MySource Matrix Developer

My Source Matrix Developer Newsletter [Friday 29th July 2005 - Issue 34]

covers versions 3.4.4 stable, 3.6.0 RC1, 3.7.0 development

News

3.4.5, 3.6.0 RC2 Release Monday

As reported last week, the next stable release of MySource Matrix (3.6.0) has been pushed back a month in order to test some new performance improvements in both PostgreSQL and Oracle. The next release candidate (3.6.0 RC2) will be released on Monday along with 3.4.5 stable.

Dedicated Test Server Configured

The dedicated unit testing server has finally been configured and is now running the MySource Matrix unit testing suite every hour on the hour. This is just a trial run to see how the server is performing, so the results are not yet publicly accessible. If you are inside the office, you can check out the test result reports at: http://urukai.squiz.net/testing/test_report.php

MySource Matrix Developer How-to/faqs

There is a new Matrix Developers section in Intranet Docs where all the "hot-to" posts from the Squiz Staff Discussion forums have been put. The FAQs from the docs directory of MySource Matrix are also listed in there. Feel free to add new tips, FAQs and how-tos as you think of them.

The direct URL for this new intranet section is: https://intranet.squiz.net/matrix/useful_docs/matrix_development

New Features

Structured Root Node Selector

Added to: 3.7.0 development

The structured root node selector allows a user to specify a location to search or list from when in a listing engine based asset. Essentially, the user is able to select the root node for the listing or search using a subset of the asset tree. The editor of the page can select a part of the tree to list, the types of assets to list and how many levels down should be shown. The user then selects from a drop-down list of assets populated from the part of the tree that was selected.

Search Category Sets

Added to: 3.7.0 development

Editors now have the ability to set up several sets of search categories in search pages. When a frontend user chooses search category options from several search category sets, results are restricted to assets that satisfy the conditions of all selected sets (eg they exist under several search roots, or their status is accepted in both category options).

Planned Development

Database Foreign Keys

To be added to : 3.7.0
Estimated start date: 1st August 2005
Estimated end date : 5th August 2005

The MySource Matrix database schema will soon have foreign keys between tables. This will allow external reporting engines (such as Oracle Discoverer) to interrogate the database and make it easier to produce reports. The foreign keys may also be used with ON DELETE CASCADE to ensure data is cleaned out when dependent data is cleared, but this is yet to be decided.

Frontend User Group Link Manager

To be added to : 3.7.0
Estimated start date: 1st August 2005
Estimated end date : 3rd August 2005

A new page asset will be built to allow uses to link themselves into user groups from the frontend. An editor of the page will determine which groups they will be allowed to link under, the type of links created and the number allowed. This will user groups to be used for more general purposes within MySource Matrix systems. They can be used to allow staff members to update their position in the organisation or even for users to select which newsletter groups they want to be placed in.

Listing Engine Grouping Keywords

To be added to : 3.6.0 RC2, 3.7.0 development
Estimated start date: 1st August 2005
Estimated end date : 3rd August 2005

Listing engine currently has the ability to group lists of assets by a common parent, but it doesnt allow for the replacement of a full set of keywords for that parent. Listing engine will be given the ability to print a range of information about the parent asset used for grouping.

Ecommerce Checkout Form

To be added to : 3.7.0 development
Estimated start date: already in development
Estimated end date : 5th August 2005

Upgrading

3.6.0 Rc1

Run step_02.php: yes
Run step_03.php: yes
Run compile_locale.php: yes

Additional queries:

ALTER TABLE sq_ast_metadata DROP COLUMN metadata;
ALTER TABLE sq_ast_metadata RENAME TO sq_ast_mdata;
ALTER TABLE sq_ast_metadata_dflt_val RENAME TO sq_ast_mdata_dflt_val;
ALTER TABLE sq_ast_metadata_value RENAME TO sq_ast_mdata_val;

ALTER TABLE sq_rb_ast_metadata DROP COLUMN metadata;
ALTER TABLE sq_rb_ast_metadata RENAME TO sq_rb_ast_mdata;
ALTER TABLE sq_rb_ast_metadata_dflt_val RENAME TO sq_rb_ast_mdata_dflt_val;
ALTER TABLE sq_rb_ast_metadata_value RENAME TO sq_rb_ast_mdata_val;

DROP TRIGGER sq_ast_metadata_dflt_val_rb_trg on sq_ast_mdata_dflt_val;
DROP TRIGGER sq_ast_metadata_value_rb_trg on sq_ast_mdata_val;
DROP TRIGGER sq_ast_metadata_rb_trg on sq_ast_mdata;

Additional comments: No additional upgrade steps are required.

3.7.0 Development

Run step_02.php: yes
Run step_03.php: yes
Run compile_locale.php: yes

Additional queries:

ALTER TABLE sq_ast_metadata DROP COLUMN metadata;
ALTER TABLE sq_ast_metadata RENAME TO sq_ast_mdata;
ALTER TABLE sq_ast_metadata_dflt_val RENAME TO sq_ast_mdata_dflt_val;
ALTER TABLE sq_ast_metadata_value RENAME TO sq_ast_mdata_val;

ALTER TABLE sq_rb_ast_metadata DROP COLUMN metadata;
ALTER TABLE sq_rb_ast_metadata RENAME TO sq_rb_ast_mdata;
ALTER TABLE sq_rb_ast_metadata_dflt_val RENAME TO sq_rb_ast_mdata_dflt_val;
ALTER TABLE sq_rb_ast_metadata_value RENAME TO sq_rb_ast_mdata_val;

DROP TRIGGER sq_ast_metadata_dflt_val_rb_trg on sq_ast_mdata_dflt_val;
DROP TRIGGER sq_ast_metadata_value_rb_trg on sq_ast_mdata_val;
DROP TRIGGER sq_ast_metadata_rb_trg on sq_ast_mdata;

Additional comments: No additional upgrade steps are required.

New Bugs Added To Bug Tracker

Notes:

Bug #817 (Plural required for search) was submitted by Richard (Radio NZ) as a feature request but was marked as Will Not Fix as the additional keyword to print an "s" if more than one result is found is extremely difficult to implement due to required coupling with other keywords and is easier implemented in other ways that do not require development.

New Feature Requests Added To Bug Tracker

Bugs Fixed In The Bug Tracker

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