X-Cart forums

[svowl]

Dear customer,

We are excited to announce the second release candidate 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:

RC2
---

- import/export for extra fields;
- 2-column layout of the admin/provider area;
- WYSIWYG editor for Webmaster mode

RC1
---

- 'stop words filter' for products search facility (a special filter that ensures that service and link words that occur in the search pattern are ignored when search by individual words is performed - available only for the English language);
- support for MySQL 5.0.12;
- advanced (WYSIWYG) editor for product/category/manufacturer descriptions, language variables, static pages, etc;
- 'tax exemption' feature for customers;
- Smarty updated to the version 2.6.12

BETA 2
------

- XHTML 1.0 Transitional compliant code;
- improved product search functionality: a new search option affecting product search by multiple words is added (Users can now specify whether the results returned by a search should match 'All words', 'Any word' or the 'Exact phrase' of the search pattern);
- enhanced control over images location: image files can now be moved to the file system during X-Cart installation;
- support for generation of manufacturers' static pages in HTML catalog;
- minor changes of the user profile page: 'Same as billing address' checkbox in the shipping address section is replaced with 'Ship to a different address' checkbox;
- improved orders/order invoices: customer notes are separated from the order details and included into the order invoice;
- optimized design of the 'Languages' section: input boxes for label values are enlarged for your convenience, description field is removed, ability to search for labels in all topics is added;
- multi-language support for extra field names;
- minor improvement in Fast Lane Checkout module: 'Register' form provided at the step of user authorization is made hidden by default (can be opened by clicking a link);
- a more convenient method of using product detailed images: a new option 'Switch detailed images in a popup window without page reloading (using the dynamic image loading)' is added.
- advanced management of customers' credit card information: admin now has the ability to discard credit card information provided by customers saving only the last 4 digits of credit card numbers in order details (Admin area -> Tools page -> Credit card information removal section)

BETA 1
------

- 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;


We welcome your bug reports and suggestions.

WARNING!
Although we have fixed the majority of issues reported in the beta versions, please remember that this build is a release candidate and is still NOT recommended for use in live stores. The software is still being tested and we cannot guarantee bug-free performance before the final release is out. Also note that technical support and a reference manual for RC2 are not provided.

Please be aware that, after RC1, patches for upgrading to subsequent versions will be available, so we encourage you to install RC1 (RC2) as a platform for pre-production preparation of new stores or as a starting point for gradual transfer of your product database from the older X-Cart versions to X-Cart 4.1 and trying out the new functionality.

[craigbrass]

Hmmm, STILL hasn't got the functionality I requested in the RC1 thread that was needed for easy order management.....

[svowl]

Below is a CHANGELOG between RC1 and RC2. For a full list of changes, please refer to the CHANGELOG in your File area (Help Desk).

----------------- X-CART v4.1.0 rc2 RELEASED

Thu Feb 16 17:36:25 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Deleted or disabled product options were not displayed on the Order details page. Fixed.

Thu Feb 16 14:24:38 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Absolute partner commission (product- or category-based) was not calculated correctly: product amount was not taken into account when calculating commission amount. Fixed.

Thu Feb 16 14:10:56 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: PGP / GnuPG encryption did not function correctly if PGP / GPG user id was empty. Fixed.

Thu Feb 16 11:33:27 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Banner statistics (clicks by product) were displayed wrongly (X-Affiliate module). Fixed.

Thu Feb 16 11:10:45 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Banner views from Partner area were counted in statistics. Fixed.

Thu Feb 16 10:38:56 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: If a shop had different HTTP and HTTPS domain names, redirecting a customer to the Secure login form caused infinite loop redirection. Fixed.

Thu Feb 16 09:58:29 MSK 2006[*] - max - Improvement: 'Service name' field is added to Extra fields module; import/export section for Extra fields module is added; events are added to Import/Export mechanism.

Wed Feb 15 09:58:01 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Top message dialog was not displayed on Change merchant key page. Fixed.

Wed Feb 15 09:36:34 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Change merchant key menu item was not displayed in GOLD version (Admin area). Fixed.

