VirtueMart Forum

VirtueMart General => About VirtueMart - not for support posts => Topic started by: dirkb on December 17, 2020, 15:50:12 PM

Title: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: dirkb on December 17, 2020, 15:50:12 PM
Hi, so the subject would also be my question.

A few years back, with Joomla 1.5, 1.7, 2.5 etc. I followed the virtuemart path, with a great shopping system and a great support forum.

About 2 years ago, or longer, we had to switch. Template providers, Plugin and Extensions just took out virtuemart support completely, well and we had to follow.

I know all this sounds like a provocation, but I'm just stating the facts.

Would like to know if you guys plan to get back to the top competing with the other popular shopping systems.

Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: pinochico on December 17, 2020, 17:12:33 PM
I don't know, but we have more then 140 extensions and we are continue :)

EasySoftware:
Anchor Slider | Article Import for F2C | Automatic Shopper Group | Bridge for Virtuemart and OSE | Calculoid module | Calculoid package | Calculoid plugin | Calculoid plugin for Wordpress | Content to Form2Content | Content to K2 | Conversion Booster | Conversion Booster Plugin | Cross Joomla! Authentication | Discount based on order amount for VM | Easy Articles Slideshow | Easy Calc | Easy Compare AIO Package | Easy Feeder | Easy Jobs - Jobs listing module | Easy Jobs Component | Easy Library | Easy Packager | Easy Peasy - Developer Template for Joomla! | Easy Product Feeder | Easy Reward Points | Easy Update Adapter | Easy VAT rates | Easy Zopim | EasyCalc Component | EasyCalc Lite | EasyCalc Module | EasyCalc Progress Bar | EasyCompare Component | EasyCompare Module | EasyCompare Plugin | EasyJobs | EasyJobs - Login module | EasyJobs all-in-one | EasyJobs Developer | EasyJobs extension for Artio SEF | EasyJobs G2 plugin | EasyRedmine API | EasyRedmine Form | EasyRedmine Form + API | EasyRedmine Listing | EasyRedmine Listing + API | Expedition Time for VM | Full Social | GForm | Google E-commerce Tracker for VirtueMart | Google Tag Manager | Google Tag Manager and E-commerce Tracker | GoPay for RSForm | GoPay for RSM | GoPay for VirtueMart | Heureka AIO | Heureka library | Heureka plugin | Inbound Marketing component | InviteReferrals - Referral Marketing Software | Language / Currency Plugin | LESS Compiler | LESS compiler for EasyJobs | LESS Compiler PRO + Nette Debugger | Meter module for EasyCalc | Nette Debugger | OrderExport | Price info Tooltip | Product / Category Relations for VM | Product Configurator | Product Import for VM | Profile Changes Notifier | Real Estate Content Type for Form2Content | Real Estate Package | Retina Images | Rich Snippets for VirtueMart | Support for Easy Extensions | TCPDF library for EasyJobs | Tournaments | Tournaments - Head 2 Head | Tournaments - Ladder | Tournaments - module | Tournaments - Search | Tournaments - statistics | Tournaments all-in-one | VirtueMart Category Megamenu | VirtueMart Category Megamenu - Support module with script | VirtueMart Full Category List | Virtuemart Product Extended | Virtuemart Product Extended 2 | Virtuemart Product Labels | VirtueMart Re-order Module | VM Shipment VS Payment | VUB eCard for Virtuemart | XML Product feeder for VirtueMart

Minion:
Acymailing: Abandoned cart for VirtueMart | Acymailing: Filtering for RD e-Ticket | Acymailing: Name Day | Acymailing: Salutation and gender | Acymailing: Subscription for RD e-Ticket | Acymailing: Subscription for VM Affiliate | Acymailing: Tags for RD e-Ticket | Acymailing: Tags for VM Affiliate | Arukereso - Heureka HU for VirtueMart | Balikobot | Cart icon for RD e-Ticket | Fio banka Sync for PhocaCart | Fio banka Sync for VirtueMart | Gift for product | Google Tag Manager | Google Tag Manager for VirtueMart | Gopay for Phoca Cart | Gopay for RSForm | Gopay for Virtuemart | Gopay payments for RD e-Ticket | Heureka for VirtueMart | Language / Currency for VirtueMart | Partner pay for RD e-Ticket | Photos of players for Tournaments | Product Import for VirtueMart | Product Labels for Virtuemart | Related Products Extended for Virtuemart (+ slideshow) | Rich Snippets for PhocaCart | Rich Snippets for VirtueMart | SKLIK Dynamic Retargeting for VirtueMart | Timeline for RD e-Ticket | Virtuemart Mailing Manager | VMA Affiliate | XML Easy Feeder | Zboží conversion
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: StefanSTS on December 19, 2020, 02:20:44 AM
Quote from: dirkb on December 17, 2020, 15:50:12 PM
About 2 years ago, or longer, we had to switch. Template providers, Plugin and Extensions just took out virtuemart support completely, well and we had to follow.
I know all this sounds like a provocation, but I'm just stating the facts.

You are clearly stating your facts. Others have other facts. The people with other facts stayed, because they didn't face your facts. And if there were some that lost support for something, they found another. The choice to leave needs other motivations.
Nowadays people are migrating their shopify shops to VirtueMart, because they realise that VM is the better solution for their needs, because these fixed shop systems are not as flexible as VirtueMart is. But for some these fixed shops are good. Nice shops out of the box, looking all a bit the same but that's fine for some businesses. So all have their purpose and their right to have a share.

Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: atrus on December 19, 2020, 14:32:00 PM
We are using Virtuemart for more than 10 years and it's better than even before with many 3rd party extensions, no way we would change now.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Linro on December 23, 2020, 19:20:47 PM
Quote from: atrus on December 19, 2020, 14:32:00 PM
We are using Virtuemart for more than 10 years and it's better than even before with many 3rd party extensions, no way we would change now.

;) that's right, I agree with this statement
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Troels_E on January 18, 2021, 03:00:48 AM
I must admit that I think first impresson when visiting the VM websites is that everything looks dated, not something that attracts more users.
Looking at alternatives their web presence looks better and is more to the point, sorry.

I myself was about to move away from VM because I lacked some extensions that I could not afford to have developed (i'm no dev).
I missed two extensions that had to do with payment methods and one related to shipping, all three available for free for other platforms like Prestashop, Woocommerce, Magento etc. These where all specific for Denmark so that narrows the userbase a lot as we are few VM users here.

Anyway I have some other joomla sites (not Ecommerce) and feel at home in this system, but still I gave Presta and Woo a try.
Presta I did not like and gave up on pretty fast, Woo I also did not like but I used it a bit more and actually moved our shop to this system.
But I still did not really like it as much as J!+VM, so now I decided to stay on VM and I finally got last of our extension problems sorted as of today :-D

VM itself has been a rock solid experience for a long time now but it would benefit from a makeover of the web presence and from a nicer admin interface and default template.

I still would like a POS system that was actively developed, POS for webshops should have been the best ever available for VM I am told, but no one can get in touch with the author (I tried many times here, his mail, his fb etc.).
Don't we have any users in the Netherlands that coud pay him a visit? Seriously if he just abandoned it I would chip in a fair amount to get him to opensource everything so it could get an update :-)
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: sirius on January 18, 2021, 12:03:46 PM
Hi
be aware with Woo, that product options prices variant are pain in the ass to manage. (you can make variant, but you must update ALL variant prices one by one, because changing the base price has no effect)
Iv' tried and still have some sites under Woo, Presta and Magento, but despite lack of some options that should be implemented by default that others systems do have, Joomla + VM is still the one that I prefer.

For the POS system, do you know this one: https://equatepos.com/features/screenshots.html (https://equatepos.com/features/screenshots.html) (sorry modos feel free to remove if needed)
It was compatible up to VM 3.2.x perhaps would you try to ask too to consider an update for VM 3.8.x ?
I have test it long time ago.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: GJC Web Design on January 18, 2021, 12:46:49 PM
QuoteI still would like a POS system that was actively developed, POS for webshops should have been the best ever available for VM I am told, but no one can get in touch with the author (I tried many times here, his mail, his fb etc.).
Don't we have any users in the Netherlands that could pay him a visit? Seriously if he just abandoned it I would chip in a fair amount to get him to opensource everything so it could get an update :-)

I have also given up on contacting him but have also managed to fully update POS for webshops for the latest VM and php7.4. using the latest encryption etc and its working very well for a couple of clients now.

It is quite an impressive system.  But I have no idea about the legality of what I have done.
He has now removed the demos and the buy buttons from his site  .. there is just the info there now.

If u need the extension updated then you can PM me and we can come to some arrangement.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: ermes on January 18, 2021, 17:37:32 PM
I said it too long ago: VirtueMart is not ready to run a clothing store. Yes, you can do it, but it's require a long time to do it. Virtuemart needs a better UI to manage color and sizes (child quantity etc..) like woocommerce. A better solution for multimedia file managing ad so other. Yes i know that there are extensions like Custom Fields For All and others, but this must to be a core feature for a modern e-commerce system. I use VM in my agency since 2009, i know that it's a rock. Very stable. Performant. But, in my opinion this lag must be filled.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Troels_E on January 18, 2021, 22:19:55 PM
Quote from: GJC Web Design on January 18, 2021, 12:46:49 PM
QuoteI still would like a POS system that was actively developed, POS for webshops should have been the best ever available for VM I am told, but no one can get in touch with the author (I tried many times here, his mail, his fb etc.).
Don't we have any users in the Netherlands that could pay him a visit? Seriously if he just abandoned it I would chip in a fair amount to get him to opensource everything so it could get an update :-)

I have also given up on contacting him but have also managed to fully update POS for webshops for the latest VM and php7.4. using the latest encryption etc and its working very well for a couple of clients now.

