X-Cart forums

[Dougrun]

I think you misunderstood my terminology. The hosting sever would be the actual hardware server so i'll have a blank server to play with by testing an upgrade before i actually shut down the old one and move it.

[carpeperdiem]

Originally Posted by Dougrun

I think you misunderstood my terminology. The hosting sever would be the actual hardware server so i'll have a blank server to play with by testing an upgrade before i actually shut down the old one and move it.

the term "dev server" can be anywhere. It can be on same server, different server or hosted from outer space.

MY POINT is that if you develop upgrade somewhee, anywhere, at some point you will need to bring the live database into upgrade state. Right now (vers 4.5.5) there is NO WAY to do this on its own.

[xim]

Originally Posted by carpeperdiem

You can't do that with the current upgrade tools.
X-Cart removed the ability to do a post-upgrade database only "final" upgrade.

It is CRUCIAL for a live store to upgrade in a dev environment, and then after all testing is completed, run a final database patch on the live (clone) database.

Unless X-Cart permits this, nobody actually making money will be interested in upgrading.

We also do not really like "only database upgrade". Therefore we have been working on the tools to give upgrade patches between branches. Every release, we improve our processes (on the previous we release new version and upgrade patches at the same time). Hope the new release will also improve developers experience.

[carpeperdiem]

Originally Posted by xim

We also do not really like "only database upgrade". Therefore we have been working on the tools to give upgrade patches between branches. Every release, we improve our processes (on the previous we release new version and upgrade patches at the same time). Hope the new release will also improve developers experience.

Hi Maxim,

Since I have your attention, can you please take a look at this thread:
http://forum.x-cart.com/showpost.php?p=354875&postcount=32

To summarize: we need a tool to "re-patch" a production database at the very end of an upgrade...

1. clone production store to dev server
2. upgrade dev server
3. when #2 is ready for production, move dev to production and then PATCH the live database as you take it live.

Version 4.5.5 upgrade removed the ability to do step #3. A live store can't be upgraded. Unless we have tools for #3, a live store will never upgrade.

[cflsystems]

Originally Posted by random

For existing users of that template - it is not just AS IS copy, we have improved the Responsive template:
- CSS media queries are used instead of a bunch of JS code. They work in all modern browsers, and for IE8 we load special compatibility script.
- Banner System works properly without using non-default js script instead of built-in carousel.
- Other fixes and improvements

This sounds good but...

You need to completely scrap all current XC stock templates and include, even if it is just one stock template, a true HTML5/CSS3 responsive template. There is no excuse anymore to continue with the HTML4/CSS2. All modern browsers support HTML5/CSS3 like at least 80% and whatever is missing they have their own rules, for the stupid IE like 8 and 9 (don't even think 7 anymore) there are js libraries that help. IE10 has been out for a while and it seems to have better WC3 and HTML5/CSS3 compliance.

Why am I saying this? I am working on bringing a site to full HTML5/CSS3 and you cannot imagine how much lighter and cleaner the code is and easier to work with and style... not to mention the css file is probably 80% less than stock XC css file..... not to mention how much js code can be omitted because CSS3 takes care of it... not to mention all the images you can get rid of by simply using CSS3 which saves a lot on bandwidth.... not to mention that all Apple products (probably the most used mobile device) have HTML5/CSS3 built-in as default and do not respond well to HTML4 code... try to watch video or flash from HTML4 site on iPad...

Seriously - scrap everything from the template and js files and go HTML5/CSS3 only.

Even XCN is build on HTML4/CSS2 and has nothing of the new standards....

And seriously - XC still using tables to output data.... the whole products thumb page is tables, search page is tables.... there is no need for that.

[Online Michael]

Steve, you certainly are one very passionate individual... Your contribution to this forum is incredible. If X-cart were a car, I'd have YOU behind the wheel with a full tank of gas!

[yowstar]

Will there be any improvements for One Page Check out (OPC ) in 4.6.0?

[elmirage001]

Originally Posted by xim

We also do not really like "only database upgrade". Therefore we have been working on the tools to give upgrade patches between branches. Every release, we improve our processes (on the previous we release new version and upgrade patches at the same time). Hope the new release will also improve developers experience.

Dear Maxim, This has been said very well by others but I just want to emphasize how important it is to be able to easily and smoothly upgrade the database only. Our live store is on 4.4.5 and we're developing 4.5.5 and almost ready to go live but now we have 4.6.0 coming out. We will immediately start work on 4.6.0.

So lets say that by the time we are ready to go live on 4.6.x that you are now on version 4.6.1 and store in operation is still at 4.4.5. The best option for both x-cart and us as users is to build in a database upgrader right into the x-cart admin.

So if 4.6.1 had this database upgrader built in we would do the following

1. Download 4.4.5 --> 4.6.0 Database Upgrade
2. Download 4.6.0 --> 4.6.1 Database Upgrade
3. Upload both 4.6.0 & 4.6.1 Database Upgrades to 4.6.1 folder
4. In Admin select Tools/Upgrade "Copy" of Live Database to Current Version
5. Upgrade Mod would see Current Version files as 4.6.1 and would see both the 4.4.5 --> 4.6.0 and the 4.6.0 --> 4.6.1 upgrade scripts.
6. Upgrade Mod would ask for the 4.4.5 "Copy" database information
7. Upgrade Mod would then upgrade 4.4.5 copy --> 4.6.0 --> 4.6.1
8. Upgrade Mod would give option to change config.php to the new database

Now we can test the dev store using a current database and once testing is complete and we are ready to go live we make a new 4.4.5 copy and go through the above STARTING AT STEP 4. We should not need to do steps 1-3 again.

If we were still developing and 4.6.2 came out and we upgraded the dev store to 4.6.2 then we would just download and add the 4.6.0 --> 4.6.2 database upgrade files and the x-cart Upgrade Mod would ignore the 4.6.0 --> 4.6.1 database upgrade and instead do the 4.6.0 --> 4.6.2

We upgrade our database from the live version to our current test version about 3 times before going live so being able to easily repeat would be wonderful.

Thank you!

[cflsystems]

This sounds great but there is one small problem - since QT releases new features, improvements and bug fixes all in one upgrade - 4.6.0 to 4.6.2 will have not only bug fixes but also new stuff - so doing the db only without fixing file may (and probably will) cause some errors since features loading with the database are not present in files....

By the way if you take for example 4.5.0 -> 4.5.4 upgrade pack and empty file.lst file XC upgrade will process db only and no file changes....

[elmirage001]

Hi Steve,

Step 5 takes care of that. The x-cart Upgrade Mod looks at it's current file version number and would not allow an upgrade past it's current version

5. Upgrade Mod would see Current Version files as 4.6.1 and would see both the 4.4.5 --> 4.6.0 and the 4.6.0 --> 4.6.1 upgrade scripts.

It could tell the user that upgrading the database beyond the current version is not allowed.

Yes, editing the file.lst is what I do now but could not do for 4.5.4 --> 4.5.5 and it sounds like x-cart wants us to do full upgrades for all future versions which would be so much more work and trouble.