Summary

This document is only for customers upgrading from an earlier version of VP-ASP. If you are a new customer using VP-ASP Shopping Cart for the first time, then please stop reading now.

The upgrade to VP-ASP 5.00 involves a number of steps. Some are done automatically by utilities that are provided and others manually by following the steps below. This is a quick summary of the steps necessary to upgrade.

1. Install VP-ASP into a new folder
2. Update shop$config.asp to point to your existing database
3. Run utility convert500.asp to update the database.
4. Manually assign new menus and tables to your administrative userids
5. Manually update shop$colors.asp
6. Copy over your shoppage_header.htm and shoppage_trailer.htm and other site specific files
7. Download the 5.0 language files and change any site specific language words.
8. Download latest electronic gateway interface
9. Update your Shop Configuration Options (required for 3.x customers only)
10. Convert categories. This is only for VP-ASP 3.x customers and 4.x customers in old category mode
11. Other add-ons
12. VP-ASP 3.x specific notes

Conversion files

A special tool called convert500.asp is provided that updates the database and builds or updates your Shop Configuration.  The same steps are necessary whether you are using Microsoft Access, SQL Server or MYSQL. There are separate files for some steps depending on the database you are using.

Conversion tool utility is convert500.asp

1. Install VP-ASP 5.0 files 

2. Update shop$config.asp

Manually edit shop$config.asp to point to your existing database. We recommend using a backup copy of your real database. Then run the diagnostic tool diag_dbtest.asp to verify the database can be read/written. If not check your settings or see www.vpasp.com/virtprog/info/faq_databasesetup.htm

3. Upgrade your database

Start file convert500.asp from your browser. This file is in the new VP-ASP 5.0 folder. It adds fields and tables to your database.

1. You now need to run this file twice 
   
   The files for Microsoft Access are:
   convert500access.txt, create500admin.txt
2. For SQL Server use the following files
   convert500sqlserver.txt, create500admin.txt
3. For MYSQL use the following two files
   convert500mysql.txt, create500admin.txt

After this utility file runs, the database will be updated to VP-ASP 5.00 format. Your existing data will remain unchanged.

Close your browser and start a new session. 

4. Update VP-ASP administrators

In the VP-ASP administration, a number of manual tasks are required.

1. Login to the Admin system. 
2. Go to Shop Configuration and click reload shop Configuration
3. Go to User Control
4. Edit a specific administrative userid
5. Check all menus and tables that you want that administrator to use

5. Update shop$colors.asp

shop$colors.asp controls many aspects of the font and formatting. We recommend that you use the supplied version 5.00 shop$colors.asp. If you are converting from a  release of VP-ASP before Version 4.0, you cannot keep your shop$colors.asp and you will need to manually modify the supplied copy.

If you are upgrading from VP-ASP 4.x, locate this line in the new shop$colors and paste the lines following it into your shop$colors.asp.

' VP-ASP 5.0
Copy this and the approximately 13 lines from the VP-ASP 5.0 shop$colors.asp to your shop$colors.asp and replace the shop$colors.asp in the new VP-ASP 5.0 folder.

The xproductfields and xproductcaptions, previously in shop$colors.asp are now in the Shop Configuration. This allows you to alter the product fields and captions being displayed if you do not use templates. You will need to manually update these values if you have changed them.

6. shoppage_header.htm and shoppage_trailer.htm

shoppage_header.htm controls the top navigation and shoppage_trailer.htm controls the bottom navigation. You can use your existing files but you will need to change a few lines if language variables are used.

If you find statements such as langsearch or any others that start with lang, then you must edit these and change them to getlang("langsearch").

7. Update Languages

Languages are handled totally differently in this release than in previous VP-ASP releases. They are now stored in the database in a  new table called languages. If you have made no changes to the captions and are using English, then you need do nothing. Otherwise the steps to use your current language files are:

1. Download the latest languages(s) you require from our web site. www.vpasp.com/sales/languages.asp
2. Unzip the language files into the VP-ASP folder
3. Logon to the VP-ASP administration
4. Select languages
5. Click on Add New language and type in the filename shop$language_spanish.asp. Spanish is just an example. Use the file name you just downloaded. This will add the new language to the VP-ASP language table
6. Repeat the above for each language
7. If you have made changes to the language file, copy your shop$language_spanish.asp and shop$language2_spanish.asp to the VP-ASP 5.0 folder. Repeat the add language. VP-ASP will then update any words and not actually add a new language a second time. If English is not the default language you want, go to Shop Configuration. Search for xlanguage and change it to Spanish (or your default language)

8. Electronic Gateways

All the electronic gateways have been rewritten. We recommend you download the VP-ASP 5.0 version of the gateway you are using. To download the new gateway code, go to http://www.vpasp.com/sales/epdownload.asp. If your gateway is not on the list contact us.

10. Categories

The way VP-ASP handles categories and subcategories has been completed changed in this release if you are using a release before 4.x. 

If you are using VP-ASP 4.0 or 4.50 and are not using compatibility mode, there is no change and you can skip this section.

VP-ASP 5.0 does not have a compatibility mode. This means, that if you are converting from version 3.x or VP-ASP 4.x and were using compatibility mode, you will need to convert your categories. This involves running a supplied file called convertcategories.asp. 

If you have VP-ASP 4.x, determine if you are using compatibility mode by going to Shop Configuration and look for xoldcategorymode. If set to Yes, compatibility mode is being used and conversion will be necessary. See the Developers Guide for more details on this feature.  

Convert categories will alter the categories table and we therefore ask that you read the section in the Developer's Guide before proceeding. 

The VP-ASP 5.0 method eliminates the need for the subcategories table, subcatlevel3, subcatlevel4, subcatlevel5 and prodsubcategories tables. The only two tables used are categories table and the prodcategories table. See the Developer's Guide  for more details.

11. Add-ons

Many of our free add-ons are now incorporated into the VP-ASP product. Some may require the VP-ASP Option Package. The other add-ons can be obtain by going to www.vpasp.com/sales/addons.asp

VP-ASP 3.xx only

This section is only if you are converting from VP-ASP 3.x. The shop$config.asp file has almost entirely been replaced by a browser based Shop Configuration. For details see the Merchant's guide. To keep your current configuration settings, you will need to run a utility called convertconfig.asp. 

1. Copy the current shop$config.asp and rename it oldshop$config.asp

2. Copy oldshop$config.asp to the VP-ASP 5.0 directory

3. Start convertconfig.asp from your browser

4. Type in file name oldshop$config.asp

The configuration is now updated.

If you have been using our shopproductformat_withhtml.asp then you will need to switch to HTML template formatting. Template formatting should be easier to use. A template called tmp_productformat.htm is supplied as an example.  In the Shop Configuration you set the following values:

xproductwithhtml=Yes
xproductcolumns=3
3 is an example of the number of products per column.
See the Developer's guide for using template formatting

If you added your own code, that references some configuration variables, they may need to change. If previously you had

abc=xemailsubject

 it would now be 

abc=getconfig(“xemailsubject”)

If you have added code that references the internal VP-ASP cart, the names have changed

arrCart = Session("MyCart")
scartItem = Session("cartItem")
becomes
arrCart = Session("cartarray")
scartItem = Session("cartcount”)

Continue reading section 4