芳草苑

Author: 芳草苑主

  • Problemic boc.cn

    今天上中行的网站，本来是找信息的，却发现了很多大问题，比如：

    • DNS 只解析 www.boc.cn，不解析 boc.cn
    • 供下载的申请表竟然用 rar 打包，是不是在考验申请人的计算机操作能力？
    • 网银操作依赖于 IE
    • 安全增强依赖于 ActiveX
    • SSL 证书只是基本型的，而不是银行业界普及的增强型
    • 网页用 gb2312 编码，而非最适合国际公司的 utf-8
    • 网页申明为 xhtml，但显然不知 xhtml 为何物
    • table 布局

    小问题肯定数都数不过来，我也没心情帮他们去纠错。

  • 1and1 waste me two days

    订了一个 1&1 Cloud Server，两天了还没法用。在 1&1 control panel 里一点那个 cloud server，就抛给我一个 500 Internal Server Error。这是在 1＆1 control panel 里的错误，不是我订的 cloud server 上的错误。

    一开始我还以为下订单时某个环节没做到，我拼命发 email，拼命打电话（电话很长时间才有人接，接了也会被掐，还是email support 好一些），辗转了 N 个来回以后被告知，1&1 的程序有个错误，让我耐心等。晕啊，浪费我两天时间。

  • What if I change the EAV attribute backend type in Magento?

    The question is raised because in my catalog_category, I have a user attribute originally 255 length varchar. Now I am told by users it was not long enough for block text. I want to change it to text type in mysql to solve the problem.

    I know EAV attributes use different tables for different type. My worry is moving attribute value from varchar table to text table when changing the EAV attribute backend type. Anyway, I have to try before I know. Here is my steps:

    1. go to table magento_eav_attribute, find the attribute, change backend_type from varchar to text
    2. (what’s next?) I am about to change something else, but surprisingly, nothing else! All done after step 1.

    I do not need to move old values from magento_catalog_category_entity_varchar to magento_catalog_category_entity_text. After change attribute’s backend_type, Magento can still read existing value from magento_catalog_category_entity_varchar, but if I save the category, the value will save to magento_catalog_category_entity_text. Old value is not deleted from magento_catalog_category_entity_varchar, but it does no harm.

    I am curious at how Magento did it – Does Magento go through 5 tables (datetime, decimal, int, text, varchar) to get a value? Or Magento cache attributes’ backend type (so even I make changes in magento_eav_attribute, Magento still have records of old type)?

  • Discovery: PhProxy & CHtml

    我认为突破访问限制的终级方案是 VPN，可是设置 VPN 的技术含量有点高，到现在我还搞不掂 OpenVPN，只能徘徊于 PPTP。今天发现可爱的 php 也有了 proxy（或许早就有了，我不知道罢了），虽然我用不着，但对国内的朋友们确实是天大的福音。简单易行，一分钟就能搭一个！

    我只发现 phproxy 三个不大的缺陷：

    1. 无法代理流文件（比如无法看 youtube 上的 video，但访问 youtube 没问题）
    2. 因为 phproxy 工具栏在网页顶部，如果代理网页在相同位置绝对定位，则会重叠在一起（比如 wikipedia，我想修改一下 style.css 就好了，或者做一个自动隐藏的工具栏）
    3. 有些被代理的网页自检而跳出代理，重定向到原来的 url（比如 google spreadsheet）

    牛人真不少，还有一个 CHtml，竟然用 recaptcha 去实现突破，构思非常巧妙。

  • AmazonPayments is removed from Magento 1.4

    最近留意到一件奇怪的事：Magento 1.3 里还在的 AmazonPayments module 整个儿从 1.4 版拿掉了。

    虽然 AmazonPayments 跟大部分英国公司没关系，但它还是造成一点小麻烦。因为它在 Magento 1.3 出现过，所以数据库里 system config 里留有 AmazonPayments 的一些配置信息；但是 Magento 1.3 升级到 1.4 时，为了减少麻烦，我把整个 1.3 源码目录删掉后再替换入 1.4 源码（而不是通常的 merge and replace），这样一来的现状是：数据库里有 AmazonPayments config data，但源码里没有 AmazonPayment module。这时，如果要新建一条基于 payment method 的 promotion rule （比如想鼓励大家使用 GoogleCheckout，给 GoogleCheckout 用户额外 10% 折扣），一点选择 payment method 就出错。

