Few quick tips upgrading to 6.x from 5.x ...
Download installer script (new installs):
use the links to the left in the Gold Version community site - click on "6.x Gold Version Downloads".
A list of files and directories available to download from is presented. Click on the FTPgold60.zip file to download the installer script inside the archive or click on the FTPgold60.txt file which will bring up a text file that you can save to your PC and rename with a .cgi file extension.
Instructions are within the text of the script file if you need more information.
A youtube screencast video for new installs is available in the same youtube channel for the upgrade video listed below ( channel name: AgoraSuite ).
CGI-bin installations:
a helper page ( user guide or manual page ) for installing into the cgi-bin and resulting setups for images is located in the community pages at:
http://www.agoracart.com/community/documentation-v6/40-6x-installation-guides/74-cgibin-location-setups.html
Step by step user guide - Upgrading 5.5.x to 6.x:
Screencast Video - Upgrading 5.5 to 6:
This video will run thru the process of upgrading a v5.5.x storefront using the capabilities of the built in upgrade manager/system that was added to AgoraCart in version 5.x. A video for new installs is available in the same youtube channel ( channel name: AgoraSuite ).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYK-R8rPg-c
Backups / Rollbacks (if you mess up after a core update):
If you perform a core update or update from 5.5.x to 6.x, then rollbacks (backups) are available in your store manager areas in the protected/rollback sub-directory of your store. Each backup will be in a directory with a bunch of numbers (server time based), with the highest number being the latest backup.
Individual files, such as those paid for in the marketplace or not part of the core update, which are upgraded individually in the upgrade manager, create their own individual backup files in the same directory as the required file, except it is renamed with a backup key added to the name and also ends with .txt at the end of the name.
Designing your storefront - headers/footers:
Store Headers/Footers: These are located in a template system called "agoraPlates", which are within the html/agoraPlates sub-directory of your storefront. Each template can have any number of skins. These skins are individually named within the template directory. Naming conventions for skins are: templatename_skinname. When new agoraPlates are installed, you can select them for use within drop-down list in the "AgoraCart Main / Core Settings" Manager (will require a refresh of the screen if you have installed the agoraPlate while your browser is on that manager page ).
If you wish to create your own own agoraPlate template, we recommend that you study one of the current templates: Basics (the default in v6) or TheAgora (can be installed via the upgrade manager in the templates section). The easiest way to start is to copy one of the agoraPlate sub-directories to your computer via FTP. Then rename the current agoraPlate directory name as wella s any directory names for the skins. The upload the original agoraPlate to the agoraPlate sub-directory of your store. Then you can start working on the CSS and HTML files in your newly created agoraPlate directory. We no longer have the guides on how to split existing designs and so forth, so you sill have to study existing designs to wee how we did it.. until more documentation is donated or recreated. Make sure to include any "agorascript" code to add dynamic functions to your design: see existing layouts for samples.
Custom Headers / Footers for Product Categories: if you have this enabled in your store manager settings ( set " Use Category Name for Header/Footer Includes" to yes, inside the "Layout & Design Settings - Misc" manager ), you will be able to have customer headers and/or footers customized for individual product categories. This requires you to manually create these files. You can mix an match store headers/footers for categories and the main store in any fashion, but they must match up as far as HTML tags ( table/div/p & etc ). Headers have "header-" added to the category name, and ".inc" at the end (.inc = include ). Spaces are replaced by underscores in the file name. For example, the header name for the "HTML Books" product category would be: header-HTML_Books.inc . The custom category footer operates exactly the same way, except has "footer-" in the file name. Custom category headers/footers are automatically used if they are present (and enabled in store manager settings ). So, no need to upload a file for every category nor for each header/footer file. Just create as you desire them.
Product Page Layouts:
these are pages that control the layout of the products in your store. The default page used is: productPage.inc and is located in the html/html-templates sub-directory of your store. Other layouts exist for your use and start with the same name but have a dash and extension before the ".inc". These can be swamped out with the default page or used for modeling custom category page layouts, or even called directly using a little extra piece added to a link URL. Tokens to use dynamic data and files are available, see token info below.