It is quite an impressive system.  But I have no idea about the legality of what I have done.
He has now removed the demos and the buy buttons from his site  .. there is just the info there now.

If u need the extension updated then you can PM me and we can come to some arrangement.
Thanks, but I never got around to actually buying the software as he did not reply to any contact even years back. He's got a FB profile but company does not exist anymore. I wish devs would be better to part with stuff that they loose interest in. Opensource, sell or whatever, just to bad that a component that could be usefull just goes to waste but off course their work hours, their choice:-)
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: dr.spot86 on February 20, 2021, 19:31:52 PM
Hi everyone,

I read with interest this thread and I would like to share my point of view. I'm not a developer, I am more like a "digital entrepreneur" from 2011. I've tried many platforms out there and I can say this...

VirtueMart + Joomla has a lot of potential. Other platform, light WOOcommerce + WordPress, Shopify, and so on, they seem to me like IKEA furnishings: good design with bad structure. And, if you want to change just one piece, you have to pay a lot more.

One thing is certain: VirtueMart + Joomla have very very very ... very! ... ugly websites that doesn't encourage people, for example, like me: those who do not have vertical skills on development, but horizontal skills (management and so on) that give them the awareness that having a solid structure is essential for business growth.

I would like, if allowed, to help the VirtueMart Development Team, not in technical development, but in developing a marketing / communication strategy that can allow to intercept that target of people who understand the value of a good structure for scalability and growth, but not knowing VirtueMart is forced to fall back on worse or damn more expensive solutions (WOOcommerce, WordPress, Shopify ...).

I hope this message will be taken into consideration.

All the best,
Vincenzo T | Oukside
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Milbo on February 22, 2021, 18:22:55 PM
I got your mail and answered, please contact me via skype. Gratie
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: pinochico on February 23, 2021, 02:26:22 AM
Hello Max :)

I send email to you and contacted by skype, without answer.
It is ok?
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: StefanSTS on February 23, 2021, 10:18:57 AM
Quote from: pinochico on February 23, 2021, 02:26:22 AM
Pinochico said:
"I send email to you and contacted by skype, without answer.
It is ok?"

Pinochico, I read a few of your post here and, honestly, they were mostly self advertisement and some posts were not very friendly.
There were some with helpful content too, but I guess it is the broad picture that leads to a decission if someone puts you into the "important" folder or the "let's see if I find time to answer some day" folder which might conveniently be forgotten.

Speaking only for myself, the picture you have painted of yourself has not put you into my "important"  folder.

Stefan
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: dr.spot86 on February 26, 2021, 13:58:46 PM
Quote from: StefanSTS on February 23, 2021, 10:18:57 AM
Quote from: pinochico on February 23, 2021, 02:26:22 AM
Hello Max :)
I send email to you and contacted by skype, without answer.
It is ok?

I read a few of your post here and, honestly, they were mostly self advertisement and some posts were not very friendly.
There were some with helpful content too, but I guess it is the broad picture that leads to a decission if someone puts you into the "important" folder or the "let's see if I find time to answer some day" folder which might conveniently be forgotten.

Speaking only for myself, the picture you have painted of yourself has not put you into my "important"  folder.

Stefan

Hi Stefan,

I quite agree with you, the support is scarce and not always "kind".

I'm not a type who justifies mistakes: when you have a certain product and a community is created on that product, you start to have responsibilities that force you to create a solid structure, where everything runs smoothly (development, assistance, support , the documentation).

But I am not able to not be grateful to those who have had the determination to develop and continue to manage a product that has allowed us all to keep our businesses going, without asking much in return.

And I am not able to not analyze the context and the temperament of the people: the synthesis, the coldness and the hardness of Max in the answers, are the same things that allow VirtueMart to exist.

If someone things VirtueMart can improve in its aspects (from interface, to code, to customer service, to documentation), I think it would be respectful and helpful, to have some concrete advice.

I think it's too easy to say what's wrong, what's we don't like, leaving someone else to fix things. Convenience comes far after values.

I hope this answer will inspire you to provide some advice so that VirtueMart can start to stand out again. Personally, I try to do it, I am doing it, and I will do it. If we will do it together, maybe, we will all get something very useful out of it. ;)

Regards,
Vincenzo
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: StefanSTS on February 26, 2021, 15:49:30 PM
Quote from: dr.spot86 on February 26, 2021, 13:58:46 PM
Hi Stefan,
I quite agree with you, the support is scarce and not always "kind".

I was not talking about VirtueMart or Max or the support of the VirtueMart team, so I guess we do not totally agree, maybe in parts.

I was talking about the behaviour of Pinochico. I would not ask him to work in a team because he does not seem like a team player.
That's all I was talking about.

The support from the VirtueMart head developer might not always be top notch user friendly and with many words, but be sure everything mentioned in the forum is taken into consideration. I know that since I am listening on the developers chat for the last few years.
If the head developer would comment on everything in detail, he would not have time to do anything anymore. Important things that come up here are always discussed in the chat, there are lots of individuals who sort out what is important or not or what they can explain themselves in the forum.

If you have something to report, that you think it is a bug, it might be helpful to buy a VirtueMart membership and move your bug/improvement/feature up on the todo list by submitting a ticket.
Or you come up with a good solution and you donate the code - that doesn't break anything else in VirtueMart - here in the forum.

I guess, people in the VirtueMart team got there mostly by doing real work towards making VM better. And it is getting better day by day. There is constant work going on even if you don't really see it from outside.

Stefan
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: dr.spot86 on February 26, 2021, 18:55:59 PM
Quote from: StefanSTS on February 26, 2021, 15:49:30 PM

I was not talking about VirtueMart or Max or the support of the VirtueMart team, so I guess we do not totally agree, maybe in parts.

Ooops!  :-[

Quote from: StefanSTS on February 26, 2021, 15:49:30 PM
I was talking about the behaviour of Pinochico.

Ok. In this case, I totally and strongly agree.

--

In any case, my words doesn't change: I have high respect for all the work VirtueMart Team is doing. I think some things could be better (I repeat, more immediate support, better website and forum navigation and UX), but it doesn't mean I think it's a very valuable "thing".

--

Anyway...
I didn't understand very well what VM Membership was before your message. Since I work with several customer that have some very good idea, it would be very useful if they can be taken in consideration. I think I'll become a VM Partner :)
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: desacartom on March 02, 2021, 16:56:16 PM
We are using Virtuemart for more than 10 years and it's better than ever before with many 3rd party extensions USB Rechargeable Head Lamp (https://www.mazuzee.com/index.php?route=product/product&path=136_139&product_id=2086), no way we would change now.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: pinochico on March 02, 2021, 18:27:19 PM
to Stefan:

I understand and confirm and I definitely do not want to destroy virtual folders for anyone.
Archimedes has already shouted: do not step on my circles!
I will be happy to respect his own established judgment.

We have also been working with the VirtueMart application for about 10 years and we do not want to change anything about this fact yet. Personally, I think that VirtueMart is an underrated ecommerce solution with huge possibilities.
Why?
We use it a long time and have developed about 100 custom extensions for Virtuemart and we actively use them. We have even developed our own customization of VirtueMart - EasyVirtueMart (for J1.5, J25) several times due to better features for end users.

Once again (in 2015), as EasySoftware, we offered Max at JoomlaDay in Prague that we would take over the development of the Virtuemart application, giving the entire development guidelines based on experience with open source development and customer needs.

At that time, we had two open source projects in our portfolio:
- readmine as Easyredmine
- virtuemart as Easy Virtuemart

Today, the Easyredmine project earns tens of millions of euros per month, the Easy Virtuemart project was stopped in 2015.

But we are still developing extensions for Virtuemart and will continue to do so as long as I enjoy it and our customers need it.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Troels_E on March 04, 2021, 11:34:56 AM
I think Stefan was talking about Pinochicos posts, not Max's?
I don't see Pinochicos posts as unfriendly, I always thought it was just a language barrier and some difficulties expressing things the right way, but don't know if I am right.

Anyway on subject.
I don't really need a roadmap because these have a tendency to change and dates slip, making me and others dissappointed ;)

I would like a way to propose new features that could be taken into consideration, something more public so it was possible to see what interest for the feature is really like.
+ A way to throw money for development of the features that gather most interest. Example feature X can be implemented within x months if a certain goal is reached.

New website and improved forums would also be nice. The first should be a priority and I seeem to remember Stefan suggesting some new designs some  years ago?
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: ermes on March 29, 2021, 16:41:06 PM
Quote from: Troels_E on March 04, 2021, 11:34:56 AM
I think Stefan was talking about Pinochicos posts, not Max's?
I don't see Pinochicos posts as unfriendly, I always thought it was just a language barrier and some difficulties expressing things the right way, but don't know if I am right.

