version 9

[RuralWeb]

think all the v8 "casualties" are now getting more relaxed with the concept and work flow of using v8 ... there are some annoying niggles but I think the corner has been turned for a lot of us.

Agreed on that one jont

[pinbrook]

This is an excellent question.

wow I've asked 2 excellent questions in 2 days... do i get a gold star?

My Q re supporting v8 clients in v9 also extends to v8 client software sites too - these seem to be the orphans here as there is no upgrade path for them.

[pinbrook]

Quote:
think all the v8 "casualties" are now getting more relaxed with the concept and work flow of using v8 ... there are some annoying niggles but I think the corner has been turned for a lot of us.
Agreed on that one jont

upgrading is still a nightmare as is releasing to clients

designing a site is a piece of p**s - thanks to the new features

[RuralWeb]

as is releasing to clients

I highlighted this as more of a problem than the upgrader IMO

[pinbrook]

I think we need to differentiate the upgrader from the upgrade process.

The upgrader kicks in when you import a snapshot from an older version of Actinic into a newer version. The software then upgrades the database and in the case of pre V8 sites converts templates to layouts.

This is only part of the upgrade process.

Granted a simple upgrade can be undertaken whereby you appply the upgrader, it all goes well, you immediately upload the website and all is well.ie no products are changed during upgrade time period, and no orders are downloaded. Simple, job done.

The problems come where the upgrade process for various reasons takes longer. This can be because the templates don't upgrade or the site is so heavily customised that a clean start is a better approach, or because the database is so messed up it takes ages to unravel.Thus the live site will have new products and new orders that have to be integrated before the new site can be uploaded.

This is the part of the upgrade process that needs more attention.

[remmo]

Wow! I go away for a couple of days and my thread has exploded to three pages!

Now that version 9 appears to be "just around the corner" does anyone want to guess how far away the corner is?

[buspassjohn]

About as far as from here to Tasmania you lucky B

[leehack]

I reckon in the not too distant future, we will have a product snapshot, which takes all products plus current stock and our woes will be over

[pinbrook]

My suggestion to Actinic was to build on the orders import feature to include products too.

Thus you can send a design snapshot to a client, and they can hit a button to import products and orders from the database on their PC into the new design.

How easy is that?

[leehack]

Whatever we get it has to help us tenfold, that's for sure.

Personally, i would like client to send me a product snapshot and an orders snapshot once i have finished their design, i import them both and then send a completed snapshot back with it all done for them.

I don't like them being involved, which is client dependant at times for sure, however i like to just do it all as it's quicker than talking them through.

1. Client provides current snapshot
2. Designer creates new site design
3. Client sends product and orders snapshot after designer has finished
4. Designer imports the snapshots
5. Designer sends client new complete snapshot

That would be my picture perfect process.

[pinbrook]

Personally, i would like client to send me a product snapshot and an orders snapshot once i have finished their design, i import them both and then send a completed snapshot back with it all done for them.

I don't like them being involved, which is client dependant at times for sure, however i like to just do it all as it's quicker than talking them through.

1. Client provides current snapshot
2. Designer creates new site design
3. Client sends product and orders snapshot after designer has finished
4. Designer imports the snapshots
5. Designer sends client new complete snapshot

That would be my picture perfect process.

Thats fine too.

My suggestion has the client doing the import, yours has us doing it. Either way is fine as we are agreed that we need a last minute export of products and data that can be merged with a design- and the job accomplished in 15 mins.

[leehack]

Jo, if we get yours, mine or anything that achieves the same, i'll sing from the ****ing rooves.

I think they are listening this time and we will get what we want. Designer's meeting at their HQ could be a real good thing IMO.

[buspassjohn]

Not being a designer, I don't have a clue about how you design and pass on to client, what I did when changing to V8 was.
1. put V8 default site on new server space
2. loaded snapshot to default site, whilst original v7 site carried on
3. changed new V8 site to suit
4. when ready, loaded V7 snapshot to new V8 site for products/orders/etc
5. carried on
There were no real problems with this and the site was down for about an hour whilst DNS propogated.

[leehack]

Stock monitoring is a big issue John. We might need a site for a week or more for a redesign, a snaphot off them a week later will bring the old design elements and scrap a lot of our work.

[buspassjohn]

Think I must have got that wrong Lee, we made no alterations to products on V7 after the snapshot to new V8, then loaded up to date stock from V7 to V8 by CSV on changeover.