Tue Feb 14 17:42:49 MSK 2006[*] - max - Improvement in Fancy categories module: The process of category cache rebuilding is made faster and more accurate: now, when the categories are updated, only the affected portion of the category cache gets rebuilt.

Tue Feb 14 15:34:15 MSK 2006[*] - mclap - Improvement: A blank screen with the message "Please follow this link" no longer appears in Opera 8.x.

Mon Feb 13 17:12:03 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Wholesale prices updating section did not work correctly on the Product variants page in Opera-family browsers. Fixed.

Mon Feb 13 16:38:22 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Language label updating caused Javascript and SQL errors. Fixed.

Mon Feb 13 16:26:44 MSK 2006[*] - max - Improvement: Category international description section is moved to a separate page.

Mon Feb 13 16:25:02 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Blowfish key was updated if the installation process was run with the option 'Update config.php only' enabled. Fixed.

Mon Feb 13 12:53:30 MSK 2006 [!] - mclap - Bug: An incorrect date format was used for dates in Subscription module instead of the format specified in "General settings". Fixed.

Fri Feb 10 17:25:00 MSK 2006[*] - svowl - Several improvements to the Admin/Provider area design: a 2-column style is introduced, 'Users online' box is redesigned and moved to the bottom of page, the information which used to be displayed in auth box after a user logged in is moved to the header (Admin/Provider area).

Fri Feb 10 17:13:34 MSK 2006[*] - max - Improvement: JS state and county selector is improved. 'Recipient county' field is added to the list of fields in Gift Certificates module.

Fri Feb 10 17:05:21 MSK 2006 [!] - mclap - Bug: Hundredweight rates (150+ lbs) in FedEx shipping module were not calculated. Fixed.

Fri Feb 10 10:53:47 MSK 2006 [!] - mclap - Bug: When a special offer was applied to an order, and the order was paid for by a gift certificate, the cart totals were calculated wrongly.

Fri Feb 10 10:23:00 MSK 2006 [!] - svowl - Bug: Extra line breaks appeared in category desriptions (Customer area) after the descriptions were modified in WYSIWYG editor. Fixed.

Thu Feb 09 14:31:04 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: The default value of a new extra field was not saved. Fixed.

Thu Feb 09 12:23:18 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Image file name was not saved in Import procedure. Fixed.

Wed Feb 08 16:52:30 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Categories were imported as not available if the import file did not have an 'avail' column in 'categories' section. Fixed.

Tue Feb 07 16:40:16 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Language variable cache was not cleared if shop administrator updated some language labels in Admin area. Fixed.

Tue Feb 07 15:14:32 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Sometimes check database integrity functionality did not work correctly. Fixed.

Tue Feb 07 13:53:20 MSK 2006[*] - max - Improvement: Webmaster mode functionality is redesigned (Label Dialog window part), WYSIWYG editor is added.

Tue Feb 07 09:33:41 MSK 2006[*] - max - Improvement: Size of memberships select box now depends on the length of memberships list.

Mon Feb 06 17:52:51 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Design of the Product details page was corrupted if the product had a small description, had detailed images and the option 'Display detailed images in a popup window' was enabled. Fixed.

Mon Feb 06 17:33:23 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Delete all orders procedure caused an SQL error if X-RMA or X-Affiliate modules were disabled or uninstalled. Fixed.

Mon Feb 06 17:15:03 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: In 'Remember visitor for a long time period' functionality, saved user login was not detected correctly. Fixed.

Mon Feb 06 16:14:10 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: WYSIWYG editor was opened in a Popup window on non MS IE and Mozilla browsers. Fixed.

Mon Feb 06 15:37:06 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Membership levels selectboxes contained an empty row if all the memberships had been deleted or disabled. Fixed.

Mon Feb 06 15:30:55 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: A JS error occurred on Product variants modify page if all customers memberships had been deleted or disabled. Fixed.

Mon Feb 06 14:56:32 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Sometimes, HTML Editor module did not take the text area content from WYSIWYG editor to Default editor correctly. Fixed.

Mon Feb 06 13:55:00 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Froogle module did not work in GOLD mode. Fixed.