Anyway on subject.
I don't really need a roadmap because these have a tendency to change and dates slip, making me and others dissappointed ;)

I would like a way to propose new features that could be taken into consideration, something more public so it was possible to see what interest for the feature is really like.
+ A way to throw money for development of the features that gather most interest. Example feature X can be implemented within x months if a certain goal is reached.

New website and improved forums would also be nice. The first should be a priority and I seeem to remember Stefan suggesting some new designs some  years ago?

Finally someone that do a good proposal!!
I have already explaned the improvements that VM should have (you can read it previously in this topic).
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 23, 2021, 17:03:33 PM
Let me throw in my two cents.
I believe that there's a lot of us willing to pay for a good, intuitive web shop component that has an up-to-date documentation. If the forum/community is helpful (as a last resort of finding a solution "in house") that is a great bonus.
From my perspective, Virtuemart is a component with amazing potential that is not yet met because functionality is prioritised over user-friendliness, documentation and design (mentioned in order of apportance, at least from my perspective).
Now, I'm not saying that the developer team has made a bad decision. I believe that, in the short to mid term, it was actually a good one if the team is not big enough to be able to cover all those aspects, because if you already have a large enough user base then you expect that a portion of them understand the app itself and are able to overcome problems that come with bad UI and documentation, and also help others in the community.

But it can't stay like that indefinitely.

I've used Virtuemart just a few times over the years when it was absolutely required, but generaly I tried to stay away from projects that include a web shop functionality. And that is just not possible anymore.
I'm a die-hard Joomla user since 2007, over the years I've tested every other major CMS out there, and my experience is that Joomla has the best mix of functionality, security, extendibility and community, with a clear roadmap.

But this year I gave Woocommerce another shot. I still don't like Wordpress and I hope I will not have to use it, but out of the box Woo is just better. I'm not saying it's better in the long run, but it's much easier to be up and running in no time, and that is what matters a lot these days.
Also, I'm not saying VM should see Woo as a general example of how to build a shop component.

I think what I'm trying to say is that right now I see Vm as a component made by experts for experts. If it's like that by choice - fine, but if it's not, then improvements in some areas that are not functionality are overdue.

Look at it this way: just a few years ago it was hard to have a really good website with extended functionality all done by yourself, you just had to hire someone that had some experience in the field of web development.
Now we're in a time where a huge number of people is trying to get their first web shop up and running with as little investment as possible, and a number of different solutions are arising daily to meet that need. None of those solutions are perfect, so those who succeed in the online merchant game will surely look for a sturdier solution for their web shop V.2.0

Virtuemart could be much more appealing to those, as well as a plethora of different types of users, if the "front face" of the app was more up to date an user friendly.
I believe that a huge first step would be to thoroughly redesign the user interface of the app itself, and a great second step would be to offer as much explanation as possible in tooltips of every single option.

I'm sure that the community, myself included, would be more than happy to offer help in redesigning the backend UI, but I don't know how hard would it be to implement that solution. Maybe some of you virtuemart experts could say more about that?

Would you agree that that would be a good first step?

Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: GJC Web Design on April 23, 2021, 21:26:25 PM
Have u tried the new interface?

http://virtuemart.net/news/503-release-virtuemart-3-8-8-updated-administrator-interface-template-design
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 26, 2021, 13:47:22 PM
Quote from: GJC Web Design on April 23, 2021, 21:26:25 PM
Have u tried the new interface?

http://virtuemart.net/news/503-release-virtuemart-3-8-8-updated-administrator-interface-template-design

No, I haven't, that's nice, it's a good step forward, if this is not considered a final solution for a longer period of time.

I was aiming more at how the backend UI could be reworked in a sense that the controls/options could be grouped together differently for a more up-to-date, streamlined workflow.
Imagine a UI that is divided in two main categories, one that is seller oriented and one that is developer oriented.
The first one would include only the options that are needed to run the shop: adding and removing products, orders, statistics, marketing tools and all the other options that are there for the person/team that runs the business. That could probably be offered also as a frontend UI.
The other one would be aimed at developers, with all the available options to create and maintain the online shop.
Let's draw a comparison from cars - driver dashboard vs. the engine.
In the backend those two could be offered as two links in the Joomla menu instead of just one: ...  |  Extensions  |  Help  |  Virtuemart  |  Your shop

That would probably be good in a situation when someone hires a developer to build and maintain a shop.

There's probably something to be learned from other systems as well. For instance, I like how Woocommerce takes you through a few configuration steps when you first install it and takes care of the basic shop functionality.
That would be great for people/companies that want to try and create their own web shops themselves and then, if needed, hire someone to add the more complicated funcionalities once they figure out what else they need besides the basic web shop functions.

If you add a clean, curated extensions directory to that, you have a winner.

I know that all of this is a bunch of work, but maybe Virtuemart 4 is somewhere on the horizon? Is there a Vision of what VM4 should be?
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Studio 42 on April 27, 2021, 00:09:43 AM
zheekan, i already wrote a full front end UI, but this is not public available(only for my customers).
I used a bootstrap 3 admin Template and all use ajax and is mobile friendly
Of course this is long to develop and need some extra step to be installed and do not provide all feature.
I added some exclusive feature

Attached some screenshot
Features that you do not find in Virtuemart :
100% ajax loading
Next previous for all edit views
direct email to customer
ajax multi image upload
create a product from a image URL
Full screen image gallery in medias view
direct edit image information in product, category edit
go from category to product, add product in a category
Display any number of languages at same time
For now i do not want to share or sell it.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 27, 2021, 12:59:17 PM
@Studio 42

That's nice, but it doesn't really help if you're not willing to share or sell it  ;)
Also, the improved UI and everything else discussed in this topic should probably be an integral part of VM, not an addon.

A question to any of the admins following this topic: Is this something that we should discuss at all, or are we wasting time?
I'm not asking to be provocative, maybe there's a different plan or roadmap that the core VM team is pursuing.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: ermes on April 27, 2021, 13:25:51 PM
Quote from: zheekan on April 27, 2021, 12:59:17 PM
@Studio 42

That's nice, but it doesn't really help if you're not willing to share or sell it  ;)
Also, the improved UI and everything else discussed in this topic should probably be an integral part of VM, not an addon.

A question to any of the admins following this topic: Is this something that we should discuss at all, or are we wasting time?
I'm not asking to be provocative, maybe there's a different plan or roadmap that the core VM team is pursuing.

I totally agree with you
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Studio 42 on April 27, 2021, 13:54:26 PM
Quote from: zheekan on April 27, 2021, 12:59:17 PM
@Studio 42

That's nice, but it doesn't really help if you're not willing to share or sell it  ;)
Also, the improved UI and everything else discussed in this topic should probably be an integral part of VM, not an addon.

A question to any of the admins following this topic: Is this something that we should discuss at all, or are we wasting time?
I'm not asking to be provocative, maybe there's a different plan or roadmap that the core VM team is pursuing.
If you follow Joomla logic you can't have another design so I redesigned all the logic, it's why i use own template and component.
The problem is that in this case you can have some trouble(for eg in some cusotomfields plugins) it's why The Vm team cannot rewrite the full logic.
For eg. Why you cannot add directly a new customfield directly in the product ?
Vm is good in front but need really a new complet redesign(and template) and not only some CSS.
For eg. loading all categories is poor in big shops. i Only lad the categories that are in the product and on click i load the list.
So to say, it's not the fault of the team, but of Joomla admin logic and template.
I wrote Joomla admin templates to replace default one, but each time you have some problems because some component do not use core CSS(vm too), it's why i used a front end template and component, so i have no conflit with most components, modules, plugins ... 
So yes my solution is not ideal, but it work fine.
Note that one of my plugin conflict wiht new Virtuemart template, so a new admin template solution is not 100% safe too.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: pinochico on April 27, 2021, 14:03:40 PM
QuoteA question to any of the admins following this topic: Is this something that we should discuss at all, or are we wasting time?

This is the right question :)
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Studio 42 on April 27, 2021, 14:08:27 PM
You can get my free Joomla admin template https://shop.st42.fr/fr/themes/bs-light-joomla-admin-template.htm
But it does not work anymore with latest joomla releases, but you are free to test and fix it.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 27, 2021, 15:49:05 PM
Quote from: Studio 42 on April 27, 2021, 13:54:26 PM
If you follow Joomla logic you can't have another design so I redesigned all the logic, it's why i use own template and component.
The problem is that in this case you can have some trouble(for eg in some cusotomfields plugins) it's why The Vm team cannot rewrite the full logic.
For eg. Why you cannot add directly a new customfield directly in the product ?
Vm is good in front but need really a new complet redesign(and template) and not only some CSS.
For eg. loading all categories is poor in big shops. i Only lad the categories that are in the product and on click i load the list.
So to say, it's not the fault of the team, but of Joomla admin logic and template.
I wrote Joomla admin templates to replace default one, but each time you have some problems because some component do not use core CSS(vm too), it's why i used a front end template and component, so i have no conflit with most components, modules, plugins ... 
So yes my solution is not ideal, but it work fine.
Note that one of my plugin conflict wiht new Virtuemart template, so a new admin template solution is not 100% safe too.

