Editing the order of checkout steps

Hello, I'm using opencart version 1.5.6.4 and I want to edit my checkout page so delivery method would come before delivery address, because I want to give a collection option for my customers, I tried swapping the div's shipping-address and shipping-method places in checkout.tpl but then the delivery method just stops working. Any ideas?

Shipping methods depend entirely upon the shipping address, so there's no way to do what you're describing in OpenCart without heavily modifying the system. Perhaps you should look for a one-page checkout extension, which would let the customer choose methods before filling in an address? It would still show other shipping options if they were applicable, and the customer could still technically fill in the address before choosing a method, but it sounds like it might work for you better than the default checkout.

In general, that's going to be a sticky chicken-and-egg problem. I assume that a "collection option" would be one where the customer comes to the store to pick up the purchase, in which case potentially no customer address at all is needed (except possibly for payment verification or proof of identity for pickup). Now, some merchandise's shipping options might depend on the distance or political boundaries, so the address would need to be known before the buyer could pick one. Different shipping options would presumably have different costs depending on the address, so the buyer would want to know the cost before selecting. So normally, the customer's address would need to be known before the shipping method can be selected, except when the customer will intend to pick it up.

Instead of swapping address and shipping method, perhaps before the address is requested the customer could be asked if they want to pick up (collect) the order (or part of it). If the shipping address is not needed, it can be skipped. This would be adding a conditional question at the beginning of checkout, whether to pick up or not, rather than trying to swap address and shipping method. Is that worth trying? More and more stores are giving customers the option to order online and then pick up at the store, so this could be useful.