New releases and template changes

[recedo]

After looking at the RC 3 release of 1.3.3 I see that a few bugs are fixed inside the templates themselves.

Just out of interest what will happen when I come to upgrade... Obviously I've made changes to my templates so how will I get these fixes without having to start again from scratch?

If there is no easy way of doing this, will you please include a list of changes made to templates so we can add these ourselves instead of having to start them again!

TIA
Simon

[ETInteractive]

You wont.....if you edit a tpl file, you have to redo all the changes on upgrade.

[recedo]

Thanks...

Thats going to be a hell of a lot of hard work then! I'll stop making changes now and wait for the new stable release!

So, can we have a list so we can make the changes ourselves? That would make things much easier!

[ETInteractive]

Ideally, CS would give us a list of "changed" tpls.....and then we only have to touch those tpl's.

we will see.

[hans]

I think there isn't a tpl file I didn't change in the customer skin. This means I have to do it again and again after each release!?? No way! There must be another solution. Please give us a list of changed files.

[snorocket]

the solution is not to upgrade your store everytime a new release comes out, I don't always update our store, its alot of work...

[MarkWhoo]

Just an FYI, I use compare it. A great program that allows me to compare any file against a sister file to see all code changes and allow me to easily do code swaps to new released files.

You may look into getting a copy of a program like this in order to have your cake and eat it too.

[ZulloP]

hi markwhoo, there is any software you can list?

thx in advance

[MarkWhoo]

I already did, lol. Maybe hard to notice though due to it's name.

"COMPARE IT" I just do not remember which version it is up to now, but it is an easy tool to use and can be configured to do many things easily in the comparrison features. Also allows you to compare many many file types, so it is easily used in even text files, lol.

Totally awesome tool. If you have issues finding it, let me know and I can help.

[ZulloP]

LOL I should buy some glass... :D

thx!

[MarkWhoo]

Well, I looked at how I typed it and if you were not knowledgable of the program, it may elude someone noticing the name, so I put it into quotes to help.

Again, if you do not find it, let me know, I can help.

[YouRockDaddy]

Compare It!
http://www.grigsoft.com/wincmp3.htm

and if money is no object
http://www.araxis.com/merge/

Or free
http://winmerge.org/

[recedo]

I've used comparison software in the past and it has helped in difficult situations however in this case you must remember that we'll be comparing;

1) a 1.x.x template file that has been modified by us

and

2) a 1.x.x+1 default template file

If you were comparing both of the original files it wouldn't be so much of a problem.

If you consider that in many instances the modified templates may have very little resembleance to the original.

But, it's a good start if you don't want to go from scratch.

As I've already said, I think there should be an easier way to upgrade template built in to the system for those of us who have made changes to them.

Simon

[MarkWhoo]

Well, I am not going to push on this, BUT...

I have heavily modified many stores. I have also upgraded many stores AND, i have had top pull mods form one platform to another and the best way I have found to do so is by the comparrison progie.

Now I am not saying it is a single step, sometimes it takes two comparrisons to isolate the mod, look into the upgrade and then merge the mod to the upgrade.

The point is.. It CAN be done and i do it all of the time. You do not want to get locked into a single branch of a platform that will not let you grow.

NOW, I will say, I also do my own custome stroefronts, so they DO NOT look like they fell out of the can. Some may thing that is crazy, I think it is the best way. I also feel that if there are upgrades, the skins will be the easiest to cross the upgrade path if you will. But that is just me.

I like original, not looking like everyone else. there is very little that can change on an upgrade for the skins. It may be a single section or area, but this is easily added to the custom skin.

That is the brilliance of smarty. It makes the best storefront.

anyhow, just my 2 cents.

[hans]

I haven't downloaded the latest release yet so I can't see where the exact differences/updates are but, you are saying that most of the skins tpl files haven't change much? And haven't been affected by updates in the past?

[recedo]

Thinking about these comparison programs, I guess you could always compare teh original template sets to find out exactly what changes have been made to what files then go about adding these changes to your own templates...

I'll have to experiment.

However, even with these programs, I think it would be nice to have a list of templates that have been added/changed with each release, and it would be really nice if we had a list of the changes made too!

Simon

[snorocket]

Beyond Compare by http://www.scootersoftware.com

[smoked1]

The developers need to relize that we are going to make changes to the templates and keep a change log for us. It's that simple.

[MarkWhoo]

Exactly my point.

I take the older template or php file. I compare it to the new one. I look at the change (if any) and I move the mod over to the new file.

I see little changes in ANY of the skin files. Like I said, it may be an area. For example a mod that has a "Best Sellers Area".

Now when adding this to a skin, all it does is add a block to the template. You may or may not like to use the "Best Sellers" mod, so you may or may not be affected by the addition of this new mod or addition to the template.

Let’s say you DO want to use it. The colors will automatically be covered by the css file right! all that may be needed at this point is location of where to be displayed (depending on how modified the layout of the storefront is) OR, if there is a header caption to the "Best Seller" area. Some people use images for their headers and some only use text, so this may or may not be an issue. If it is an image usage and not text, simply make a header graphic and add it, lol. That is all that is to be done and it is done with total ease.

The rest of the update or addition os to other files behind the scenes.