Custom category layouts: these can be designed in the same fashion as the custom category headers/footers listed above. They must be enabled in the store manager settings ( set "Use Category Name as ppinc Root" to yes, in the "Layout & Design Settings - Misc" manager ). They will also be automatically used if present and the category name matches the file name (except spaces which are underscores). The difference from custom category headers/footers is that you use just the name of the product category of the file with ".inc" at the end and spaces in the category name replaced with underscores. So, for the category named "HTML Books", the custom category product page would be named: HTML_Books.inc . The file is then uploaded tot he html/html-templates sub-directory of your storefront. (use current layout samples for design ideas and ask in forums how to use agorascript snippets if you get stuck). Tokens to use dynamic data and files are available, see token info below.
using product page layouts on the fly: You can specify page layouts by adding an extra piece to any link URL you manually create ( great for emails or custom category/product links ). To indicate a a different layout template for pages, you use the part of the name from the dash on and minus the .inc in the name. For example, say you want to display your category (available to individual products as well ) using one per row, and just for that one category, you chose the layout you need ( productPage layout files are in the html/html-templates sub-directory ), in this case we will use productPage-1d.inc. If our category is HTML Books, then the link will go from (sample only) "agora.cgi?product=HTML_Books" to "agora.cgi?product=HTML_Books&ppinc=1d". Notice the ppinc=1d portion of the URL, the ppinc is the call to use a non-standard "product page include" template named "-1d". You can add your own "ppinc" templates to the sub-directory and name them anything you link after the dash (as long as no other dashes exist).
Verify and Thank-You Page Layout Templates:
These file are also in the html/html-templates sub-directory of your storefront. They end with ".inc" in the name. Thank-You Page templates start with "thanksTable_" in the name. For the Verify Page in the checkout process, the template name begins with "verifyTable_" in the name. You can customize these templates using HTML for layout and data from various cart variables. Variables include verified variables (variables entered in the order form or compiled at the verify page, usually starting with "$sc_verify_". Also available at the thank you page), form submitted variables (from the "$form_data" hash. submitted data to cart. However, not always available when coming back from a payment gateway so use the order logging hash variables), "$eform_" variables (another verified variable but build from original form submits and the $form_data hash. available at verify page and thank you page), and orderlogging has variables (starts with $orderLoggingHash. available only at thank-you pages ). To use, you select the template in the email section of each payment gateway you are using. This allows you to have layouts specific to each payment gateway, in case you need it.
For a list of variables available to you at verify and thank-you pages, visit:
http://www.agoracart.com/community/documentation-v6/34-6x-gateways-checkout/46-tokens-variables-available-during-checkout.html
Email Templates - emailPlates:
Emails for both the customer and the store confirmations can be designed using HTML code or text document layout and special tokens to insert data from the customer orders. these templates are located in the html/emailPlates sub-directory of your store. HTML based emails must be enabled in the store manager settings. Email templates for customers start with "template_email_" in the name. Administrator emails ( store owner confirmation emails ), start with "template_admin_" in the name of the file. Both end with ".inc" in the file name. To use, you select the template in the email section of each payment gateway you are using. This allows you to have layouts specific to each payment gateway, in case you need it.
For a list of tokens available for emailPlates, visit:
http://www.agoracart.com/community/documentation-v6/34-6x-gateways-checkout/49-tokens-for-emailplates-managerside-html-templates.html
Cart Messages - Language Files:
In version 6.x, all messages that are used in core code have been moved to a language file. If you need to alter a message in the cart, the "agora_messages.pl" file for your language is where to make edits. Language files are located in the html/language sub-directory of your storefront. Each language available is in its own sub-directory and contains its own "agora_messages.pl" file. If you have more than one language available in your store installation, you can chose the default language in the "main/core settings" in the store manager areas. If you wish to translate your store, you can create your own language sub-directory, and translate the text in an "agora_messages.pl" file and copy to that new language sub-directory.
Meta Tags & Misc HTML code for core code:
While javascript and other meta tags can be set within the managers, a few misc items are removed from core code files and placed in non-core files, which allow you to edit the data without editing core code that gets wiped out with each update. Some meta tags for the browser (caching), bots, and a "special" meta tag that can be customized are containd in a file named: agora_metatags.pl and located in the 'library" sub-directory of your store. The abstracted HTML code is located in a template file named: agora_html.inc and is located in your html/html-templates sub-directory -- each piece of html is in a variable, so take care with such information and do not add the demarcation characters for each individual variable ( those that mark the beginning and ending of the variable, such as pipe characters, single quote marks, and exclamation marks ).
Order Forms:
Order forms should use the new 6.x versions, as a base point if you need to customize the forms and the fields used. These are located in the html/forms sub-directory of your storefront. Each HTML coded order form file is specific to a payment processing gateway with"-orderform.html" following the name of the gateway, for example the Authorize.net order form is named: AuthorizeNet-orderform.html.
If you need to know the form fields that are standardized and captured in order logs, you can visit the page below and use the variables starting with "$eform_Ecom_..." and take the portion of the name after the"$eform_" and that is the form element name you use on your order forms. For example, from the page below, say you want to capture a sales rep on your order form, you would look for the variable name: $eform_Ecom_sales_rep ... then you would extract the form name, which is "Ecom_sales_rep", and place as the name of your form field in your order form HTML code/file.
variables to extract form names from, are located at:
http://www.agoracart.com/community/documentation-v6/34-6x-gateways-checkout/46-tokens-variables-available-during-checkout.html