I understand what youre saying, and that is the biggest reason why the rehaul should be done by the VM team.
After all Joomla 4 is just behind the corner, and maybe that's a good point in time to consider VM4.
Again, I don't have the slightest idea about how much effort is required to take a component like VM and thoroughly rework it in to a 2021 component, but I want to know and I want to contribute if possible ;D

With Joomla 4 on the horizon and the unexpected crazyness that the pandemic created businesswise, I'm looking for strong tools that will enable me to have a streamlined workflow for my business for next 3 to 5 years. I think lots of my one-man-band colleagues might be looking for the same thing.
Also, I hope to be corrected if I'm wrong  ;D
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 27, 2021, 16:18:08 PM
Quote from: pinochico on April 27, 2021, 14:03:40 PM
QuoteA question to any of the admins following this topic: Is this something that we should discuss at all, or are we wasting time?

This is the right question :)

Anytime I see one of your comments I can't help but get the feeling you're talking from a negative standpoint. I might be wrong - I also have a problem with getting my ideas across without something being lost in translation (english is not my first language...) , but still that is the feeling I get.
By reading your comments I see that you invested a substantial ammount of time and effort in providing plugins for VM and that you even tried to buy/overtake the VM project.
But, as I understood from some other topics I read here on the forum, VM is intended to be an opensource project and the founders want to keep it that way.
That should be respected, after all they are the ones that created it. If we understand that, then we can try and offer some assistance if it is wanted/needed, but we can't expect the founders to follow our ideas and requests.
If they keep one eye open to the discussions here, than they are surely aware of what we're saying. But keep in mind that there's just a few people in this topic discussing the issues we're discussing, and thousands more that are using the component to the best of their abilities that are silent.
The picture we're trying to paint here might be completely different from the founders' perspective, even though it is the correct picture from our point of view  ;)

Hence the question, should we discuss this?
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: pinochico on April 27, 2021, 19:05:08 PM
To Zheekan:

I understand you very much, but you are based on bad assumptions (at least if I have information)

Trademark VirtueMart was purchased by Max == all important development decisions are up to him.

So it's not open source in the true sense, if I understand correctly.
This is a project that is free and anyone can take it over and reprogram it (but can't use the VirtueMart brand - just like we used EasyVirtueMart), but when it comes to development - I don't have current information now - but Max still has the main and final word. , which obtains funding from the entire project in a different way.

If you don't convince Max of a different direction of development than he is convinced, we can discuss and contribute ideas here - as you can see many developers prefer to program their own solution (administration ...)

My comments may seem negative (yes, even my forum posts don't usually provide a solution in PHP - this is a familiar thing if I see that the user is using the forum instead of ordering a developer and not trying to find a solution before asking (like me) - and yet he is working on a commercial solution = he will get money for it), but it is only currently reconciling with the state of affairs and rather stating a state with which there is nothing much to do.

It is also due to the fact that I no longer have 5 developers available, which I would commission, pay for and develop a new version myself (as I had available in 2015).

You write that Woo Commerce has many interesting things.

We implemented the same things in EasyRedmine in 2016 - an automatic installation guide with help, with many videos and documentation within the administration, automatic reminders of what's new in the style of today's Google, reminders of what still needs to be set up and other things. Unfortunately, it is now too late to imagine that the same things could have been implemented in Virtuemart as early as 2016 (when Woo Commerce could have imagined all the functions in the VM).

You also need to realize that Woo Commerce is programmed by the same people and owners as Wordpress and is an official and supported ecommerce solution from Wordpress with clear code control.

Unfortunately, VirtueMart is not in such a position.
It is not programmed by Joomla
It does not have code quality control from Joomla
There is no official ecommerce solution for Joomla

I will be happy to contribute to the improvement of VirtueMart (and I will take advantage of years of using the VM from version 1 - use as an admin, but also use from our clients and their requirements ...).

Software development (albeit open source) is not about discussing what if (look at J4 for how long they discuss and it leads nowhere - they just add more and more features that someone in the discussion invents and when the new WP comes out - they can only discuss ).
It must have a clear idea and idea and vision for the future, and this is not made up of people in the forums, but a narrow circle of people who decide what will be programmed, how and why.

We also do not program everything that customers write to us that they would like.

Or compare the development of open source ecommerce solutions of Czech origin to symphony - Shopsys.
Although it is open source, the development is determined and approved by the same people who program the same version for commercial high-tech business solutions such as www.alza.cz == those people who have money from it (not someone on the forum)
Once you understand this essential difference, then you will find that open source and forum is only for gaining a base of developers, but the main development is up to the code owner - he determines the development (not discussion on the forum)
Please be realistic - not cheers developers students in one room ..

So where VirtueMart is now and what the code is, is not a bad discussion or a lack of suggestions for improvement, but a vision of the main programmer and its fulfillment.

P.S.
We can easily move the discussion to my email.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 27, 2021, 21:35:34 PM
I find it quite logical that someone has the last word in a project like this, especially if that person is possibly the same person that initiated the development of the app. (Btw, is he?)
He's been in this for how long, 15 years? I'm not trying to convince him to do anything, the law of supply and demand will decide who has the best vision. VM will either supply what the market asks for, or someone else will come and do it. What you and I are asking for might not be what the majority of the market is asking for.
That's why I'm just suggesting some advancements I would benefit from, and wondering if others would benefit from them as well.
And once again, that's why I'm asking if the developers are interested in seeing a discussion like this (and if so, is there a roadmap of any kind?).

If yes, let's discuss.
If no, I have to look for other solutions, but I will keep an eye on what's going on in VM world.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: pinochico on April 28, 2021, 07:49:00 AM
Quoteif that person is possibly the same person that initiated the development of the app.

Hmm, I think the first was Sören, Max comming later for VM2 after our version EasyVirtuemart for J15 - on JoomlaDay in Prague in 2015 he was suprised about our customfields for VM1 (Yes, customfields was our idea and implemented in VM1 first).

I would really like to contribute as well and believe that it will help something, but it must be systemic and logical steps.

For example, why was an administration created with the new VMUIKIT framework incompatible with Joomla 3/4?
Valerie could have saved her time and devoted her strength elsewhere.

Why is Patrik creating his own BS3-compatible administration with installation issues and not improving his extensions?

Why does VM use an outdated version of JS as a modal nowadays?
Because of the MIT license? 7 years is it not possible to use another modern way?

In my opinion, the whole development is unconceptual, chaotic and has no goal.

There are many extensions that fix the fundamental flaws of using VirtueMart ecommerce solutions for today's world.

Why there are many and answers are few.

At the same time, the basic code is great, a few logical adjustments would be enough to speed up and upgrade.

Instead, the VM for custom classes vm is rewritten for 5 years so that Virtuemart can be ported back as a standalone application to wordpress.
It was already here as a PSSHOP (even today it is possible to find remnants of old code).

I am also waiting for the next development, especially in terms of use for our large clients.

We use both VirtueMart and Woo commerce == I can compare.

Α make no mistake, if I use any ecommerce solution for really bussines eshop (fast and with many features), I have to invest hundreds of hours to customize it.

But we are still creating e-shops on VirtueMart for customers,
every week we expand information on Joomla Czech Cafe,
we develop and sell many extensions for VirtueMart and especially:
we still trust him.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 28, 2021, 10:45:16 AM
Quote from: pinochico on April 28, 2021, 07:49:00 AM
I would really like to contribute as well and believe that it will help something, but it must be systemic and logical steps.

Well, then you need to approach the team in a systemic and logical way, practice what you preach  ;D
The first step would probably be to see if help is wanted. There's nothing helpful in randomly pointing out all the things that are wrong, it's chaotic (at least in this conversation).

Also, if it's just a discussion between the two of us then we need to move on  ;)
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Studio 42 on April 28, 2021, 11:46:20 AM
zheekan, i was  2 years in the team as main dev, but i have not same approch as max, so we was not able to work together more times
Max wanted a system so Virtuemart can use plugins for all needs(the idea is not bad) but not really wanted change the admin logic.
My customer want a better UI for all days task. And Virtuemart need many changes to do this and be faster. But  he follow the Joomla logic for this(not full ajax for eg.), other Joomla components are not better.
The virtuemart problem is same as Joomla, they follow own logic and not the market logic or real user needs.
For eg why you have so much page builders(and poor html code) in Joomla ?

Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 28, 2021, 13:55:01 PM
Great, thank you for sharing this info.
Many questions are coming your way now ;D

Considering that you were a part of the core team, do you have an opinion of where VM is heading to in the next few years of development?
Judging by your words, there's a possibility that we can't expect much to change in the UI department?
If so, is VM in its current (and future) state compatible with a plugin of some sort that could change the way users interact with VM itself?
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 28, 2021, 14:09:11 PM
Oh yes, and regarding the number of page builders in Joomla. I see that it's happening in other systems as well, at least in WP it is.
I think that's because there's an increasing demand for CMSs to be manageable by non developers too.
So now they have to cater to (at least) two very different user types that need two different workflows.
I don't know how that will be solved by the core teams of the respective CMSs, so for now it is solved by third-party page builders. Maybe that's not the right way to go from your perspective, but it enables more people to create something online themselves.

