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[TomC Moderator TomCJoin date: October 2014Posts: 14077Downloads:58Uploads:137 Thanks: 948 Thanked: 3155 times in 2495 posts]

#166584

Without fail, it seems that the moment Joomla! releases an upgrade – the latest cases being J1.6 and J1.7 – it seems that there are those who are just chompin’ at the bit to get “the shiny new thing” – regardless of whether or not they know if the upgrade is bug free and/or if their current site and modules will be compatible. Consequently, we see the completely predictable “J1.7 was just released . . . I upgraded to J1.7 and now my site doesn’t seem to work” threads and complaints.

If you are one of those “I gotta have it NOW” people, my question to you is . . . WHY ?? :confused:

First of all . . . it’s no secret that the great majority of templates, template developers, extensions and extension developers can not and do not snap their fingers and, SHAZAM, the extensions are fully compatible with the latest Joomla! release. So, if one utilizes any non-standard Joomla! package extensions within their website structure – WHY would you be so quick to click the “upgrade” button when you know (or at least should know) that the extension(s) are not yet compatible with J1.6 and/or J1.7?

A relevant question would be . . . Is there anything that you can’t do/accomplish with your current J1.5x based website that is so vitally important within J1.6 or J1.7 that you simply cannot wait a while longer for the template and extension developers to catch-up? I mean, they ALL caught up to/with J1.5x … so it stands to logic that they will eventually catch up to J1.7, J1.8 and, eventually, J2.0. In the meantime, I would think that the overall productive functionality of your website is far more important that the few additional bells-and-whistles that generally accompany a “point-X” upgrade. I have gone through the J1.6 upgrade administration panels and, save for a few aesthetic items … one or two added “short-cut” buttons … and, perhaps, some (in the grand scheme of things) non-vitally-essential functionality upgrades … there really isn’t anything one can accomplish with J1.6 or J1.7 that one cannot accomplish just as easily with their current J1.5x based configuration.

IN FACT, I will go so far as to say that – given the fact that the vast majority of extensions are not yet compatible with either J1.6 or J1.7 … and there is no definitive roadmap/timeline as to when (or if) they all will be … that a J1.5x based configuration is STILL effectively and dynamically superior to either of the latest numerical upgrades.

Of course, if you’re starting from scratch and do not require the use of one of the majority of non-compatible extensions . . . and if you can find a J1.7 based/compatible template that you like and will work for the project you have in mind . . . then GO FOR IT !! MORE POWER TO YOU !!! 🙂

All I am saying is that it is not always the best or most effective/productive/responsible thing to succumb to the “I have to have the newest and shiniest version the day/week it comes out” mentality – ESPECIALLY when dealing with one’s website and the continuity of it’s function and dynamics.

Ask yourself this very important question . . . . . What is more important to you?
– Being one of the first to acquire the “new shiny toy” before anyone else?
or
– Maintaining the functional continuity of your website’s features and functions for your users – until such time as you can successfully upgrade and utilize all of the functions and dynamics that attracted your users in the first place?

So, unless you do not require the use of one of the vast majority of non J1.6/J1.7 compatible extensions to enhance your site’s functionality and dynamics for your intended audience, then do yourself and your users a huge favor and take a deep breath . . . determine the functionality (i.e. extensions) you require that make your site special . . . carefully and efficiently PLAN OUT your upgrade strategy . . . and try to exude a little patience.

Rest assured, you WILL be able to upgrade to one of the newer Joomla! releases – but do it the smart/responsible way and do it when it’s not a loss and/or detriment to the overall functionality and dynamic depth of your website.

😎

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#403144

I completely agree. 1.5 will be supported for quite a while, and if your site is working, there is no reason to upgrade. 1.7 has limited components availability and is still buggy. 1.6 is now deprecated. Unless i am building new, i am leaving my 1.5 sites alone. but even building new has issues due to the limited availability of components, and the fact that many developers are waiting for 1.8, which will be a long term release. Updating components for 1.6 and 1.7 is expensive and has limited ROI for us in the long term because of their short lives.

[icbl Friend icblJoin date: December 2010Posts: 242Downloads:0Uploads:28 Thanks: 86 Thanked: 7 times in 1 posts]

#404401

Thanks for great explanation and advises. The main thing that I am waiting for JA Social’s 1.7 is because I just hopping that some known problems have been solved as Joomlart no longer applying updates into quickstart or download package. There are many threads outthere, people even not able to install plug ins properly because of a glitch on 1.6! See “Error building Admin Menus” error and “Could not delete the administrator menus.”
Asking 1.7 not only for having latest version of templates. Desperately looking for a solution which joomlart not providing!

[tfosnom Friend tfosnomJoin date: October 2010Posts: 742Downloads:0Uploads:31 Thanks: 145 Thanked: 200 times in 94 posts]

#404506

@tcraw
So given every scheduled Joomla release will always be “new” when first released, at what point do we start to u/g or migrate? be it version 1.8 to ensure some extensions are compatible or wait xxx years till version 3.5 x in the hope that major extensions are done?

