0.7.2.10 Release Candidate

28 Responses to 0.7.2.10 Release Candidate

• 

  Phil Hoyt 09/17/2012

  I currently get a Database Error when I attempt to make any entry. I added a trac I think (my browser kind glitched out when I hit submit) The error looks like this.

  WordPress database error: [Unknown column ‘dates’ in ‘field list’]
  INSERT INTO wp_connections SET ts = ‘2012-09-17 18:45:22’, date_added = 1347907522, entry_type = ‘individual’, visibility = ‘unlisted’, slug = ‘this-atest’, family_name = ”, honorific_prefix = ”, first_name = ‘This’, middle_name = ‘iS’, last_name = ‘Atest’, honorific_suffix = ”, title = ”, organization = ”, department = ”, contact_first_name = ”, contact_last_name = ”, addresses = ”, phone_numbers = ”, email = ”, im = ”, social = ”, links = ”, dates = ”, birthday = ”, anniversary = ”, bio = ”, notes = ”, options = ‘a:2:{s:5:”entry”;a:1:{s:4:”type”;s:10:”individual”;}s:5:”group”;a:1:{s:6:”family”;a:0:{}}}’, added_by = 1, edited_by = 1, owner = 1, user = 0, status = ‘approved’
  • 

    Steven Zahm 09/17/2012

    @Phil

    What version of Connections were you running prior to upgrading to the RC and what method did you use to upgrade [outline the steps you did] so I can see if I can replicate the issue. The root of the problem is that the DB upgrade did not occur. You should have been presented with an admin message prompting to upgrade and you should not have been able to access any Connections admin page without first going thru the upgrade.
• 

  John Lewis 09/18/2012

  I did upgrade tonight – it is working without a hitch.  I am using the cmap template.  The phone numbers are now clickable.  I also use the notes field.  When I open the notes field on some records I have both phone numbers and email addresses that are in addition to the ones listed in the main entry.  The emails in the notes field are clickable but the phone numbers are not.  Maybe it is because connections does not identify phone numbers without them being defined by a field.  I know that few folks would be using it this way so it is not a biggie for me.  Thanks for all your work!
  • 

    Steven Zahm 09/19/2012

    @John

    First, you are able to add and edit entries without issue, right? It has been reported that the DB upgrade isn’t triggered which would mean you can’t add/edit entries.

    Right, phone numbers are not filtered for in the note and bio like email addresses. Phone numbers would be very problematic since users are not forced to enter numbers in a particular format.
    • 

      John Lewis 09/19/2012

      Steven – to answer your question yes it is working.  I tried to edit an existing entry and it works.  I created a new entry and it works.
      This is my environment –
      WordPress 3.4.2. Theme is Weaver II Pro version 1.1.6.
      I used the Easy Theme and Plugin Upgrades plugin (Version 1.0.1.) to install the new version of Connections.  I already had this plugin installed as it is a requirement to update the Weaver II Pro theme.  The only thing it required was I had to go into settings for Connections and select the Home page as it had been reset. “Choose the page where your directory is located. This should be the page where you used the [connections] shortcode.”  But the plug in told me to do that when it had finished installing the new version of Connections.

      The whole install process took only a few minutes.
      Thanks again for your great plugin.  – John
• 

  Mitch 09/19/2012

  Hi Steven,

  Do you have a goal (flexible, dependent on feedback, of course) for a scheduled final release to WP?, and further out when you’d be looking to release corresponding template updates, like cmap?

  Thanks.
  • 

    Steven Zahm 09/19/2012

    @Mitch

    Well, the goal was end of June … a little late. I was hoping to release this weekend but it looks like I’ll have to do do a little more testing on upgrades from previous versions. It seems that the DB upgrade is not always triggered but I think I have that fixed.

    The updates to cMap are complete and will be released same day as Connections. The remaining should follow shortly thereafter. There really isn’t much to update and the current version will work just fine so they will not be really high priority.

    The new Widget Pack will also be released the same day and includes search, category, recently added, recently modified, anniversary and birthday widgets. All the links presented in these widgets will link to the directory home. Thought I’d mention it because with your implementation, I don’t think they will be of any benefit.

