Bounce Page Delay - is this a bug?

[cyberstudios]

When deploying a snapshot where the only change is the bounce page delay (from 5 to 0) the change is not being recognised on import. We've tried importing into 2 different machines and in both cases the design change is being ignored.

In the first instance we imported into catalog client, the bounce delay isn't visible as there is no design options tab, but the change didn't take effect.

In the second case we imported into another copy of catalog designer and under design/design options the page delay remained unchanged at 5 secs.

[RuralWeb]

the design change is being ignored

There are a whole host of problems with site deployment and design changes being ignored on import so this is just one of many.

[cyberstudios]

We've now discovered that he change does occur it you select to overwrite the content. I dont know how this is going to help though as our client has fully populated his store. And we can't simply change the setting on his machine as catalog client doesn't have the facility. Why on earth should it be necessary to overwrite content to effect a bounce change??

[RuralWeb]

Have you tried the old importing the snapshot twice trick

[leehack]

Client sends you snapshot, you make the change, send client new snapshot and they overwrite content and job done. What's the complication here? it sounds like a 5 minute process at most.

If the bounce delay needs an overwrite of content and won't work unless this is done, so be it. It's hardly a surprise that an overwrite is needed, you are changing the method of working for the cart and checkout.

[cyberstudios]

Not sure what you mean there - are you saying to import our snaphot and overwrite the content, then import the client snaphot to re-populate the site? Wouldn't this re-set the bounce back to 5 again?

- This was meant to reply to Malcolm's post

[leehack]

Mal is referring to a long standing bug whereby in certain situations, you have to import the snapshot twice to take all settings. No-one seems to know why this is, but it appears to work.

[cyberstudios]

If the bounce delay needs an overwrite of content and won't work unless this is done, so be it. It's hardly a surprise that an overwrite is needed, you are changing the method of working for the cart and checkout.

Don't agree with your logic here at all - content should be entirely independent of design, be it layout or any other aspect of website functionality. You can change the whole design of the shopping cart without requiring a content overwrite. Why should it be necessary just to alter bounce timing and serve the main cart layout? I agree that we can get the client to send their snapshot, but it shouldn't really be necessary.

[leehack]

Don't agree with your logic here at all

You don't have to agree with my logic, you need to be in tune with actinic's - that is the key with this software. If you've followed any of the recent threads on the failings with design snapshots, you will be aware that anything other than a full snapshot can have issues and is currently being looked at, to be addressed shortly.

If you are not doing a full snapshot, then IMO you are asking for trouble currently, so however you think the software should work or however astray you think my logic is, it really is immaterial. If client wants something changed, then get a snapshot, make the change and send it back to them - not great, not as you'd want it, but until we get what we've asked for, the best way to work.

[cyberstudios]

I would be the first to admit that this is a great bit of software, it's fair to say that it's revolutionised the way we work here. I would also say that the best way to bring about future improvement is to report & discuss any shortcomings which we discover. I know from my experience on the Designer course that Actinic are more than willing to listen to the professionals who are using the software in a commercial environment every day. If there is a better forum for reporting these issues, we'll be glad to use it.

As for this particular issue, it seems that what one might consider a 'bug', others consider a 'quirk' - I reckon we should just agree to differ on this one eh?

[pinbrook]

There have been loads of discussions re snapshot deployment especially as a few of us assumed the aptly named "Design" snapshot would allow us to send a snapshot with design changes only. Sadly this proved not to be the case, but as a result of these discussions Actinic has asked developers what they would like to see to aid the deployment and maintenance of sites. So we hope there is something in the pipeline to help us.

As Lee says sometimes we just have to learn to live with workarounds and learn to work with the way things are simply to keep the momentum going.

If you are using design snapshot (in the way Actinic designed it) you will need to import it twice to get it to work. This workaround has been there since day one of V8 and still be be addressed.

[leehack]

As for this particular issue, it seems that what one might consider a 'bug', others consider a 'quirk' - I reckon we should just agree to differ on this one eh?

As i said previously, there has been a recent thread going into this at quite some length. I, along with some others have been contacted offline to discuss what we wanted in snapshots and the improvements we would like to see in this area. The design/content split is just one of those areas touched upon for improvement. Check out the wishlist thread on it.

Once these are provided and confirmed as working ok, you, i, and every man and his dog will have what we want in this area and we should then be covered on all bases. As it stands now, snapshots (on the web designer front) are lacking, buggy, quirky, whatever you want to call it - suffice to say we do not have it all as we would like it. SO, in the meantime wherever possible, work with full snapshots and cover yourself and give yourself the easiest process.

The only thing we have to agree on is the fact that at the moment, you should ideally be working with full snapshots until this area has been addressed if you want an easy life, OR expect to encounter problems exactly like you just have until we get a better facility in place. There is nowt quirky about it at all, it is a serious shortcoming, one that many of use are hoping will be addressed shortly.

[RuralWeb]

content should be entirely independent of design, be it layout or any other aspect of website functionality. You can change the whole design of the shopping cart without requiring a content overwrite.

I raised this point almost a year ago when V8 was in beta testing - unfortunately Actinic has failed to resolve the situation and IMO V8 is almost useless for designers (V7 was and still is far better in this area). Instead they focus on fixing minor bugs that only create bigger ones and ignore the Designer - Client functionality which was one of the bg selling points of V8.