    定位了一下出错的语句，原来是 getAllMethods() 不妥，因为它会根据 config data 去或取 payment methods，结果连源码都不存在的 AmazonPayments 成了返回数组里的一员，不出错都难。（我还用过一个 payment module ProtxDirect，后来有更好的 module 以后，把 ProtxDirect源码也给删了，这也是出错的原因。）

    
class Mage_Adminhtml_Model_System_Config_Source_Payment_Allmethods
{
protected function _getPaymentMethods()
{
return Mage::getSingleton('payment/config')->getActiveMethods();
}
}

    我尝试地把 getAllMethods() 改成 getActiveMethods() 就不再有错误。但是我不喜欢因为这么点事去 override class——这个方法治标，我更喜欢在数据库中找出跟 AmazonPayments 和 ProtxDirect 有关的垃圾信息（既然用不到就是垃圾）直接删除——治本。

    同时我挺奇怪 Magento 1.4 为什么不考虑一下向下兼容，即使 AmazonPayments 失效了也应该在发布时保留源码目录啊？或者，在升级之际执行一遍 config data clean up?

  • Magento 1.4.1.0 is released

    经历了好几个月沉寂之后，今天终于看到 Magento 一个新版 1.4.1.0。虽然我没去试用新版，但还是在第一时间关心了一下 Release Notes。我第一次逐行读完了 Release Notes，以前最多 scam it，这就是亲身体验者和旁观者的区别。

    Improvements

    * Added ability to use static URLs for media in WYSIWYG or image browser. Added ability to enable parsing store, skin and media directives on catalog frontend. (这个功能我已经实现了，就是在 description output 上再套一个cms filter，我称之为 text engine。当然 magento core 实现得肯定比我好，以后我就删了我的 text engine)
    * URL rewrites history: ability to auto-generate custom rewrite with redirect from old to new URL when changing product URL-key (这个问题我也想过，我没 magento core 那么能干，能做 auto-generated redirect，不过我觉得即使有 auto-generated redirect，把 url key 改来改去也不是回事，所以我建议取名需谨慎，定下的 url key不要改)
    * Added ability to exclude a category from navigation menu (这个功能我也实现了，不光能控制 exclude from top navigation，还能控制 exclude from sitemap)
    * Various improvements in system configuration UI. Introduced ability to make actual configuration structure to be independent on the system.xml structure
    * Added “Only X left” inventory feature
    * Implemented Centinel functionality in iphone theme
    * Upgraded TinyMCE to v.3.3.2 (不知是否有了 auto-save?)
    * Improved PayPal integration, includes:
    * Recurring payment profiles entity and purchasing of “subscription” products. In checkout they are treated as “nominal” items.
    * Billing agreements
    * “Pending Review” order state, “Pending Review” and “Suspected Fraud” order statuses and logic related with this. Triggers by PayPal IPR, FMF and Unilateral payments.
    * Functionality of transactions listing/searching and fetching from gateway
    * Fetching PayPal settlement reports via SFTP
    * Various improvements of PayPal integration on the frontend and admin UI
    * Added notice about creating offline creditmemo from order view page.
    * Added getter for recurring payment methods in payment helper.
    * Implemented abstract block ability to have arbitrary groups of child blocks and a method that returns such a group. Implemented a method that fetches data from child block by specified alias.
    * Implemented ability to specify “sort_order” instead of “before” and “after” in the totals declaration. All nominal totals declaration utilize “sort_order”
    * Added getter for specified object data by key in core/template block: method getObjectData()
    * Defined payment methods grouping, implemented getter for payment method list (with option to group them). Added ability to render grouped options in the “select” grid filter.
    * Moneybookers: utilized the payment methods grouping for all its methods; removed redundant “translate” attribute in the methods definition in config.
    * Utilized payment methods grouping for PayPal peyment methods.
    * Added more verbosity to PayPal NVP and IPN debugging

    Changes

    * Sales module database structure changed from EAV into flat tables (没觉得 eav 有多慢，不过 magento 这么改肯定有它道理)

