osCommerce - RC2 released
Just received notice that a "new" version of osCommerce has just been released. This is to be known as RC2 (Version 2, Release Candidate 2) and is intended to be the 2nd stage of 4 or 5 until the Version 3 is formally released.
There are no major updates to the overall functionality, but here is a list of what's new;
- Over 15 bug fixes and improvements [always good to see bugs made better]
- Improved register_globals compatibility layer for PHP 4.3+ servers [good!]
- New and updated payment modules that include PayPal Express Checkout, PayPal Direct Payments, PayPal Website Payments Standard, Authorize.net AIM and SIM, WorldPay, and more [more complications that average joe has no use for]
- Introduce the ability for payment modules to show checkout buttons on the shopping cart page [interesting - need to test this out fully]
- Introduce the ability for order shipping and billing addresses to be defined from an external source (ie, payment method). [again, interesting - could be used to do something with Paypal IPN and instant downloads maybe]
- Introduce a public status flag on order status levels to show or hide orders from customers depending on the order status level [unclear as to benefit on this]
- Introduce a download flag on order status levels to allow customers to download virtual products at specific order status levels [as above]
- Introduce version signature strings to payment modules that link to the add-ons site for easier version tracking [hmmm]
All in all, it's better to see a new release than not see one. But was it really worth it? Only time and use will tell.
If you are into osCommerce, you could do well to at least take a look at the new release. It seems to be fairly painless to upgrade (unless you have a 1001 contributions installed of course).
Download Link; http://www.oscommerce.com/redirect.php/go,43
Comment by Chance — January 16, 2008 @ 3:11 am
Wait, they make osC installs without 1001 contributions installed? Funny, I've never seen one
Comment by Sunny — January 16, 2008 @ 2:59 pm
I left oscommerce years ago. If you like it you may like Zen Cart, same thing but better and easier to customise.
If you really believe in your shop then something like the upcoming open source Magento Commerce is going to blow your socks off!
I am rather sad to see no Google Checkout in that list above, but maybe they have added it and you just didn't list it?
Either way, oscommerce has been crawling for years now. It does a job, but it does it like it did in 2000 really. I personally use CS CART now and run this badge website with it. Does the job perfectly and I stipped out most of the functions rather than trying to add them in. Yeah this solution costs money, but you tend to get what you pay for with the exception of Magento which I may very well switch to upon RC release later this month
Thanks for the update though!
Sunny
Comment by Brian — January 16, 2008 @ 3:08 pm
The only significant updates in RC1 were new payment modules developed by him with referral links (something that used to get people banned from the forums without warning). In RC2, nearly all modifications have to do with supporting his new payment modules instead of adding actual needed features like gift certificates and a download system that doesn't allow the customer to jump over the checkout process and download the file immediately.
I wish the November release, before RC1, was still available for download as that's the best version available, imo.
Comment by burt — January 21, 2008 @ 11:47 am
JC;
Sunny; Zen Cart - never liked it. CS Cart looks decent. Magento - seems to be flavour of the month…
Brian; thanks for the info. I remember Greg being ostracised for including a referral link in his Paypal IPN contribution years ago. There's always been 1 rule for "Team Members" and 1 rule for everyone else