Development Blog Update

Qphoria wrote:I have 3 baby girls... I don't sleep!

Oh wow, that really is awesome! nessun dorma at Q's place then

i2Paq wrote:

- Extension custom install/uninstall hook. Now when you install/uninstall extensions, if they have their own install/uninstall functions, they will be called.

Does this mean extensions needs to be updated to work with 1.4.9?

Not at all. It is completely optional. Only some modules will need to have custom install/uninstall options. For example, if your mod uses its own db table, you can currently do a db check for the new table and create it if not exists on the index function when the page loads. But when the module is uninstalled, there is no way to uninstall the table that was installed. So it just sits there dead. Now it will try to trigger the modules own install/uninstall functions to allow proper create & cleanup

Can I mention 2 additional changes in the Admin:

Settings -> Localization -> Languages: Change the view so you can see the Status (enabled or disabled).
Better would be the option to enable/disable it as well without having to go into the language settings as well.
Same goes for Settings -> Localization -> Currencies and Settings -> Localization -> Countries

This is something else planned for all "list" views. but I think it best to save that for 1.5.0 to keep the stability of 1.4.9. I actually partually added it to my 1.4.8 dev build for product price and qty.. so that might make it into 1.4.9 as a teaser. But yea having a more functional list view is planned for all pages.

Qphoria wrote:

i2Paq wrote:

- Extension custom install/uninstall hook. Now when you install/uninstall extensions, if they have their own install/uninstall functions, they will be called.

Does this mean extensions needs to be updated to work with 1.4.9?

Not at all. It is completely optional. Only some modules will need to have custom install/uninstall options. For example, if your mod uses its own db table, you can currently do a db check for the new table and create it if not exists on the index function when the page loads. But when the module is uninstalled, there is no way to uninstall the table that was installed. So it just sits there dead. Now it will try to trigger the modules own install/uninstall functions to allow proper create & cleanup

OK, basically the way I've seen it done in other carts/programs as well.
Very good!

Can I mention 2 additional changes in the Admin:

Settings -> Localization -> Languages: Change the view so you can see the Status (enabled or disabled).
Better would be the option to enable/disable it as well without having to go into the language settings as well.
Same goes for Settings -> Localization -> Currencies and Settings -> Localization -> Countries

This is something else planned for all "list" views. but I think it best to save that for 1.5.0 to keep the stability of 1.4.9. I actually partually added it to my 1.4.8 dev build for product price and qty.. so that might make it into 1.4.9 as a teaser. But yea having a more functional list view is planned for all pages.

O well, I'll gues I have to wait for 1.5.0 then

Wow, sounds great! Thanks for all your hard work, Qphoria.

How can I contribute to development for the next version?
I want to contribute some enhancements to the "Products Purchased Report" for the next version, I'm going to add a few more features and maybe some charts. Daniel are you ok with this? Here is a screen shot of what I have done so far, I've tested it and everything is working great...

Sounds good 12oclocker

@Q - How exactly are the new hooks invoked for modules? Will they be just a case of public function install() ? and uninstall()

JAY6390 wrote:Sounds good 12oclocker
@Q - How exactly are the new hooks invoked for modules? Will they be just a case of public function install() ? and uninstall()

I just modified the "Products Purchased Report" pages code, I didn't actually write a separate module. was hopeing future versions of opencart can use this new code for the "Products Purchased Report"

JAY6390 wrote:@Q - How exactly are the new hooks invoked for modules? Will they be just a case of public function install() ? and uninstall()

Yes. The admin/controller/extension/*.php files all have a standardized install and uninstall function already
I just added a check for method_exists ('install') then run it

Ah OK sounds good

12oclocker wrote:

JAY6390 wrote:Sounds good 12oclocker
@Q - How exactly are the new hooks invoked for modules? Will they be just a case of public function install() ? and uninstall()

I just modified the "Products Purchased Report" pages code, I didn't actually write a separate module. was hopeing future versions of opencart can use this new code for the "Products Purchased Report"

Just release your code as a complete set of files.
Q and/or Daniel could have a look at it and if found OK add it to the Core.
If not, it could still be a well wanted extension!

We do need more reports in there.

i2Paq wrote: Just release your code as a complete set of files.
Q and/or Daniel could have a look at it and if found OK add it to the Core.
If not, it could still be a well wanted extension!

We do need more reports in there.

Ok, I'll do that, I'll try to get that uploaded tonight.
If I do ended up adding some more features and charts I upload that as well when I get them done.
At least now with this anyone who sells tangible goods can track individual product sales and determine what kind of inventory they need to stock each month, etc ;-)

95% done with Paypal rewrite

I spent all day yesterday working on the new Paypal rewrite. I'm going to do more testing and tweaking today and then I'd like to post it here to allow others to try it with their 1.4.8/1.4.8b stores.

New features:
- Itemized product list
- Support for Discounts, Taxes, Shipping. Even coupons with itemized mode works correctly now
- PDT Support for browser-side validation (backup protection if IPN isn't working)
- Some new methods for IPN verification
- Multiple status support for different paypal states with automatic update for changes via ipn. (echeck, refund, dispute, etc)
- Many additional validation steps to cut down on scammers (price match, email match, referrer, etc)
- IPN and PDT work together for additional security and reliability

Stay tuned!

