `Spree::InventoryUnit`s. An inventory unit is created for each
+item added to an order for the purpose of tracking what order and shipment an
+item belongs to. Inventory units provide a link between the order and
+`Spree::Shipment`s.
+
+For more information, see the [Shipments][shipments] documentation.
+
+[shipments]: ../shipments/overview-of-shipment.md
+
+### Addresses
+
+The `Spree::Address` model stores customer addresses and shares them with the
+order via the `ship_address_id` and `bill_address_id`. An order may have one or
+two different addresses associated it, depending on the customer's preferred
+shipping and billing address.
+
+<!-- For more information, see the [Addresses][addresses] documentation. -->
+
+<!-- TODO:
+  Add link to addresses guide once it is merged.
+-->
+
+### Payments
+
+The `Spree::Payment` model stores payment information for the order. Once the
+payment object is updated with the amount paid, this updates the corresponding
+order's `payment_total` value.
+
+<!-- For more information, see the [Payments][payments] documentation. -->
+
+<!-- TODO:
+  Add link to payments guide once it is merged.
+-->
+
+### Return Authorizations
+
+The `Spree::ReturnAuthorization` model stores information about customers
+returns that have been authorized by an administrator.
+
+<!-- TODO:
+  This sub-article is a stub! I need to learn more about return authorizations
+  before I can write about this.
+-->
+

guides/orders/update-orders.md

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+# Update orders 
+
+You need to use the `recalculate` method on a `Spree::Order` to keep its total
+up-to-date.  Note that the total changes every time that line items and
+adjustments are added or modified. The `recalculate` method calls out to the
+[`Spree::OrderUpdater` class][order-updater].
+
+For example, the `solidus_backend` gem's
+[`Spree::Admin::AdjustmentsController`][adjustments-controller] uses the
+`recalculate` method to update totals throughout the lifetime of an order:
+
+```ruby
+def update_totals
+  @order.reload.recalculate
+end
+```
+
+The `update_totals` method is called every time that adjustments are created,
+destroyed, and updated.
+
+Whenever you change the code that touches the values of a `Spree::Order`, use
+the `recalculate` method to ensure your order's totals are accurate. For
+example, you would want to call the `recalculate` method in the following
+scenarios:
+
+- Whenever you create or modify a `Spree::Payment` that changes the order's
+  `payment_state` value.
+- Whenever a `Spree:LineItem` on the order has a price change.
+
+[adjustments-controller]: https://github.com/solidusio/solidus/blob/master/backend/app/controllers/spree/admin/adjustments_controller.rb
+[order-updater]: https://github.com/solidusio/solidus/blob/master/core/app/models/spree/order_updater.rb