No Paragraphs Bug

[Omolanke]

I just installed this software and a bit puzzled about why there are no paragraphs even when I've clearly added lines between my text? Is this normal for this software?

[burt]

Solution:

app.php/addons/free_addon/tinymce_wysiwyg_editor

[heatherbell]

Thanks both but I think this software is not ready yet for public use. I'm not computer geek but writing with paragraphs should not be a treasure hunt. I'll leave this well alone.

You would, no doubt, need to install an addon at some point to add the functionality you require to the software and the addon linked above is a good place to start.

[MyGamesShop]

If you use the tinymce addon you might need to change line 44

var $good_pages = ['categories.php', 'manufacturers.php', 'info_pages.php']; // what pages do you want to load the tinymce editor on

to

var $good_pages = ['catalog.php', 'manufacturers.php', 'info_pages.php']; // what pages do you want to load the tinymce editor on


depending on the Phoenix version your using.

[ReneH4]

I wouldn't be surprised if the OP has already left the building.

[Xpajun]

I wouldn't be surprised if the OP has already left the building.

I wouldn't blame the OP. These are very fundamental features missing and I can understand why that would put off anyone. Clearly OP seems like they're put off.

Having used this program since the early days of osCommerce (after coming in from various forum building) I see no problem having to to use html on the back pages - I once used a WYSIWYG add-on and after seeing the code it churned out got rid of it, it was dirty and slowed the program up (minutely but it was still slower). The front end of Phoenix does not need the customer to enter html which is the important bit
The store owner, however, does need to know html as well as php - if (s)he can't be bothered to learn then they can buy into some other ecommerce - and that is no differnt from forums

[heatherbell]

does need to know html as well as php

I do not think there is a need to know html or php to use Phoenix Cart except, in this topic's case, either simply enclosing text in <p> </p> or using a line break <br> which is probably the simple answer the OP was looking for as advised on this page in the User Guide here.

[burt]

If anyone wishes to waste their time telling us of missing features, please do so, but don't expect much response unless at the same time, you also tell us what you are going to do to provide the missing feature.

For example, if I saw this, it would be amazing;

Hey guys, thanks for spending 20 years learning how to code and thanks for giving us free software that is mostly suitable for my needs! What I would like to see, and I think other shopowners would agree is "XYZ".

I use "XYZ" to do "ABC" and if it could be somehow built into core code I think that would help many shopowners to also do "ABC" which would lead to increased sales because of "DEF".

What do you think? I know that there is only one or two core coders and that your time is valuable and limited - so what I have done is contacted the Certified Developers/Fiverr/etc and paid for it to be coded up.

Whereas when I see this;

there are very fundamental features missing

developers don't listen to feedback

I just silently judge the user posting such inanity.

There are some real issues in the Open Source Community, and this expectation of "the software must be 100% suitable for MY needs, these developers need to ask "how high" when I say jump" is the absolute #1 problem in my opinion.

[puddlec]

but no software can do everything you want it to, that is the point in mods, to extend it to do what YOU want it to do, with either you working it out for yourself, or finding someone else who has already done it or commissioning someone to do it for you.
if Phoenix had every feature going, just think how bloated the software would be, and even then it may not work how 1 person wants it to work, even if there is a simple work around for it

[ecartz]

Features also make it harder to implement alternative features. In this particular example, we have multiple solutions:

1. Just use basic HTML like paragraph or line break tags.
2. Create a hook that does nl2br before storing in the database. And undoes it before editing.
3. Create a hook that does nl2br before displaying.
4. Create a hook that uses CKEditor on textboxes.
5. Use the add-on that Craig already created to use TinyMCE on textboxes.
6. Use Burt's add-on (possibly modified).
7. Use a premade distribution created with Preston's bundle tool that implements something from 2-5 (or possibly 6, although I don't know that anyone is doing that).
8. Pay one of the certified developers to implement one of the previous seven solutions for you.

If we move one of 2-6 into core, how will people turn it off if they prefer a different option from 4-6? I could probably implement 2 or 3 as a database hook. But I haven't even redone the existing set of hooks as database hooks yet.

It's absolutely true that except for 8, these are solutions more easily implemented by more experienced, even technical people. But if not experienced or technical, why should people expect to be able to use free software?

We have a hard core of supporters who are experienced. Our conversion rate of other users is closer to 1%. So if we recruit a hundred users, we may sign up one for VIP/Pro/whatever. So I find it tremendously underwhelming to worry about users who are extremely unlikely to ever become subscribers. And if they do become subscribers, they don't tend to stay subscribers.

Other than the release threads (that I post), I'm not reading the regular forum anymore. I would much rather spend my time either

1. Working on stuff that helps me.
2. Working on stuff that helps the people in this forum. You know, the ones that support the project.

Everyone in this forum has access to Burt's add-on and is experienced enough not to need it. So to me, this is a non-problem. Yes, there may be some help vampires who will decide not to use the software as a result of not having a built-in solution for this. But do we really want to try to recruit more help vampires?

If people really wanted support, they'd pay someone for it.

I have some thoughts on how we might concentrate on recruiting more good users like you. But of course, Rome wasn't built in a day. And some of the feedback that we have been getting has been that updates are coming too fast. So I am more focused on making my stuff that I need work and less focused on taking the next steps in the evolution of our business model. I have mostly finished the 1.0.8.6 release. I've just been waiting to send it out for testing until I had all my stuff working with it. Once I'm sure my stuff is working, I can send out the release.

In the next few months, I'll also be able to share some of the stuff that I've been doing. I had paused that project to try to catch up with the changes caused by the separation from the old forum. But the last couple releases I've been working on it again. After it goes into testing (hopefully soon), I'll be able to go back to working on setting up a way to recruit good users. We'll probably talk more about that as we enter the new year.

Part of what I've been trying to do recently is to work on two projects in parallel: core and something else (the something else changes). This slows down the core update process while allowing me to work continuously. Ideally the "something else" will be somewhat dependent on the core changes such that changing core causes it to take more time. I currently have two projects that qualify as something else, although I hope to finish one soon. The other one relates more to the VIP/Pro/Supporters program, which will be evolving once the annual subscriptions finish expiring. There's a third that I haven't started yet but which also might help with this particular problem when completed.

Hopefully the new version will be able to get people to stop saying, "I wish core had" and start saying "I wish Pro had", but we'll have to see how it goes.