    * Product custom URL rewrites redirect to SEF URL, rather than to catalog/product/view/id/ (这也是我考虑得比较多的问题，不过如果一个 product 归属多个 category，此改进后的 SEF URL 时能否正确显示 main category breadcrumb，能否配合 rel=”canonical” 使用？)
    * Reimplemented frontend top menu rendering logic (cross-browser and usability improvements)
    * Reviewed logic of the sales reports: Orders, Tax, Invoiced, Shipping, Refunds, Coupons
    * Reimplemented bestsellers report
    * Implemented 3D Secure validation for Maestro International and JCB cards
    * Changed Shopping cart methods output (top + bottom): removed

  • -dependance from templates in other modules \-> moved to Checkout module
    * Moved the Payflow Pro payment method to PayPal module
    * Refactored sales/service_quote model: instead of submit() method the submitAll() should be used. It can submit nominal items separately from the order. The methods for submitting nominal items and order separately – are available as well.
    * Refactored onepage checkout model to use the new method sales/service_quote::submitAll(), added recurring profiles and billing agreements passing through the process until the success page
    * Utilized child blocks grouping to improve flexibility of rendering additional information in catalog/product/view template. The group is called “detailed_info”; any block from layout may insert itself to this group.
    * Removed redundant wrappers hard-coded into some catalog templates. Template of parent block is responsible for wrapping.
    * Refactored onepage checkout success block and template: simplified fetching related checkout information, added ability to render billing agreement and recurring profiles that might be created with the payment placement.

    Fixes

    * Fixed read/write connection issue during new customer order place. See http://www.magentocommerce.com/boards/viewthread/19363/P0/
    * Fixed tax rule ZIP range matching (numeric values were matched as strings)
    * Various tax fixes
    * Optimized search reindex process

    Known Issues

    * PayPal and Payflow pro modules are officially backwards incompatible.
    * The `sales_order_aggregated_created` table was re-created with new columns, it is not backwards compatible.

    Upgrade Path

    * Once upgraded, go to system configuration section and re-enter all PayPal-related settings carefully. Make sure to specify the proper merchant country and email.
    * To avoid fatal errors with Payflow Pro and Amazonpayments modules, before upgrading cleanup their settings from database:
    DELETE FROM `core_config_data` WHERE `path` LIKE ‘payment/verisign%’;
    DELETE FROM `core_config_data` WHERE `path` LIKE ‘payment/amazonpayments%’;

    (之前我已经亲自动手把 Amazonpayments 删出了数据库，倒没发现 Payflow Pro 的问题)

  • How to improve Magento speed

    用 How to improve Magento speed 作标题，似乎合适又不合适。因为大凡讨论 Magento 速度优化，总是谈怎么配置数据库、apc、缓存、负载之类，今天我想谈点别的。

    目前我碰到的实际情况是：启用各种缓存并尽可能地将缓存数据保存在内存中，访问cms page / category page / product page 的速度都很理想，但 shopping cart page 是瓶颈，cart item 越多越慢，生成时间超过 2 秒都是不可接受的。所以我一直在想怎么让 shopping cart 生成得快一些。

    上周无意中发现，如果 after add product to cart, redirect to shopping cart，那么 shopping cart 其实在 add to cart 时已经生成了一次，然后 redirect to checkout/cart/index 又生成了一次。生成 shopping cart，最耗时间的是针对每个 cart item，去检验每条 sale rule，每个 sale rule 再来若干个 conditions and actions，不慢才怪，何况又执行了两遍！

    目前我还没有找到一个干净利落的让 shopping cart 只生成一遍的办法。不过另有一个服务器计划（跟 shopping cart 速度无关）已经在进行中，希望光靠服务器升级就能让 shopping cart 在两秒内生成。