Sounds Good Qphoria!
Daniel should integrate your mod into opencart, and for some reason even if a user does not want the itemized feature, it would be nice to see the cart send a single item to paypal with the store name and order number as that items title, have the tax + subtotal as that items cost, and then send the shipping cost to paypal , that will make sure to override any shipping rules someone may have in paypal, thus to ensure they are charged correctly at checkout with paypal. Rather than the current method of sending everything as a single item (cost+tax+shipping), since paypal will see no shipping cost was specified, the paypal rules will trigger and may force the user at checkout to pay shipping again.

Qphoria wrote:95% done with Paypal rewrite

I spent all day yesterday working on the new Paypal rewrite. I'm going to do more testing and tweaking today and then I'd like to post it here to allow others to try it with their 1.4.8/1.4.8b stores.

New features:
- Itemized product list
- Support for Discounts, Taxes, Shipping. Even coupons with itemized mode works correctly now
- PDT Support for browser-side validation (backup protection if IPN isn't working)
- Some new methods for IPN verification
- Multiple status support for different paypal states with automatic update for changes via ipn. (echeck, refund, dispute, etc)
- Many additional validation steps to cut down on scammers (price match, email match, referrer, etc)
- IPN and PDT work together for additional security and reliability

Stay tuned!

Sounds great! Since you're working so deeply with Paypal, I have a question for you: is there a way to pass back the shipping address to OpenCart if the customer changes it in Paypal? Right now people set the shipping address in OpenCart (which can't be passed to Paypal, as far as I can see), but if they change it in Paypal, it's not passed back to OpenCart.

Granted, this is an unusual circumstance, but it would be ideal if the shipping address in OpenCart could be updated from the Paypal information. For example, I skip the shipping address step in our site and have a note telling people to specify their shipping address in Paypal (to get the seller protection).

Johnathan wrote: Sounds great! Since you're working so deeply with Paypal, I have a question for you: is there a way to pass back the shipping address to OpenCart if the customer changes it in Paypal?

Well because of the way paypal standard works, we can't allow the user to change the shipping address. They may choose "California" for their shipping address during checkout and be charged $5.00 to ship.
Then in paypal change their address to "Indonesia" and that will be hell.

This is, however, done in my Paypal Express extension because there the payment process is returned to the store before finalizing.

At least to have to send to those addresses you have to read them first, so they can be reversed/refunded but still a pain to do

Qphoria wrote:Well because of the way paypal standard works, we can't allow the user to change the shipping address. They may choose "California" for their shipping address during checkout and be charged $5.00 to ship.
Then in paypal change their address to "Indonesia" and that will be hell.

This is, however, done in my Paypal Express extension because there the payment process is returned to the store before finalizing.

Hmm...good point. Thanks for the info.

1.4.9 Update

A week late but almost done. Just finishing up Admin Order Edit changes
This version will be quite different from the 1.4.8 one in both good and maybe bad ways.

I'm focusing on the products being the main editable thing. So adding/editing products will take effect immediately upon clicking the "Add" or "Remove" buttons. No more "Save" button at the top as that was confusing people who thought that is how to save order history (it wasn't).

Totals will be recalculated upon add/remove and there will be a free form tax percent field

Paypal Improved appears to be working well for those of you who are using it. No new issues anyway and most other issues have been resolved.

A few other features and fixes:
FIXES:
- Improved featured products query to make all status checks and return all pertinent data to match latest and bestseller queries.
- If no shipping, tax zone set to buyer's payment zone instead of default store zone
- Session uses full path for session to prevent session sharing
- Removed unneeded products variable from admin order.php
- Removed error on empty language file
- admin/controller/catalog/review.php double text validation cleaned up
- Admin Order Edit now supports product options


ADDED:
- Feature Module uses category-style selector for products
- Extension install/uninstall hook. Now when you install/uninstall extensions, if they have their own install/uninstall functions, they will be triggered.
- Logout destroys session completely. (double check this works like we want)
- sort by model
- Cache for featured products
- Quick update for products on product list page (price & qty)
- Image class supports proper extension name on resize and transparency for png and gif.
- Extensions will "self-clean" if the files are deleted without uninstalling the extension first.
- Restored "Show OOS warning" option in setting
- Parent Category pages show image next to description
- CheckAll to user perms
- Postcode required by default now on all account, address, and guest address pages
- Coupon code can be entered on Payment AND Confirm page, for those payments that skip the payment page
- Category dropdown in header to use cache

I am trying not to add too many new features here so its small things only. The Admin Order Edit is the last bit I'm working on and it should hopefully fix the issues people were having with the 1.4.8 version. Admin Order Add will still not be included as there are bigger plans for that in 1.5.x and I'd rather not waste the effort for a temporary solution.

Admin can use the Master Password Override to enter new orders if needed quite easily.
Added by i2Paq: [Contrib] Master Password Override

I hope to have an RC to release by Friday

Few questions (which I'm sure others will ask if I don't)
What and how does the master override work for orders
I'm hoping "OOS" is out of stock message (took me a couple of mins to realise what it was)
Does the transparency mean that png's will retain the clear background, and no white will be shown behind it?

JAY6390 wrote:Few questions (which I'm sure others will ask if I don't)
What and how does the master override work for orders
I'm hoping "OOS" is out of stock message (took me a couple of mins to realise what it was)
Does the transparency mean that png's will retain the clear background, and no white will be shown behind it?

Master password override is a mod that I released a while back. I am not adding it to the core just giving the alternative to admin order entry. Search for it in the contributions forum.

Yes outofstock

Yes pngs will have transparent backgrounds