Just a minor bug fix release this time. Sorting the following issues:
- fix an incompatibility problem with Contact Form 7.
- fix a problem with Google Analytics tag ()
Posts tagged with “shopping cart”
YAK 1.7.5
YAK 1.7.4, MU and Widgets
YAK 1.7.4 includes a fairly major change, to do with the storage of options. This is significant enough to post a health warning on the box (so to speak): Before upgrading, make sure you backup your database. At the very least, note down any major settings (PayPal, Authorize.net config, etc), just in case.
This release fixes a major problem in WordPress MU, and also a minor issue with the sidebar widget. Which reminds me, I really must update the Handbook to include details on using the Widget. If you’ve purchased the handbook in the past, expect a copy in the (e)mail in the next day or 3…
YAK 1.7.3, when at first you don’t succeed…
…try, try again.
Release 1.7.1 managed to introduce a couple of bugs — my automated tests didn’t quite provide the safety net I was hoping for, in this case. Hence, versions 1.7.2 and 1.7.3 include the following fixes:
* fix a problem with PayPal IPN
* fix a problem with Accounts Receivable payment
* fix a problem with (manual) Credit Card payment
* reduce memory usage
* add instant update of pricing promotions in the first page of the cart (after hitting update)
Note: I’ve had one report of weird issues when upgrading. It doesn’t seem to break anything, but please let me know if you do have problems, because I’m yet to identify exactly what the cause might be.
YAK 1.7.1, filing off the rough edges
YAK version 1.7.1 has just been released. This release (and the previous 1.7.0) includes the following changes:
- Fixing a problem with Authorize.net url
- Add checkbox for Authorize.net test mode
- Separate PayPal Pro return url (from Standard)
- Refactor payment types into separate classes to allow for easier extensibility
- Minor change to ipaddress sent to PayPal (only affects internal testing)
- Add ‘demo’ payment gateway
- Fix promo date saving problem
- Fix promo price calculation (causing problems in PayPal)
- Automatically create the Checkout page on activation
- Automatically create the “products” and “default” categories on activation
- Fix (hopefully) an odd error_log problem in certain environments
Enjoy!
YAK 1.6, with added WPMU goodness
YAK version 1.6 has just been released. There are mainly minor changes (a custom out-of-stock message, removing the link back to the project page, and minor restructure), apart from one fairly major enhancement — to support WordPress MU.
At the moment, I’d say this feature is “beta” quality. The full YAK test suite runs without problem, but I haven’t really spent a huge amount of time checking that there are no issues between multiple blogs. More testing is definitely recommended for anyone who decides to enable this on an MU install…
Hosting?
Is there a market for a hosted version of YAK? Configured for you, with PayPal standard as a base, products loaded (perhaps from Excel or something else) out of the box?
A few years ago, back when the project was a lot less mature, I had one tentative query along those lines. But I wasn’t in a position back then to do anything about it. I am now, but I wonder is there a market for it? After all, every “man-and-his-dog” has a hosted shopping cart solution — and some are a lot more comprehensive than YAK is, even now.
Gut feeling says, probably no, but perhaps worth asking the question…?
Contributor Request
Double-posting here and on the WP site.
I’m finding I have little time to work on YAK lately, for anything other than for bug fixes. There are a bunch of features I’d like to add, but unfortunately no time to work on them.
If you’re interested in helping out, and/or have features you want to add yourself — get in touch.
Release 1.3.3
Version 1.3.3 of YAK-for-WordPress has been released. See the changelog for more information, but changes since version 1.2.4 include:
- fix table charset/collation so table creation is consistent with WordPress
- add Swedish translation provided by Marco
- add Polish translation provided by Marciej
- fix more PayPal shipping issues
- new facility to add product types from the Products screen and when editing a post
- fix a problem with zero-total orders still being submitted to the payments gateway
- if the customer is logged into WordPress, record the user_id against the order (for future changes)
- add the facility to choose the type of order number: either generated (randomised) or plain sequence (linked to the order record).
- change [yak_quantity] and [yak_price] tags so that they also take params (product type and product id), for example: [yak_quantity large 25]
- fix a problem with single-quotes (‘) in addresses
I’ve also added a bunch of Selenium tests to automate the testing process, and hopefully eliminate any bugs that creep in when relying on manual tests.
Somewhat Less Than Complementary
Trackback pointed out a somewhat less than complementary review of YAK.
