Upgrading to v8

[Stereo Steve]

As a holder of Actinik cover, we get a free upgrade to v8 and it looks like it has some great features. We are usingv7 business at the mo and I feel like we have totally messed about with the templates to a huge extent in order to get where we want.

My question is, how will the upgrade handle this? Will all the mods we have made be wiped out? We are currently in the process of creating duplicate products to have one per page with thumbnails etc. This a load of work and I'm wondering if it wouldn't be better to just put up with what we have until we get the full v8 and then start from scratch.

One worry I have is how this will affect search engine listings. Any ideas or experiences in upgrading from v6 to v7?

[TBird1]

Using 8 & 7 on Same Machine ?

Just to add to this thread - anybody know yet if you can install v8 to evaluate on a machine already running version 7 ?

[pinbrook]

The site upgrader is supposed to handle most template changes made by users - but it is one of those things you just have to suck and see.

At least with a version upgrade you can keep your v7 in operation whilst working with v8.

SEO should largely be unaffected as v8 will keep all your page names the same.

The thing with Beta is to remember it is beta, therefore if time and patience is of an essence and you don't want to mess around, the best advise is to wait until the full V8 is released and is into at least one of its patches. This is when it will become stable as others will have done all the testing and nursed the software into shape on your behalf.

Personally I won't be upgrading any client sites for approx 4-6 months.

I will be upgrading in-house sites as part of my own learning curve.

[pinbrook]

Yes you can have versions 3,4,5,6,7 and 8 all on one machine.

[Stereo Steve]

Thanks. I probably haven't changed as much as I think I have so it should be OK. On the flip-side, now I have some web-dev under my belt, I'd kind of like to go in a whole new direction so starting afresh may be the right way.

I take it I would be able to still run v7 and update my current site whilst working on the v8 site in test mode? Or would it be best (or even allowed) to run v8 on another machine and upload the test site to some other webspace for testing and development?

[pinbrook]

you can run both versions on one machine.

I am currently running the v5 site I am testing out with v8 on one machine. However to avoid all confusion if you have a 2nd PC it may be advisable to use the second PC. Your license is for one live site, thus I don't think there is to much of an issue with testing on a separate machine

I have v8 in test mode thus uploading it to acatalog/test/acatalog - however I am using my robots file to disallow all spiders from acatalog/test

[cdicken]

Steve & John

If you have any further questions on v8, please email them via v8beta@actinic.co.uk. There's no formal support for the beta program via the community.

[Stereo Steve]

OK Chris, ta.

[jont]

My question is, how will the upgrade handle this? Will all the mods we have made be wiped out?

I test upgraded 2 very extensively modified sites into v8 (including one as pure CSS) and other than 1 error picked up due to a massive template size (I reported this in Alpha and no sane human would have a template like that anyways) everything went perfectly well .

Due to the amount of hacking done to both sites it is real praise to the Actinic coders that it upgraded so easily and without fuss

[george]

I can see two questions that might be an idea to answer on here though.

What versions will be (straight) upgrades? All the 7's? and/or 6? or?

Also will it be possible to import an existing 'site without any tweaks that may have been done to the existing templates? Just thinking aloud that many users have the smart theme, and maybe altered the widths, etc or added sidebar boxes, and are considering changing, perhaps to the new sexy Executive theme. ie: import the products, info details, customer orders, etc only? Jeez, hope that makes sense.

[jont]

will it be possible to import an existing 'site without any tweaks that may have been done to the existing templates?

Don't think that will be an issue George if you are going from a modified Smart to the Executive theme - or any theme for that matter. It will be similar to changing a theme in v7 at the moment. Actinic backs up the old and copies the needed templates into the site1 folder.

When you install v8 you will get the option to upgrade the exisiting site which will convert your v7 to v8 ... your smart theme with boxes and widths etc will be there and v8-ified. You can then simply apply a new theme over the top (which is always at the default settings for that theme) to keep your products, orders etc but with the new layout as applied

[cdicken]

I test upgraded 2 very extensively modified sites into v8 (including one as pure CSS) and other than 1 error picked up due to a massive template size (I reported this in Alpha and no sane human would have a template like that anyways) everything went perfectly well .

Due to the amount of hacking done to both sites it is real praise to the Actinic coders that it upgraded so easily and without fuss

I cannot tell you how nice it is to hear this. I'm sure you can understand how hard we have been working on upgrading. It's something that's always been an issue in Actinic and I hope we are seeing the end of nightmarish upgrades.

Naturally there is will always be a few sites that cause Actinic to throw a shoe, but that is the wonder of allowing people free rein in customising their sites.

(Hmmm - that's two horse metaphors in one sentence - I have clearly been working too hard).

[pinbrook]

According to the info as you install V8 it will upgrade from V5 onwards.

I am currently engaged in a fight to get a V5 site upgraded, however I expected a fight as it is very customised - V5 had no generate popup feature, my code does - and I can't get rid of it!!

I suspect my tribulations are mainly due to lack of V8 design experience. I have now gone back to V5 and removed the custom code and then asked V8 to upgrade it, lets see who wins this time.

I then plan to change themes to a V8 theme to loose the restof my custom code so hopefully the code will be standard V8 by the time I get started again. I shall also export the data, and reimport it to add the generate popup to all products.

I am having fun!

[george]

Don't think that will be an issue George if you are going from a modified Smart to the Executive theme - or any theme for that matter. It will be similar to changing a theme in v7 at the moment. Actinic backs up the old and copies the needed templates into the site1 folder.

When you install v8 you will get the option to upgrade the exisiting site which will convert your v7 to v8 ... your smart theme with boxes and widths etc will be there and v8-ified. You can then simply apply a new theme over the top (which is always at the default settings for that theme) to keep your products, orders etc but with the new layout as applied

I don't actually mean my own 'site. What I mean is a kind of bare bones import (of an existing, v7.06 website for example), using only templates (and theme) from the new v8, no old templates from v7 to be used at all. Basically a clean fresh start for a snapshot thats maybe been around for two catalog upgrades and a few minor upgrades (7.05 to 7.06, etc).

Should've made it clearer... doh! (Sorry)

[RuralWeb]

In the spirit of jumping in feet first I have upgraded my site to V8 see www.ruralwebdesign.co.uk . All went well - the only things that I see at the moment is that the body text is a size smaller and that the pages are still HTML 4. I have not tested any pages yet so feel free to place some orders etc to check it out.

Update - the site is now V7 again after several problems with V8. CSS and plugins not working correctly.