MM5.5 Features List

[Rick Wilson]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

Brandon,

Sorry for the brevity this AM, I typed that post from my phone.

Can you share a little more information?
1. What's updated? Is it a new UI, or just removed some old links? I think I remember something about losing the wizard interface, is that true?
2. How exactly is this going to work? We use Dreamweaver for our static pages. Will Miva be automatically updated if we change our Dreamweaver template?
3. Will there be a complete template layer added to the store (eg. Smarty style)? Or is this simply a way to distribute look and feels based on the current layouts?
4. Define SEO. Pretty-links? Meta tags? Alt text? "Duplicate content"?

1. The UI has been updated in 3 primary ways:

-We removed Simple Administration (but not the Wizards, they'll still be available in their current Advanced mode location in the left navigation)

-We updated the look and feel to match our updated branding

-We've built into the admin LaunchPad for V5 (which previously did not exist)

The critical rule we followed in updating the admin was no paradigm changes. Anyone who's used Version 5 Admin should have no learning curve switching to this admin.

2. Dreamweaver integration will work in the following way: under the Pages screen there will be a new Import and Export feature. There is also a Dreamweaver StoreMorph Plugin that needs to be installed in Dreamweaver (that we've tested with Versions 8 - CS3). You Export the pages you'd like to edit in Dreamweaver, open them in Dreamweaver (with the plugin installed) and you have full control over the layout. You make your edits in Dreamweaver and import them back into MM5.5.

3. I don't know what Smarty Style is but I can tell you the Skins feature is my favorite addition thus far to 5.5. It allows you to save either the whole store or a given portion of the store as a Skin at any time. Once saved you can switch between Skins with a single click (e.g. you could choose to leave your core layout and functionality the same but have seasonal headers and footers that you've saved as header and footer skins, and then when the appropriate season comes around simply change the store with a single click. You could also do this with the whole store, or a single component, etc.). By definition since you can create Skins, you can also distribute them (there is a built in Import/Export feature that makes this simple).

4. The SEO functionality is:

-Shorter url's

-Static url's

-Site map creation

-Creation of a static SEO friendly front page

-Meta tags for product categories

-Meta tags for product pages

-Eliminate unneeded whitespace in the code

[Brandon MUS]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

Thank you very much for the follow-up, Rick. I will be very interested in the Dreamweaver feature. LaunchPad could also be nice -- saves me a couple clicks a day.

FYI, Smarty is a PHP based template system (http://www.smarty.net/) that allows control of the template "layer" of an application, similar to how StoreMorph already works, but with some added features.

[Viking Coders]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

The critical rule we followed in updating the admin was no paradigm changes. Anyone who's used Version 5 Admin should have no learning curve switching to this admin.

Rick,

I know the admin is sacrosanct--and no one wants a return to the days of admins being agressively overrun by third party modules--but is there any chance we can get access to admin head tag? We've just started releasing some AJAXified modules for the storefront but many of our module UIs could benefit greatly from having access to javascript libraries. The ability to append or directly edit the admin head tag (or maybe allow for an includes directory that gets read and adds all .css or .js to the headtag automatically) would lift us out of the dark ages.

[[email protected]]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

I suppose I am way behind everyone here..so please be patient with me.
Shop site templetes was suggested to me. I currently use frontpage 2003.
I want to set up a web shop with ecommerce, I want to accept direct deposit, wholesale/retail clients, reports. And I don't want to pay thousands for this...Not interested in FP unless I need it. Can you direct me to the right company to purchase a simple drag/drop m/c visa e commerce. I have about 500 product items.

[William Davis]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

I suppose I am way behind everyone here..so please be patient with me.
Shop site templetes was suggested to me. I currently use frontpage 2003.
I want to set up a web shop with ecommerce, I want to accept direct deposit, wholesale/retail clients, reports. And I don't want to pay thousands for this...Not interested in FP unless I need it. Can you direct me to the right company to purchase a simple drag/drop m/c visa e commerce. I have about 500 product items.

I would stop by www.PracticalECommerce.com, they have a wealth of information, reviews etc... Personally, I think Miva Merchant is the best. However, I believe it's not for everybody, at least not yet, but it seems to me that it's defenitely heading in that direction.

