Image Handler 4 (for v1.5.x) Support Thread

Golden Synergy:

I am having the same problem. :blink: Could someone give me the path to the adim.comfigure.php and what was altered.
You don't say what your "same problem" is.. If it was the same issue that ndg_uk had, I'm gonna say this again..

IH4's install does NOT touch the store side or admin side configure.php files.. If your issue is related to issues with the configure.php file it's a Zen Cart setup issue and NOT related specifically to IH4..

Therefore if you have issues related to the configure.php files, you need to post your question elsewhere in the forum to get support on correcting the 2 configure.php files. (located in the includes folder in the shop and admin)

niccol:

@Melanie

Just my thoughts:

Delete of installer:
traditionally, IH has had an installer. It ran on a function that was triggered by the 'install' button. That function stayed in place after it ran. This is just the same. The installer functions stay in place but they are just not actioned. I am not sure that I completely understand your argument against this. Many modules on many platforms do not delete there install functions.

BAK files
Yes, this is going to be changed.
I think that there is a bit of a misunderstanding between you and Diva about this. There are BAK files in the original upload package. They are basically files that are going to be moved during the install or uninstall and are uploaded as BAK files. If those files are deleted prior to upload then the installer will not run as it checks that the files are uploaded correctly before continuing. There are also BAK files that are created when a file is overwritten. If you delete these then you should have no problems.
In general, the BAK suffix was a mistake and will be changed.
Actually, the file checking part of the installer is a part that I would be most reluctant to see removed. So many 'errors' are created by files be uploaded incorrectly that a quick check of this before install is finalised seems like a good idea.

Complication
Well, i think that you are just wrong here. The install procedure is to log in to zen admin, change the name of admin in the package, upload the files, refresh a page in admin. Takes me under a minute. But that is just my opinion.

Backing up Template files
Well, I know what you mean. But the idea is not that the file merging should not happen. Evidently the file merging needs to happen. The concept is more that part of the install should have a backup involved. So, for instance, if someone hadn't done the file merging there would still be a record of their previous file state. I can't honestly see why backing up a file is a problem.

File Handling in General.
Well, yes there is a different ballgame when you start moving files on the server. There are arguments for and against here. I understand that you are strongly on one side of that. Again, the support threads show that most errors are created by people putting files in the wrong places. The file handling does two things:
-- creates backup versions of overwritten files
-- puts the template files in the right place
Is your argument against either or both of these or just the concept of doing this programatically rather than manually?

Delete of installer: I would be satisfied if the manual installer worked. I actually have tested it several times since this original post and it just does not work. I had to create a mime for the bak files, use the installer, back out the changes and merge the files by hand after the installer ran. Then delete install directories and bak files and remove mime type.

I can appreciate that you are trying to make it easier... But different hosted environments, users, configurations and such being as Zen Cart has always been, a manual installation is really necessary IMO.

The whole point of Zen Cart has always been the customization.

I also believe that users presented with a "super easy" install will likely change other customizations unknowingly. A user who doesn't know what modules/customizations are integrated in the affected files should likely not be doing the install.

I have no issue with the files being backed up at all, as long as they are secure.

The database installer in the old IH was significantly different than what IH4 does. No comparison really.

> ndg_uk:

Found it in the admin configure.php file

All working fine

Thanks for your help

DivaVocals:

You don't say what your "same problem" is.. If it was the same issue that ndg_uk had, I'm gonna say this again..

IH4's install does NOT touch the store side or admin side configure.php files.. If your issue is related to issues with the configure.php file it's a Zen Cart setup issue and NOT related specifically to IH4..

Therefore if you have issues related to the configure.php files, you need to post your question elsewhere in the forum to get support on correcting the 2 configure.php files. (located in the includes folder in the shop and admin)

Thank you. I do not know what fourum it SHOULD be posted in, but since this problem is happening with IH4. I thought I should look in the IH4 area. and I found someone with my same problem here.. So I was asking If I could get ndg_uk to give me help on what file it was and what he did to fix it. I am not laying blame on any one. I just want to get it fixed

https://www.classic-flatware.com

Understood, nevertheless, an incorrectly configured configure.php file will manifest in other places beside IH4 since Zen Cart uses the data in that file to determine image paths, etc..

Golden Synergy:

Thank you. I do not know what fourum it SHOULD be posted in, but since this problem is happening with IH4. I thought I should look in the IH4 area. and I found someone with my same problem here.. So I was asking If I could get ndg_uk to give me help on what file it was and what he did to fix it. I am not laying blame on any one. I just want to get it fixed

www.classic-flatware.com

mprough:

Delete of installer: I would be satisfied if the manual installer worked. I actually have tested it several times since this original post and it just does not work. I had to create a mime for the bak files, use the installer, back out the changes and merge the files by hand after the installer ran. Then delete install directories and bak files and remove mime type.

