X-Cart forums

[tony_sologubov]

Hi guys!

Today we released X-Cart Next 1.2.4.
http://www.x-cart.com/blog/x-cart-next-v-1-2-4-released.html

The major changes are:

• 3 new colour schemes are added (ColorSchemes module)
• Demo: http://demostore.x-cart.com/
• Australia Post integration was reworked according to newest API
• Canada Post is added
• Fedex integration is added
• UPS integration is added
• New order statuses are added: Refunded, Partially-refunded, Refund requested

Full changelog is here:
https://x-cart.atlassian.net/wiki/display/XDD/Version+1.2.4

Our current focus is:

• Product variants
• Import/Export
• Mobile skin
• Performance improvement
• Gift certificates
• Marketplace improvement

and we updated roadmap accordingly:
http://next.x-cart.com/roadmap.html

Besides that, I am going to create more dev guides in order to lower the learning curve for starters + more knowledge base articles for customers. These tasks will take approximately 2~3 months and we probably will not have releases during this time.

If you have any suggestions/comments, you are welcome to post comments in the thread or PM me.

Tony.

[carpeperdiem]

Originally Posted by tony_sologubov

Our current focus is:
Product variants

including product option validation (require customer to select an option -- if option is empty or "please select..." the item can NOT be added to the cart) ???

I see that in the demo store you are using radio buttons for options in apparel -- but the number of options can get out of hand if you offer a product in 14 colors and 5 sizes. That is NOT uncommon by any means... so a pulldown option menu is sometimes needed -- and in that case, "please select..." has to be the first option. And there must be some kind of validation to make certain the customer does not add a product to the cart without the correct option (size/color) selected.

Just sharing. I hope this helps you make this product better and better.

J

[tony_sologubov]

Hi, carpeperdiem!

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Originally Posted by carpeperdiem

including product option validation (require customer to select an option -- if option is empty or "please select..." the item can NOT be added to the cart) ???

You can do that using exceptions in product options. Or this is not what you are looking for?

I see that in the demo store you are using radio buttons for options in apparel -- but the number of options can get out of hand if you offer a product in 14 colors and 5 sizes. That is NOT uncommon by any means... so a pulldown option menu is sometimes needed -- and in that case, "please select..." has to be the first option. And there must be some kind of validation to make certain the customer does not add a product to the cart without the correct option (size/color) selected.

You can set up how to display product options: radio buttons or select-box, so you are not limited here. Radio buttons is just an option.

[cflsystems]

Road map has: Payment system integration: SagePay, Google Checkout

Since Google Checkout is being discontinued is it wise to spend time and resources of adding it?

[carpeperdiem]

Advanced order managemant

I know you guys are working like crazy on this, but I would raise the priority of Advanced order management much higher...

Ecwid also failed in this function as well -- customers change their mind. Merchants agree to edit customer orders after the fact - give discounts or substitute products. Customers may realize "hey, I need to ship this to my beach house" -- the ability to edit an order, ship-to, contents, etc is a mission critical, can't use the store without this function.

I know, I know -- the list is very long, but I am just sharing one primary reason why many merchants will not be interested until a function is fully operational. This is one of them.

HTH
J

[gb2world]

You can do that using exceptions in product options. Or this is not what you are looking for?

The customer needs to be forced to select an option - not just add an item to the cart with default options. The shop merchant can get bad orders that require rework when the customer can place an item in the cart without correctly choosing their options. So the product options would load with nothing selected instead of a default option selected.

---

[tony_sologubov]

Originally Posted by cflsystems

Road map has: Payment system integration: SagePay, Google Checkout

Since Google Checkout is being discontinued is it wise to spend time and resources of adding it?

Oh yes, sure, it will be added as Google Wallet. I have corrected Roadmap now. Thanks for spotting it out.

[tony_sologubov]

Originally Posted by carpeperdiem

I know you guys are working like crazy on this, but I would raise the priority of Advanced order management much higher...

Ecwid also failed in this function as well -- customers change their mind. Merchants agree to edit customer orders after the fact - give discounts or substitute products. Customers may realize "hey, I need to ship this to my beach house" -- the ability to edit an order, ship-to, contents, etc is a mission critical, can't use the store without this function.

I know, I know -- the list is very long, but I am just sharing one primary reason why many merchants will not be interested until a function is fully operational. This is one of them.

HTH
J

I agree with you and actually Order Management is top priority task to us, so we will likely start working on it right after the nearest goals are completed.

Thanks for the sharing your thoughts anyway!

[tony_sologubov]

Originally Posted by gb2world

The customer needs to be forced to select an option - not just add an item to the cart with default options. The shop merchant can get bad orders that require rework when the customer can place an item in the cart without correctly choosing their options. So the product options would load with nothing selected instead of a default option selected.

---

You can define default options as "Choose your colour" or "Choose your size" and then mark any configuration of these default options as an exception. Eventually, you will have a system that forces customer to choose something different rather than default options.

If I still did not get what you are trying to achieve, please let me know.

Thanks.

[carpeperdiem]

Originally Posted by tony_sologubov

Eventually, you will have a system that forces customer to choose something different rather than default options.

There should not be ANY default option, except, "Please select your option..." (which obviously is not a valid product)

To prevent wrong items shipping, we force the customer to select the exact option they want to buy. NOTHING is worse than a customer receiving the wrong item because our store didn't ask the customer to be very specific in their option choice.

If a product has options, there should NEVER be a default option, unless the store wants there to be for the item. But in most cases, if there's a option, the customer is gonna have to be forced to select the option before add-to-cart.

I hope we're all talking about the same thing?