XLEcom Version 3.9 Released

XLEcom Version 3.9 Released

Version 3.9 (3.9.418) released on April 19, 2006

New Features:

  1. Allows the user the ability change the Publish directory folder names. The default names are html and images.
  2. Changes to the "Our Price" (Item Amount) - You can now easily add a text value instead of a numeric value for the Product Ad's "Our Price" field. This text value can be for example a statement such as "Call for Quote". This way you can choose not to display an Add-to-Cart button for Product Ads that utilize text values instead of a numeric values.
  3. Enable Automatic Product Ad Thumbnail Hyperlinking - This global feature will add a thumbnail type hyperlink to all your Product Ad images that have an additional associated image in the "Ad Comment URL (Optional)" field. These hyperlinks will open the Ad Comment Hyperlink image file in a popup window. To enable this feature, run the "Ad Design" utility and place a check mark in the "Enable Automatic Product Ad Thumbnail Hyperlinking" check box.

1. Allows the user the ability change the Publish directory folder names
In addition to being able to change the default published HTML file extensions, you now have the ability to change the default Publish directory folder names. The default folder names are html and images. You can access this feature via the Setup routine on the Product Design sheet.

2. Changes to the "Our Price" (Item Amount)
You can now easily add a text value instead of a numeric value for the Product Ad's "Our Price" field. This text value can be for example a statement such as "Call for Quote". This way you can choose not to display an Add-to-Cart button for Product Ads that utilize text values instead of a numeric values.

Note: If you choose not to use a numeric value, but instead use a text value such a "Call for Quote", then remember to uncheck the List Price, You Save, and Add-to-Cart button boxes within the Ad Design Display Options settings block on the Product Design sheet.

Below is a sample Product Ad using a text value for pricing - "Call for Quote":

3. Enable Automatic Product Ad Thumbnail Hyperlinking
This global feature will add a thumbnail type hyperlink to all your Product Ad images that have an additional associated image in the "Ad Comment URL (Optional)" field. These hyperlinks will open the Ad Comment Hyperlink image file in a popup window. To enable this feature, run the "Ad Design" utility and place a check mark in the "Enable Automatic Product Ad Thumbnail Hyperlinking" check box.

The illustration below depicts the combination of options available for both the Product Ad and Ad Comment Hyperlink behaviors.

Default Behavior Mode (the prior behavior with version 3.8 and lower):
Case 1: Clicking on the Ad Comment Hyperlink opens a popup window

New Enhanced Behavior Mode (Enabled Automatic Product Ad Thumbnail Hyperlinking... see description below):
Case 2: Clicking on the Product Ad image opens a popup window
Case 3: Clicking on "either" the Product Ad image or the Ad Comment Hyperlink opens a popup window

Ad Comment Definitions

    Ad Comment (edit field)
    The "Ad Comment" is text similar to the Stock Note, but can optionally have an "Ad Comment Info Image" added next to it to catch the shopper's attention. If used in conjunction with the Optional "Ad Comment URL", it become a hyperlink to any valid web site url, web page, PDF document, or image file. This hyperlink will open a new browser popup window. The properties for this popup window can be set using the "AD design" function.

    Display Ad Comment Info Image (check box)
    The Display "Ad Comment Info Image" is a TRUE or FALSE condition. If TRUE, an Info Image will appear next to the "Ad Comment" on the Product Ad. If FALSE, no Info Image will appear. If the "Ad Comment" becomes a hyperlink, then the "Ad Comment Info Image" will also become part of the same hyperlink.

    Ad Comment URL (Optional edit field)
    This is the "Ad Comment Hyperlink" you assign to the Ad Comment / "Ad Comment Info Image". It can be a hyperlink to any valid web site url, web page, image file, PDF document, or any other type of document.

Ad Comment Hyperlink Behavior
An "Ad Comment" Hyperlink can behave in two different modes. One is the Default Behavior Mode and the other is the Enhanced Behavior Mode. In the Enhanced Behavior Mode, the "Ad Comment" Hyperlink is also applied to the Product Images.

