Before Upgrading SalesCart

Things to Know

Upgrading SalesCart to a new version of SalesCart does not affect or change any web site(s) that you have previously built. Installing a new version of SalesCart only affects future shopping cart web sites that you Create or Edit.

Warning! Before starting this process, you should make a backup of your existing shopping cart web site. The upgrade process could permanently change and replace files that currently exist on your web site. If anything does not go as you planned, you may want to get back to some of the files on the previous version of your web site.

This version of SalesCart comes with an Upgrade Wizard to help upgrade your previous SalesCart version to this new platform. If you are currently using SalesCart and have only created Static product links and have not altered the product links in any fashion directly using html, the upgrade utility can nearly completely upgrade your product pages to work with SalesCart Express with little work on your part.

If you have performed extensive modification or customization of the original version of SalesCart, then you will have to perform some limited rework to get to the state you desire.

What the Upgrade Utility will Not Do!

Here is a partial list of what the upgrade utility will not do:

1. It is not designed to work with dynamic created web pages. If you are using the SalesCart Product Management plugin, the upgrade utility is not designed to work with these pages. There are several reasons for this. The biggest reason is that the design tools support for these functions either no longer exists or is greatly diminished from the present state of technology. The upgrade utility may be able to successfully transition these pages; however, Microsoft Express no longer supports the dynamic database wizard. In addition, Dreamweaver does not provide asp.net server behavior conversion from .asp server product pages to asp.net product pages. In fact, Microsoft also provides no easy ways to convert from .asp to .aspx. As a result, we do not support the upgrading of these product pages. For persons desiring product database support, SalesCart hopes to address these issues directly in the future.
2. It will not upgrade your store settings. If you have established whole store settings, you will need to re-enter these into the SalesCart Express control panel which is now a distinct browser based system.
3. It will not transfer sales tax information or shipping information on the whole store. Product specific tax and shipping information will be transferred. However, any sales tax or shipping information will need to be re-configured using the SalesCart Express Control Panel.
4. It will not support customized checkout pages. Only the general look and feel of the SalesCart checkout pages can be changed. You will need to makes changes to style sheets and recreate graphics to upgrade the look of your checkout pages separately.
5. Any .asp programming, including custom programing in the product pages will not be upgrade and you will need to strip this programming out by hand if there is any in your product pages.
6. If you have a version of SalesCart prior to SalesCart 1.5, or a version of SalesCart using .idc/.htx technology, this upgrade utility will not work as the product you are using is too old to upgrade.

Skills Required to do an Upgrade

This depends mostly on what was previously done on the web site that is getting upgraded. Un-installing the previous version of SalesCart, and running the upgrade utility does not require any special skills. The upgrade utility will do most of the work. The other tasks of running the wizard and running the control panel have been greatly simplified. The only task remaining is re-customizing the look and feel of the checkout pages. This will require the skills of a web site designer. Changing the look and feel of the checkout pages is, however, not required.