I can appreciate that you are trying to make it easier... But different hosted environments, users, configurations and such being as Zen Cart has always been, a manual installation is really necessary IMO.

The whole point of Zen Cart has always been the customization.As I have stated in previous posts, we have already corrected the code for the next release so that the .BAK files are named differently. This should resolve issues the use of .BAK files will create for some hosting environments. It was a pretty simple change to make.. There is no immediate plan to delete the auto-installer..

mprough:

I also believe that users presented with a "super easy" install will likely change other customizations unknowingly. **A user who doesn't know what modules/customizations are integrated in the affected files should likely not be doing the install.**This holds true even for add-ons which must be manually installed.. There are shopowners who over write modifications made by other add-ons ALL THE TIME because they do not know to merge the changes into files. NOTHING about installing IH4 changes those rules.. If you want to merge other changes into these files BEFORE the install, then you should do just that. For shopowners who have made no changes they do not need to do any file merges. The readme in the next release makes that even clearer than the current readme.. There are only THREE modified core files required by IH4 that MAY be affected by other add-ons (usually lightbox add-ons). This is NO different than previous versions of IH so I don't think this is as big of an issue as you would appear to be implying that it is.

Bottomline is regardless of the add-on, shopowners need to READ THE README before installing ANY add-on and not assume that everything is the same.. That said we have made some improvements with the readme that will be included in the updated version to be submitted soon.

For the record, this is NOT the only add-on available which makes use an auto installer.

mprough:

I have no issue with the files being backed up at all, as long as they are secure.And as long as your store is secure so are the backup files

mprough:

The database installer in the old IH was significantly different than what IH4 does. No comparison really.Sorry I must disagree, this is not a true statement. There were only TWO changes to Image Handler installer.

1. There is now a file which automatically executes the install. After executing the install, this file self deletes itself so that the install file is not executed again. The entire process is the equivalent of the old Image Handler install. In that processes you open the Image Handler admin and click on the "Install Image Handler" link. (BTW, the install file was left in place afterwards in the "old" install method)
2. The current installer makes an attempt to clean up outdated image configuration settings. Previous versions of Image Handler required the store admin to remember to run the uninstall of the version they were upgrading from BEFORE upgrading (most did not and this caused a unique set of issues)

@melanie
Just regarding the database actions ( and ignoring any discussion about file handling for the time being) the old installer:

1. made a number of changes to the configuration table

The new installer

1. makes a number of changes to the configuration table
2. makes a change to the admin_pages table
3. deletes the unused entries in the configuration table

Really the only significant difference is number 2. (Point 3 is just house-keeping) This is part of the changes that Zen 1.5 introduced. Without that new record the tools>>imagehandler menu item will not be visible. So, even if we reverted to the previous installer there would be an sql statement that needed to be run before one was able to see the 'install' button on the tools>>imagehandler page.

It seems sensible to run this sql statement programatically so that the tools>>imagehandler page is visible to people immediately after install. This has been discussed in multiple threads .

Once you are running a sql statement programatically it seems sensible to include all the other sql statements in that process as it
takes one step out of the installation process without adding any further complications.

Of course, an alternative solution would be:

1. Upload the files
2. Run an sql statement (through admin or directly on the database) to make the admin page visible by adding a record to admin_pages
3. Click on the install button on the admin page to action the other database changes.

But that does seem more complicated to me. It certainly adds a step of complication, that of running a sql statement manually, that IH has previously avoided.

niccol:

@melanie
Just regarding the database actions ( and ignoring any discussion about file handling for the time being) the old installer:

1. made a number of changes to the configuration table

The new installer

1. makes a number of changes to the configuration table
2. makes a change to the admin_pages table
3. deletes the unused entries in the configuration table

Really the only significant difference is number 2. (Point 3 is just house-keeping) This is part of the changes that Zen 1.5 introduced. Without that new record the tools>>imagehandler menu item will not be visible. So, **even if we reverted to the previous installer there would be an sql statement that needed to be run before one was able to see the 'install' button on the tools>>imagehandler page. **

It seems sensible to run this sql statement programatically so that the tools>>imagehandler page is visible to people immediately after install. ** This has been discussed in multiple threads . **The current auto-install process removed the need for running a manual SQL statement, and niccol is absolutely right. there was a LONG discussion discussing doing just this in the v1.5 conversion thread. This discussion involved MANY knowledgeable Zen Cart gurus who endorsed the use of this method..

niccol:

Once you are running a sql statement programatically **it seems sensible to include all the other sql statements in that process as it
takes one step out of the installation process without adding any further complications.**Exactly!!!

niccol:

Of course, an alternative solution would be:

1. Upload the files
2. Run an sql statement (through admin or directly on the database) to make the admin page visible by adding a record to admin_pages
3. Click on the install button on the admin page to action the other database changes.

