2nd WebCatalog2 Feature Request
This WebDNA talk-list message is from 1996
It keeps the original formatting.
numero = 10135
interpreted = N
texte = OK, so now WebCatalog2 can open as many databases as you like, with any fieldnames you like. How important is backwards-compatibility? We're doing our best to maintain a clean upgrade path, but you will definitely need to change your template files a little bit when you move to WebCatalog2. Even more changes are necessary for the plugin version.The way it works now, you must modify your Catalog.txt file so that the first line contains the fieldnames sku
title description ...etcThis also means you must now specify the database name whenever you use a command, such as WebCatalog.acgi$search?db=Catalog.txt&template=xxxNow I could hack in some code that assumes if you don't specify a database, then it should look for a file called Catalog.txt and assume it has the old 27 fixed fields in it. But I don't like this because I'd rather have error-checking so that if you forget to specify a database it can say Sorry, the SEARCH command requires that you specify a database rather than just quietly assuming you _meant_ to use an old-style Catalog.txt file.Personally I don't think it's too hard for webmasters to add that first line of fieldnames, and I'd much rather keep the code clean, fast and small. And I also like the new method of explicitly specifying the database you plan to use, rather than having some hidden assumptions that create tech support nightmares.Oh, well, these are the problems we knew we'd face as we generalized the database code more. Wait til you see how you get the price information into the shopping cart!Grant Hulbert, V.P. Engineering | Tools for WebWarriors Pacific Coast Software | WebCatalog, WebCommerce Solution 11770 Bernardo Plaza Court, #462 | SiteEdit, SiteCheck, PhotoMill San Diego, CA 92128 | 619/675-1106 Fax: 619/675-0372 | http://www.smithmicro.com
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OK, so now WebCatalog2 can open as many databases as you like, with any fieldnames you like. How important is backwards-compatibility? We're doing our best to maintain a clean upgrade path, but you will definitely need to change your template files a little bit when you move to WebCatalog2. Even more changes are necessary for the plugin version.The way it works now, you must modify your Catalog.txt file so that the first line contains the fieldnames sku title description ...etcThis also means you must now specify the database name whenever you use a command, such as WebCatalog.acgi$search?db=Catalog.txt&template=xxxNow I could hack in some code that assumes if you don't specify a database, then it should look for a file called Catalog.txt and assume it has the old 27 fixed fields in it. But I don't like this because I'd rather have error-checking so that if you forget to specify a database it can say Sorry, the SEARCH command requires that you specify a database rather than just quietly assuming you _meant_ to use an old-style Catalog.txt file.Personally I don't think it's too hard for webmasters to add that first line of fieldnames, and I'd much rather keep the code clean, fast and small. And I also like the new method of explicitly specifying the database you plan to use, rather than having some hidden assumptions that create tech support nightmares.Oh, well, these are the problems we knew we'd face as we generalized the database code more. Wait til you see how you get the price information into the shopping cart!Grant Hulbert, V.P. Engineering | Tools for WebWarriors Pacific Coast Software | WebCatalog, WebCommerce Solution 11770 Bernardo Plaza Court, #462 | SiteEdit, SiteCheck, PhotoMill San Diego, CA 92128 | 619/675-1106 Fax: 619/675-0372 | http://www.smithmicro.com
Grant Hulbert
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