Reconciling Differences

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Adam

Now that 1.1.2 is out in the wild, there are some pieces of code I improved upon in 1.1.2 that will be merging back into 2.0.0.  Once that is complete, I’ll be continuing to work on v2.o.o.

I’m also finalizing the database schema for 2.0.0.  Once that’s done, I’ll be continuing with the core code (both of which I’m sure will have a few revisions after things start coming together).

Lastly, I don’t plan on putting as much time into 301tool during the summer months as I normally have been putting into it up to this point.  It’s sucking up most of my free time, and while I do enjoy working on it, the returns for my investment of time don’t warrant sacrificing my favorite season of the year over it.  So, progress will slow, but not stop completely…at least until the cooler part of the season.

I’ll still of course post the occasional update here, with screenshots once things get to that point.

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301tool 1.1.2 Has Been Released!

Posted on July 5, 2010 by Adam

301tool 1.1.2 has been released!

This is a free upgrade to both commercial and non-commercial users.

You can try out the demo here, and download the update here.

The primary focus of this update has been to make some improvements in the user interface, as well as various fixes and tweaks.

Here are the release details that include the feature additions, changes and fixes in version 1.1.2.

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301tool 1.1.2 Is Now In Final Testing

Posted on June 10, 2010 by Adam

All the new features, changes and fixes have been completed for 301tool 1.1.2 as of this evening. I will be finalizing testing, which includes making sure all the upgrade paths work as intended (1.0.0, 1.1.0, and 1.1.1). If all goes well, it looks like I may be releasing this update sometime this coming weekend.

Update (6/13/10): There’s one bug with pagination that I just noticed that will take a little time to correct.

Update (6/20/10): The pagination issue has been resolved.  I ended up rewriting the code that determines what pages are shown in the pagination area. I will be resuming the planned testing regimen.  As all work I do on 301tool is only in my spare time, the release date should still be considered as “soon” (namely, in a few weekends).

Update (6/22/10): Testing is complete! I’ll be prepping & packaging 301tool 1.1.2 for release very soon.

Update (6/23/10): I found a problem with the way session expiration was being handled, so the release has gone back to release candidate status until the fix has been fully tested.

Update (6/27/10): During testing on a webserver, it looks like when fopen is disabled, the update checker does not check the update file on the 301tool.com domain, as the XML file reader function is based off of fopen. I’ll have to switch that over to use cURL considering many other hosts are probably configured in a similar fashion. The change was quick. It works with cURL and falls back to fopen if cURL is not available.

Update (7/3/10): I should be wrapping up testing very shortly (this time), as I’m satisfied with the changes in 1.1.2.

Update (7/5/10): 301tool 1.1.2 has been released!!

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Update on the 301tool 1.1.2 Update

Posted on June 8, 2010 by Adam

I’ve been toiling away on the 1.1.2 update since my last blog post.  Scope creep started sucking up some development time, but the changes and additions should be well worth it.

There is one more item on the list for integration and testing, and after that, 1.1.2 should be ready for release.

So, things that have been done:

  • The template has been updated.  A significant portion of this update has been based on what will appear in v2.0
  • An automatic update checker will check for new releases of 301tool.
  • gzip compression has been enabled to speed up download time.
  • On the “404 Log” tab, the number of 404 records will appear. This allows you to see at a glance if visitors are getting 404 errors.
  • The database is automatically backed up during the upgrade process (if server and file permissions allow it)
  • Lots of IE fixes. A few Safari & Chrome fixes.
  • The search feature wasn’t displaying the correct number of pages–this has been fixed.
  • Word wrapping now works in all browsers, thanks to the testing I did in a previous blog post.

These are the major highlights, and you’ll see a longer list in the release announcement and the changelog.

Now, I’ve also decided to do two things which might make the free users  slightly unhappy, but offer a little value to the paid users:

  • For free users (running a non-commercial license), the 301tool 404 error page now shows a small “Powered By 301tool” message. This small message does not appear for paid users (commercial license).
  • For free users (running a non-commercial license), the 301tool redirect now shows a “Redirecting to…” page for a few seconds before actually redirecting.  This page also includes a small “Powered by 301tool” message.  For paid users, the redirect will be instant and they will not see this page.

I chose to go this route because whether or not you purchase a license, you will be supporting 301tool in some way. Honestly, that’s all I would like to see happen with this tool . Seeing support through spreading the word and increased usage, or support through paid licenses–either way would make it worthwhile to invest my time in developing 301tool. After all, if someone is using 301tool right now, you wouldn’t know it–I intentionally designed it that way.

That said, if there is a drastic increase in usage, I will consider placing the “Powered By…” and “Redirecting to…” messages as an option on the “Settings” page in a following release, rather than being strictly enforced by the free/paid license division. So please don’t let this be a reason to abandon the software or to not upgrade.

Comments, questions, and suggestions are greatly appreciated here on the blog, or emailed to me directly at adam@ajd-productions.com

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