Customizations Questions during upgrade

[g2ktcf]

That's just one of the ways to upgrade. The other is a database only upgrade.

I've found it easier (espeecially with sites that have had every other mod installed) to just drop the newest release into a test folder, create a blank database. Then, I use the zc_install to create the new site and populate the database.

You'll find a big red warning on the page but IMHO, the warning should be about bringing old problems into a new site. We have every right to be suspicious of any mod for 1.5.6 or earlier just do to the fact they were probably built to PHP 7.4 at best. It's been "dead" for almost two years and 5.6 has be dead for aslmost four. Many host have, or will soon, stopped supporting any PHP prior to 8.0. It's in the best interest of security that they do.

I wait on step 4 until after step 6

Step 6 of the setup is double work to me as it is so much simpler to just take the loaded files and the empty database and run the zc_install. That way, you know the configure.php files will be correctly done for your site. I temporarily leave the zc_install directory for later (never more than a few hours) use but I make sure to rename it to something that won't give it away.

Step 7 is not a problem if you setup the new test site "above" the root." IOW, if you site is at home/your_username/public_html/, setting up the new site at home/your_username/_test/ will allow any cPanel controlled site to assign a newer PHP version to your test site while letting your store continue to run on an older PHP>

Before moving in the old database, I make sure to load two mods. Lat9's Clone a Template and swguy's Mod List. Both are invaluable to me on an upgrade.

So, my "step 8" is to load the two mods and my favorite template (bootstrap). Both the mods above are run through the plugins manager in the admin as is the valuable Display Logs that's built in for several versions now.

Step 9 is to clone both the responsive_classic and bootstrap templates. Regardless of which one I decide to use, this gives me a return point if things really get munged.

Now, I can move the old database into the new and take the original step 8 after renaminng that folder back to zc_insatll.

This time I actually delete the zc_install folder, go to the admin, and set the template to the one I cloned in step 9.

Nest, I'll use the Mod List to tell me what items were not installed with my new 2.0 files. The information will lead you to the admin_pages, configuration_group, and configuration tables to gid rid of the old mods. There's no need to worry about old files. They are not there because you loaded just the fresh 2.0.0 files.

After this, you have a 90% operational 2.0.0 site ready to take on new mods and your image files from the old site.

The images are fairly easy if you have a cPanel file manager. Just go to the old stores root and copy the images from your email folder (you did change the old ZC header, right?), the includes/images, the includes/templates/YOUR_OLD_TEMPLATE/images, and the admin/images folder.

Doing the same copy from the old includes/languages/english/html_includes/YOUR_TEMPLATE to the new site's location leaves you with a working site that only needs a payment module or two to start selling.

This is the place where you make backups of everything.

None of this is scary to me, but trying to continue on with all the extra mods you want to throw at the store is VERY scary if there's no backup to get me out of a bad mod load. I timestamp backups for every mod load so I can revert back to any point I need to to recover.

Admittedly, anything seems easy after doing it as many times as I have. The only portion with any real difficulty is cleaning up the database after you update it. Mod List is your saviour in that regard.

There's a more thorough step-by-step explanation at https://myzencarthost.com/index.php?...th-cPanel.html It was written with 1.5.8 in mind but works just the same with 2.0.0. Step H of those instructions would be where the two mods and bootstrap are loaded and the templates are cloned.

pess on

nice detailed explanation! I appreciate the input and I will try that method next. That is why I spent time getting a localhost configured so I could play and see what the upgrade path looks like.

[g2ktcf]

I think it would be useful to put a link in the instructions that I referenced above to dbltoe's reply above. It is a detailed and valid option for upgrading carts and I think it benefits ZC as a whole.

[swguy]

> Yes, but I am following the very specific instructions at https://docs.zen-cart.com/release/2....how_to_upgrade.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention, no you're not reading it wrong; what's written there is bad advice. I will fix it ASAP.

[swguy]

This is a much more complete and up to date guide:

https://docs.zen-cart.com/user/upgrading/upgrading/

[swguy]

> I think it would be useful to put a link in the instructions that I referenced above to dbltoe's reply above.

@dbltoe is responsible for much of our latest installation documentation, in the link I provided above.

[dbltoe]

THANX for the kudos. I'm still not satisfied with the Database-Only Upgrade Instructions.

I don't know when I'll be able to get to it but it's basically what I mentioned above.

swguy and all the other contributors have turned the old docs/wiki into a fantastic document. We've long had the best forum out there and he's bringing the docs up to the same (and sometimes better) level.

Yes, there are still areas for improvement.

So.... All you "spets" out there, dive into the docs and see if your particular area of expertise is mentioned and documented correctly. We don't normally go to the docs when doing a task we've done over and over many times. We all have our own "tricks of the trade".

Making sure your "tricks" are there and documented correctly will help even more.