VM 2 Released Too Soon?

[rossstudio]

I am new to VM and saw that version 2 was out. I downloaded it and started playing around with it and just got frustrated.

There is no manual. Trying to use the old manual just doesn't work with VM 2.
Some issues, like simple drop down and custom entry fields are unavailable or unusable.
Bug issues too numerous to mention.

I guess free is what you pay for. I'm sure eventually these issue will be worked out but I need something now and going back to VM 1.x isn't an option.

I'm greatful for the effort put in by those who contributed to creating this, just wish it worked better than it does. I'm not a programer and don't know code. I need something that I thought would be simple, but maybe I"m dreaming (even the pay carts have issues. what is it about carts that are so difficult?)

[jenkinhill]

If you have been following the testing of betas and pre-release version of VM2 in this forum and elsewhere you will realise that there was a considerable (and vocal) demand for users for an early release date. Indeed, many VM stores are live now using pre-release versions, as well as those using the final version.

It is a simple fact with any new version software to be used on/for a website that first releases will most likely have problems for some users. This is because serious users do the testing during development stages. These will not be using commercial templates, other JavaScript heavy modules or anything else that can get in the way. For example I test with vanilla Joomla versions, newly installed and usually using the Beez template. Thus I would not see issues that may be caused by overly engineered commercial templates and the like.

The first release of VM2 after 2 years in development does, of course, contain some bugs, just as the first release of Joomla 1.7 did and Joomla 2.5 will. For most people these are not show stoppers, as is shown by the sites that already have gone live. The release with the simple configurable shipping plugin and the two payment plugins will have been enough for probably over 60% of users, and the fact that at release ony those plugins were available was reported in the forum. Other plugins are now becoming available, just over 3 weeks since VM2 was released, so steadily more and more sites will go live, and a bug fixed VM2 is in preparation (latest fileset is available from SVN)

The principle of VirtueMart 2 is that it provides a vendor based functional core structure with this feature list,  to which additional functions are provided by plugins, rather than the usual requirement to hack/edit code as in previous versions. 

Because it is very complex in order to cover everything from a basic bedroom based shop to multi-lingual 80,000 product stores with International trade, people not used to setting up on-line stores find it difficult. It does have a learning curve, but not an insurmountable one for anyone with a knowledge of how eCommerce flows, some patience, intelligence and a little knowledge of CSS and HTML (to style the pages to there own preferences).  There is no need to be a programmer to use VM2 although you will see reference to PHP in this forum it is because of the history and ethos of code hacking that has been part of VirtueMart for so long. Core hacking should be something of the past.

Manuals and books will become available to help out those who need them (a VM2 book is already being written by one of the developers).