X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

Hello fellow X-Carters!

We are happy to announce that we just released the newest X-Cart 5.5.0.4 and that it is now built on Symfony 5.4 and uses a unique add-on system with multiple inheritance via code generation. Among other improvements in the newly released version are:

- PHP 8 support
- New API Platform with full automated documentation
- Built-in service tool for developers
- Improved backend design and navigation
- Updated free themes
- Updated more convenient Storefront Builder
- Add-on and integration improvements
- More efficient background jobs
- Improvements in catalog and order management
- Built-in Banner System and several other add-ons available out-of-the-box
- Other improvements and bug fixes

Check out the full changelog >> https://developer.x-cart.com/changelog/5.5/5.5.0.4
The new documentation is available here >> https://developer.x-cart.com/
API >> https://developer.x-cart.com/api

Feel free to discuss the changes, contact us with any questions, and make sure to stay tuned for more updates coming soon!

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

PHP 8 support - does this means 8.0 or 8.1 and 8.2 is covered as well?

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

We've not gone anywhere near X-Cart 5.5.0.* yet, but if we do, it must at least; fully support PHP 8.1.
Answer ^^ please X-Cart Team??

A quick look at the PHP Support Schedule indicates clearly, why this must be the case.
PHP 8.2 (at this point in time...) is still at Release Candidate / Not officially released status, so arguably may not (yet), be a factor.
Previously, we posted: "...XC seem happy to always be very, very lax, when maintaining current technical ability and security specifications for their paying customers..."
They need to have massively changed all of this ^^ IF X-Cart 5.5.0.* is going to be a useful, valid cart choice.

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

I bet you by the time XC 5.5.x is consider usable - meaning initial bugs are fixed, 3rd party modules are compatible - PHP 8.2 will be the standard and 8.0 will be considered "should not use".
If XC 5.5.x does not support at least latest PHP 8.1.x right now I am not sure what they are doing...

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

Looks promising!

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

Promising - For what? :?:
Maybe you missed some of the previous SellaLottaLabs scripted PR's and their consequential real world results? :?:

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

They need to post what version of PHP is supported. I'm not upgrading until they do that.

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

They have enough time to visit and add thanks to posts praising them (see above), yet they can't answer a simple, technical question... Go figure :roll:

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

From what I can see in the packages requirements XC 5.5.0.4 should work with PHP >= 7.4.x and < 8.2.x
At least 2 packages require PHP version below 8.2 (so don't even try to install/run on PHP 8.2.x) - laminas/laminas-code and phpspec/prophecy - which at this point is understandable even if these packages are PHP 8.2.x ready. Since PHP 8.2.x is still in beta and won;t be officially out of beta until a month from now.
I would guess/suggest XC 5.5.1.x in the beginning of 2023 with PHP 8.2.x support.

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

had to install sodium php on my server manually. But the list of disabled extensions shows the REST API module which we use for linking to our internal program, so no upgrade yet. I assume this is still needed or does 5.5 have it built-in??

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

Did you install with PHP 8.1?

The XC docs clearly states 7.4 or 8.0


https://developer.x-cart.com/getting_started/requirements

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

I have 8.0 and 8.1 on my server (easyapache4) but have not attempted any upgrade yet.

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

Hi Steve! It’s PHP 8.0 for now, we had to offer this to support upgrades. We are working right now on adding support for PHP 8.1 and 8.2. It’s going to be available in the next updates, stay tuned for our news and announcements.

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

If people are stuck on PHP 8.0, they themselves, are already behind...
Most active software companies would have launched a new upgrade / platform that supports PHP 8.2 / 8.1 / 8.0 - by default. Still, let's see, when the "next update" arrives, to avoid making any incorrect or unfair pre-judgments.
No extra words needed ^

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

Any word on the errors I am getting? I tried on another local machine although similar environment and got the same errors. The "You cannot define a sequence item when in a mapping..." although had different line. Is this due to the fact I am running it on PHP 8.1?

I am yet to try an upgrade from the latest 5.4.x but I have the feeling it will fail. So at this point unless I start changing my working environment (which I am not happy about doing) I can't try the new XC 5.5.x and cannot start working on the modules.

