[COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]Is anyone else feeling even minutely daunted by having to copy the database & run a test store every time it comes to upgrading ? Not to mention fixing the problems and then transferring all the files to the main directory hoping there won’t be more problems. I am not extremely technically inclined, and far from dumb, but each upgrade consumes a lot of time and effort, and ends up costing quite a bit of money for tech support with problems encountered. After a while I am getting so confused as to which databases are no longer relevant. Isn’t there an easier way ?
I want to install the newest .15, but know I am going to run into issues. Future upgrades are going to grey my hair…
I read the posts by some of you extremely talented individuals concerning your methods, and I am so very lost. Wish this wonderful, feature rich cart could only live up to the advertised automatic software, control panel upgrades
sigh Just venting… [/COLOR]
[quote name=‘DawnG’][COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]Is anyone else feeling even minutely daunted by having to copy the database & run a test store every time it comes to upgrading ? Not to mention fixing the problems and then transferring all the files to the main directory hoping there won’t be more problems. I am not extremely technically inclined, and far from dumb, but each upgrade consumes a lot of time and effort, and ends up costing quite a bit of money for tech support with problems encountered. After a while I am getting so confused as to which databases are no longer relevant. Isn’t there an easier way ?
I want to install the newest .15, but know I am going to run into issues. Future upgrades are going to grey my hair…
I read the posts by some of you extremely talented individuals concerning your methods, and I am so very lost. Wish this wonderful, feature rich cart could only live up to the advertised automatic software, control panel upgrades
sigh Just venting… [/COLOR][/QUOTE]
I installed the 15 upgrade and it’s the only one recently that didn’t require me to reinstall my SSL graphic and other stuff that I customized on the first page.
So far, no issues with the upgrade.
I upgrade right to my live store … only takes me 10-15 minutes to fix any template issues and I’m done.
I do a full backup before hand so if something goes terribly wrong I just restore my backup.
I have a solution for all, who complain about upgrades.
Do not modify your store and every upgrade will work like a charm
- or -
ask CS guys to do it for you and pay for it
- or -
write your own upgrade script for thousands of already modified shops and see how easy is that.
Do you know any PHP application which after making changes to the template, core or other files will still get the upgrade 100% ?
No? Then stop complaining. This was already covered here dozens of times and there’s no solution for it.
Yes Dawn, I agree with you.
I have .12 at the moment and probably am just going to stick with that version for a while. The only real upgrade that I am interested in as far as .15 is concerned is the eway bug fixes, so I was going to ask CS-Cart if they are able to just upgrade that area for me rather than have the whole store upgraded - I’m not sure if this is possible, but I’ll ask anyway.
My store is quite customised now and will be quite $$$ to upgrade. I know that it’s a security risk not to upgrade, but I’m not technical enough to do it myself and it will just end up costing a fortune every time, so I guess I’ll have to take my chances with what I have.
I have a cubecart store as well and that also costs a bomb every time I need to upgrade - so I stopped worrying about it a while ago.
I don’t think upgrade dramas are specific to CS-Cart, I’m sure every cart works the same way - but I too wish that it was alot easier!
[quote name=‘Noman’]I have a solution for all, who complain about upgrades.
Do not modify your store and every upgrade will work like a charm
- or -
ask CS guys to do it for you and pay for it
- or -
write your own upgrade script for thousands of already modified shops and see how easy is that.
Do you know any PHP application which after making changes to the template, core or other files will still get the upgrade 100% ?
No? Then stop complaining. This was already covered here dozens of times and there’s no solution for it.[/QUOTE]
[COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]Well “Guru” or not, that was rather rude. I am thankful most people on this forum are in the spirit of being helpful & not confrontational… We all come here for the same reason…support, whether it’s given or taken
FYI, there is extremely little “modified” on my site…and the tiny bit I did do, I know I will have had to redo every upgrade…I expect it. That is not the issue. It’s the unexpected problems that no one else seems to have & of course can’t offer advice…so in goes a tech support ticket. Every upgrade usually fixes bugs from a previous version, so I am just trying to stay level.
The other major reason why I keep up with the upgrades is because sooner or later what we “stick with” is going to become outdated & a security risk. I never had a problem with X-Cart in 4 years, but it wasn’t long before all these little patches needed to be applied, and not knowing a thing about how to apply them, I never did. It was only a matter of time before a hacker found their way into a back door somewhere. I was relieved to be UTD on the latest technology & security, but that won’t be for long either[/COLOR]
Honestly if you don’t have a lot of modifications, the upgrades should go pretty smooth … They’ve gotten much easier since the 2.0.8 days
Dawn,
It is difficult to be an “Expert” on everything, there are only so many hours in the day, so don’t fret too much!
I would consider getting in touch with someone active here in the forums that provides these services such as Snorocket or perhaps Roban to perform ocassional updates when you feel they are needed. Certainly their fees will be more affordable than going to CS directly and will most likely be money very well spent.