    **UPDATE**

    Oh, Form will also receive an update very shortly after release.
    • 

      Mitch 09/19/2012

      June, September… it’s all good, we knew you’d get there. Good things take time. :)

      I’ll be curious on the search and category widgets… we had talked about a search widget a ways back, I’d hate to think I won’t be able to use it with my configuration, but I’m evaluating ways to load content blocks around the new connections displays… we’ll see.

      BTW, I didn’t see a price for that Widget Pack, set yet?
      • 

        Steven Zahm 09/19/2012

        @Mitch

        Very likely I’ll start at $4.99 $9.99 and going up as features and potentially more widgets are added.
        • 

          Mitch 09/28/2012

          Ah, looks like I should have grabbed it at 4.99. :) When do you think you’ll release everything?
        • 

          Steven Zahm 09/28/2012

          @Mitch

          Yeah, I didn’t give the price enough that in my previous comment. I think it offers plenty of value even at this price.

          I’m planning on spending this weekend double checking compatibility with the premium template as they currently are to ensure I didn’t break anything for them. After that, I will upgrade all premium templates, so they are ready to go with Connections. Overall this is going to be one huge update! So, when, hopefully next week.
• 

  Lui Wallentin 09/20/2012

  Hi there Steven

  Sorry to rain on RC1, but I get some very pixelated and giffy looking pictures, when I try to upload in RC1.

  Here’s a link a shared dropbox with before and after picture files and the success message from the plugin in rtf format.

  https://www.dropbox.com/sh/9s4qmj51v2807z7/f60PM7R6tR
  • 

    Steven Zahm 09/20/2012

    Yeah, I have another user reporting a similar issue which is really odd because that code has not changed. Can you also post a screen capture of the Connections : Settings Image tab?
• 

  Mitch 09/20/2012

  One, just feedback, when I updated the database, it went so without a hitch. Two, records where I had images on the sandbox site came over no problem, including those that were embedded in the Notes and Bio trays.

  More importantly, I just had an epiphany moment re: all the incredibly cool things you can do with the permalink structure. If I’m not mistaken, I can create all kinds of specific ‘subsets’ of the database based on the URL, right? By (locality) city or (postalcode) zip, etc… If true, then I have a question: Can these somehow be combined? Like a permalink for /category/dental AND zip/12345 ? (I tried category/dental/?cn-s=12345 and that returned nada).

  I think I have resolved my configuration issue with respect to loading records display on a page with other content, but I still have a big problem with having that content be contextual with respect to the category (because in the new Connections all the ‘pages’ are really the same page). I have created ALL these category-specific pages with industry detail and keywords… I hate to lose all that work. Do you have any ideas or guidance on how I might make that happen?

  Lastly, if the new cmap update is ready, is there a way to test how it plays with RC1?

  Thanks!
  • 

    Steven Zahm 09/21/2012

    @Mitch

    Yes, you can us the URL (permalink) to get at a subset of the data. I think you’re starting to see the directory I’m going to take Connections with permalinks. There’s much more to come in this department that builds on this foundation.

    The URL you used should work fine. I do have to take into consideration the options set within the shortcode when using the URL [the permalink takes precedence to an extent]. So the reason you didn’t get a result could be because there is an option in the shortcode that is adding an additional parameter to the query causing no result. Can you try the same an another page where there are no shortcode options set? Also, can you let me know the exact shortcode used on the page where you did not get a result … ahh … scrap that last statement, I forgot to add the zip code to the search field list.

    I don’t really have a real solution for you … the permalink support was built on the same principle that WP uses — the pages and posts you create are not actually really pages either. The Connections directory is just sort of a virtual page within a virtual page. The only thing that comes to mind, you could try using a redirection plugin to redirect incoming Connections permalinks to the pages you’ve already built, but you would have to add a redirect rule for every URL, which I imagine would be a heck of a lot of work and add yet another layer of complexity to the mix.
    • 

      Mitch 09/21/2012

      Thanks, I appreciate the ideas… I’m going to have to dig deep and figure out what we do across all of our ‘category’ pages. I hate to scrap all that work, as it has a purpose, but the changes may be best going forward.