Fri Feb 03 17:26:12 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Buttons were not displayed in a row on Delete order confirmation page and Product details page (Admin area). Fixed.

Fri Feb 03 17:17:51 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: The Information box dialog did not have styles corresponding to alternative color schemes. Fixed.

Fri Feb 03 17:00:34 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: The installation script did not install X-Cart if the version of MySQL server being used was 5.0.0 or later. Fixed.

Fri Feb 03 16:40:35 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: WYSIWYG editor did not format the page content on 'Edit static page' page correctly. Fixed.

Fri Feb 03 15:46:00 MSK 2006[*] - svowl - Improvement: The calculation of UPS shipping time is corrected: a shipping time defined by admin is now used if UPS server response does not contain this field for some shipping method (UPS OnLine Tools module).

Fri Feb 03 11:53:41 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug: Provider could not export order data. Fixed.

Thu Feb 02 17:47:07 MSK 2006 [!] - max - Bug in Product Configurator module: On Cart page and Order details page, the components of a configurable product were displayed in an order which did not correspond to the order of steps and slots of the configuration wizard. Fixed.

----------------- X-CART v4.1.0 rc1 RELEASED

A demo store based on X-Cart 4.1.0 rc1 is installed here: http://www.x-cart.com/demo_preview/

Although RC2 (as well as beta and RC1) still comes without a reference manual and technical support, we thought you might be interested to know how things are progressing with the development of X-Cart user documentation, so we decided to publish a kind of pre-release version of the official X-Cart 4.1.x reference manual. It is available for downloading from the File area of the Help Desk.

Thank you.

[craigbrass]

It still includes NONE of my suggestions from the RC1 thread. I also emailed them directly to management and they said they would be implemented. My suggestions are below :-

Account Status
When you go to create an account in the admin area, the default status is "suspended". This should be set to enabled as a staff member could easily overlook that field and anyway, most accounts created will need to be enabled rather than suspended.

Product Disabled / Hidden
If a product is hidden or disabled, it's background (when in the search menu or clicking "Catagory Products") should show a different color. Blue for hidden and red for disabled. This is simply so the admin can see which products are disabled, which are hidden and which are enabled. See http://www.craigbrass.net/images/xcart/disabled_hidden.png

Catagory Disabled + Subcatagories
Currently, when you disable a catagory with subcatagories, the subcatagories stay active aswell as the products inside them. You should add an option to the "Enabled" drop down menu that says "No + Disable Subcatagories". This should disable the catagory aswell as all subcatagories inside that catagory. When you change that catagory status back to yes, it should reactivate the subcatagories.

Catagory Disabled
Similar to how the disabled and hidden products works (as explained above), it should show the background color to a new colour if the catagory is disabled. The changing the text to grey is NOT clear enough. If the catagory on it's own is disabled, it should be a light red, if the catagory and subcatagories are disabled, it should show a darker red.

Total Customer Orders
The total amount of orders should be shown in the customer's account (when viewing inside the admin area). It should say "Total Customer Orders: 8" and have a little "+" next to it to fold out underneeth. This should reveal :-
Not Finished: 1
Queued: 2
Processed: 2
Backordered: 0
Declined: 1
Failed: 1
Complete: 1

There should then be a "Total Orders Actually Paid For: 3" which should be processed and complete orders combined.

View Customer's Orders
Inside a users account inside the admin area, there should be a link that says "View Customer's Orders". This should show the admin all the orders this customer has made. If the customer has made no orders, it should say "This customer has made no orders yet".

Total Customer Spending
The user's (inside the admin area) account should tell the admin how much the customer has spend on the store. It should look like the following :-
Total Purchased: бё50.65
Total Actually Paid For: бё35.97

The total purchased should include :-
Not Finished
Queued
Processed
Backordered
Declined
Failed
Complete

The total actually paid for should include :-
Processed
Complete

Order of Catagories
There should be a setting in the settings area that says "Order of Catagories and Sub-Catagories in the admin area" and the options should be "By Name" and "By Position".

