Preview of Zen Cart 1.4/1.5 changes

[mandy]

Changes in upcoming Zen Cart 1.4:

Here is an update on what to look forward to in v1.4 when it is released in 2008. The following components have been built or are being built presently. There is still more to come, some of which is outlined in the previous roadmap notice.

WHAT TO LOOK FORWARD TO IN V1.4
The following hardly does justice to the vast number of improvements made so far:

    * Minimum PHP 5.2 required. Now uses class support components dependent on PHP 5 including interfaces, exception handlers, etc
    * large amounts of procedural code converted into classes/objects, making code more efficient and faster, and reducing database queries
    * new db/cache classes and interfaces
    * dao classes added to compartmentalize and optimize SQL queries, making it easier to expand to alternate engines, and reducing number of queries used. MySQL 5 compatibility improvements included also.
    * productPricing and product Factory classes added -- saves 700+ queries on home page alone
    * category structure converted to MPTT format -- saves significant number of queries
    * performance gain comparisons are "night and day" for sites heavily laden with attributes
    * large portions of function libraries converted to utility classes, and duplicated components now shared between admin and catalog
    * template system enhancements to remove layout tables and allow for admin-driven dynamic layout settings where desired, or overridden by template
    * notifier/observer system improvements -- numerous additional notifier points added for easy hooking by plugins
    * InnoDB transaction support added
    * email infrastructure replaced with SwiftMailer instead of phpMailer which is faltering in light of contemporary server configurations
    * attribute stock/sku support added. Uses some ajax catalog-side.
    * security enhancements to allow for greater prevention against spoofed logins
    * ... and LOTS MORE !!! (and more to be done yet)


And for 1.5 ...
As to v1.5, keep in mind that the target there is usability and flexibility improvements for the Checkout process. There will be a large focus on tweaks to empower shopowners to increase conversions, etc, including page layouts, checkout flow, promotions and reminders, and so on -- all related to best practice methods to increase sales...

full announcement: http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread...post431805
more: http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showthread.php?t=36912