Upgrade Or Store Import?

Hi all, I'm currently running a heavily customised version of CS Cart Professional 4.0.3 I wish to upgrade to the latest version, but was unsure about the best way to do it.



My thoughts were that I could either;



a: Clone my store and apply the upgrade to that (I will need significant time to customise the skin, and the various add-ons, upgrading the live store is not an option)



b: Download the 4.3.2 package, install it and run the Store Importer tool (I understand the SI tool is not available for 4.3.3?)



I'm just wondering if there is an advantage to one method over another? Lastly, what has been the experience for those that have had their plugins updated by third party developers; is it expensive and time intensive, or fairly straight forward?



Thanks for your time,



Scott.

[quote name='Scott_C' timestamp='1436752605' post='222635']

Hi all, I'm currently running a heavily customised version of CS Cart Professional 4.0.3 I wish to upgrade to the latest version, but was unsure about the best way to do it.



My thoughts were that I could either;



a: Clone my store and apply the upgrade to that (I will need significant time to customise the skin, and the various add-ons, upgrading the live store is not an option)



b: Download the 4.3.2 package, install it and run the Store Importer tool (I understand the SI tool is not available for 4.3.3?)



I'm just wondering if there is an advantage to one method over another? Lastly, what has been the experience for those that have had their plugins updated by third party developers; is it expensive and time intensive, or fairly straight forward?



Thanks for your time,



Scott.

[/quote]

Hi Scott,

That depends on what “[color=#282828][font=arial, verdana, tahoma, sans-serif]heavily customized” means. Actually if you have many core modifications - than probably the best solution to make store import for clear 4.3.2 (yes 4.3.3 does not have store import) and than apply all the changes in the code from 4.0.3.[/font][/color]



Regular upgrade would be easier and less time consuming only if you have not many core file changes. and you will be able to transfer these changes to upgraded 4.3.3



Both ways require manual apply of core file changes to the latest version. But with Store import you will do it from the scratch, whereas with Upgrade only the files that were overwritten by upgrade.

So I suppose the Store Import is better with highly customized store because you will control each change and apply it step by step - so less bugs could be missed.



Please keep in mind that this is just my opinion and some developers have their own “true way” of upgrading.

Hello Ilya (Imac)



Talking about “true / tried methods of upgrading”.



I more or less also considering upgrading our 4.2.4 store which is not so much heavily modified in the core but merely the some what troublesome Skin / Theme Buyshop dat quite a few CSCart developers and store owners used or have used in the past.



Right now I have a 4.2.4 and even 4.3.2. with that Buyshop Skin that just not always is compatible with 80% or more of the CSCart third party addons written for either V4.2.x or V4.3.x.



My wife and partner has put a lot of effort in putting in the elaborate shipping methods, store wide discounts and reward points. Is there not an easy way to import those items without actually doing an “classic / prefererred” method of upgrading a store.

Hi Ilya, thanks for the reply.