Default Behavior Mode:

    Product Ad Image affect
    There will be no affect on the Product Ad images. The Product Ad images will remain static.

    "Ad Comment" affect
    If you enter both text in the "Ad Comment" field and a file name in the "Ad Comment URL (Optional)" field, then the published "Ad Comment" text becomes a pop-open window hyperlink to the named file in the "Ad Comment URL" field. In the default behavior mode these text hyperlinks can open both image and non-image files.

Enhanced Behavior Mode:
When in Enhanced Behavior Mode XLEcom will automatically create thumbnail hyperlinks for all your Product Ad Images. To enable the Enhanced Behavior Mode, run the "Ad Design" utility and place a check mark in the "Enable Automatic Product Ad Thumbnail Hyperlinking" check box as shown in the image below.

Product Ad Image affect
When both the Enhanced Behavior Mode is enabled and the "Ad Comment URL" field contains the name of an image file, the following will result. The program will automatically add a hyperlink to all Product Ad images that have an associated image file named in the "Ad Comment URL" field. These added hyperlinks would pop open a small browser window displaying the contents of the named image file. Essentially your Product Ad images will behave like hyperlink thumbnail images for use in viewing larger sized or different images of your products.

File extensions automatically determined to be Image files: bmp, cdr, cgm, dib, emf, eps, fpx, gif, jah, jbh, jpg, peg, jsh, pcd, pct, pcx, png, rle, tif, wmf, and wpg.

"Ad Comment" affect
This is the same as the Default Behavior Mode mentioned above. If you enter both text in the "Ad Comment" field and a file name in the Ad Comment URL" field, then the published "Ad Comment" text becomes a pop-open window hyperlink to the named file in the "Ad Comment URL" field. Note: If the Enhanced Behavior Mode is enabled and the file named is an image file, then it is not necessary to place any text in the "Ad Comment" field unless you need an additional text version of same hyperlink.


Upgrading from Versions 3.5, 3.6, 3.7, or 3.8 to Version 3.9

Step 1:
All the key data form versions 3.5 through 3.8 such as the Product Database, Categories, Site Themes, Support Pages, and FTP Account settings can be imported into the new version 3.9 via the Import utility. First export the data from the older 3.5 through 3.8 version using the Export utility and then import the data into the new 3.9 version using the Import utility. The Import / Export utilities can be accessed via the Product Design sheet.

Step 2:
After you have imported your data into the new version 3.9 program, you need replace all the old "You Save" formulas in column S on the Database sheet with the new formulas. This is because the import routine replaced the new formulas in version 3.9 with the old formulas from the old version of the program. Both the old and new formula statements are shown below.

The old formula is:
=IF(ISERROR((Q3-R3)/Q3)=TRUE,"Enter Prices",TEXT(Q3-R3,"$#,##0.00")&" ("&TEXT((Q3-R3)/Q3,"0.0%")&")")

The new formula is:
=IF(ISNUMBER(R3)=TRUE,IF(ISERROR((Q3-R3)/Q3)=TRUE,"Enter Prices",TEXT(Q3-R3,"$#,##0.00")&" ("&TEXT((Q3-R3)/Q3,"0.0%")&")"),"")

To upgrade the formulas, you have to open two Excel files. The first file being the new XLEcom version of the program with your store data from the old version previously imported into the new program. The second file is a copy of the new program as originally distributed that contains the data for the DemoStore.

Switch to the second file (the original unmodified distribution file) and select the Database sheet. Highlight and copy only cell S3 from this file. Now switch to the first file (the new version file containing your store data) and select the Database sheet. Highlight all the cells in column S that contain data starting with cell S3 and moving vertically downwards towards the end of the Product Ad list. Next, choose the Paste command to overwrite all the old "You Save" formulas with the new formula. That's it. Remember to save your upgraded version of the program.