I think the reviewer probably has a valid point in regard to user-friendliness, but otherwise hasn’t appeared to put a huge amount of thought into his review. In fact, it was negative enough that I feel the need to post a rebuttal both here and in a comment on his post. I don’t mind constructive criticism (as I said, I tend to agree on the user-friendliness front), but I’m less than impressed with criticism that’s based on a fundamental lack of research.
Here’s my comment (hopefully it doesn’t come across as too defensive…):
A question for you: did you happen to scroll down the YAK project page (here: http://www.briggs.net.nz/log/projects/yak-for-wordpress/)?
I’m not trying to be snide, but your review mentions a lack of documentation, and there is basic installation documentation on the main project page.
A lot of open source projects make money by selling documentation. It’s pretty much a standard practice. Some users want to pay, some would rather figure it out themselves. That’s flexibility for you. But you don’t have to waste time figuring it out for yourself, because you can buy the handbook — so I find it rather trite for you to suggest that it’s somehow okay to pay for a plugin with documentation, yet it’s not okay to get a free plugin and then pay for the docs.
Yes, YAK is basic. That was one of the initial goals — along with tight integration within WordPress. So no, there isn’t a way to insert product images from YAK. Instead, you insert them in your post — your post is your product. That’s the foundation of YAK: post as product.
YAK originally had its own menu option, but before the new design of WP, I felt it took too much menu real estate and figured users would prefer if it was included within the standard WP menu structure — settings went into WP->Settings. Orders and Products and then Reports went into the Manage menu (which has now become Tools). I haven’t had any complaints or suggestions to change it, so far.
On the “lack of help” front, there is a forum on my site. A responsible reviewer might’ve taken a look there first — and found that, as with many open source projects, the forum is reasonably active, with support requests, and discussions on how to do things, and so on.
YAK might be lacking in user-friendliness (something I’m trying to address over time, but as a single-developer project, it’s slow going), but an accusation of lack of support is, quite frankly, groundless.
In the distant past, I was one of the editors of a (printed) technical journal in the US. Generally if we were reviewing a product, we’d contact the company in advance for review copies (giving them the opportunity to provide additional information if they wanted). In this case, and for any future reviews you decide to write, I believe you’d be better served contacting the developer (or developers) and give them that same opportunity. It is perhaps a better form of journalism not to rubbish a project or product without actually doing a little research in advance…
Flaws?
Last September, I posted about a somewhat odd exchange between myself and the developer of a competing shopping cart plugin, over a troll whom, in the end, wound up attacking both plugins.
Since then, I’ve come across a few negative comments about YAK on various forums — interestingly, in none of these cases has the poster actually contacted me. All too similar to the original troll.
The usual process, when there’s been a real issue with YAK, is that someone lets me know, I fix said issue (or otherwise try to resolve), and release a new version. So far, I’ve only been notified about one legitimate hole in the code (quickly fixed), and (at least, as far as I can recall) haven’t left any major flaws outstanding for great lengths of time. So I haven’t been enormously worried about the odd malcontent.
That said, I occasionally google to see what’s being said out there, and came across the following gem (from the aforementioned plugin developer).
If you want to throw up an image with a price in a page or a post then by all means use YAK. But if you want the real deal then [competing-plugin] is built on years of e-Commerce knowledge and has plenty of important features for people wanting to SELL Online – such as the ability to interface with many payment gateways, the ability to interface with shipping companies, and much much more
(Note: I’ve removed the name of the plugin because I’ve thus far tried to avoid actually naming the individual involved).
This was posted sometime after May last year, but I do feel the need to make a couple of comments, even though it’s almost a year old:
1. What’s your definition of important feature? Get a group of users together, and I guarantee they won’t come up with the same list.
2. YAK now supports a number of payment gateways (PayPal standard, PayPal Pro, Authorize.net and basic Google Checkout integration)
3. Okay, it doesn’t directly interface with shipping companies — but the shipping calculation is relatively flexible, and I’m always open to suggestions.
4. YAK as a project has now been actively (if intermittently) developed for 3 years. So I’d say it also fulfills the assertion: “built on years of e-Commerce knowledge”. 
UPDATE: here’s another interesting comment (by someone called Mccormicky) which I came across after posting this:
Yak cart is another you might consider if you don’t mind repairing tables in mysql. I did it and I am no expert.
Yak is not that supported either-there isn’t even an onsite tutorial for setting it up and the readme contains nothing about where to put the hooks! I was amazed.
It looks like fairly obvious trolling, given that (at the time it was posted) there was certainly a basic tutorial for YAK setup, and at the time I don’t recall being contacted about any “table repair” problems. Weird.