Maybe that's the only way for our VM problems to be solved.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: ermes on April 28, 2021, 18:44:40 PM
Quote from: Studio 42 on April 28, 2021, 11:46:20 AM
But  he follow the Joomla logic for this(not full ajax for eg.), other Joomla components are not better.
The virtuemart problem is same as Joomla, they follow own logic and not the market logic or real user needs.

I do not agree. Joomla provides the ability to create modern interfaces that take advantage of ajax (via com_ajax). And to be honest I don't think it's even that complex to implement a modern BE / FE. I think the problem is, as others have said, that the core team is focused on something else. On unappetizing logics.
Starting from the ajax functionalities already present in Virtuemart (frontend side, like cart actions) which are made as I would have done them 10 years ago. No offense to anyone.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 28, 2021, 21:19:32 PM
Quote from: ermes on April 28, 2021, 18:44:40 PM
Quote from: Studio 42 on April 28, 2021, 11:46:20 AM
But  he follow the Joomla logic for this(not full ajax for eg.), other Joomla components are not better.
The virtuemart problem is same as Joomla, they follow own logic and not the market logic or real user needs.

I do not agree. Joomla provides the ability to create modern interfaces that take advantage of ajax (via com_ajax). And to be honest I don't think it's even that complex to implement a modern BE / FE. I think the problem is, as others have said, that the core team is focused on something else. On unappetizing logics.
Starting from the ajax functionalities already present in Virtuemart (frontend side, like cart actions) which are made as I would have done them 10 years ago. No offense to anyone.

I don't think any offense will be taken if we discuss like this. These are just the facts for some of us.
Also, I don't think I can add anything meaningful to a discussion about how the code is done or should be done, I don't have the required knowledge.
But I can assure you that Joomla is a valuable tool for me and my clients. It works as intended 99% of the time, and when it doesn't it's usually because I've done a dumb mistake.

I'm sure that from a developers point of view both VM and Joomla can be much, much better and deliver cleaner and more secure output, but the sites I put out for my clients are reasonably fast to load, are secure enough that I extremely rarely have any issues with kids hacking into them (I do use Akeeba Admin Tools - most of hack attempts start with trying to access the /wp-admin link :D ) and are pretty painless to update to new versions. And I'm no expert, I just use the tools that are on offer right now, and if the tools are pricy but efective, I buy them.
And while we're on the subject of tools, joomla has more than enough third-party plugins to extend the functionality to the point where I easily consider Joomla to be number one for me. WP has more for sure, but the whole system is much more unstable from my point of view.

My oppinion is that the only thing Joomla truly lacks right now is a great eShop solution, and market demand for that has never been bigger. There's a few solutions out there and VP might be the first one (is it?), but there is no true number one.

Ermes, you say that it shouldn't be that complex to implement a modern UI. Are you advanced enough to make that statement because you understand how all this wizardry works, or are you assuming? I'm not trying to provoke or be an asshole, I'm genuinely interested, because I'm at a point where I could just be crazy enough  to start thinking about how to solve this problem.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: pinochico on April 28, 2021, 21:22:37 PM
Although Joomla has com_ajax, it unfortunately uses outdated jquery and outdated BS.
The new version is in sight and ecommerce requirements are evolving faster than Joomla's development.
Yes, Joomla still has its advantages, especially lately, when content is becoming more and more important thanks to google, but it is necessary to build the right foundation as soon as possible.
And then build the right ecommerce solution.
With advanced real-time search, advanced and very fast real-time filtering.
With the possibility of importing and exporting data, with the possibility of marketing emails, with connection to automatic marketing tools.
All this with a modern, accessible and, most importantly, simple administration.
And I'm not talking about an e-shop with hundreds of products (I can buy an online box for that) but an e-shop with hundreds of thousands of tailor-made products.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 29, 2021, 11:43:18 AM
Quote from: pinochico on April 28, 2021, 21:22:37 PM
And I'm not talking about an e-shop with hundreds of products (I can buy an online box for that) but an e-shop with hundreds of thousands of tailor-made products.

Who needs that?
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: pinochico on April 29, 2021, 12:12:52 PM
our clients :D
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 29, 2021, 13:36:24 PM
Don't get me wrong, but if I had clients that needed online solutions for hundreds of thousands of products and are willing to pay a fair price for something like that, I wouldn't be looking at VM or any other CMS solution that I've seen up until now. I'd have a team of devs that would create a custom solution that maybe could be based off of something like VM.

How much would you charge for a shop that is capable of managing that enormous number of products?
And are you expecting to get VM that is capable of doing that for free?
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: nebojsa on April 29, 2021, 14:05:13 PM
I must say that I agree on some statements here that Joomla and VM websites gives outdated feeling.
On the other hand, Woo doesn't give many out of the box features like VM does. All extensions for Woo you need to install or buy.
What I find as a big drawback of VM is lack of quality made templates.
Most of payed templates I find for VM are old and outdated - patched many times.
Also when you take a look for VM templates on template monster or other reseller websites you see that Woo vs VM template variety is like 100:1. 
The latest example is virtuemarttemplates.net - when I bought a template some files were 8 years old. Many functions didn't work so I had to update template coding myself.
I am not a web developer. I am creating websites for my company and my friends and family, but the way I see VM future is unfortunately bad unless VM change things from the core.
I was always asking myself why VM doesn't create own CMS framework and move out from Joomla.
Joomla only creates compatibility issues with VM and make things more complicated.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: jenkinhill on April 29, 2021, 15:39:16 PM
@nebojsa I would not use a template from the places you mention. I mostly use templates developed by designers who have also been involved in VM development, such as Olympian Themes or VirtuePlanet. Olympian especially are so easy to modify and are available from the VM extensions store.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: nebojsa on April 29, 2021, 15:54:51 PM
That's also part of the problem. VM should have it's own (and modern looking) extension and template store where we can find everything we need in one place. I know there is official VM store but things that are sold over there are crap and general impression over that store is ... well ... let's say poor and unfinished. However, own VM store would offer a possibility for VM developers to earn some extra $.
Thank you for your recommendation, I will certainly look at template producers you sent me but I had problem finding them on Google so I just bought what looked nice to me.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: ermes on April 29, 2021, 15:57:01 PM
Quote from: zheekan on April 29, 2021, 13:36:24 PM
And are you expecting to get VM that is capable of doing that for free?

VirtueMart can handle "smoothly" hundreds of thousands of products. I do it many times with dropshipping sites for example. these websites imports a csv file of products supplies by manufacturer. VirtueMart is a great solution but with a bit old interface.
Then com_ajax can be used with all jquery/bs version. You don't have to use joomla's built-in libraries (as vm already does). So i don't view the problem. Unfortunately i can't assure time to develop for virtuemart (my work and family...) to write a new and modern UI.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 29, 2021, 16:04:56 PM
@Nebojsa
I agree with everything you say except the moving out of Joomla part of your comment.
That would ask for a huge ammount of additional effort for the whole VM team (at least I think it would), and judging by what I read here on the forum it looks like the core team already has a lot of work just maintaining what exists and adding new features. If they can't afford the time to offer an upgraded UI and more streamlined workflow, then they for sure can't afford to do something like that.
Also (some might disagree) but Joomla needs VM and VM needs Joomla. If you decide to leave the Joomla ecosystem, then you're on your own. What about marketing then, how do you acquire new users? I don't remember ever seeing an add for VM. They probably don't need one, Joomla does it for them (indirectly).

@jenkinhill
Trying to visit Olympian themes you get this message: Dear visitors, we do not sell, update or support our products anymore.
I've bought and meddled with Virtueplanet Merchant template ages ago, I see that they put out one new template since then and it looks fair enough, but nothing more. That template would probably be the only one out there that I would consider buying if Joomlapro hadn't created a plugin that integrates with Yootheme and allows me to manipulate the looks of VM in a builder.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: pinochico on April 29, 2021, 16:10:04 PM
QuoteYou don't have to use joomla's built-in libraries

Hmm, pls thinking my idea.
If I need load eshop to 0,6ms, then I need only one the best library.
Not joomla + virtuemart + others JS and libraries, only one and the best.

As I said last time - when I need hobby eshop with 100 products, then I use some online shop solution, not Joomla/VM.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: nebojsa on April 29, 2021, 16:17:48 PM
@jenkinhill I have looked at both template producers recommendation you posted and I must say I am very dissapointed. Olympian website doesn't work well (at least not on mobile version) and on Virtueplanet you cannot click on extensions link lol.
With no offense to anyone from Olympian and Virtueplanet but it's far from good.
Also all the templates I have seen over there are far from what I can call modern.
Take a look at Woocommerce template offers, you would be surprised how cool and good looking templates they offer.
VM has powerful coding team but when it comes to design then I can say "Houston, we have a problem!".
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: nebojsa on April 29, 2021, 16:27:09 PM
@zheekan You are probably right. However, VM shares the same destiny as Joomla. If Joomla falls down, VM will fall down with it too. Wordpress is now most popular CMS solution while Joomla global share fell down to only 10% of total websites. When I started using Joomla/VM they had like 70%.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 29, 2021, 18:24:15 PM
Quote from: pinochico on April 29, 2021, 16:10:04 PM
Hmm, pls thinking my idea.

