Downloadable Products and Upgrades

[numinix]

In the attributes controller, you can specify how many times a product can be downloaded. Do that also include when the download file is changed?

For example, let's say I have file_v1.00.zip. If I then change it to file_v1.01.zip, will customers who bought v1.00 be able to also download v1.01.zip if the number of downloads is above 1? I'd like to allow customers to download upgrades so that I do not have to email the updated files to customers and keep track of who has bought a product.

[DrByte]

In the attributes controller, you can specify how many times a product can be downloaded. Do that also include when the download file is changed?

For example, let's say I have file_v1.00.zip. If I then change it to file_v1.01.zip, will customers who bought v1.00 be able to also download v1.01.zip if the number of downloads is above 1? I'd like to allow customers to download upgrades so that I do not have to email the updated files to customers and keep track of who has bought a product.

No, that is not a built-in feature at the present time.

[numinix]

So if I change the file that is linked to a product, they will not be able to download?

[DrByte]

If you change the file linked to a product, then all subsequent downloads made by existing or future customers purchasing those products will get the new file.

CORRECTION TO ABOVE STATEMENT: Changing the filename linked to a product affects only new orders placed against said filename. The filename itself is stored in the order details, thus forcing them to always get only the original file content unless you change the content of the file stored by the original filename.

Changing the file will not send any notifications to the customers.

The link in their order page in My Account history will point to whatever file you have attached at the time when the customer clicks on the download link.
If the customer's download count/time has expired, they will still not be able to download unless you reset the count/time limit for their order.

[numinix]

Great, that would work perfectly. I want anyone who has previously purchased the download to be able to login and download any future releases which will use the same product_id. Customers are notified by RSS of updates to the product.

This will save me a lot of effort of having to maintain a mailing list and manually email each customer the updated files.

[numinix]

DrByte, will setting the Max Download Count to 0 allow unlimited downloads? Or, should I just set it to a very high number like 999?

[DrByte]

maxdays = 0 means no time limit
count must be a non-zero number. 0 does not mean unlimited.

[numinix]

I just noticed that the download link sticks with the original filename, so that means if I want to provide upgrades, I need to always use the same filename in order for customers to be able to download updates.

[DrByte]

Hmmm ... yes, you're correct. It does store the actual filename in the order details.

[Ajeh]

This is a plus and minus ...

On the plus side, Fred ordered Product 25 that gives mydownload_v1.zip ... but a month later Bob orders Product 25 and gets mydownload_v2.zip ... Fred is not entitled to the upgrade ... but Fred can still download the filename that he ordered and so can Bob ...

For products where there are upgrades and the customer gets unlimited, you can always update the orders_products_downloads field orders_products_filename with the new filename, if this is how you need the downloads to work ...