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Old 10-20-2005, 06:46 AM
 
svowl svowl is offline
 

X-Cart team
  
Join Date: Jan 2003
Posts: 937
 

Default X-Cart 4.1.0 beta 1 released

Quote:
Dear customers!

We are excited to announce the first Beta release of X-Cart 4.1.0. Over a year X-Cart team has been working to enhance the functionality and performance offered by X-Cart e-commerce software and finally you have a chance to experience the many improvements introduced during this period.

While developing X-Cart 4.1.0, not only did we add new features, but we also paid a lot of attention to performance advancement: decreased the number of complex SQL requests, added a data caching mechanism, optimized the PHP code to reduce the required memory limit.

Our thanks to everyone who actively participated and provided feedback.


Here is a list of key features for 4.1.0 version:
- a more user-friendly and intuitive checkout procedure (Fast Lane Checkout module);
- a new patch/upgrade center that will allow you to upgrade installed add-ons and non-standard X-Cart skins;
- export/import functionality for almost all data types (products and all related information, categories, coupons, destination zones, users, etc);
- support for simultaneous use of more than one user type in one browser session (for example, a user can be logged in as an administrator and a customer at the same time);
- ability for administrator to enter the store as another user;
- X-FancyCategories module revised to ensure stable performance of the store with large numbers of categories (over 500);
- advanced membership system: ability to assign one or more memberships to each of the products, categories, payment methods, tax rates and discounts;
- System fingerprints: ability to compare the status of the store files before and after modification and to discover which files have been deleted, added or modified;
- wholesale prices and thumbnail images for product variants;
- ability to display product detailed images in popup windows;
- Australia Post's Delivery Rate Calculator support;
- 'Same as billing address' checkbox on the user profile page (for the shipping address section);
- support for a number of new payment gateways;
- ability to create discount coupons with more options;
- multi-language support for the speed bar, payment methods, user titles etc;
- support for a more advanced encryption method for sensitive data (Blowfish);
- Smarty template engine upgraded up to version 2.6.10;


Just like any Beta release, we welcome your bug reports and suggestions.

A demo store based on X-Cart 4.1.0 beta 1 is installed here: http://www.x-cart.com/demo_preview/


WARNING!
The software is NOT recommended for production deployment at this stage. Please do not use X-Cart 4.1.0 beta 1 for live stores: although we have declared a feature freeze, this version is still suppossed to undergo a period of thorough final testing and polishing. Please be aware that X-Cart 4.1.0 beta 1 is just a preview of X-Cart 4.1.0 and comes without technical support or a reference manual.

--
Sincerely yours,
X-Cart Team
__________________
Vladimir Semyonov
Lead Software Engineer