Need help to verify what my developer is telling me. Joomla 2.5-3, VM 2.5-3

[BrennonK]

He is stating that we need to start from scratch and that I need to re upload all my products. I have over 1300! That was months and months of work.

Is there not a way to update joomla and virtumart without having to re upload all my content?

Any help is appreciated. I am not a programmer so some of the threads I have read already dont make sense to me.

[Jörgen]

Don´t need to upload them again.

se thread:

http://forum.virtuemart.net/index.php?topic=126862.0

Make the update on an off line server and see how it goes.

regards

Jörgen @ Kreativ Fotografi

[GJC Web Design]

Jörgen is right

Normally the VM2.6->VM3 is very easy - just install the comp & AIO - then correct any VM template problems

then go to J3 if you really want to - Joomla 2.5 is stable and safe -- it is normally the J3 upgrade that can be difficult

Obviously try everything first on a clone of the site

[BrennonK]

So I jsut get my developer to update VM then joomla, then my template. What about my data? Do I need to migrate that? How does it get switched over?

[GJC Web Design]

your not listening - what would be the point of an update that left you with a blank shop?

Of course your data is untouched ...

[BrennonK]

Its not that I am not listening, I am doing my due diligence. These are fair questions.

What would you figure a time estimate for accomplishing this would be?

[GJC Web Design]

entirely depends on your templates and installed extensions

I never quote less than 3 hours for a 2.5->3 migration and it can often run to more.

You need to factor in new J3/VM3 extensions to buy if available (and needed) and changes to your existing (normally just the VM parts)  template

BTW .. there is an arguable case to go to VM3..  (even then not convinced always) .. but J2.5->J3  .. ?
Have yet to see a convincing argument for this upgrade.. different if it was a new site you were starting
J2.5 is safe, mature and stable.. supported by Max et la  security wise  (and note - when dev's stop developing the bugs normally stop..    )
extract from latest VM news

Since there are still security audits for Joomla 2.5.28, even after the announced End Of Life, we currently recommend that multilingual shops stay with Joomla 2.5.28 until we have a stable Joomla 3.4.x or 3.5 version. Our Supporter Membership implies a security maintenance contract and ensures a stable and secure system.

As many live shops show, staying with Joomla 2.5.28 doesn't mean, the system is not responsive or not mobile friendly. There are great templates in the market that offer all the mobile friendly features that are necessary to have an up-to-date e-commerce system with a stable Joomla 2.5 backbone.

If you go to J3 you will have a slower site by some measurements, some routing problems perhaps esp. if your site is mult-lingual, and from the front end - exactly the same as you have now...

[Milbo]

and I would try to find another developer BrennonK,

your guy has no plan. sorry to say that. but i hate it, really, I HATE IT. People knowing nothing, too lazy to read the advertisment, we do not even talk about the manual. Telling customers bullshit about VM and making bad marketing for us.

http://docs.virtuemart.net/tutorials/installation-migration-upgrade/198-upgrade-virtuemart-2-to-virtuemart-3.html

I give there a definition of "upgrade"

WHAT MEANS UPGRADE?
Converting a VM1 to VM2 need a migration. It means that the old data is imported into new tables with a new structure. Despite to this complex procedure an upgrade is almost like a simple update. But not revertable, therefore create a backup, use it as a second installation and test the update process first.

Definitions are boring, yes. but we are not in the Kindergarden.