New release time

Hi,

I'm finally ready to open my online store. I've got all the things I wanted working, but I am thinking to wait until the new release of OpenCart so I don't have to redo all the setup and changes to the code.
I guess Danial is the person to ask,
Can you please give us some update about when you're planning for the new version release.
I found a couple of people asking the same question on the forum, but no answer
I hope Danial you would have time and patient to answer this post.

Thanks.

PS: I wrote the code for PDF Invoices. I'm not sure how useful would it be for other people, since I'm not really a programmer and probably the code style is not the best. If anybody wants the code please post a respond.

I'm not sure when its going to be released. I keep getting people hiring me to create custom features.

I'n the next release just off the top of my head I have added:

paymate
alertpay
sage pay direct
sagepay US
USPS
google chat
google checkout
Google base
perpetual payments
LIQPAY
PayPoint
2Checkout
Australia Post
FEDEX
UPS

Some one just asked me to do option quanitities.

I wasted 2 weeks trying to come up with a bin packing algorithm for working out multiple products fiting into the best fitting box.

Daniel wrote: I wasted 2 weeks trying to come up with a bin packing algorithm for working out multiple products fiting into the best fitting box.

Been there. Done that as well. I gave up. There are too many irregular sized items.. unless you are selling boxes of sand or liquid.. or a single item.. but there are too few stores that apply to waste too much time with it.

All these sound great!
Is it in a state that you could release it as-is? All the stuff you mentioned -FedEx, UPS, USPS, Google checkout and base-, are very very useful, have you thought about just releasing it without adding anything else?

Seems more like bloat to me... I think it's best to start releasing "official modules" to the contrib area, not as part of the cart. Most people need only 1-2 payment/shipping options at most.

Keep the core functionality in the cart
But utilize the carts own module system for plugin modules like shipping and payment.

sean wrote:All these sound great!
Is it in a state that you could release it as-is? All the stuff you mentioned -FedEx, UPS, USPS, Google checkout and base-, are very very useful, have you thought about just releasing it without adding anything else?

I agree.

Can it be released as is?

Or, how much would cost us for you to release it asap?

I've been checking OpenCart.com few times a day within past week, hoping to see new exciting post about OpenCart v1.3.3
I'm glad for Danial for having many customers, and wishing him even a greater success.
I hope OpenCart continues its progress in open community.

its comming.

i'm just trying to clean up the code so I can release another version.

Great news for us .

Thank you Danial.

Hello Daniel,

Have you made any major changes to the core files, or is it mainly extensions such as payment/shipping modules and the google stuff?

no major changes.

just a few minor db changes and more payment and shipping stuff.

I too am religiously checking for the imminent v1.3.3 released post! However patience is a virtue and nobody would want a rushed release with bugs, so let the man work and it will be here in due course.

Thats said I have 2 projects on hold for new version. Gonna be good!

Hopefully this quick checklist is covered. There is probably more that I missed, but at the very least this should be done:

Should be included:

1. Version number in admin footer

2. change default currency in settings changes that currency to 1.00000 automatically.

3. Post code required (as we've deemed that more countries use it than not)

4. Encryption function needs to support empty value:
http://forum.opencart.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=6012

5. use phpmailer to fix current system

6. Copy product option in admin Product list

7. Copy Category option in admin category list

8. fix product in cart losing optons if session logs out.

9. Improved Order email:
http://forum.opencart.com/viewtopic.php ... ail#p30025

Hopefully included in this release, otherwise next release:

1. (Auto)Upgrade script

2. Call to modules own install/uninstall function during extension install/uninstall in case module has additional db customizations to make.

3. Homepage made modular, "Latest" products being a module "block" instead of hardcoded.

4. Multi-select GeoZone option to allow group select zones outside the normal geozone.
(i.e. geoZone 1 = USA/AllZones, geoZone 2 = All countries Except USA) To prevent having to manually add each individual country/zone to the geozone.

