X-Cart forums

[ADDISON]

Folks as it is now XC4 it is very hard to wait for new versions. I come again with the proposal to keep a DB of daily changes. In this way XC users can buy a version for example 4.5 then keeping this branch updated using this DB, daily - weekly - monthly (but is up to them). If something bad is going around they can revert so easy. You have full control to your updates, can you see?

If I would be QT I will release a branch like 4.5 than pull you all taking the updates from this DB. If QT releases a new version 4.6 they will create a new section inside the DB for this version. No more dots and dots. In this easy way, time is not a problem, waiting 2 - 3 months for issues to be solved. Once the Maintenance team is dealing with an issue they post it public. Everyone can use it immediatelly.

Why is so hard to do this? Believe me this solution will work like a charm and will improve once and for all functionality for this procedural programming architecture which is present in XC4.

[Danimal]

Originally Posted by carpeperdiem

X-Cart *could* manage the bug-fixes in a more modular/patch as needed basis, and NEVER have to roll a dot release unless the core has bugs.

I have to totally agree here.


4 months seems like plenty of time between releases, however, it apparently is not enough time between releases if things are not getting fixed or new bugs are being created. I personally would have been fine waiting till April or May for 4.5.5 and 1.0.6 to come out together for a more stable release. I can see an upgrade about 4 months down the road coming out via 4.5.6. Hopefully not a whole new branch of 4.6x that requires a whole new installation, migration, etc.

We have 2 stores that are on 4.3x and well, we waited to get the better integration of XC and XP. I figured it best to start with a new store and learn the changes and quirks. Totally different admin layout but getting used to it. Template is a lot different but getting used to it. I knew this was not going to be easy to take a new site and 2 other sites up to 4.5x with XP but... I was hoping it would be a smoother sale than this.

I paid for advertising for the new store back in January. It comes out the middle of April. I can not even get this store live and working with any modifications. Let alone get products in there. I really don't want those ads to come out and have a broken store that no one can buy from. Apparently I was wrong in thinking we could launch a new store in 3 months. We have the products. But the framework is not there yet. And I am wondering if it will be.

[Danimal]

Originally Posted by carpeperdiem

Dani,
In defense of QT, if a 3rd party module is broken, that's not QT's responsibility.

Have you tested X-Cart Mobile with 4.5.5?

It does not work. I have 6 installations of XC on my server. The host must think I am insane.

One of them is a virgin install of 4.5.5 with XC Mobile for XC 4.5x

One of them is a virgin install of 4.5.4 with XC Mobile for XC 4.5x

Guess what does not work? 4.5.5

I downloaded 4.5.5 on Feb. 13



Really, I need an explanation on this. Going to open a thread about this.

[Jamesp57]

We pulled the plug on the new website this morning and are going a different way now.

[Danimal]

Canned response about mobile not working.

Thank you for contacting the Qualiteam company.

Your request has been assigned to Techsupport and queued for processing.

Please be informed, your current request will be processed within the bounds of the limited free support service, as there is no techsupport subscription or single-incident support service available in your account currently. Our support engineers will provide you with free consultations on the matter and advise you about possible solutions. If resolving of the issue reported requires the commercial techsupport service or some other service, they will let you know.

Please also note, requests in helpdesk accounts with valid techsupport (either subscription or single-incident service ) have higher priority in the queue and guaranteed response time on one working day. As for free support requests, they do not have guaranteed response time, although we do our best to process all request as soon as we can.

If you need prompt, immediate or urgent assistance from our support team, please consider purchasing one of the support service packages in advance. You can read about our commercial techsupport service, as well as purchase a preferred support service package, at our web-site:

* http://www.x-cart.com/technical-support.html

Thank you.

[cflsystems]

@ Jeremy - thanks. I did this now and I can see both onsite QG are there. But the X_payments one is still missing. Considering that QG is an US payment gateway run by CDG Commerce with Bank of Omaha behind their back this is and USA payment gateway and not showing under country USA? DO I need to select Afganistan maybe to see them? Jee....

@Jeremy - it does seems like a sabotage doesn't it. But I seriously doubt QT want's to fail XC 4 in favor of XCN. XCN is far from being ready for prime time and if we ever see it released it will not be before the end of year and not ready for prime time for another at least 6-7 months.... With major features missing form it yet I just don't see it.