  • How to remove VirtualBox 3.1.8

    今天启动 VirtualBox 时提示说有 3.2.2 版可用，于是在第一时间下载了 rpm 来安装。可是安装时提示一大堆的文件冲突，我按经验就先卸载老版本

    yum remove VirtualBox

    可是以前管用的命令，在卸载 3.1.8 版时不管用了，提示

    No Match for argument: VirtualBox
    No Packages marked for removal

    大概 VirtualBox 改了 package name，惭愧，我也不会用 yum 来查看已安装的 package list。Google 了一会，这条命令倒是管用：

    yum remove /usr/share/applications/virtualbox.desktop

    于是见到了久违了的

    Loaded plugins: refresh-packagekit
    Setting up Remove Process
    Resolving Dependencies
    –> Running transaction check
    —> Package VirtualBox-3.1.x86_64 0:3.1.8_61349_fedora11-1 set to be erased
    –> Finished Dependency Resolution

    Dependencies Resolved

    ================================================================================
    Package            Arch       Version                      Repository     Size
    ================================================================================
    Removing:
    VirtualBox-3.1     x86_64     3.1.8_61349_fedora11-1       installed      90 M

    Transaction Summary
    ================================================================================

    Remove        1 Package(s)
    Reinstall     0 Package(s)
    Downgrade     0 Package(s)

    Is this ok [y/N]:

    卸载后安装 VirtualBox 3.2.2 倒很顺利，安装后我注意到 package name 是 VirtualBox-3.2，以后如要卸载它就可以用

    yum remove VirtualBox-3.2

    VirtualBox 3.2.2 首次被 Oracle rebrand，但我没注意到有什么其他改动。

    VirtualBox rebranded by Oracle
    VirtualBox rebranded by Oracle

  • Network novel 2.0

    最近在听有声读物《赵赶驴手机奇遇记》，一个人听时有时能把自己听得很感动。大概自己骨子里还是属感性的。但从另一个方面想，其实我不觉得此奇遇记的情节有多吸引人，有声读物的速度也是慢吞吞的，这两因素综合起来，我不应该如此感动才是。那我究竟是被什么感动？

    其实还是被自己的臆想而感动。比如，听到妞妞发给小强的一封邮件中的 flash 附件，我就拿我纵横网络几十年所见过的最漂亮的 flash 去想象。

    突然我有了个 idea，网络小说是不是可以直接加入这些道具的连接，而不是单纯用文字码出来？这样读者直接就可以把妞妞制作的 flash 拉到自己的电脑上看，是不是比 3D 电影更有现场感？

    网络小说就要充分利用网络的优势。只是这对作者就提出了更高的要求，估计得像拍电影那样，成立个剧组才能制作一个像样的网络小说。

  • Make an offer of getting Y quantity of any products for free in Magento

    最近我还写了一个程序，是为了一个非常特殊的促销模型写的：买 X 送 Y。具体是这样：从产品 A 组里每买 X 件，可以从另一堆产品 B 组里任选 Y 件，白送。但 B 组产品同时也是独立销售的，如果有人买了 X 件 A 组里的产品，同时买了 Y+1 件 B 组里的产品，那么其中 1 件 B 组产品不白送，该卖多少价就是多少价。

    我认为 Magento 自带的促销模型已然非常强大，能用一个非常好用的 GUI 组装出千变万化的规则。无奈 my client 脑子更强大，总是想一些 Magento 天然功能以外的点子。我研究了 Magento 天然的 Buy X get Y，发现它是针对 X 和 Y 是同个产品而作的规则。论坛上也有人变通作出 buy X of product A, get Y of product B，但我这个难点是 get Y of any product from B group，meanwhile all products from B group are for sale，我想是不可能通过 Magento 自带的促销模型完成的。

    设想一下，顾客购物车里有三项产品

    • product A1 from group A: Quantity X
    • product B1 from group B: Quantity Y
    • product B2 from group B: Quantity Y

    因为 Magento 是逐条套用规则，再逐条套用 quote item，所以上述情况下，product B1 和 product B2 都满足规则，统统赠送。为了解决不该送的数量被送掉了的问题，必须抛弃 GUI 了，动手编程吧。还好，这个特殊规则并不难写，我写了两个小时，搞掂。

    附注：不编程的话，还有一个不是办法的办法——turn product group B into a configurable product, and all the products become options。然后告诉用户，如果想得到免费赠品的话，add this configurable product to cart。但这样生添了一个 configurable product，其实这是 product group B 里产品的同质产品，同质产品却不同效应？这会给用户带来困惑，所以不可取。