Development

[ronc]

Not trying to be rude, so don't take this the wrong way. I love what has been done on Phoenix thus far; but I see there has not been any development since 2019 when there was a 1.0.9.0 version alluded to. Is this product still active? Can we expect further development?

[burt]

What version are you on at present Ron ?

[ecartz]

Most recent release (November 2022): https://github.com/CE-PhoenixCart/Phoen ... /v1.0.8.20
Development branch: https://github.com/CE-PhoenixCart/Phoen ... e/1.0.8.21
Most recent commit (last week; October 2023): https://github.com/CE-PhoenixCart/Phoen ... 19b0e83ba7

I'll admit that I've been pretty slow recently, but 2019 is surely an exaggeration. 1.0.8.0 was in 2021. 1.0.8.20 was at the end of 2022. 1.0.8.21 was last edited a week ago.

[burt]

Not forgetting of course that public development (ie what actually goes into the Phoenix software/download) is the tip of the iceberg. Users don't see the 90% that is behind the scenes;

- code development that doesn't make it to prime time
- testing, then testing again (and again), both code that makes it and code that doesn't
- running the website & social media outlets & making videos to help shopowners
- making and supporting addons
- chasing people who have taken addons but haven't given back for them
- coming up with ideas for the future and trying to somehow roadmap them to fruition
- answering questions/comments on this forum
- dealing with 3rd parties, some of whom we rely on, some of whom rely on us
- fixing things that break in the ecosphere
- and so on.

It's never ending.

Then there is another version of Phoenix called "PRO", which is more or less a supercharged version of normal Phoenix. That also has to be looked after, as well as all the extra modules and code it contains. This version is underwritten by users and shopowners who want to see the Phoenix ecosystem survive.

From inception in 2014 (yes guys it's nearly 10 years of "Phoenix"), the codebase has been looked after by two people with occasional brilliant help from developers here and other users here.
Since 2019 (I choose this date since you mentioned it), here is the tip of the iceberg code that made it into the public release;

2019

2019.jpg

2020

2020-1.jpg

&

2020-2.jpg

2021

2021.jpg

2022

2022.jpg

In recent times, we've had to make massive changes due to external happenings beyond our control including having to uproot from our home and start afresh. This forum and website is created by and looked after by a third member of the team which has taken a lot of pressure off the coders and who is excellent at testing things. We also have a fourth member now who is excellent at testing things and coming up with ideas.

--

Shopowners like yourself, who are happily using a version of Phoenix, but come here once in a blue moon to make a comment or ask a question, then disappear for months or years - it shows that Phoenix is a stable and good piece of software. We're very pleased to have given you a decent piece of software.

Not trying to be rude, so don't take this the wrong way.

And I ask you to not take this the wrong way, the next thing I say.

However, there is a flip side to that stability of Phoenix - it also means that shopowners like yourself are not helping other shopowners by posting in the forum, answering questions, coming up with ideas for the future and so on. In addition it means that your business hasn't supported Phoenix in a monetary sense - none of what you see in the codebase, the forum, the site has been done for nothing. It's out of the pockets of a small number of great shopowners over the years and out of the pocket of the developers over the years.

I ask you, where have you been for the last 2.5 years between getting your answer for the last question you asked (July 2021) until yesterday (October 2023). Hopefully you've been super busy with your business running on Phoenix software - that would please us. Maybe it's time to start giving back as that would help Phoenix fly forwards into the future.

[admin]

Not trying to be rude, so don't take this the wrong way ... not been any development since 2019. Is this product still active?

It would seem that effectively stating incorrectly that work is not being done can only be taken one way.

I see there has not been any development since 2019

Don't know where you see that but everyone can see and check the VERSION RELEASE HISTORY shown here:
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=28

Version releases or updates can also be seen by everyone in this forum here:
app.php/tag/phoenix-update

Going to Tools > Version Checker will also show the latest version releases with dates of release (unless using a very old version).
https://phoenixcart.org/phoenixcartwiki ... on_Checker

[ronc]

I am currently on 1.0.8.20 and just upgraded to PHP 8.1 as we have other apps that require that minimum.