As for 3rd party addons. Yes you cannot expect QT to make sure all 3rd party addons work with every new release but to release new version and expect all 3rd party mods to be fixed with it in a day is ridiculous. There are hundreds of 3rd praty mods and most of them in use, that's what makes XC what it is, so when a new version comes out and 3rd party vendors had no idea what is new or changed in there before it is released... well that's bad. QT should have clear plan and road map for everyone so 3rd party vendors can prepare and release new version of their mods, or at least a fix, alongside with the XC release. What's happening now is by the time some 3rd party mods are fixed to work with the new release we will see another XC version out that may break the first fix...

Imagine what will happen if Microsoft releases Win9 without telling anyone about its new features or code changes... Your hardware may just not accept it or your everyday programs will stop working so what you are left with is just a useless OS....

And another bigger issue I read about here - QTs own modules do not work with the new release.... Well...

And here we are now with complete lack of response from QT - it's like we are barking at the wrong tree maybe....

[cflsystems]

I am also looking at the checkout page with the X-Payments iframe in action - this was mentioned before - payment methods selection is before shipping methods selection - this page flow is not logical at all. I just don't see why like this? You enter your personal info, you select shipping method and then you go to payment right. Why are we trying to build a house starting from the roof?

[carpeperdiem]

Steve,

It gets better.

I made a new virgin 4.5.5 default gold+ install yesterday for testing.

I decided to take another look today.
Oops, wrong password -- ok, I tried 3 passwords. Admin is locked out.
System sends me an email to reset.
Link doesn't solve anything, just brings me back to password recovery page, now with captcha.
Endless loop.
Frustration.
Captcha failure.
No worries, I can make a new admin from phpMyAdmin, right?

I searched the x-cart documentation:
http://help.x-cart.com/index.php?title=X-Cart:Managing_User_Profiles#How_do_I_change_or_res et_my_admin_p...28I_lost_it.29

Ok, I did this.
Ah -- but that fails.

WTF X-Cart? If you are going to roll out major security changes, you should document how an admin can get back into their own store?

Geez. I guess I will simply install a new 4.5.5 and new database because I forgot my admin password?

At least I can do this in less time than it takes to submit a bug report.
WHO IS TESTING THIS ?

QT: Who is running the QA and testing department?

Moral of the story: If you are installing 4.5.5 - RUN, don't walk, and make at least 3 admins and write the passwords down. You are at risk of destroying an admin with an incorrectly typed in password, and there doesn't appear to be a database solution yet. BE VERY CAREFUL!

[gb2world]

QT's process of using their customers to test releases is nothing new. You can search the forum for every release of a xx.0 branch and find in the rants many helpful suggestions from this community for improvements in testing. You see constant advise about avoiding xx.0 branches. It is also clear the 4.5.5 release is equivalent to what would have been xx.0 release in the past - so all the advise about avoiding xx.0 branches was not applied, and the frustration is now magnified.

It is also true that this architecture is not easily upgraded or testable. Since XC-Next is not ready in terms of functionality, and even if it were, there is not an easy migration path from X-Cart. Therefore, you have a large captive audience stuck on this branch, which although good in a functional sense, does not use modern software development techniques (bad for testing and upgrading).

Since QT is committed to this branch because of its large captive audience - please don't continue to ignore your problems with test before release. If you don't like any of the suggestions you find here - please come up with your own that works with your current processes. The more transparent your solution is to your customer base, the better. But please don't continue to ignore the problem, because it can be solved on X-Cart Next.

Here are more suggestions for you:
- Use development releases - 4.5.5.dev. This keeps people focused on production away, and ranting will decrease. It gives the 3rd party mod developers opportunities to test and update their mods. All the people watching for the next release can try it, understanding what it is - development, not fully tested.
- Encourage early adopters to test dev releases by offering something. In the past, I suggested offering points, but these are gone. You could give them transferable licenses. Isn't cleaning up a dev release and making it a solid production release worth a few transferable licenses? The only valid test is running this stuff out in the field on real carts. It does not appear you have a tough enough internal test environment. With some incentive, people will be motivated to help you test your releases, and lead to true production releases.


--

[Danimal]

Originally Posted by carpeperdiem

If you are installing 4.5.5 - RUN, don't walk

This is what I am doing. As much as I want the iframe with 4.5.5 and 1.0.6, I can not do this. It could be weeks before I get a response from Qualteam other than that I need to pay them to fix THEIR mistake with 4.5.5 and the mobile mod. That is time I don't have. Plus, the 3rd party developers don't need the headache either.

My overall is (been said already), 4.5.5 needs to be recalled.