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eCommerce construction => Installation and Configuration => Fresh Installation => Topic started by: srs on May 17, 2013, 01:17:54 PM

Title: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 17, 2013, 01:17:54 PM
Selecting Design > Layouts (Layout & Blocks Manager), amending the content of the blocks and then selecting Save at the bottom of the page produces a message "Success: You have modified layout & blocks!" on a green background.

The Layout & Blacks Manager page refreshes and the change is not visible - ie it is just as it was before! And the change has NOT been made despite the success message.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abantecart on May 17, 2013, 02:43:28 PM
What version do you use?
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 17, 2013, 04:04:15 PM
Version 1.1.4 on a Windows Server platform.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abantecart on May 18, 2013, 10:48:25 AM
Can you please check the log in system -> log -> error log?

also try to clear cache.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 19, 2013, 12:04:40 PM
Cache cleared - all files. Made no difference.

Extracts from error log attached - many more were generated and have been deleted from the attachment due to your upload size restrictions.

Is this another case of the system trying to rely on a Unix standard call which cannot be found on a Windows server?
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abantecart on May 19, 2013, 11:40:41 PM
If you look at you log, you can see that many files can not be write to or deleted. Check permission on files on your system in relation to your web server.
This is clear indication of problem. Cache can not be saved or removed and layout  updates will not be effected.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 20, 2013, 06:05:56 AM
I had already looked at the log before posting my previous message. And, from the previous problem I had I had already worked out that the software was failing to write something somewhere.

I had also checked, double checked and triple checked that the various directories listed in the install requirements were set to read/write. They wera at every check and I've check again and they still are.

These facts are, indeed, a clear indication of a problem - but not where you seem to think. Unless, that is, there is another factor relating to windows servers you haven't told me about.

A solution is required.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 20, 2013, 08:03:33 AM
I thought I'd give matters another try - these errors appear in the Firefox error console.

There are quite a few, just a small selection in the attached file.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abolabo on May 21, 2013, 05:14:12 AM
Please do not confuse errors with a warning.
All that you posted related to 3d-party (jquery cross-browser css etc.).
Nevermind.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 22, 2013, 02:32:43 AM
The fact remains that the problem prevents any use of the system.

If the problem is caused by 'third party' items, then you must assume responsibility for putting in calls to 'third party' systems that clearly aren't working.

Your final comment "nevermind" shows a cavalier attitude to potential users.

Are any of the support team really interested in solving this?
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abolabo on May 22, 2013, 04:16:16 AM
The fact remains that the problem prevents any use of the system.

please describe details how this "problem" prevents any use of the system
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 22, 2013, 04:50:51 AM
In order to satisfy myself that it is usable I require to customise the layout.

If the system is to be usable to me then all features need to work on my existing web site platform.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abolabo on May 22, 2013, 05:56:18 AM
In order to satisfy myself that it is usable I require to customise the layout.
If the system is to be usable to me then all features need to work on my existing web site platform.
it's just a words.
I understand that you have no evidence of dysfunction Abantecart.
All that you have taken - a warning (not an error), which gives one or another browser on css-hacks.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 22, 2013, 06:21:50 AM
I decided to explore a bit further - and see if there are any more clues to where the problem lies.

I added a category and a product to see if that part of the system would work. I was able to add them once the first reported issue had been resolved (see topic "Add Product" on the Fresh Installation board) by provision of a proper function instead of a call to unix one that doesn't exist on a windows server.

I then went to the Shop Front Home Page and expected to see the category that is automatically installed appear in the category box together with the category I created. I also expected the product to show up on the page. These expectations are not unreasonable. Neither appeared and the page stubbornly displayed the exact information it did when when first installed: category box no entries, no product on view. The product is, incidentally, flagged as 'featured' and failed to be shown there either.

As an experiment I changed the language setting from English to Spanish. Wow! - the product was displayed and the categories were listed and the product appeared in the featured panel. Change it back to English - and the entries all disappeared again.

This might give you a clue as to where to start looking for the solution to the problem of the system not working and your actions to solve the problem instead of nit-picking.

As for claims of 'no evidence' - read the above again and again. If the failure of the entered categories and products to appear on the shop front isn't clear evidence of a serious dysfunction then what is?


Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abolabo on May 22, 2013, 06:41:07 AM
As an experiment I changed the language setting from English to Spanish. Wow! - the product was displayed and the categories were listed and the product appeared in the featured panel. Change it back to English - and the entries all disappeared again.

it's looks like you don't set up english variant of category name on admin side.
Please check language inside of edit form that usually placed on heading panel under header of page. We call it "content language switcher". It gives  a ability to you to regulate category list depending on interface language.

about claims. i'm sorry. I just want to be more meaningful discussion. :)
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 22, 2013, 07:26:57 AM
I'm not sure where, exactly, you are asking me to look so you may need to give more detail of where.

The installation instructions didn't mention any need to take any user action to install languages or language elements as both English and Spanish are installed by default.

Under admin > system > settings the language entries for both shop front and administration are set to English just as they were left set by the installation process.

The shop Front page url I am looking at finishes with "&language=en" which would appear to be correct. In case it is of any help I have attached the source code of the page delivered by the server itself for you. Whilst I have referred to it as 'source code' this is a bit of a misnomer as it is html generated by your system. The delivered html doesn't contain the words "content language switcher" although there is a switcher div present.

I have also attached the delivered html following a switch to Spanish (page url finishes with "&language=es"). Apart from the language differences one would expect, the various divs that should contain the details (such as the "main_content" div) contains only the header for the block when English is selected whereas in the Spanish the header is followed by the expected list of the relevant category or product entries.

Screen captures of what is visible on the shop front page are attached in case these are of any help. (the Spanish one follows due to the artificial constrain on attachment sizes!)

If you need me to look in any other settings please let me know.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 22, 2013, 07:27:28 AM
Fourth file of the set.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abolabo on May 22, 2013, 08:48:59 AM
no. i talked about language in admin for category page. Not storefront.
Look at picture in attachment.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 22, 2013, 10:04:16 AM
Have checked - it is set to English both for "Category 1" which was created by the installation program, and for "Test Category 1" which I added.

Have also created "Test Category 2" (language set to English) as this fails to appear on the shop front in either English or Spanish. And the server log doesn't show any POST commands to match saving anything at the relevant times when I saved the changes.

According to the install instructions the following should be set to 'read/write':
system/config.php
system/
system/cache/
system/logs/
image/
image/data/
image/thumbnails/
download/
I have checked again and these directories and files are all set to read/write.
Are there any other directories or files that should be set to read/write?
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abolabo on May 22, 2013, 10:09:03 AM
hm.. it's not related to file permissions.. what about cache? SYSTEM->CACHE
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 22, 2013, 10:23:33 AM
When I changed System to read/write the process also changed the directories and files below it. The settings in System/Cache (and logs) do not allow me to change them once the higher level has changed. The 'ticks' against the permissions are present but greyed out as they have been inherited from System.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abolabo on May 22, 2013, 10:32:45 AM
so... you or abantecart engine cannot delete cache files..... can you set permissions for system/cache directory to 777 and remove all cache files inside?
Did you tried to set permission via cpanel of hosting provider?
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 22, 2013, 10:55:41 AM
Setting to "777" doesn't work on Windows servers so all the settings have to be carried out via the Parallels Control Panel. It is that facility I have been using to initially set the permissions and then check they have not been changed.

I have just taken a look inside the System/Cache directory using FileZilla and it is full of files that include 1369317255 as the filename extension plus the index.html file placed there by the install process. Filedates vary from 17 May (when I installed) through to the current time. I then went to System > Cache, ticked all boxes and told it to clear the cache.

Looking again via FileZilla, no files seem to have been either deleted or changed. A further check using the Parallels panel shows the files to be flagged as read/write ok.

Is your php code trying to manipulate using a Unix style command (such as chmod) when handling the cache? Chmod doesn't work on a windows server.

I also took the trouble to check the content of three of the tables in the SQL database (using phpMyAdmin). Screen captures are attached. There are entries for all three categories that should be there - Category 1 placed there by the installer and the other two by me. This might help towards narrowing down the search for a solution.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 22, 2013, 10:59:10 AM
Oops, I should have checked by filetype. They're not all 136 etc filename extensions. But the filename extensions are all numeric and range from 1368871461 to 1369317255.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 22, 2013, 12:34:09 PM
I have just used FileZilla to remove the 1033 files from the cache, leaving only the index.html file. Lo and behold, all the additional categories I had created have appeared in the shop front. Looking again in FileZilla - a fresh set of cache files has appeared, 101 in number.

Created a third test category. It doesn't show up in the shop front.