Then as time goes on, perhaps you will want to tackle the upgrades yourself. 
PS: Noman’s wife was most likely causing him grief again right before he replied thus the grumpy reply! :mad:
[quote name=‘Struck’]
PS: Noman’s wife was most likely causing him grief again right before he replied thus the grumpy reply! :mad:[/quote]
By that calculation I should be grumpy everyday…
[quote name=‘DawnG’][COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]Isn’t there an easier way ?[/COLOR][/QUOTE]
I agree that the upgrade process can be a bit daunting. We have recently transferred a store from Interspire to cs cart and have made some modifications to the template. We have just done the .15 upgrade and it was relatively small (we were on .14).
Just checking, the modifications you have made, have you done them through the my changes addon and using hooks?
We didn’t at the start but are now going to re-work the skin using hooks so that when it comes time to upgrade, there will be much less hassle.
From reading, you can even make your own hooks if need be. That way if you absolutely have to modify core code, it is easier to track and change hooks.
Unfortunatelly we had to change a lot in core PHP files, not just templates. It will be an extremely long update.
[quote name=‘racingsolution’]Honestly if you don’t have a lot of modifications, the upgrades should go pretty smooth … They’ve gotten much easier since the 2.0.8 days[/QUOTE]
[COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]The only changes I made were adding “Print Work Order” & “Print Packing Slip”…both of course being custom forms, on the view orders page. They are both stored in “My Skin”. Unless I am mistaken, that is the whole kit & kaboodle.
Every time I have had to upgrade, things have gone pear shaped…and being as inexperienced as I am, I grope in the dark literally for days until I have to beg for help with CS. Even though I use “my skin” for both sites, they are overwritten as well, and I have to replace the overwritten coding for the above forms. If it was just these forms there is no problem…I have it all written down what to do. But so many other things go wrong, things that just don’t make sense…and then different things go funky on both sites…rarely the same issues.
I am a do-it-yourselfer, and an independent one at that, and what I don’t know I search to find answers. But there are so many templates & so much coding I am not familiar with, I get soooooooooooo lost[/COLOR] :roll:
[quote name=‘Struck’]Dawn,
It is difficult to be an “Expert” on everything, there are only so many hours in the day, so don’t fret too much!
I would consider getting in touch with someone active here in the forums that provides these services such as Snorocket or perhaps Roban to perform ocassional updates when you feel they are needed. Certainly their fees will be more affordable than going to CS directly and will most likely be money very well spent.
Then as time goes on, perhaps you will want to tackle the upgrades yourself.
PS: Noman’s wife was most likely causing him grief again right before he replied thus the grumpy reply! :mad:[/QUOTE]
[COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]Thanks so much Struck…I will keep these people in mind. I feel a bit better than having to depend on CS.
Sincerely I do try to do it all myself, and when I get stuck my site host who is extremely knowledgeable & helpful, is always at the ready to lend a hand. But a lot of this cart is beyond his experience, and then I have no choice but to go to the source. I really would like to be that “expert” but as you say too much too learn, too little time 
I didn’t mean to leap all over Norman…but I got a bit miffed at the insinuations. I ready to forget about it if he is[/COLOR] 
[quote name=‘digitald’]I agree that the upgrade process can be a bit daunting. We have recently transferred a store from Interspire to cs cart and have made some modifications to the template. We have just done the .15 upgrade and it was relatively small (we were on .14).
Just checking, the modifications you have made, have you done them through the my changes addon and using hooks?
We didn’t at the start but are now going to re-work the skin using hooks so that when it comes time to upgrade, there will be much less hassle.
From reading, you can even make your own hooks if need be. That way if you absolutely have to modify core code, it is easier to track and change hooks.[/QUOTE]
[COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]I tried understanding the “hooks”, but it is right outside my realm of understanding. I see how they work, but don’t know how to set them up. Someone here give me a brief explanation & was so wonderful to provide all the coding to get one set up…but when I am on my own, I sit & stutter.
Is there a document somewhere that explains the how to’s in somewhat simple language ? I really WANT to learn…honest [/COLOR]
[quote name=‘DawnG’][COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]
Is there a document somewhere that explains the how to’s in somewhat simple language ? I really WANT to learn…honest [/COLOR][/QUOTE]
This is a good thread too: [URL=“http://forum.cs-cart.com/showthread.php?t=12814”]http://forum.cs-cart.com/showthread.php?t=12814[/URL]
And here is the information from the knowledge base: [URL=“CS-Cart Documentation — CS-Cart 4.15.x documentation”]CS-Cart Documentation — CS-Cart 4.15.x documentation
[COLOR=“DarkOrchid”]Thanks everyone…I really appreciate the help
I will comb through those pages and hopefully it won’t be too much of a foreign language[/COLOR]