If the following was ordered by name, it would be (number is position) :-
2 - AAA
3 - BBB
1 - CCC

If it was ordered by position, it would be :-
1 - CCC
2 - AAA
3 - BBB

Go To Product
As one of the menus, there should be a "Go To Product" box. This should, when you enter an SKU, take you to the product that SKU is assosiated with. See the top of the right menu on http://www.itselixir.com to see how this works.

Top Sellers
There should be a setting in the settings are to define how many top sellers are listed in the admin area home where it says "Top 10 products".

Also, there should be another column, "This Year" added which is obvious what it should show.

Order Statistics
The order statistics should have two new rows, Complete and Backordered. That way it shows all of the order status' on here. There should also be a "This Year" column added here.

View Customers Account
When you go into an order (say admin/order.php?orderid=999), a link should be put inside saying "View Customer's Account". This should take you to the customer's account (example link would be admin/user_modify.php?user=username&usertype=C).

When you are viewing a list of orders and it shows the Customer column the customers name and username "FirstName LastName (username)", the customer's username should link to the customers account aswell.

JUST Show Product Name
For true Search Engine Optimisation, the title should ONLY include the product name / static page name / or the site name if on the home page. For "Page title format:", there should be the option of "Product / Catagory / Static Page name only". See how http://www.itselixir.com is title wise to see what I mean.

SKU Start
In the settings area, there should be an option to change what the SKU starts with. Say for example if I wanted to change it from SKU to IE.

PayPal Transaction ID
The order invoice should show the transaction ID of the transaction on the gateway (for example if paypal is used, the paypal transaction id).

Cloned Product's SKU
When you clone a product, it genorates a random SKU. This makes no sense. Can you make it so it uses the next SKU. For example if the last product I created was SKU112, the cloned product SKU would be SKU113.

Product Varients
Ok, when I add a product varient, it makes the first varient SKU3, the second SKU31, the third SKU32, ect. This makes no sense. Can you make it so that defaultly it goes :-
SKU3-1
SKU3-2
SKU3-3
ect.

This way would make alot more sense.

Easy Order Management
At my work, we hire alot of people who know hardly anything about computers to pack orders. They all thought that clicking "Orders" and searching for orders was a stupid way to do it and, I agree with them, so I now have it as shown in http://www.craigbrass.net/images/xcart/order_managment.png which is a much easier way to manage it. The number in brackets shows how many of that type of order there is. When a staff member clicks an order type that has no orders in it, a javascript message pops up saying "Sorry, but there are no orders matching this criteria".

I think X-Cart should have an option to work this way in the settings area. It would help ALOT of companies better manage their workflows of orders. One addition would be that there would be a "Search for Orders" link under "View All".

Varient for Particular Membership Levels
There should be an option to restrict particular varients to particular membership levels. For example, I should be able to say that the varient "1000ml Bottle" of the "Castor Oil" product is only viewable and purchasable by the "Theropist" and "Wholesale" membership levels.

[RichieRich]

is there an upgrade from RC1 to RC2, or do you have to do a fresh install each beta and RC that is coming out?

[Alltribes]

I'm sure you have to reinstall. It isn't worth the trouble for them to make an upgrade, plus any errors in the upgrade would make the process of finding bugs in the new release candidate that much harder.

[tntdesigns]

I got a email today about x-cart-4.1.0_rc_2gold.tgz ver
Is it ready for a live store?
I noted that the file is still in my X-Cart 4.1 (NOT FOR LIVE STORES) File folder.
And I don't see a upgrade ver

[MaDgamEr]

I would assume not... RC stands for Release Candidate... so its still a development release.

[tntdesigns]

OH,..Thats good to know about that RC so that means that the new ver will be ready for a live store very soon!
I did found that the 4.1 pdf manual is ready for download.
So I guess it would be a good idea for us to read up

[tntdesigns]

Hi,
I canБ─≥t get PayPal Pro API to show up in the Subscription processor, in x-cart gold 4.0.17
So every month I need to key in my monthly subscriptions bills by hand in the PayPal Pro Virtual Terminal.
Will the 4.1 ver allow PayPal Pro in the Subscription processor?
Or is there a form that has a fix for ver 4.0.17?