V11 - What can we expect

[Golf Tee Warehouse]

I appreciate that it is far too early but I noticed that Chris recently mentioned in a thread that V11 was due in around 12 month time, can you confirm if this is actually likely or an over optopmistic guess as it seems very soon when compared to previous releases which have been between 1 yr 7 mths and over 2 yrs 2mths (v7-10).

Actinic doesn't currently allow a buyer to choose to create their own account online and subsequently manage it. Specification work is already well advanced on this and we expect to include the functionality in v11, due in around 12 months time.

I am sure many users are currently assessing the V10 features and trying to decide on their path forward which may include upgrading to v10, skipping V10 completely and for some looking at alternative software, is it therefore possible to outline any features that you are planning for V11.
I appreciate that you are still busy with V9/V10 and that things will change bewteen now and the release of V11 but knowing that a certain feature has a very good chance of being added in V11 may be enough for some users to make the decision to keep with Actinic.


Some of the features I know many would be interested to know about include:
Online Accounts (with order history, etc)
Single Use Vouchers
The addition of an API
Automated SPP
Improved control over invoices (ie. a move away from Crystal Reports)
Improved and more reliable Reports
Any plans to move away from Perl to other alternatives.

[wesleythorne]

gets my vote as well, would love to know

[cbarling]

I would broadly agree with that list, broadly in that priority order. I too see customer accounts and order history as going together.

Beyond that it's hard to say. We do have some specs written for some of the top items, but we operate a gated process where you just approve things for the next stage of development, so contents are re-assessed at each stage. Hence none of us yet know exactly what will be in and out.

As I said, though, online customer account creation is the identified top priority.

Chris

[Golf Tee Warehouse]

Thanks Chris, and is the 12 months actually a realistic aim.

[cbarling]

Thanks Chris, and is the 12 months actually a reaslitic aim.

We've done it before. The reason why it hasn't happend in recent years is the scale of changes that have been made under the hood, and the stability issues that emerged as a result.

Chris

[Mike Hughes]

And there's the rub.

If Actinic are going to re-architect the software to use PHP and an API then we all know that's going to be a masive change and raise lots of short term issues to address.

It could be put off, but again we all know that customer accounts and order history are going to be best served in PHP and mysql and there doesn't seem to be much point going down a different path only to have to redo it again later.

Nothing like this is ever as easy as it might look.

Mike

[george]

I'd like to see some day to day improvements done for example...

you have an order open at say the products ordered tab, a one click to move onto the next (or previous) orders products ordered tab

you have a section highlighted, a one click to `move it up one`

as above but for products as well as sections

you can easily tell when a product has duplicates, and where they are

just stuff that would make the day to day use of the catalog a bit easier. There's a lot more but thats a few examples. Not major selling points granted but general usability has to to top of the list somewhere too.

[cbarling]

Good point. We have done a few of these types of things in v10, for instance, increasing the size of some dialogues that were particularly cramped.

I would expect us to do more in the future inlcuding v11. They aren't big "headline" features but I know they can make a major difference in day to day use.

Chris

[pinbrook]

Good point. We have done a few of these types of things in v10, for instance, increasing the size of some dialogues that were particularly cramped.

Here's one person who doesnt want that.... by making dialog boxes bigger I can no longer find the ok button when using actinic on my netbook. Why cant the boxes be flexible?

see the checkout thread, where i couldnt add paypal as PSP on payment tab as i couldnt get all the box on my screen, at least with other versions if i hide the status bat I could just about fit it all on one screen

[Darren B]

Here's one person who doesnt want that.... by making dialog boxes bigger I can no longer find the ok button when using actinic on my netbook. Why cant the boxes be flexible?

+1 for flexible boxes

[wesleythorne]

auto SPP, creating sub sections is very time consuming especially for product duplicates.

Plus trying to find a product duplicate needs an overhaul.

We should be able to see with the drop of a hat what section duplicates are in,be able to amend them, add them to other sections with ease.
Adding duplicates should be by a simple tick box,
example


lis of sections, add product to it, no messing about creating sub sections and risk duplicate content with google.


wes

[chris ashdown]

I have never liked the back order process, i would rather just automaticaly open a new order with a different colour for back orders and close the old one down as paid. having the two orders on display is a pain if you have a few back orders

Automatic alphabetic display of sections and products would also be great along with a spell checker

[wesleythorne]

I have never liked the back order process, i would rather just automaticaly open a new order with a different colour for back orders and close the old one down as paid. having the two orders on display is a pain if you have a few back orders

Automatic alphabetic display of sections and products would also be great along with a spell checker

gets my vote, the shipped part of the original order needs to complete as a normal job, only the back order needs show .

[bentleybloke]

Automated SPP can be achieved very well using same page extended info with add to cart button. Everything that can be achieved using the SPP method and zillions of sections can be done much more simply using the extended info method.

Backordering needs to be setup and work hand in hand with stock control rather than just stopping people from ordering see my other post see my other post here

There needs to be better handling of cancellations and credits too.

Agree the desktop search (of product tree) needs to be more advanced with filtering options.

Product duplicates need looking at urgently. Caching problems between original and duplicate with modifiable variables needs fixing. You should be able to change marketing products at duplicates independently of the original and if you've changed the short description, this should be used in the cart rather than the original product short description. The duplicates have all of the values duplicated in the database anyway. Why not make them more flexible?

Good point. We have done a few of these types of things in v10, for instance, increasing the size of some dialogues that were particularly cramped.

Yes, you increased the size of the general tab description box in v10 and then made the variable panel at the bottom rediculously small (as it was originally in v9 alpha). The description field was fine as it was - you can "zoom" that.

[essentialoils]

Online accounts

I'm getting sick of my customers saying, how do I login and see my orders.

I'm sick of having to create accounts for customers.

Need to find a better system. Can't wait any longer.