5. Include code/option to auto-select first shipping/payment option:
http://forum.opencart.com/viewtopic.php ... ing#p20297

6. Include code/option to auto-choose single shipping/payment option:
http://forum.opencart.com/viewtopic.php ... hod#p26531

Bravo Qphoria, you hit on exactly what I wanted to see, with one exception:

Text options for products.

Just a bump.
I came across this cart and it looks very promising, but USPS UPS FEDEX and google checkout are pretty much a must. Sounds like the next version should have most of the main features needed in a cart.

Why do people say that? I highly doubt that everyone uses all 3 of them. And modules have nothing to do with the cart. Its completely separate. Those shipping options are available if needed, but the last thing I would want is bloated cart with a bunch of shipping/payment modules I dont need.

If he wants to make official versions, then I hope he keeps them as official contribs to be downloaded and not part of the core.

Qphoria wrote:Why do people say that? I highly doubt that everyone uses all 3 of them. And modules have nothing to do with the cart. Its completely separate. Those shipping options are available if needed, but the last thing I would want is bloated cart with a bunch of shipping/payment modules I dont need.

If he wants to make official versions, then I hope he keeps them as official contribs to be downloaded and not part of the core.

Well lets see maybe because I don't want to have to search all over gods creation to find what should be standard modules, and the fact that having them included would add what maybe a couple of K of space and no processing unless you actually enable them.

I followed your link before I started this reply and the page hasn't even come up yet. Important modules like that should be part of the main distribution. Not to mention now that the slow site has come up I would expect the big three standard shipping modules to be free and included in the cart.

What I don't understand is people who get freaked out about adding standard features calling it bloat when it won't affect anything when not enabled. And yes 90% of stores that I deal with use at least one of the three major shippers.

I did buy the UPS module from Qphoria, it works like a charm. There is an FEDEX module too.
In case of Google Checkout. It depends on the country. In Europe google checkout is only available for UK shops. In all other countries Google Checkout is useless.
I can use Paypal and Moneybookers, which are part of Opencart. More important features would be a Google Base export integration and an RMA System. With a working Google Base export it is possible to see how to code other exports for price comparison engines or a csv export.

Jan here...to Xsecrets or anyone else who has issues with what OC has or don't have

Any module or function could be thought of as 'Bloat' if you don't need it and the modules or functions that you do need will be considered the most important and "must be standard". This cart and the web is international and not everyone needs or wants the same set of options.

I myself would have no problem having to downloading modules separately form OC download area [or some of the other providers] but really you could add 100 more to the install and it would not make it really Big.

OC is a great cart for Free..(Thanks Daniel and the others who have developed OC).. and It would be a great cart for Pay as well ... And if we had to pay for it, perhaps then we could start demanding what should or should not be in it... or what it should or should not do.

If we don't like something about the cart .. then we can fix it ourself, I am not a experienced programmer and I have done that. That is why it is called open source and there is a great many of members here on the forum to help us do just that. and if we put a little time in to it and decide to share it with others. thats even better because it makes the cart better for everyone.

If you need options that are not available in OC yet or you don't what to pay a small fee for one developed by one of the users. Go find another Free shopping cart that has Everything you what. I bet there ain't any.
-=:@:=-

Xsecrets wrote: I followed your link before I started this reply and the page hasn't even come up yet. Important modules like that should be part of the main distribution. Not to mention now that the slow site has come up I would expect the big three standard shipping modules to be free and included in the cart.

Yes i had some server issues today. The End of world i guess?

What I don't understand is people who get freaked out about adding standard features calling it bloat when it won't affect anything when not enabled. And yes 90% of stores that I deal with use at least one of the three major shippers.

Because you want your three.. and then someone else wants canada post, royal mail, and dhl, and then someone else wants australia post and singapore post, and hong kong post. and then you are showing this huge list of modules that you dont want.

And as Jan said, an "official" contribs area like we have now, but branched into "official" and "user created". Then you'd know right where to get them.