Upgrade to ver 1.3.8 from ???

Yes i'm might be updating a zencart from version unknown (is there a way for me to check this out without going into admin)
to ver 1.3.8???

thats all i know at this time..

thanks

:flex:

You could look directly into your database using (for example) phpMyAdmin to examine the contents of the project_version table (but it's much easier to do it via the Admin).

ya i don't have access to any of this users backend just have the website.. - they said the zencart was from around 2003 - very old i think..

on top of this. what would be the best way to upgrade them from a older version.. to a NEW server..

1. on current server - should i upgrade to the 1.3.8
2. then move to new server.

or

1. on new sever - install newest version
2. then import old version to it?

For a Zen Cart that old, I would certainly upgrade it where it is. The reason being that if it's working there, you are very lucky. If you tried to transfer it to a server using up-to-date versions of PHP and MySQL, it would probably fall over.

Upgrade in this sense means upgrading the database using the database upgrade facility in zc_install (ensuring that it is properly backed up first). There's no point trying to upgrade the template of a site this old. You would need to re-build that.

Indeed, with Zen Cart 2.0 just around the corner, also requiring a template re-build, is this a project that could be dealyed for a couple of months?

Ok - so upgrade it first on the current server to the newest version.. if it this old can you go right to version 1.3.8 or do you have to do it in stages??

ya they currently just use default tempates.. right now.. so could i do this.

Upgrade current one to version 1.3.8(on old server) then move to newserver - then once 2.0 comes around upgrade to that version.. (on new server)

Provided you've backed up the database properly, I'd go for all in one go for the database upgrade.

I've yet to see a site that actually just used the default template. I've had many clients ask me to upgrade their site on this basis. But have yet to see one where there wasn't some mod or other lurking in the background waiting to bite me.

ok so best to find out if they have any other mods installed - how do you find out if they won't allow you in the admin section to hunt for them??? you can ask but some won't know.. hea some of my sites i have put on lots of extra's i can't even tell you (LOL)

thanks for the heads up

Never had a client yet who could tell me accurately. I always do a search myself via a full file comparison between the current version of the site and its original release package to find all changes and then use my experience to try to identify the mods that were responsible for them. Gets increasingly difficult for customised and older sites.

Is this a site you are buying? If so and they won't let you view the admin, I'd walk away. Especially if it's running a version of Zen Cart for 2003. That would suggest that it's not been maintained.

i'm not buying - just for a potential client..

So if all goes good what do you think time to do the update around 3-5 hours??

Too many unknowns. Could be anything from an hour or two if it just requires a database upgrade into a vanilla install of the current version, through several hours if there's much tailoring to their branding, through to several days if they're using a payment or shipping module or something else for which there's no up-to-date version.

Well first of all trying to get the version number.. and anything else they can tell me.

But it might be logical as i think its a small store just to start from scratch.. (but only thing then is that they won't have a complete user database... and orders.. ) if the version is way to far back..

Is it simple just to import users in from a DB?

But again lets see what version its first..

Thanks...

Upgrading the database in its entirety should be OK. That's divorced from the template and other code. My only hesitation it that a site from 2003 is way before my experience of Zen Cart starts, so they might be some wrinkles of which I'm not aware.

looking for an answer to the same question - we need to upgrade from an old & customized version; i looked in admin to see what we're running.. says 'new version V1.3.8 is available'. we lost the programmer who handled the original mods. current webmaster tells me we can't upgrade on account of the mods. don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, but the verdict 'we can't ever upgrade without losing our mods' makes me wonder how much longer we can limp along.

do i understand kuroi correctly that we might be able to identify & recreate the original modifications? (I always do a search myself via a full file comparison between the current version of the site and its original release package to find all changes and then use my experience to try to identify the mods that were responsible for them.) if the initial mods can be identified and recreated on the upgraded version, we're shiny.

am i asking too much from my programmer? do i need a zencart specialist?

montessoriservices:

am i asking too much from my programmer? do i need a zencart specialist?There is always a way to get a store upgraded. The database and thus the customer, order and product data are relatively straightforward since they're protected through each new Zen Cart release.

The look and feel (template) and functionality are more challenging and sometimes need to be re-built. Sometimes the challenge is persuading clients to let go of tried and trusted, but out-dated services and use the shiny new ones that have developed since, or occasionally accept that this can be a 2 steps forward, one step back process.

How difficult it is depends on how far back the site originates, when it was last upgraded, and how well the changes have been documented. For anything pre-1.3 and possibly pre-1.3.5 I would think that you would probably need the help of a Zen Cart specialist.

Well i found out that its 1.2.6 i think this is old..

not sure what step to take??

i think best to say do a fresh install...

but i know they don't have many items in there store take no time to enter them..

But can you some how take there Users from the old DB to the new one???? imprort them.. is this simple..

If so that is prob the best solution... what you think?

:bigups:

kuroi:

Too many unknowns. Could be anything from an hour or two if it just requires a database upgrade into a vanilla install of the current version, through several hours if there's much tailoring to their branding, through to several days if they're using a payment or shipping module or something else for which there's no up-to-date version.
Hello!,
I starting to upgrate my store now, i use v1.3.7 and in docs/whatsnew_1.3.8.html file i found this informations which is very interesting for me:
Upgrade Instructions from v1.3.7 to 1.3.8

If you are upgrading from Zen Cart v1.3.7, the process is simple:

• compare all the changed files with the files on your own site... and re-apply your customizations to the new files
• upload the new files (with your customizations added) to your site
• upload the zc_install folder to your server, and run zc_install/index.php
  ... select Database Upgrade from the System Inspection screen. Apply the required updates

From that info I understand that if I`m using 1.3.7 version and want to upgrate to 1.3.8 the process in more simple. Before I start I want to ask you first to confirm the steps I want to make to upgrate my store:
0. I will do the backup - files and DB and I will set the store to the maintenance mode.

1. I will open the new/modifyed files (like language files or config files) and I will modify them according to my store path, language etc. After I modify the I will upload them to FTP (ovewrite will be for the old files that was modifyed and simple upload for new ones)
2. I will upload zc_install and run it and I will select only Upgrate to the DB.
3. I will se if all my addons steel workm if not i will reinstall them ( Is it better to remove them first and after upload reinstall them?)
4. I will se if the template steel work, if not, I will reinstall it and reset/reorder the sideboxes.
5. I will test the store to se if is there any errors in viewing site pages or in checkout process.

Please advise me what to do else or where my plan is wrong.

Thanks a lot!