I hear what you have said and agree for most it’s sound advise, but I have a couple of totally new sites I can use any version to do it with. I would think a 1.7 site would provide a easier u/g path to v 1.8 or beyond than a 1.5.22 site? Given the core changes introduced in 1.6 etc should be more compatible that a version that will need additional core modification as part of the u/g process?

Shane

[TomC Moderator TomCJoin date: October 2014Posts: 14077Downloads:58Uploads:137 Thanks: 948 Thanked: 3155 times in 2495 posts]

#404510

Hey Shane:

I have no argument whatsoever that it is nice to be able to utilize new features – even some new backend configurations – with newer upgrades. The main point I am making is that the timing of upgrading to the latest-and-greatest is (and should be) very much dependent on the overall functionality of one’s website, the functionality one desires and/or the time frame one has to release the website. This is primarily due to the reality of the availability of the compatibility of the various extensions one may wish to utilize with a given website project.

For example …. Let’s say your website (currently live or in development) benefits greatly from extension such as K2 or JomSocial or VirtueMart or one of the very cool JoomlaCache extensions . . . as of this point in time, NONE of these extensions (among many) are yet compatible with J1.6x or J1.7x. Therefore, other than some updated backend configurations and a handful of functionality issues, you will be limited in the ability to include such functionality in your website until such time as the respective extension developers make the decision to upgrade their products.

LASTLY, it is my understanding (although unqualified) that even J1.7 is slated to be a relatively short-lived upgrade version . . . with the more “major” upgrade being J1.8. Again, I could be completely mistaken on this – just commenting on what I thought I remember reading someplace. Of course, I can’t help but think about the fact that, generally, the MOST major upgrades for software products are usually the “.5” and “.0” versions (e.g. Joomla 1.5 and, eventually, Joomla 2.0). So, when the “official” roadmap for Joomla 2.0 is eventually announced, I would HOPE that the various extension and template developers will be PRO-ACTIVE in their preparation for such (i.e. begin their upgrading process as part of a pro-active/anticipatory plan-of-action).

FOR MY OWN purposes, my personal site projects DO benefit from extension such as K2, VirtueMart, JoomlaCache, etc. . . . so it is much more beneficial and practical for me to stick with a completely functional J1.5 based site at this point rather than jump on the “gotta have the shiny new” J1.6/J1.7 upgrade bandwagon right away.

From a logical, practical, functional and (for my audience/users) professional standpoint, it simply makes the most sense.

😎

[TomC Moderator TomCJoin date: October 2014Posts: 14077Downloads:58Uploads:137 Thanks: 948 Thanked: 3155 times in 2495 posts]

#405213

From JOOMLA.ORG . . . . . .

6. Should I update my Joomla 1.5 site to Joomla 1.7?

As always, the answer is “it depends.” However, if your Joomla 1.5 site is working well, I would not move it yet. Joomla 1.5 will be supported through April 2012. Joomla 1.8 will be released in January 2012, and it is a long-term release, meaning it will be supported for 18 months instead of 6 months.

7. If I’m building a new site, should I build it in 1.5 or 1.7?

At this point in time, you will ultimately need to move your site to Joomla 1.8 in 6 months or so, whether it’s in Joomla 1.5 or in Joomla 1.7. However, the move from 1.7 to 1.8 should be less painful than the move from 1.5 to 1.7. Less pain means less cost, so from a client’s perspective, building in 1.7 makes a lot of sense at this point.

If you need extensions which are still not 1.6/1.7 compatible (K2 is still in beta for 1.6 and most of the full-featured shopping carts like redSHOP, VirtueMart, and Tienda are all still for 1.5 only), you may have to build the site in 1.5 for now.

😎

[myuption Friend myuptionJoin date: November 2006Posts: 161Downloads:20Uploads:23 Thanks: 58 Thanked: 6 times in 1 posts]

#409440

This is alright, but which are the steps to upgrade a site running a Joomlart template into the new 1.7 versions?

Should we upgrade into 1.7, then upgraed extension manager and then try to upgrade the template and extensions?

[TomC Moderator TomCJoin date: October 2014Posts: 14077Downloads:58Uploads:137 Thanks: 948 Thanked: 3155 times in 2495 posts]

#409461

<em>@myuption 263718 wrote:</em><blockquote>This is alright, but which are the steps to upgrade a site running a Joomlart template into the new 1.7 versions?

Should we upgrade into 1.7, then upgraed extension manager and then try to upgrade the template and extensions?</blockquote>

If the JoomlArt J1.7 update for the particular template you are working with has not yet been released, JA has released our T3 Framework Plugin which can help you upgrade for j1.7 by yourself if you can not wait. Information can be found via the above provided link.

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