What does this mean, I don't understand?

Quote from: pinochico on April 29, 2021, 16:10:04 PM
As I said last time - when I need hobby eshop with 100 products, then I use some online shop solution, not Joomla/VM.

We see things very differently. I don't consider a shop with 100 products a hobby. Maybe someone that is trying to play around with dropshipping can consider it a hobby.
I had quite a few clients that run small to medium sized companies that have less than a 100 products in their portfolio (and sometimes just a few products), but are established in their respective fields and make great stuff.
The last shop I created was for a soap company that has 12 different soaps. That's it, 12 products with no real intention in growing the product base.
But those soaps are highly regarded and have a growing fan base. I know, sounds funny, but that's how it is.
I probably could have created a simpler solution, but they needed a backend with order management and statistics, and the plan for the website itself is a bigger one than just a shop. So Joomla and VM were a logical choice.

@Nebojsa
You are correct, WP has hugely surpassed Joomla in user base, but 10% is still a HUGE number.
Even if it falls down to 1% it will be a huge number. My general impression of Joomla right now is that it's a great system, with all its flaws included. After all, that's why we're still here  ;D
And finally, every threat is usually also an opportunity. A huge number of users that are now on WP could already be searching for better options. Who will offer that option?
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: ermes on April 29, 2021, 18:39:43 PM
Quote from: zheekan on April 29, 2021, 18:24:15 PM
You are correct, WP has hugely surpassed Joomla in user base, but 10% is still a HUGE number.
Even if it falls down to 1% it will be a huge number. My general impression of Joomla right now is that it's a great system, with all its flaws included. After all, that's why we're still here  ;D
And finally, every threat is usually also an opportunity. A huge number of users that are now on WP could already be searching for better options. Who will offer that option?

WP is a house of cards: even a clean installation can implode at any moment.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 29, 2021, 18:53:20 PM
Quote from: ermes on April 29, 2021, 18:39:43 PM
WP is a house of cards: even a clean installation can implode at any moment.
I share your opinion, even though I can't base it on code knowledge. That's my experience with it.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Jumbo! on April 29, 2021, 19:23:52 PM
Quote from: nebojsa on April 29, 2021, 16:17:48 PM
on Virtueplanet you cannot click on extensions link lol.

@nebojsa Can you please explain the problem? We will be glad to fix the issue.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: pinochico on April 29, 2021, 19:25:11 PM
to zheekan:

QuoteSo Joomla and VM were a logical choice

Yes,  I undestand and you are definitelly right. ("Hobby" I mean

but for this solution you don't need high optimalization in VirtueMart, only standard instalation and go on (it doesn't matter how long the eshop is loaded (2,3 or 6 seconds and what its rating is.)

But I speak about other type shop...

Try:
www.jancaelektro.cz (220 000 products)
www.ventilatory-shop.cz (45 000 products)

that was our client on VM, but go away, because VM was bad - not quickly, not optimalized, with lot of bugs (yes, the same bugs I see from 2015 in code still - I wrote in forum for DEV and nothing heapend).

When DEV team will create idea from DEV team, but not for ending customers, then I can't use VirtueMart for really bussines shop (only as I said "Hobby shop").

And check this:
http://kiosek.jancaeshop.cz
(user: minion, pass: 512uredniku)

This is website from us for jancaelektro.cz, but very quickly, without bugs.
Is not Virtuemart :)

But I need VirtueMart for these type of shops... with loading 0,6 second and I definitelly know is possible from our history - but with lot of hours for optimalization, because core code for
- search
- filtering
- view
are very slowly (v. 3.8.9 are slowest then v.3.4.2)

Why customfields is indexing by name of customfield and not by ID? (from begining in VM2 - look and our easyvirtuemart 1.19 for J1.5, where customfields indexing by ID)

You know why are sometimes sad? Because priority for ecommerce for ending customers are little bit different as DEV team, and the changes were supposed to come 5 years ago, now they are late and over.

Oh men :)

I can speak and speak a long time, but I must work :)
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: nebojsa on April 29, 2021, 21:03:01 PM
@Jumbo! Sure. Just go to the website with your mobile phone and try to click Browse extensions. I would send a screenshot but you will not able to see that it's not clickable.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Jumbo! on April 29, 2021, 21:38:06 PM
Quote from: nebojsa on April 29, 2021, 21:03:01 PM
@Jumbo! Sure. Just go to the website with your mobile phone and try to click Browse extensions. I would send a screenshot but you will not able to see that it's not clickable.

Thank you for pointing out the issue. Can you please check again now?
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: nebojsa on April 29, 2021, 22:29:01 PM
No, it's still the same. Even with cache clear.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on April 29, 2021, 23:03:23 PM
Anyway, let's continue  ;D

A question, is there any publicly available statistical data about how many users VM has right now?
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Troels_E on May 07, 2021, 11:31:52 AM
QuoteA question, is there any publicly available statistical data about how many users VM has right now?
Not that I am aware of.

Max will now about DLs and support memberships you can always try and ask if he's got numbers he wants to share.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: GJC Web Design on May 07, 2021, 11:43:43 AM
you can see the D/L figures here.. http://dev.virtuemart.net/projects/virtuemart/files
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: dr.spot86 on May 09, 2021, 00:25:53 AM
Hi every one

I followed with extreme interest the thread. I want to talk about some issue that I think are the "missing link".

I talk as a little digital entrepreneur very curious and passionate about market trends and changes.

From my perspective, all can be reconducted to:


1.
VirtueMart lacks a clear idea of what's its position in the market. Build this idea is crucial now.

And it hasn't to see Woocommerce or Shopify. It has to define and communicate its strenght to the right user.


2.
VirtueMart lacks a simple strategy to:

• acquire new users
• pay the bill


--

I talked to Max some weeks ago and give him a little idea. Maybe in the next weeks I'm going to expand on that.

Shortly, I think the solution are:


1.
Go and communicate what VirtueMart is and can do. In the meantime, give a fresh look first to the website and the product at UX / Design level.


2.
• Acquire new customer offering the possibility to sell the first products with ease
• Match developer with end user* and expand / improve the extensions store


*on this, I want to elaborate.

I think that:
- VirtueMart should be free only as a third level domain with a Joomla installation (e.g. myshop.virtuemart.com); this way, dev team shouldn't have to create a fancy wizard that guide you through installation and configuration: simply, they use the same preconfigured store again and again.
No extendability.

- VirtueMart should be paid for installation on own domain; considering the market benchmark, 30-50 / month or 250-300 / year could be acceptable.

- VirtueMart should create an ecosystem of product (extension) with developer that instead of reinventing the wheel every time and compete with each other (why on earth should there be multiple different extensions doing the same thing?), work on few extensions and improve them continuosly.

Hence:
• VM Team -> focuses on VM. No distractions.
• Developers -> focuses on the few extensions that can't be in the core initially, but that could be integrated in the future (why on earth if I have to sell subscription, or product for rent, I have to look for other solutions?)

- In the meantime, developers can also work with end user that want to delegate all the ecommerce developing to them.


How can everyone pay the bill this way?
In the short run, it's simple
• VM -> from VM and fees from extensions + a kind of "certified VM Developers"
• developers -> from selling their extensions + develop for the end users

In the long run, it's a bit more complicated. But ESSENTIAL to understand.
In the long run, things have to change: if VirtueMart and its extensions remain separate, a plateau is reached. It is not avoidable. It is a market. It is physiological for it to happen. VirtueMart must slowly incorporate the functionality of the extensions.

Considering the number (VERY LARGE in absolute terms) of web searches, developers, users, citations and more, that VirtueMart has, instead of many small developers here and there who bring bread home by chasing customers, VirtueMart can become an "organism" that can leverage all this and increase profits in a consistent way.

For the VirtueMart team. And for developers who will join in over time, that can have more active role in VirtueMart, and continue to work with end users.

Obviously, if everyone thinks of pulling water to his mill, and in the meantime wants to continue using VirtueMart expecting an impossible speed if there are no resources (budget, time, energy), all this will implode on himself.

This is a typical non-zero-sum game condition.

Or they all win. Or they all lose. There is no middle ground.
Everyone with a basic understanding of economy / micro-economy could understand this.

And of course, the VirtueMart development team needs to take a more defined position.

I hope this help
And I hope that Max and someone of the VirtueMart Developer Team, will read all this thread. ;)
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on May 09, 2021, 01:37:02 AM
@GJC
Thank you, it was interesting to see the numbers. Big, but not as big as I expected, also it looks as the numbers are going down over time.

@dr.spot
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, we all here are asking for something similar to a few of the points you laid out, but you took it to a whole new level  ;D
I don't believe we can expect VM to become what you propose anytime soon, and it's quite possible that it will never be that, but I definitely agree with these points:

1. Go and communicate what VirtueMart is and can do. In the meantime, give a fresh look first to the website and the product at UX / Design level.
2. Acquire new customer offering the possibility to sell the first products with ease

Without that VM will continue to be a tool for advanced users that dont care about UI/UX, and that means even lower numbers from what we can see on the link GJC shared above.