      About the last part of my question… was there a way to look at how the updated cmap template will play with the updated RC1? Can I get access to the new cmap some how? (That is the template I previously purchased).

      Thanks.
      • 

        Steven Zahm 09/21/2012

        @Mitch

        Just sent you an email with an advanced copy of cMap 2.1.
        • 

          Scott 09/21/2012

          @Steven:

          Could I get an advanced copy as well?  The version I have was purchase in July, 2012.

          Thanks ;-)
        • 

          Steven Zahm 09/21/2012

          @Scott

          I just sent it your way.
  • 

    Steven Zahm 09/22/2012

    @Mitch

    I was taken a nap this afternoon, well at least trying to… when an idea for a neat add-on hit me. Not sure how to describe it… A content rule manager for Connections where you can create rules of when and where to inject extra content. For example, create a rule where when “X” category is displayed show “Y” content before the list and show “Z” after the list or is “A” entry being shown, if it is, place “B” content before it and “C” content after it. Sounds like something like that would suit your needs perfectly … Now only if I had the time … I’m adding it to my to do list.
    • 

      Mitch 09/24/2012

      Ah, the brainpower brought on by a good nap. :) Yes, that’s exactly what I was thinking. Something ‘contextual’ where when I have the page load the category “dental”, the content panel at the top of that page references information about that category, and includes (searchable) keywords. I have done that manually now, by creating pages for every single category. I link to these pages in the footer and sidebar of each connections display, and the main connections page is the only page that has the category drop down (that way people use the category page links on the footer and sidebar).

      Thanks for continuing to develop upon an already great plugin!
  • 

    Steven Zahm 09/27/2012

    @Mitch

    I added a few more permalink rules:

    pagename/category/%name%/region/%name%/?
    pagename/category/%name%/region/%name%/pg/%page%/?
    pagename/category/%name%/locality/%name%/?
    pagename/category/%name%/locality/%name%/pg/%page%/?
    pagename/category/%name%/postal-code/%name%/?
    pagename/category/%name%/postal-code/%name%/pg/%page%/?

    Now you should be able to create a links like:

    ../category/dental/zipcode/12345
    ../category/dental/state/WA
    ../category/dental/city/Mytown

    I also fixed the zipcode query so this should also work

    ../category/dental/?cn-s=12345
    • 

      Mitch 09/28/2012

      Nice. Downloaded and tested, worked great. Will test some more. Very cool to think of all the flexibility and customization options this provides. Now to just figure out that ‘contextual’ page issue. :)

      Great job here, thanks.
• 

  Scott 09/20/2012

  I cannot seem to find any help topics on upgrading – other than doing a manual upgrade.
  A very important question is, when I do a manual upgrade and deactivate and delete the old version, will all of my files and tweaks be maintained?
  My site uses the cmap template which I made some simple tweaks to.  I would certainly hate to loose all of my listings, logos, images, etc.

  Thanks for any help ;-)
  • 

    Steven Zahm 09/21/2012

    @Scott

    Here’s the link to the FAQ that outlines the steps to manually upgrade:
    http://connections-pro.com/faqs/how-do-i-manually-upgrade/

    As long as the cMap template is in the ../wp-content/connections_templates folder, your tweaks will not be affected. The logos and listing should be fine.
    • 

      Scott 09/21/2012

      Thanks Steven.

      I was a little leery to “delete all the files” without knowing whether all of my entries would be lost…  The update worked great!
• 

  Scott 09/21/2012

  @Steven Zahm:

  I just tried a fresh install of the “RC 1” on a client demo site for their staff profiles and I had the same issue as Phil Hoyt (Above). I subsequently disabled, uninstalled and downloaded the version from the wordpress . org site and it works just fine.
  Just thought I’d let you know…
  • 

    Steven Zahm 09/27/2012

    @Scott

    I just noticed that you said you downgraded. Sorry, I should have warned you, downgrading will cause problems. I highly recommend installing the latest RC release as those issues should be resolved.