NOW, I also agree it is nice to have a listing of ALL modified files. I personally do so many upgrades; I usually have to manually do upgrades as it is. So I look at the DIFF files to do the upgrades. AND I usually do the updates in Dream Weaver, then upload them tot he store.


For example: x**** spit out a list if files not upgradeable automatically. I would look at those files and then do them manually and upload them. Then I would reapply the upgrade and it would show ALL files as upgrades etc.

Simple to me, but yes, it takes time. That is also the price to pay when you are a heavily modified store and look like your own place and not like the average "out of can" CSCart store.

Ever see a store you cannot tell what it is? Good feeling if you are the store owner eh? Who wants to look like you fell out of a can, not me.

If I did, I would go with a yahoo type storefront where you look like everyone else and only change a banner, lol.


So, I am sure there should be a file showing the affected files OR an automatic feed from the upgrade / patch section of the CSCart to display the files either not upgraded or not changed that need changes, and then compare the DIFF files and do manual upgrade.


Looking in from the outside is a bit scary, but once you do one, it is all downhill and rather easy for the second one on.


Like I said earlier, it is in the tools you use that makes it easy or not.

AND, take a look here:

http://www.leukstewinkel.nl/shop/home.php

Like it? What platform is it? Recognize it? Anyone other than developers that may already know, lol.


It does not look like it is out of the can does it? that is because this person feels like I do. I want to look like me, not the can. There are lots of cans, I want to be unique.


Now, it is actually quite easy to upgrade this store also. It is the tpl files and not the core of the platform that are heavily modified. This is actually quite a basic set up after you get past the skin files. Nothing fancy. I take things further with many mods that also make the capabilities unique, therefore my stores are a bit more difficult to upgrade, but COULD be quite easy depending on what YOU wish to offer the end user.


Getting off of soapbox now, lol.

I do have a bit more advice or info if you wish, but I do not want to bore those that do not care either, lol.

[recedo]

Thanks for the advice. My main point when I started this was that there have been changes made that don't just affect layout (new blocks or whatever) but also some that affect functionality.

For example, when a review was submitted it sent 2 first names instead of "firstname lastname". Now, this was changed simple by a hidden field in the form.

But, my point is that there are probably several changes like this made to the code which wouldn't affect the look.

I understand that a heavily modified store (both code and tpls) will need some manual work to upgrade. However, I am not looking for an upgrade script that can guess what you want done to your templates, I'm after a list of modified templates and ideally a list of changes made.

This would make it a lot simpler for everyone when it comes to upgrade.

Although not everyone will make PHP changes I bet about 90% make changes to the templates so the store looks their own. So, the upgrading of the "software" will be very easy. Now why not help us to upgrade the templates as easily as possible.

Anyway, we shall see what happens...

I guess that one of us (me if I can find some free time!) could always make a list after an upgrade is release. I have not yet looked at any of the comparison programs listed here but can any of them output a list? That would make it really simple, just run the original templates through it each time and publish the results.

Simon

[MarkWhoo]

Recedo,

You should not be the one that has to do this. You should only have to follow a guide like that.

Now I personally have yet to do an upgrade, but I would think this list, would be generated by CSCart along with an upgrade when available. Also another list that should be generated is a list of files that are not upgraded due to mods or changing of files. This list would be generated in the patch or upgrade section.

Now if neither of these are done, I agree someone should get off of their arse really soon to ensure it IS done for all future upgrades or patches.

This is a must have for anyone making their carts more than a canned store.

As far as the percentage of people changing their look and feel of the store.

NO, I disagree with you on this one. From what I have seen here, this forum is too new, the users are not so knowledgeable and therefore, I see only slight css changes to what is already offered with the skins also offered for their use.

I bet the majority of users for this cart are only changing banners and that is it.

I myself would like to see stores that are now available that look different than the canned skins. I do not and have yet to see them.

Now in saying this, I do know there are some developers here that are capable of doing this and eventually there will be some of these out there.

I am one of them and WILL have a different looking store. I personally do not want anyone knowing what cart I use, I want them to focus on the products, not treat it as I personally treat those using oscart for example. lol, that solution is for people that are not up to a challenge or are not creative enough to make a real design.

At least I know enough to hire someone to do something for me if I do not have the capabilities personally to do them. My goal is still for a store that is user friendly and looks like my store not a copy. so if I cannot make visual changes, but I know it can be done, or I need a mod to do something special and cannot program it to be done, I will find someone that CAN do those things for me and I will have them incorporated into my store.


Of course we are then put back to our earlier discussion of upgrading, lol. Like I said, it does not come easy sometimes, but it is a damn site better solution in the end.



End result, I am with you on this, I agree we need the documentation as a guide of changed files, I did not mean that you should attempt this without one. I just meant there are ways to make your life easier when using the right tools AND that list, lol. What if there are thousands of files? You should not have to search through ALL of them to find the changed ones right? :rolleyes:

[recedo]

Some good points... At the end of the day I know there will be work involved if I've modified the php code and/or the tpl's and I expect that. However, a list will make it a lot easier for everyone.

I think the fact that CS comes with several pretty good looking skins is great for 'novice' users, but there will soon be hundreds of stores using these skins!

I've only worked with one shopping cart solution in the past and while they only made a few template changes during upgrades they did list them all to make it easier for customers. Not sure how X and other carts do this though.

Hopefully this post will get noticed by CS ;)

Simon