**But that does seem more complicated to me. It certainly adds a step of complication, that of running a sql statement manually, that IH has previously avoided.**I agree:yes: And this is EXACTLY the road IH4 started down until an angel lent us a helping hand.. :smile:

The current auto-installer retains the same ONE STEP no-fuss install process that have been a historical part of the Image Handler process. The difference is that steps were taken to IMPROVE the prior one-step process. The upcoming update will see corrections/improvements in both the readme and the IH4 codebase. (none of which involve removing the auto-installer functionality)

Thanks for a great add-on, worked almost perfectly, but I fear my 1 small issue is me being stupid or dumb. i have recently taken over a store for someone who was having issues:
http://alsemergencylighting.com/store/ is the temp and practice store.
Fual Slimbox is working but it isn't working, I have merged the files, i think. However the additional images in the Installation section (only place needed, right now). The problem I am facing is when you click the main image there isn't a "next" or "previous" to scroll through the images........
Other than this a fantastic Mod!

PS to the 2 going back and forth about what is right or wrong you have cluttered this thread.

uswebworx:

Thanks for a great add-on, worked almost perfectly, but I fear my 1 small issue is me being stupid or dumb. i have recently taken over a store for someone who was having issues:
http://alsemergencylighting.com/store/ is the temp and practice store.
Fual Slimbox is working but it isn't working, I have merged the files, i think. However the additional images in the Installation section (only place needed, right now). The problem I am facing is when you click the main image there isn't a "next" or "previous" to scroll through the images........
Other than this a fantastic Mod!Unfortunately that is an issue with Fual Slimbox. I know from being subscribed to the Fual Slimbox thread that it's a known issue and there is no solution.. You might wanna pop over there and post your cry for help or my suggestion is to use Zen Lightbox instead..

uswebworx:

PS to the 2 going back and forth about what is right or wrong you have cluttered this thread.I agree that this whole "right/wrong" discussion should probably have been started and taken offline.. and my apologies for contributing to the clutter. However in my defense (and niccol's defense too), I do feel that it's appropriate to address inaccuracies since others do read this thread and follow what's posted here.. It'll blow over soon I hope.. :smile:

DivaVocals:

Unfortunately that is an issue with Fual Slimbox. I know from being subscribed to the Fual Slimbox thread that it's a known issue and there is no solution.. You might wanna pop over there and post your cry for help or my suggestion is to use Zen Lightbox instead..

I agree that this whole "right/wrong" discussion should probably have been started and taken offline.. and my apologies for contributing to the clutter. However in my defense (and niccol's defense too), I do feel that it's appropriate to address inaccuracies since others do read this thread and follow what's posted here.. It'll blow over soon I hope.. :smile:

I just moved to ZenLightbox and am now 100000000% happy with IH4! Thanks for the help and suggestion above, I am usually a lurker here or a Godaddy brasher, I should had kept searching instead of posting:clap:!

I have a question that I can't find answered in the readme. I have read the whole readme...

I've installed the snapshot mod running as cron after having a site hacked and starting fresh with Zen 1.5

I notice that there are continual additions to the BMZCache folder.

Are the images for IH4 created on demand by users browsing the site?

If so, is there anyway to force the script to run and create all the images at once so that the snapshot of the website files will remain unchanged?

What does the clear cache in the admin tools actually do?

Should I exclude BMZcache from the snapshot tool? I'm reluctant to do this because I've heard hackers can disguise a file as an image. I certainly don't want to be hacked again and am now taking security as seriously as possibly.

IH4 creates copies of your images (leaving the original images untouched) and resizes and optimizes them and stores them in the bmz_cache folder. This way, IH4 can serve up various sized, already optimized images on the fly as pages load when visitors browse your store. This is why you are seeing continual additions to that folder.

Emptying the bmz_cache folder will simply cause IH4 to recreate the copies. For sites that have a lot of images, this is a good thing to do from time to time as a part of your regular server maintenance.

The clear cache tool in the admin was designed to do this for you at the click of a button, but it doesn't work, so clearing the cache must be done manually either through your cpanel's filemanager or an ftp program.

Now, regarding the snapshot addon - this tool is designed to take a snapshot of your files and folders at various points in time for the purpose of being able to quickly and easily compare the contents of your store between one point of time and another to easily identify differences in the event of a hack.

Since files are being continually created by IH4 and stored in the bmz_cache folder, you will naturally have differences in your snapshots.

Changing the IH4 script to force all images to be created at once and then stored undermines the core functionality of IH4 and is not recommended.

gruntre69:

I have a question that I can't find answered in the readme. I have read the whole readme...

I've installed the snapshot mod running as cron after having a site hacked and starting fresh with Zen 1.5

I notice that there are continual additions to the BMZCache folder.

Are the images for IH4 created on demand by users browsing the site?

