URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

[Brandon MUS]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

Hi Brandon,

As David Hubbard stated, you can just uncheck the Require Shipping option under Settings and the function will work the same way.
Development is doing some testing right now to see if a separate patch will need to be released for this. For now, unchecking Require Shipping or removing the item from pages where it is not needed will resolve the issue.

Except that changes the functionality of the store -- which doesn't work for us. Like I said earlier, we aren't using PR6 (we share the same opinion as David -- let someone else break their store), but I am voicing my concern that this does need to be fixed.

[Rick Wilson]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

Brandon,

It doesn't change the functionality of the store (or if it does please get in contact with us because we have been unable to duplicate that). Mini baskets and shipping calculators still work without it assigned to that page.

If it really breaks functionality then it is a bug and we'll fix it promptly.

[Brandon MUS]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

Brandon,

It doesn't change the functionality of the store (or if it does please get in contact with us because we have been unable to duplicate that). Mini baskets and shipping calculators still work without it assigned to that page.

If it really breaks functionality then it is a bug and we'll fix it promptly.

Unchecking the "require shipping" changes the functionality because a shopper can now checkout without having a shipping method selected. Requiring shipping ensures that every customer is charged for shipping appropriately.

Also, I cannot remove the shippingmethods item from the BASK screen because the toolkit requires it for cbs-supershipping.

EDIT: My mistake. I just tested my theory about "require shipping" and it seems like I was wrong. I misinterpreted the effects of that setting (in fact, now I have no clue what it does).

[alphabet]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

I have shippingmethods item assigned to the OCST page because I am using CBS CheckOut Supermod and I test for g.AdvShipping on the OCST page. This is important for my checkout process to send a user to OSEL and display advance shipping methods.

[wcw]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

The CBS Shipping Supermod was written to be an extension to the shippingmethods item. Why, I don't know. It just is. Anyway, it will not apply its rules unless the shippingmethods item is assigned to the page. When you want to have a calculate shipping module (minibasket, toolkit, etc) retrieve the correct methods (per supermod rules) you must assign the shippingmethods to the page you are doing the calculate shipping on. Hence, not being able to assign that item (and consequently the supermod) so that shipping can be previewed on the storefront, basket, product pages, etc severely impacts stores. This bug needs to be fixed or people should not update if they are doing preview shipping in their store.

[Laura Schindler]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

Using toolkit to calculate shipping is not affected. Minibasket without Shipping Supermod is not affected. Shipping Supermod currently doesn't look to be compatible with Minibasket- we will probably have to update the Shipping Supermod at some point to resolve that.

But so far, the 3 different shipping calculators (I can't remember the name of the last one) that development has tested all work fine.

Brandon- the Require Shipping setting is designed to prevent customers from checking out when no shipping methods are available.

[Mr.Webby]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

... Miva's looking into the cause of the issue, you can follow it in the pr6 bugs thread.

Which PR6 bugs thread might that be? Is there some other thread that is not visible to Joe Blow who is trying to run an honest store?

This is also a good example of why you should not apply updates as soon as they come out, let someone else break their store first. :)

Gee, thanks. I'll now consider all updates to be verboten, until you give them a clean bill of health. Then I'll wait a while longer, just in case. Was that what you intended to happen, with that "let someone else be a beta-tester" comment?

[wcw]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

Minibasket without Shipping Supermod is not affected. Shipping Supermod currently doesn't look to be compatible with Minibasket- we will probably have to update the Shipping Supermod at some point to resolve that.

Minibasket IS compatible with shipping supermod if you have the current version. In the minibasket admin select to sort methods and pick cbs shipping supermod. If you don't see that as a selection, you don't have the current minibasket. The current minibasket uses the methods returned from shippingmethods item ala supermod when it is assigned to pages like BASK. That is necessary to apply supermod rules. Otherwise you get every shipping method from the install modules with no rules applied.

Toolkit uses the same functionality. So it should be effected too. If you don't have shippingmethods assigned to the page, supermod rules will not be applied.

[burch]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

Hello All,

We've spent the better part of the day trying to understand exactly what's going on and develop a solution.

First, some background:

The change to the cmp-mv-shipselect module in PR6 was made to correct a bug where orders were being allowed to proceed through checkout in some cases regardless of the "Require Shipping" setting for a store. In previous versions of the software, only the fact that one or more shipping modules were configured was being checked. The new version verifies that at least one of the modules returns a valid shipping method.

When the shippingmethods item is assigned to a page where it is possible for shipping information not to be present, or for the basket to be empty, most shipping modules return no shipping methods, causing the error to be displayed.

This also brings up an important point: Stores that have shippingmethods assigned to non checkout pages, like their SFNT page, and are using dynamic shipping calculators, such as our USPS or FedEx module, are actually making calls to those remote servers on every display of that page, whether the shipping information is being displayed or not. This can negatively affect the performance of your store.

