Custom Post Types
As many of you know our next release will be even more aligned with the WordPress way. We’re embracing custom post types in a big way.
But where do you draw the line? So far we use Custom Post types and taxonomies for Products, Product Categories and Variation Sets. But we’re also thinking about using Custom Post types for the Currency List, Country Lists, and for Tax. As an experiment we’re working with JJJ (one of the lead BuddyPress developers) to take one of the above examples and make a prototype branch of WP e-Commerce to see how this all works out. We’re excited about this work and we’ll keep you updated.
Done right we think that the WP e-Commerce Plugin will run faster then ever. The code will not only improve performance but the code will be usable by other Plugin developers too. For instance Drupal (ewww) offer a Country List Taxonomy Plugin. If we do this then we would make our Country List in such a way that it is a standalone Plugin that would usable by the greater WordPress community. So what do you think?
Very cool Dan!
Let us know when it’s safe for community developers to get a stable 3.8 to ensure our Plugins play nice with WP e-Commerce.
Dan,
Thanks for the update. Your team is obviously on a roll and we all appreciate your efforts.
As a business owner I recognize growing pains when I see them, and can relate.
Our companies currently has 5 individual websites running WP and the e-commerce plugin with the Goldcart (e-commerce isn’t our mainstay, we’re trying the sales channel on for size).
Now that the Goldcart will be a true plugin, can we kill the 5 separate .css files and matching .js files that load on every page, needed or not?
Combine all the .js into one file, and allow users to add the e-commerce theme .css to their existing WP theme style sheet and then simply specify it’s location.
YSlow, Google, and the rest of us will marvel at the change in load time, and potentially page rank as well.
It’s possible this will be a mute point with the new Custom Post types and taxonomies for Products, but positive feedback from actual paying customers never hurts a company.
On that note, you’re leaving a lot of money on the table. i.e. your Goldcart is way under priced. Charge more and test before releasing your updates, my friend:)
Hi Patricia!
I’m working with Dan and the guys at Instinct getting 3.8 ready to roll! I would second your suggestion, also, that the GoldCart is under-price
Your suggestions are absolutely in-line with the route that we’re taking with WPeC 3.8 and it’s integration with WP 3.0. Instead of relying on WPeC’s theme engine, we’re relying now on WP’s theme engine, making great use of child themes, custom taxonomies, custom post types, etc. That all said, much consolidation will be the end result – which as you mentioned, means faster page load, potential page rank/SEO benefit, and a generally better UX.
Thanks for the great comment!
Sounds great with the custom posts Dan. I have hanged around the mailing list for some time now, but couldn’t find out when 3.8 is scheduled to get released?
One thing I really look forward to with custom post types is the WPML-support. AWESOME feature that will improve several WPEC-shops.
Another thing: Do you guys believe that all us European shop-owners will have the feature to charge same tax for all EU-countries and none for all other countries? – this is really needed since EU-law requires this (combined with law that says that prices MUST be displayed including tax).
When is 3.8 expected to be released?
If the new version will use post types what happens to all the old crap we have now? Will it automatically get moved over to posts and then the old tables deleted? Or are we going to have to do some dirty SQL?
Hi Cam, 3.8 will include an internal upgrader as it currently does with each minor upgrade to massage WP e-Commerce data and make it compatible with the latest release.
There will be no dirty SQL.
Maybe its crap but it was necessary.
As usual, now that WordPress 3.0 have provided us the correct tools, we are following suit. Its the getshopped way – we innovate and then we update. Then we innovate some more
By make it compatible do you mean tweak it to work with the new system or actually convert current data into custom types and then bin off the old stuff ie. the old tables for storing the content will be dropped.
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