If so, is there anyway to force the script to run and create all the images at once so that the snapshot of the website files will remain unchanged?

What does the clear cache in the admin tools actually do?

Should I exclude BMZcache from the snapshot tool? I'm reluctant to do this because I've heard hackers can disguise a file as an image. I certainly don't want to be hacked again and am now taking security as seriously as possibly.

So am I correct in saying that IH only creates the optimized images as they are requested?

can serve up various sized, already optimized images on the fly as pages load when visitors browse your store

Does this mean that the imiages are created on demand for the first request and then available from that point on from the bmzcache?

gruntre69:

So am I correct in saying that IH only creates the optimized images as they are requested?

Yep, this is my understanding.

gruntre69:

Does this mean that the imiages are created on demand for the first request and then available from that point on from the bmzcache?

Yes, my understanding is that this is how it works up to and until the cache is cleared. But..."first request" may be only in terms of visitor sessions/browser sessions (vs. the idea that one visitor browsing every single page of your store can completely create the bmz_cache folder files that will never ever change again). I have noticed that on my test site that nobody visits but me, the bmz_cache folder seems to grow over time.

So quite honestly, I would love for Diva or one of the other gurus that know this addon inside out and backwards to chime in on this point to make sure the info you're getting is entirely accurate.

There may be a bit more going on in the background that I'm not aware of :smile:

gruntre69:

I have a question that I can't find answered in the readme. I have read the whole readme...

I've installed the snapshot mod running as cron after having a site hacked and starting fresh with Zen 1.5

I notice that there are continual additions to the BMZCache folder.

Are the images for IH4 created on demand by users browsing the site?This is actually covered in the readme and on the first page of this support thread..

gruntre69:

If so, is there anyway to force the script to run and create all the images at once so that the snapshot of the website files will remain unchanged?No..

gruntre69:

What does the clear cache in the admin tools actually do?Clears the cache folders.. We did do some work on this for IH4, so it should be working now..

gruntre69:

Should I exclude BMZcache from the snapshot tool? I'm reluctant to do this** because I've heard hackers can disguise a file as an image**. I certainly don't want to be hacked again and am now taking security as seriously as possibly.there is an .htaccess file in the bmz_cache folder just like there is one in nearly every Zen Cart folder which should adequately prevent this activity..

ScriptJunkie:

Yep, this is my understanding.

Yes, my understanding is that this is how it works up to and until the cache is cleared. But..."first request" may be only in terms of visitor sessions/browser sessions (vs. the idea that one visitor browsing every single page of your store can completely create the bmz_cache folder files that will never ever change again). I have noticed that on my test site that nobody visits but me, the bmz_cache folder seems to grow over time.

So quite honestly, I would love for Diva or one of the other gurus that know this addon inside out and backwards to chime in on this point to make sure the info you're getting is entirely accurate.

There may be a bit more going on in the background that I'm not aware of :smile:What you said is true.. first request is just that. The first request for the image. Once this first request is initiated, then after that any subsequent visits to that same page are served the image in the bmz_cache that was created..

uswebworx:

I just moved to ZenLightbox and am now 100000000% happy with IH4! Thanks for the help and suggestion above, I am usually a lurker here or a Godaddy brasher, I should had kept searching instead of posting:clap:!Good to hear this!!!

DivaVocals:

Good to hear this!!!
Yep now if I can fix the other issue, I'll be almost live! Add to cart disappeared to a 400004 page (yes 404)

Hi everyone,
i have a strange problem after the Image Handler 4 installation on Zen cart 1.5.0.
All seems to work fine but in administration-->catalog-->products and categories, i am able to switch on/off the category/subcategory by clicking on the relative button red/green but not the products...
If i try to switch on/off one single product, nothing appens....
Since the installation of image handler affect the admin\includes\modules\category_product_listing.php, i've tryed to replace the new file with the std file and the problem was solved, but i don't know if i can use the std file instead the new without any problem....
Anyone has the same problem?
Thanks
Andrea

@andrea
What I believe ( and I may be proved wrong ) is that the only alterations IH makes to that file is to add a link to image handler to each product row. It appears in the icons over to the right. So what I am saying is that if you use the default version of that file then you won't have that functionality but it should not cause problems elsewhere.

This is why I say it always pays to search through the thread. This has already been discussed and a solution posted please search to locate the solution.

andreagiov:

Hi everyone,
i have a strange problem after the Image Handler 4 installation on Zen cart 1.5.0.
All seems to work fine but in administration-->catalog-->products and categories, i am able to switch on/off the category/subcategory by clicking on the relative button red/green but not the products...
If i try to switch on/off one single product, nothing appens....
Since the installation of image handler affect the admin\includes\modules\category_product_listing.php, i've tryed to replace the new file with the std file and the problem was solved, but i don't know if i can use the std file instead the new without any problem....
Anyone has the same problem?
Thanks
Andrea