We tested the following configurations:

WCW Toolkit, with and without CBS Shipping SuperMod
WCW Mini-Bask, with and without CBS Shipping SuperMod
ADVANZ CalcShipping5, with and without CBS Shipping SuperMod

The WCW modules, for those NOT using CBS Shipping SuperMod, will function perfectly without the shippingmethods item assigned to any page besides OSEL. This is the recommended configuration when possible.

The ADVANZ module, with or without the CBS Shipping SuperMod, and the WCW modules WITH CBS Shipping SuperMod, require the shippingmethods item to function properly. In this case, I offer these solutions:

1. Disable "Require Shipping" in your store settings. If using CBS Shipping SuperMod, this has no affect on the checkout process as the CBS Shipping SuperMod ignores this setting anyway.
2. If using CBS Shipping SuperMod, assign the Flat Rate Shipping module and create a "throwaway" shipping method. Set this method as inactive in the CBS Shipping SuperMod. This will "trick" cmp-mv-shipselect into thinking there is a shipping method, but the method will not be displayed to users.
3. Use the new module (cmp-mv-minibaskship) attached to this post in place of cmp-mv-shipselect for providing shipping methods.

cmp-mv-minibaskship emulates the shippingmethods item, but is more intelligent in determining when the shipping modules should be called, reducing the performance hit described above, and preserving the functionality of the "Require Shipping" setting for those not using the CBS Shipping SuperMod.

Installation instructions:

1. Download the attached .ZIP file. It contains cmp-mv-minibaskship.mv, which is the source code and probably only interesting to developers, and cmp-mv-minibaskship.mvc, which is the actual module.
2. Install cmp-mv-minibaskship.mvc in your Domain.
3. Create an item, "minibaskship" that references the new module.
4. On any page other than OSEL where "shippingmethods" is assigned, assign "minibaskship" and remove "shippingmethods".

PR6 is not required to use cmp-mv-minibaskship. It may be installed prior to upgrading, and even users without PR6 may find value in the efficiency improvements.

[wcw]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

Is this going to apply the rules of the CBS shipping supermod by installing this other module? If the supermod is not in the store, the minibasket and toolkit do not require any shipping method module on the page so it would be redundant. They were already optimized to not ask for the methods on every page load so this new module should not be assigned if using minibasket or toolkit. Unless you need the supermod rules. If that is the case how are those rules applied with this new module?

[alphabet]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

When is the g.Basket:ship_zip, g.Basket:ship_state, g.Basket:ship_cntry assigned a value; on the OCST page, ACAD page, or if the user is already logged in and product added to the basket?
I am not using a shipping calculator. I am using the CBS CheckOut Supermod and my particular case needs to test a shippingmethods condition on the OCST page.
Will the cmp-mv-minibaskship intelligence work on the OCST page?

[burch]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

Is this going to apply the rules of the CBS shipping supermod by installing this other module? If the supermod is not in the store, the minibasket and toolkit do not require any shipping method module on the page so it would be redundant. They were already optimized to not ask for the methods on every page load so this new module should not be assigned if using minibasket or toolkit. Unless you need the supermod rules. If that is the case how are those rules applied with this new module?

Yes, the new module applies the CBS Shipping SuperMod rules. It does this by populating the same StoreMorph items as the "shippingmethods" item, and then directly calling the Shipping SuperMod as if it were an item extension.

The source code is in the attached .ZIP file, if you want to take a look at it.

[burch]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

When is the g.Basket:ship_zip, g.Basket:ship_state, g.Basket:ship_cntry assigned a value; on the OCST page, ACAD page, or if the user is already logged in and product added to the basket?
I am not using a shipping calculator. I am using the CBS CheckOut Supermod and my particular case needs to test a shippingmethods condition on the OCST page.
Will the cmp-mv-minibaskship intelligence work on the OCST page?

Those fields will be populated on any page if a customer has logged in, or after the ORDR action has been performed, which is usually done when the form on the OCST page is submitted.

If you are using shipping modules that do not require those fields, such as Flat Rate Shipping, Base + Weight, Quantity Base Shipping, etc..., then the change to the shippingmethods item in PR6 should not affect you, and you won't require the new module. Additionally, since those computational modules aren't making calls to the outside world, the performance overhead with the shippingmethods item should not be high.

[wcw]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

Why not just fix the shipping methods module? I guess I don't understand the purpose of this new module if everything works as it did prior to PR6 when you install it. Do we unassign the shippingmethods from ALL pages and then install and assign this new module to OSEL and any other pages where we want shipping calculation?

[MTB2006]

Re: URGENT!!!!!!! Upgrade with Errors

For those of us who have not done the upgrade and are using ADVANZ or WCW with CBS Shipping Shipermod, will PR6 be updated so that the new required file is installed automatically and any other necessary changes are made automatically?