Any word on how soon is soon for the latest release? I know, I know...I'm being an impatient pest, but "you know what"?

I'm excited to get my grubby little paws on it. What can I say?

So how 'bout it?

-JG

The real no BS answer is that the latest version of php kicked our butts, and it's so infurating, but what can ya do?

In a nutshell, php is supposed to be an "open source" programming language, and it runs on a webhosting server. Every so often, a new version will come out, and hosts will eventually upgrade.

The latest version came out a few months ago (around Oct/Nov of last year if I remember correctly), and it TOOK AWAY functionality that EZPS was using.

Did any hosts tell their customers they were upgrading to a new version of php that would break their stuff???? Of course not. I'm guessing the hosts didn't even realize it (especially reseller hosts that don't know anything beyond their hosting reseller accounts).

We realized what was going on, and we knew we'd be in panic mode soon if we didn't get this solved before more & more hosts switched to the new version of php.

The solution cost us well over $1000 and weeks of headaches because we've had to completely switch encryption and loader systems and make sure that our new system will work on a vast variety of web hosting servers that were running EZPS before. We finally ironed out the last bug 2 nights ago. Wouldn't you guess, it was my web hosting server that was the final glitch to fix... ugh.... then you have to make sure that fix doesn't break the system on the other servers that were working before... it's a trainwreck of a cycle we had to go through with every different server configuration and glitch we encountered.

At least now we're ready for any EZPS users whose hosts upgrade their PHP versions. We've had to help out a few dozen so far, and we're ready for anyone else now, too.

On the AfterShutter front, all of the coding is done, and we're working on polishing it, fixing little bugs (another headache of a cycle of testing, finding, fixing, testing, finding, fixing....), then we'll be ready to release it! I'm hopeful for an April release, but I wouldn't be surprised if it has to wait till May (I'll be ticked for sure!!)

We've got cool stuff on the horizon for version 3, too, but that's not on our plate right now because we're so focused on getting AfterShutter DONE.

I hope that helps!

~Carey

PS: I tell everyone this: a la Mike Fulton: NO SECRETS. If you get an email from me or Matt with answers to someone's questions, or see something online that I've said, feel free to pass it on. So, if you see anyone else asking similar questions, I've got no problem with anyone passing this info along.

Thanks so much for that answer Carey! I think it's definitely going to be worth the wait. I've been very pleased with EZPS. I'm sorry to hear about all the PHP troubles. I'm pretty new to PHP myself and am slowly figuring it out. Anyway, I'm pretty loyal to stuff that works, so I'll be on the lookout and will pass this along anywhere else I see the question asked.

Thanks again!

-JG

any new news?

I wish!
Matt (the programmer) is working on it every day.
I spend hours every day answering "when?!" emails and helping out with the support stuff that I can handle. It's going so slow, I want to pull my hair out. But I know it will be done. I just wish it was NOW NOW NOW! I'm hoping in a month or two.

Carey,

When???!!!!





Just kidding!

I'm setting up my first gallery right now in EZPS...it's looking really cool. I'll look forward to AfterShutter, though.

I'm not looking forward to setting up WA state sales tax in PayPal tonight, though. We just switched to destination based sales tax - that means that I have to code every zip range in the state for a different tax rate. Ugh!