I recommend this article to all of you in this thread (and the VM team also), it's an interesting view on what the market asks for:

https://www.namecheap.com/blog/wordpress-market-share/
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: dr.spot86 on May 09, 2021, 14:10:54 PM
Wait up...

Since WordPress allows you to create a website with just the click of a button, those stats aren't very useful from a decision-making point of view.

It simply says "40% of websites run on WordPress".

Well...

How many people do you know who woke up one day and said "I'd like to make a website today" and pressed a button, creating a website that they didn't use?

Examples of useful data would be these:

- How many sites beyond certain monthly visitors run on WordPress
- How many sites offering valuable services are running on WordPress
- How many sites / ecommerce that bill over a certain value run on WordPress
(and in any case it would not be sufficient to have an answer: there are other factors; roles within the company, professionalism, or trivially company objectives, etc.)

Or more simply: how many of 40% are "dead" sites, or started and left there?

It's a very bland statistic ...

It's a bit like gym subscriptions VS sessions with a Personal Trainer (my entrepreneurial spirit is declined in the Fitness area and I'm talking to you from certain data): most people subscribe to the gym by choosing an annual plan .. That never uses!

A Personal Trainer costs 25-40 times more than a gym membership, but when people choose it they start and continue.

And they certainly get results that those who choose gym membership and never go there never get.

It's the same with WordPress VS Joomla. WordPress takes a big chunk of the market by facilitating "initiation" to the web. This does not mean that people "initiated" then do something on the web.

Obviously, the advantage of this operation is there: in the midst of the tide of people who never start, there are people who motivate themselves by starting. They start from a small blog, expand and then put on an ecommerce.

If one starts with a solution (e.g. WordPress) it is difficult to change direction once started.
(this is another reason that changes those stats)

You get to Joomla / VirtueMart because
• or you are already a bit geek
• or you are already inside the web and you understand what "stability / solidity" of a system means (it is not at all obvious!)

For this in point 1 of my answer above I wrote:

Joomla or, better, VirtueMart, should communicate well what it is. Without looking at Shopify / WooCommerce, but communicating what it really is:

"The e-commerce solution for those who are serious about their e-commerce and are not just f**k around"
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on May 09, 2021, 14:59:58 PM
@elestudiodeandres
Don't agree at all  ;D I don't believe that VM ever had plans to be number one on the planet and even if they did, they don't have that dream now. But does that mean it's dead? Joomla powers 2.2% of the internet. Let that sink in.

@dr.spot
What I got from that article was that the transition to online marketplace has been accelerated beyond expectations. And of course almost everyone went with the most recognisable and marketed solution, WP/Woo.
But there will be a huge number of companies looking for a better solution once they get fed up with the downsides of the WP/Woo combo.

Let me paste two of the most important parts of that article here:
1. Woo draws users from existing WordPress sites wanting an e-commerce presence*. It also appeals to first-time site builders because unlike Shopify, there are no limits on the free version. You can add unlimited products and connect a payment gateway to create a fully functional store in a snap.

2. The pandemic has accelerated the shift to e-commerce by roughly five years, and according to United Nations Trade and Development Secretary, the shift to a digital world is here to stay. As he put it, "the changes we make now will have lasting effects as the world economy begins to recover."
Right now, 'online first' is the sentiment for many new and established businesses. Yet, as of 2019, less than two-thirds of small businesses had a website. The same study found that:
- small businesses cite cost (26%) and irrelevance to industry (27%) as key reasons behind their decision not to have a website
- 35% of small businesses feel their operation is too small to warrant a website
Fast forward to 2020, and the notion that a business is too small or not suitable for an online presece ceases to exist. Today, whether you're a freelance nail technician or an organic health food store, without an online presence you give the impression that you're no longer in business.
As the pandemic pushes consumers and businesses online, the crisis also presents an opportunity. Companies that invest in their online presence will thrive — and where better than a free, well-known platform like WordPress to ease the transition**. It's an economical and sustainable choice for businesses of any size.

* VM has the same opportunity with Joomla. As I said before, 2.2% of all web sites is a huuuuge number.
**Let me just say it again, there will be a substantial number of businesses that will look for a better solution once they get fed up with the downsides of the WP/Woo combo.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: nebojsa on June 07, 2021, 21:29:34 PM
From advanced user who manages it's own store I can tell you how I see things from my perspective.
I was looking for custom product designer add-on solution for VM shop and guess what?
I found only one from the company that already sold me worst extension ever.
Guess how many I found on Woocommerce?
At least ten!
I was willing to spend up to $150 but hey - that one extension that exists for VM costs even more.
From my point of view as soon as I finish working on my new VM website I am switching to Woo.
No hard feelings for anyone here. I like VM but all templates are outdated, it is hard to find working plugins and variety of plugins are poor. For average user all of that seems too complicated.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Troels_E on June 07, 2021, 23:20:37 PM
@nebojsa
Unfortunately that is valid points.

Not judging the shopsystem but it is simpler to build an advanced and modern looking webstore on woocommerce, simply because there is som much more activity and stuff available from 3rd parties.

- Fex. I buy my shipping from a company that manages multiple shipping solutions, they provide a free plugin for woo (presta, magento, opencart etc) on VM I have to pay EUR125 annually for at new partially working plugin I feel I am the only betatester of (I know the developer is hard at work at it though).
- Our credit card gateway has a VM plugin... it was last updated in 2016 and just barely works, but nowhere as refined as on other platforms!
- The most popular credit solution does not support VM (but again Magento, WOO, Presta etc), that plugin we had to get done ourselves.
Now these are all more or less country specific plugins but I guess the situation is the same for other countries, VM is neglected simply because it lacks users and a profile that makes it clear to everone that VM is still relevant in 2021.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: nebojsa on June 08, 2021, 22:06:51 PM
@Troels_E
I feel your pain really. I know exactly what are you speaking of.
It is really getting harder and harder to manage VM store.
Too bad for me because I already got used to VM a lot.
Every plugin I bought so far for VM is seriously outdated - last updated in 2013-2016 and only patched to work with recent VM version.
If VM wants to get somewhere near the throne again,serious team of developers needs to work on many new templates, plugins and out of the box features.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Troels_E on June 09, 2021, 09:49:44 AM
If the platform has enough users it will automatically attract more developers and plugins will be made available.

I said it before, the forums and VM website looks like something from 2005 (maybe it is, can't remember) the forums is overpopulated by different inactive categories old outdated sticky posts and needs to be simplified so it looks active (simply archive anything before VM3! and keep 5-6 categories).

Update the online presence, continue steady work on VM and especially the admin interface.
Pack VM with a new standard template so it is actually usable out of the box (Hera, Zeus etc would be a nice starting point) and users that have the more custom needs can expand from that.

It is so silent from the guy(s) in charge but it would be nice to know what the direction is and wether they recognise the concerns we raise here.
I am grateful for VM but it needs more users to become relevant again. New users come from both new features but I think mostly out of a modern web presence and usability out of the box.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: balai on June 09, 2021, 17:46:34 PM
@dr.spot86 I agree in most points and especially those about better positioning of the product.

Though charging for installing VM in self-hosted environment is beyond the reality.
The #1 reason of most users using that product, is because it is totally free.
Putting charges on top of the constantly declining users, will vanish it.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: zheekan on June 12, 2021, 02:58:53 AM
Quote from: Troels_E on June 09, 2021, 09:49:44 AM
It is so silent from the guy(s) in charge but it would be nice to know what the direction is and wether they recognise the concerns we raise here.

Very much agreed.
I definitely don't think that we're entitled to a response from the core team but not getting one also says a lot, at least to me.
I just can't promote Virtuemart to my clients as the best component to be used when creating a web shop in Joomla.
The pandemic had a huge effect on the market and everyone is moving the sales of everything online. Almost all of my potential customers are coming to me asking for a modern looking website with an intuitive admin interface. The possibility of quickly expanding the functionalities of the shop in the future is also a thing I get asked a lot.
They all realised that if they don't get that, the chances of success are very slim. The competition is rapidly becoming bigger and stronger, and it's happening quicker than enyone expected possible.
I'll keep an eye open on this thread to see if something changes, but there's little more to be said here that already hasn't been said.

Best of luck to everyone.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Troels_E on June 12, 2021, 11:21:26 AM
I know we're not entitled to anything but some communication would be nice.
It is not just me as a user who is concerned. Every developer I have been in contact with raises the same issues if they have not left VM already.

[EDIT] Simple answer to OP must be that VM is in a zombie state (living dead)  and the roadmap is non existent or really top secret.

Made my last site with woocommerce and is slowly getting my head around WP/woo and then it is goodbye VM/joom for any future projects. I had no choice as I would have needed custom work for VM to do what was needed (ticket sales) and there are not many qualified devs around here (with time on their hands).
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Andrew Smith on June 24, 2021, 10:48:26 AM
Well, here I am again after what could well be a decade and the sheer irony is that the same type of discussion is happening.  I can't remember what version the product was then, but I believe the dire do-or-die issue was the gargantuan refactoring of code to be properly compatible with Joomla and modern methods. 