Depending on your e-skills, you might want to start with something more simple (i.e.: Yahoo! store, etc...). Though these "cookie-cutter" shopping carts have several limitations, it meets most e-commerce initial needs without tying-up much resources (time and money). Once business picks-up, you can transition to Miva Merchant.

That is the second best advice I can give you. The first is to subscribe to several e-commerce magazine, newsletters, etc... The one I mentioned earlier is an excellent start.

Wishing you well in all your future endeavors. :)

[Hostasaurus]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

I believe this was already mentioned... but a total revamp of the "product list" would be welcomed.

As it stands it is frankly useless. Even a display in alphabetical order (as implemented in this forum members list) would be a God send.

You can sort the PLST display now, its order is the order of the master Products list in the admin. Click on Products, then Sort Name Ascending.


Jen

[K Series Parts]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

Would it be possible to allow a single category to be assigned to multiple parent categories?

This is a popular one on the wish list thread, so it is already on our list. Stay tuned for when we publish the final list with priorities and expected implementation dates.

I just wanted to see if this was still going to happen in 5.5.

[Rick Wilson]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

Yes but not in the initial stream.

[William Davis]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

Yes but not in the initial stream.

Obvoiusly you folks will be streaming MM5.5 when its ready and not a moment sooner (would not want it any other way), but we do need to know a date. We have a site that has been ready for MM5.5 before we go live for about three weeks now. If delays need to continue, we need to know a realistic expected release date so we can find an alternative solutions through modules, etc...

Wishing the Miva Team well deserve success in all their future endeavors,

Jerry

[Barrett]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

Obvoiusly you folks will be streaming MM5.5 when its ready and not a moment sooner (would not want it any other way), but we do need to know a date. We have a site that has been ready for MM5.5 before we go live for about three weeks now. If delays need to continue, we need to know a realistic expected release date so we can find an alternative solutions through modules, etc...

Wishing the Miva Team well deserve success in all their future endeavors,

Jerry

Hey Jerry have you got a url ?
Just how much work have you put into it since cannot remember if the next update will stream over the current rev or have to wipe it and start from go again.

[Rick Wilson]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

Obvoiusly you folks will be streaming MM5.5 when its ready and not a moment sooner (would not want it any other way), but we do need to know a date. We have a site that has been ready for MM5.5 before we go live for about three weeks now. If delays need to continue, we need to know a realistic expected release date so we can find an alternative solutions through modules, etc...

Here's the plan for the final stages of release. If you're hosted on Hostasaurus or dotCOMHost, you can contact them to get the url to beta test the stream.

Here's what you need to know to beta test the stream. DO NOT beta test on a real live store. Make sure you beta test on either a dev store (that's wipeable) or a copy of your live store.

We'll release the streaming beta url to the rest of the beta community (those not on Hostasaurus or dotCOMHost) in a day or two.

This stream still has bugs in the stream and will be altered again before the final stream goes out (in roughly a week). If you use this stream on a live store you could be orphaned into a non upgradeable store.

[Rick Wilson]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

One thing to add for those beta testing the stream, the update process is long (roughly 30 mins) please be patient and don't close your browser.

[Barrett]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

One thing to add for those beta testing the stream, the update process is long (roughly 30 mins) please be patient and don't close your browser.

That kind of info would be good thing to build into any dialogs or screens as someone is about to start a stream update so eventually even Peter Griffin could do it.

[gsmith]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

Rick,

If we use hostmysite.com, can we get the beta stream?

[RayYates]

Re: MM5.5 Features List

This feature request is listed prioritized. The first one I desperately want, the others I just badly want and should be the simplest to impliment.

1. Add Attribute Template: Copy From [ drop down list ] {go}

2. Add Page Template: Copy From [ drop down list ] {go}

3. Add Category: Copy From [ text box] {search popup} {go}

4. Add Product: Copy From [ text box ] {search popup} {go}

Once I or a client has set up a complex attribute template, they often need variations on that template for various classes of products. Setting these up one by one is repetitive, tedious and prone to mistakes.

If the ability to clone them were available a "master template" could be created, then copied, and un-needed attributes or options simply deleted; dramatically reducing the amount of work required when using attribute templates.

Much of the code for this already exists in Merchant on the Edit Product Attributes. It just needs to be adapted for templates.

As for the other items, it should clone everything; a complete duplication of every item and tab.