Upgrading V6 to current?

[BrianCurtis]

Hi, now b4 you go mental . . I know, I know I've said it 3 or 4 times before! But life kinda got in the way and it was safer leaving alone yadda - yadda . .

So, my version is 6.1.5.000 EGRA in the About Actinic Help and I am desperate now to upgrade because as well as that weird blank orders screen STILL happening, today, in the PENDING section I have about 10-15 orders mysteriously have appeared dating all the way back to 2005?? I am just positive now it's all going to go crazy on me and explode one morning, sending little, weeny fractures of grey and green Actinic all over my desktop!!

So, I have Developer but to be honest, I don't think I will have a need again to make more than my own site at Organic Image.com so can someone adsvise the following please:

Which Application is best for me? I assume that 'Catalog' is the one as from I can understand the 'Business' version has replaced the Developer Version? At the mo, I simply want to run one website. I need the ability to use email marketing and I'd really like this to be as painless as poss . . but I guess I'm not alone there!

Will I have to go thru EVERY single upgrade? Or, is there a chance that I can somehow make the export of my products/images/data etc (including customers) and then, perhaps start from new without going thru ALL the upgrades? I'm assuming not as I have a lot of customized pages in my site and products with attached variables etc . .

Any help greatly appreciated.

Sincerely,

Beej

[BrianCurtis]

I am assuming that to go from 6 - 7 and then 8 and then to 9 makes the best sense but, what I meant was, can I simply d-load the most current of 7 and then the most current of 8 or, do I have to start with the first version of 7 and then, go thru each upgrade til 8 and so forth . .

Thanks

B

[Chunkford]

From what I have read on the forum, you will be better off starting from fresh with v9 rather than upgrading. (There were major changes from v7 to v8)

I have no knowledge of v6 but you should be able to export your products and re import them using a csv file into v9 once you have the design sorted.

[leehack]

^^^^^^^ +1

[BrianCurtis]

Yeah . . the design I went fer broke and did a d-load of the latest. Imported the site just to 'see' what would happen on looks etc and told it to use the standard layout as I guess, no issues that way.

A quick question . . because I used to edit the Act_xx templates I had a few with 'Image_Only' so I could add pics with no add to cart info or ref numbers etc. How easy it is now to remove that info on each section/product.

Thanks

B

PS: I know this is going to be tough but I'd rather make sure it works by editing the existing design rather than trying to get V6 templates to work in here . .

From what I have read on the forum, you will be better off starting from fresh with v9 rather than upgrading. (There were major changes from v7 to v8)

I have no knowledge of v6 but you should be able to export your products and re import them using a csv file into v9 once you have the design sorted.

[Chunkford]

You edit the layouts within Actinic (Design tab and library). Create as many as you want. Then just choose which one to use at product, section or site level.
I'm sure once you get to play with v9 you will get the drift

[Golf Tee Warehouse]

Which Application is best for me? I assume that 'Catalog' is the one as from I can understand the 'Business' version has replaced the Developer Version?

'Catalog' and 'Business' are both designed for single websites with 'Business Plus' for Multiple sites.

Business is very similar to Catalog with a few extras such as promotional codes. A look on the actinic website should list the differences somewhere but I couldn't find a link to a straight forward compariosn page, although I know I have seen one somewhere in the past.

[pinbrook]

export your products only from 6 (you might have to upgrade to 7 to get product export to work - search the forum for confirmation of this)

design from scratch in 9 - unless you have a deathwish do not use upgraded v6 templates.

catalog and business are single sites

business plus is multi site

[BrianCurtis]

export your products only from 6 (you might have to upgrade to 7 to get product export to work - search the forum for confirmation of this)

design from scratch in 9 - unless you have a deathwish do not use upgraded v6 templates.

catalog and business are single sites

business plus is multi site

Thanks Jo . . I am loving the new version so far . . so much more easy to use but I think I got a bit carried away!! I chose the 'Premiere' layout and I'll work out how to get the top section bigger later i guess but, my problem now is I deleted Add to cart button on one product (thinking i could change 'each' button independently on each product as I'm in PREVIEW mode and getting carried away . . and then suddenly, my main product on the top of the page has no add to cart button and if I select several templates in layout, still no button?

How do I quickly replace the original version of say, 'Standard layout Using CSS' etc. I see you can right-click and add another attribute (my Addtocart butn in this instance) but I realise now my errors thinking that somehow, by deleting the Add to cart buttons in the preview area, that I'm only deleting if from THAT product and I guess what I have really done is remove it from the original layout. whoops!

Apart from that and after playing around for a while - I LOVE it!!

Beej

[Golf Tee Warehouse]

Go to 'Design | Library | Layouts' select the layout in question and then you will find a 'Revert to Factory Settings' option when you right click on the layout.

[Chunkford]

I'm guessing you have deleted the 'Add to Cart with Cart Icon' content not the layout (the underlined pink writing). Normally if you click on an item in the preview plane you need to go up a level to remove it from the page.

Next time you would be better creating a new button layout, putting your code in there, and selecting to use it in settings --> site options --> general ---> product ---> Add to Cart Button Layout.

[BrianCurtis]

Go to 'Design | Library | Layouts' select the layout in question and then you will find a 'Revert to Factory Settings' option when you right click on the layout.

Thanks for the help, really appreciated. The Revert button . . man, that's a bit of a God-send isn't it!!

I guess it'll take me a week or so to go my teeth right in there . . my biggest gripe is not easily seeing how to change the top level page layout. I mentioned earlier the Premiere layout specifically . . how can get to the info which controls the top CompanylogoFile data? The layout is most closest to my site at the mo but it 'does' need tweaks . . but not too many. I'd also like to have the background image back but i am guessing that is CSS embed?

Cheers

Beej (Happy to see 'Add to cart' back!)

[BrianCurtis]

OK, one thing which has peed me off me a little (B4 I hit the sack) My website has different schedules, I have a PREMIUM MEMBERS Section where only certain registered, paid members get in and I can't find ANY price schedule info in Catalog??

Am I right in saying that I would have to crank it up to Business to keep my site running as it does now? That's a real bummer as it's gonna cost me a whole lot more to do that and I assumed that this option would be available?

And here's me getting all excited over retrieving me Add to cart button . . ahh well . . such is life I guess!

Beej

[leehack]

You need Business version, yes.

[BrianCurtis]

Just a quick question then on the Evaluation d-load I have. I have been tinkering with the 'Catalog' and getting the design right etc so, if I start up the Evaluation again and this time, choose 'Buisness' will it import the Site 1 I have already created or, will I have to open Catalog V9 - Export Snapshot>Close>run evaluation of 'Business'>Import Snapshot from catalogue?

Thanks

Beej

You need Business version, yes.