[ronc]

Sorry about the release date error. I accidentally copied the date of the post from release forum. I do want to point out as mentioned in the earlier post that I like your software a lot. I recommend it to anyone I know looking for an ecart solution. As an IT professional and web designer my opinion is respected, and I need to earn that respect by being professional about my recommendations.

Updates were coming fast and furious and now it has been one year, as the graphs Burt posted show. The last update alluded to a version 1.0.9.0.

PHP 8.0 is out of support in 23 days and phoenix is only approved for that. (BTW I have it running on 8.1 and as you had mentioned in another post I am so far having no issues.)

I have assisted where I have the ability such as giving Raiwa a heads up about problem code in the Spanish module. I did not post this in the public forum; but dealt privately with Raiwa. I am a very amateur (hobby) programmer and do not have the abilities to be an asset on your project.

I really like your product. I did need to know if the project is stale to plan my own roadmaps. Like researching another product that meets my needs, that is easy for end users like Phoenix. I need to learn that product to implement it, promote it etc. I do not relish the thought of doing so, as my days are also full of many other hats that leave me little time for that and little to no ability to do it on the fly.

I am glad you are all doing well, and the project continues to move forward. I have been with the phoenix project since just after Frozen. I realize that programming is a very demanding job, especially when you care about the quality of your work.

This also brings the point of my concern. We previously supported OSCommerce from version 1.X to end of life. We waited eagerly for version 3.X as posted on their site for I believe it was about six years. Eventually to find out the project had gone stale and even the website was not being supported. I had begun to follow you with Frozen; but not migrated as I was still waiting for OSC 3.x. When 2.x finally stopped working due to age, we panicked and scrapped the cart and moved to would shortly become Phoenix, don't want to do that again.

I like your product because it continued support for $0 products and carts. The back end is super easy to use. The product releases are of amazing quality, with very few issues or problems. This means sites can be kept up to date without the concern of going down due to bad software. In an industry where one releases a product, collects money and lets the userbase beta test in a live environment and fix it afterward it's refreshing. The product is super expandable with a good collection of add ins which are easy to install and configure (even more so with the hooks approach of Phoenix over the predecessor).

I realize that with the dating error it makes it all seem like it was meant as a slight; but I truly did not mean to be insulting. I was just trying to do my due diligence to reduce the grief. I hope you realize that. It's not a lack of appreciation, it's a concern for staying ahead of things, so as to not get caught short again.

Maybe, in retrospect, a better choice would have been to PM. Also some kind of progress or roadmap just to let everyone know the project is alive and well would be a good thing.

Ron

[burt]

Updates were coming fast and furious and now it has been one year, as the graphs Burt posted show. The last update alluded to a version 1.0.9.0.

Those graphs show the tip of the iceberg that is already public. A *lot* of coding for core software has happened this year, it is just not public yet.

PHP 8.0 is out of support in 23 days and phoenix is only approved for that. (BTW I have it running on 8.1 and as you had mentioned in another post I am so far having no issues.)

I cannot understand any business currently using any version of Phoenix, yet not helping us out in some way.
Why is their no forward thinking from so many shopowners?

giving Raiwa a heads up about problem code in the Spanish module. I did not post this in the public forum; but dealt privately with Raiwa.

Great. Well done and TY. That's just like I'm trying to explain with the 90% of things happening that you would not see.

my days are also full of many other hats that leave me little time for that and little to no ability to do it on the fly.

Ditto for many of us. Now do you get why you won't see this;

some kind of progress or roadmap just to let everyone know the project is alive and well would be a good thing.

--

I note you also ignored this question, pointed directly at you;

I ask you, where have you been for the last 2.5 years between getting your answer for the last question you asked (July 2021) until yesterday (October 2023).

Let's just leave it as a rhetorical question for the many other shopowners in the same boat;

Happy enough with the software not to need to come here, and if there's no need to come why bother wasting time/effort helping out.

Then again, if we all gave no time, no effort, no money...there would be no Phoenix.

[ronc]

I am sorry for my inability to articulate. The simple question was is Phoenix alive and well.
I am glad to hear it is.
Thank you.