Changed PHP to 8.0 - same, no go. Same errors and new one now - Handling "XCart\Messenger\Message\SendMail" failed: Undefined constant "XLite\Core\RemoteResource\CURLOPT_FOLLOWLOCATION"

Anyone else tried new install of 5.5.x and had any success?

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

The REST API module is still not ready so i'm waiting.

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

Finally managed to get this installed. So definitely PHP 7.4 or 8 only, MySQL 8 works, now to figure out the rest.

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

Ok here is the latest. It is a nightmare to get this thing working. At least what's my experience with it so far. And still not fully tested.
My local env is running PHP 8.1.x. With XC 5.4.x I just have a line in htaccess to direct it to use PHP 7.4 and all is good. This does not work with XC 5.5.x installation as it runs from the command line and webdir htaccess doesn't matter. So I had to switch PHP cli too. Which means I have to constantly do this while working on different sites and XC 5.5.x - not a good thing.

But that's not all. In order to run the app after installation you have to modify the web server config - not the htaccess which doesn't even exists with XC 5.5.x but the actual web server config. So you have to have access to that or ask the host to do it for you. I do have access but then since it is a local machine with many sites and I use directories not individual web server configs I didn't want to mess up with that right now. There is a way to still direct XC 5.5.x through htaccess but not everything is working properly. And the admin side complains about that even though according to the docs it should work.
The docs are lacking tons of info so good luck getting everything in order - tons of time to experiment and fix every error/complaint.

So far really not a good experience with XC 5.5.x.
XC 5.4.x runs under PHP 7.4.x and MySQL 8, and it has been out of years so as less bugs as possible.
XC 5.5.x runs under PHP 7.4 or 8 and MySQL 8 - so just about the same. And it just came out. With drastic changes, ssh access required with possible web server access required.

All this is not necessarily a bad thing but I just don;t see why anyone will want to go through all these trouble at this point to upgrade to the same server environment which soon will be out of support anyway.
Until XC 5.5.x is PHP 8.1 and 8.2 ready I don't see the point. At least I guess I can start working on some module adaptation despite all the going back and forth between PHP versions.


Adding the Symfony debug bar is a nice touch but then I would expect form a stock installation to be free of errors. Yet it is not - every page I loaded shows some DB association or mapping errors. Also get we get the debug par page to load in new window/tab when clicked?


** Edited **
Spoke too soon about the PHP version - both cli and web must use 7.4 or 8 in order for the cart to fully work. After switching cli to 8.1 I tried removing modules from admin (web) however it threw up an error and until I changed back the cli PHP version I was not able to complete the task.
So back to - XC 5.5. must be able to run on PHP 8.1+ , until then I'll just wait. Hoping this will be soon.

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

I'll never forget the hell I went through went I upgraded from 4.x to 5.x. It looks like 1/3 of the mods I have won't work, there's no way I will upgrade anytime soon.

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

i see they have disabled the upgrade in-store, it now just says "contact us"

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

I was told this is due to licensing - new way or something. So your current XC5 license works for XC 5.4. and earlier. You have to ask them for a new one for XC 5.5 and replace the existing one in order to be upgrade.

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

Besides the previous PHP Release questions in this thread, the other related question, is; What Database Releases will XC 5.5.* run on?

Here: https://support.x-cart.com/en/articles/5258766-x-cart-tech-stack we have MySQL 5.7+ AND/OR MariaDB 10.2+ listed, but in both cases the + is totally non-specific and therefore, it is pretty meaningless.

Can we have an Official X-Cart Confirmation of what the LATEST release of MySQL and MariaDB is fully supported by XC 5.5.* ?

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

It works on MySQL 8.0.31 so I would assume latest MariaDB as well. From my very limited test mainly the installation and few pages load

Re: X-Cart 5.5 Is Out! What's New?
 

Thanks for that first hand knowledge. FWIW On several previous occasions, X-Cart's compatibility with recent MySQL releases has been in advance of the updates that include recent MariaDB releases. That's why X-Cart need to be a bit more open and accurate with the details, instead of the non-specific, vague, generic PR stuff that they seem focused on. So on that note @Anastasia Zhavoronkova Can you check and post the correct, official answer please?