Are the cache files intended to be transient - and deleted by the system once the content has been used to generate the html delivered to the browser? If so, they are not disappearing / being emptied and are blocking the view-ability of subsequent edited information. They are flagged as read/write ok.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abolabo on May 23, 2013, 04:20:44 AM
also try to disable cache in settings->tab system
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 23, 2013, 09:45:16 AM
Turned cache settings off as suggested. Noted there is a statement "Please be careful when disable caching. Cached pages will not be re-created and site might start loading slow."

Used FileZilla to delete the previous cached 100 files.

Created a new category 4. Despite the statement above that cached pages will not be re-created the system created 40 cache files!! Examination of the 'last modification' date shows that 22 of these were created currently and and 18 copied in from somewhere else - they had yesterday's date on them. Reloaded the shop front page and the new category was listed.

Created a new category 5. No change to the cached files. Reloaded the shop front page and Category 5 showed up immediately.

This seems to have resolved the problem of making freshly added categories visible but begs questions:

1. What value is there in having the cache at all.
2. If the shop becomes busy, how much does performance reduce with the cache turned off.
3. If the cache is disabled why are any cache files created at all.

I would appreciate answers to those points.

THE PROBLEM IS NOT FULLY SOLVED

With the cache files present I tried again to update the layout and a reload of the shop front page showed no change.
Emptied the cache (again) using FileZilla.
Reloaded the shop front page and this created two fresh cache files.
The changed display layout shows on the admin page but does not show up on the store front when reloaded.

So the problem that started this thread, the failure to make changes to the layout on the shop as initially reported, still remains even with all the cache files deleted.

Are the current layout settings kept in a different cache or file somewhere else and so that the updated layout information is not being read when the shop front is reloaded?
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abolabo on May 24, 2013, 03:12:00 AM
can you give me access to your site via PM? i mean ftp and admin side. i need investigate.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 24, 2013, 04:48:36 AM
Before we get to that stage I did find something else  ..

Under System > Settings > Appearance > Template I found that the entry read "Template 2" despite the Extension not having installed properly (I used your built in install process) and having been deleted. Changing this to "Default" seems to have cured the problem and also cured the problem of some error messages refusing to depart this life despite several attempts to delete them via the System > Messages screen.

The only conclusion I can reach is that, on a windows server at least, installing extensions is a risky business; and uninstalling them even riskier. However, a brief bit of tinkering with the css files indicates I can customise the appearance of the shop site sufficiently and, by replacing graphic files, adjust the parts that the css doesn't reach.

Abantecart has said, in a different thread, that you don't 100% guarantee that the system will work in every respect on a windows server. I do think, in your own interests and that of your reputation, that you need to test the system yourselves on a windows platform by attempting all the system functions as a user and verifying they work. By doing this yourselves you will be able to dive 'behind the scenes' as necessary to resolve any issues that reveal and then include them in the next available upgrade.

Whilst I don't have time to do this for you I will be talking to my hosting company to see what is involved in putting this system in a HTTPS location and I will let you know of any more problems that surface. The 'clean installs' will then benefit form what I have learnt from the two threads I have so far started.

Thank you for your help.



Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abolabo on May 24, 2013, 05:15:47 AM
I will express a personal opinion. I hate windows, and absolutely do not understand people who choose it from a server platform for PHP. This operating system is not suitable for real-time tasks, which is the web server.
It is paid, closed source, unstable in the work etc
It is has no such a number of fine tuning, which can give you almost any unix-like system. Because of all these shortcomings, but also because of the fact that part of the core php functions just do not work at it, we did not set ourselves the task of fully support this platform. Maybe in the future things will be better.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 24, 2013, 05:24:44 AM
The down side of switching to Unix, for me, is having to rewrite the parts of the site that use ASP instead of moving forward.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abolabo on May 24, 2013, 05:31:55 AM
and you using IIS instead apache?... it's sad
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: srs on May 24, 2013, 05:49:29 AM
I think the sad aspect is finding a shopping cart system that doesn't work straight out of the box on all server platforms and having one's expectations, raised from the web site, not fully met.
Title: Re: Design - Layouts not Updating
Post by: abantecart on May 24, 2013, 07:52:47 AM
We can or could address IIS issues and make AbanteCart fully compatible with it. As a core development team for AbanteCart this is not our highers priority at this time, since majority of hosting offer Apache.

We open this opportunity for anyone on a forum with IIS to help our project, addressing these issues.

Also, please check this post:
http://forum.abantecart.com/index.php/topic,787.0.html