I do want to say that I am grateful to those who have stuck with the project for all these years.  So glad that VM is still around and that it integrates with Joomla so well.  Also grateful that Joomlart (whom I have a subscription with) have a whole [Mod edit. Link removedtemplate section for those compatible with VirtueMart installs[/url].  23 VirtueMart templates for Joomla and the quickstart versions come loaded with VM + demo data! 

Having the template availability makes such a difference.  In the old days you'd be templating for Joomla (mystical knowledge in itself) and then having to sort out the remaining templating to make VM look the way you wanted it to.  I can still remember a friend of mine complaining about the difficulties of getting to the bottom of it all as he learned where to make changes.

Clearly there have been some amazing improvements over the years.  And what a joy it was to switch on the new admin template for VM as part of my current install.  It is a thing of streamlined beauty and really adds to the experience.

Andrew
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: GJC Web Design on November 09, 2021, 12:55:21 PM
@ brewmaxwell649 see http://forum.virtuemart.net/index.php?topic=130800.msg519008#msg519008
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: razor7 on December 29, 2021, 15:40:12 PM
Beign a mambo/joomla/vm user since 2004, it's pretty sad to me to see a 6 months discussion thread with so little moderators/devs feedback. In my opinion Joomla/VM is great, but it's really sad to see new features pop out every new release in all competitors software but VM. Hope the VM team get it together and starts to get the project in the right direction.

PS: I hate WP and WC! all nice until you have to make a customization...then you need a real good PHP IDE and debugger!
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: GJC Web Design on December 29, 2021, 21:47:54 PM
Quotebut it's really sad to see new features pop out every new release in all competitors software but VM

what new features are u looking for?
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: T.A. Garrison, LLC on April 22, 2023, 00:28:42 AM
I think new features are a good thing.

However, until and unless the "current" features are fixed so that they function 100% instead of 80% and then corrupt the database, or, go months after the latest release and there is no way to update VM, all of that has to stop in order for VM to move forward.

VM 4.0.12 cannot be updated. Period.
I have it installed in several sites and there is no way I'm going to completely destroy each site and rebuild the sites with the "Full Package" which is Joomla 3 and VM 4.0.14 - all I need is VM 4.0.14

Well, that's not all I need. I also need VM developers to go through the code and figure out why ANY Child product created for and within the Multi Variant Ramifications is "NOT" deleted from the database when it's been deleted in administration.

If someone creates a Multi Variant with Ramifications, but does not create it properly, then the Multi Variant needs to be deleted and start over.
If you do delete the Multi Variant - without first deleting all of the children 1-by-1 (and even then I have no idea if that will solve the problem), then the children remain in the database. I know...I'm staring at hundreds of them.

There is no "roadmap" for VM without assuring those of us who've been using VM since version 1 and Mambo until the "current" version is "rock solid" in functionality.

Worse, I can't get any response from VM developers, even if I offer them money!
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: jjk on April 22, 2023, 20:21:00 PM
Quote from: T.A. Garrison, LLC on April 22, 2023, 00:28:42 AM
VM 4.0.12 cannot be updated. Period.

Did you read this?
https://virtuemart.net/news/511-effective-and-sustainable-funding-with-a-virtuemart-membership
and
https://docs.virtuemart.net/tutorials/installation-migration-upgrade/246-how-to-update-virtuemart-from-svn.html.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: T.A. Garrison, LLC on April 23, 2023, 22:52:37 PM
Thank you for those links.
I'm glad that Milbo is taking that stand. I wish it were more widely published so that I wouldn't have spent the last 3 weeks pulling out what little hair I have left.

I have no problem paying for assistance. Just let everybody know that is an option now.
Where was that link posted?
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: GJC Web Design on April 24, 2023, 17:36:06 PM
https://virtuemart.net/ 
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: fapi2 on April 30, 2023, 00:02:55 AM
About VM Support membership ... on 2023/04/17 i have open a ticket, unanswered to date :(
I accidentally didn't enter my domain name when registering the Membership Bronze order (on 2023/04/06), thinking it would be possible to enter it later. I was misled by the text that read "You may enter domains to register here, but you can also use the live registration, which will register any domain you want as long as you have free slots"... so I was thinking of a registration live, but I don't know how to do it.
I entered the code RU4zUTAxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx in the VirtueMart configuration as card number, but I get the following message: "Domains do not match stored sent fapi2.it".
Can you kindly help me figure out how to fix it?
The system now offers me an upgrade from version 4.0.12 to 4.0.14 which I can't do. I can only download version 4.0.18 manually, but "automatically" nothing seems to work. What did I do wrong? :'(
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: ViPeS on April 30, 2023, 10:22:29 AM
Registration Membership for domain started working with version 4.0.14 10805
See https://forum.virtuemart.net/index.php?topic=149474.msg534936#msg534936
But auto-upgrade is not implemented.
Upgrade manually to 4.0.18
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: fapi2 on May 01, 2023, 23:16:10 PM
with VM x.18, : "Domains do not match" message remaine :'(
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Studio 42 on May 02, 2023, 12:12:19 PM
Modify administrator/components/com_virtuemart/helpers/adminui.php
function writeVmm
I hate to show this and has contributed more the 15 months to VM code and no standard solution to remove this advertisement
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: unpsnae on June 07, 2023, 11:59:29 AM
Quote from: zheekan on April 29, 2021, 23:03:23 PM
Anyway, let's continue  ;D

A question, is there any publicly available statistical data about how many users VM has right now?

I know that my opinion is irrelevant but i have to post it to vent on the VM issues.


The question above, although it is 2 year old, intrigued me. I am not a "new user" of the Virtuemart Platform. I used at least 8 accounts owned by my customers & colleagues over the years (web designing companies) as i use it since 2012 and i considered it (past tense) to be one of the most innovative and beautifully community created eCommerce solutions on the internet, that alongside Joomla! Project was the perfect match.

The current standings for Virtuemart are:


I understand that VM and Joomla! are community distributions that all of us source our magic and our knowledge to create it, in comparison to WP that is a Company Created Project and VM lacks in funding but i am so mad, frustrated and discouraged with the new "members" only update situation and overall on the state the platform stands...

All those years i was so hard on the prices of the Virtuemart store. 170€-200€ for Templates that were never updated to the new UI/UX standards and were so outdated that the only thing older on the internet was Flash sites! 70€-90€ for plugins and addons that third party individuals created and sold for 19€-35€?

With those prices and the lack of visual innovation, it was hard for us (loyal users and helping community) to even think about convincing our customers to buy a Virtuemart addon-theme so to sustain the momentum of the initial developer (our hero) and the community around the project. Even the Donate button had a fixed price on it(!!!).

I always thought that if the prices were normal, e.g. 50€ for a nice template and 35€-45€ for a good plugin-addon, then we would not jump to other external solutions, but we would buy the VM template and we would work on it as Web Designers and bring it Up to Date.

At the same time, if the fee for the membership was based on normal standards considering it is an annual expense for a Company, or if it was kept at the same level but as an "one off payment", then we wouldn't be standing at 0.014% of the market.

I have used, designed and Sold eShops based on Woocommerce, HikaShop, J2Store, OpenCart, Pestashop, Shopify and Virtuemart is the best CMS to own and work (when it works properly without bugs... so rarely). But long story short, to ask from me to pay 75€/year per Customer (each customer has to own an account) you are crazy!

Even pagination needs fixing out of the box!

That situation saddens all people that were always there even for the translation part of the CMS and loved the platform. We are forced to rebuild our eShops on other inferior technologies, either free or paid, in order to not pay the constantly bug infested 4 version high priced updates and annual fees of an OPEN SOURCE PROJECT.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: Kuubs on June 28, 2023, 09:37:38 AM
Is is dead? I have a couple of bugs that seem to be not respond to on this forum. But also the hour bought i dont get any response.. it seems that virtuemart is abonded :(
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: jenkinhill on June 28, 2023, 11:45:10 AM
If you check development activity you can see that VM is very much alive!  http://dev.virtuemart.net/projects/virtuemart/activity
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: oO_Oo on August 03, 2023, 14:41:08 PM
The dev.virtuemart.net has been dead for weeks.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: piliop on August 04, 2023, 08:56:15 AM
There is no way to download the component.

The dev.virtuemart.net is down for many days now.

if there is an active subscription can we download the component or it is a waste of our money?
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: jjk on August 05, 2023, 22:35:56 PM
The VirtueMart team is aware of the problem. The server software is not working properly. Unfortunately, the web hosting company still hasn't got the problem under control.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: artonweb on August 11, 2023, 09:17:18 AM
Is it possible someone from our community to upload the latest version of Virtuemart 4, in order to prepare our migration from Joomla 3 to Joomla 4;
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: jenkinhill on August 11, 2023, 12:36:09 PM
To quote Max (Milbo):  "The membership versions are hosted on extensions.virtuemart.net, so you can still download there "

Now 4.2.  See https://virtuemart.net/news   The latest versions are on https://virtuemart.net/downloads   - perfect for new starters.
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: artonweb on August 11, 2023, 21:09:14 PM
Thank you Jenkinhill for the link.
Is there a link for template horme 3 free;
Title: Re: Virtuemart Dead or Alive ? Whats the roadmap and future ?
Post by: jenkinhill on August 12, 2023, 11:17:53 AM
horme 3 is not J4 compatible.