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Is it ready for real life situations?

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Is it ready for real life situations?
Hello, we have a customer that we're thinking about using links sql with. But after reading all the messages about "this doesn't work, or that doesn't work" or "no support at all" etc. etc. etc. We're rather hesitant to ask our client to plunk down $450.00 to find out that the system is bug ridden and can't perform to the satisfaction of our client or to the program capabilities.

So, I'd appreciate an unemotional word or two from a few people letting us know whether it's really ready for the mainstream site that we need it for.
Thank you
Visionary
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Re: Is it ready for real life situations? In reply to
well.. i think the real reason is that the user base hasn't been built up to the extent that everyone "moderates" the script for alex.. (like links2)..

also.. because it's still less than a year old.. it's still learning to walk (so to say.. hehe)..

i beleive the problems users are encountering now are because it's in "BETA".. and i beleive links 2b1 also had problems.. that's why i didn't use links from links 1.1 til like a year and a half later when i found out links 2 final was out Wink

anyways.. i don't think those errors should stop you from purchasing links sql.. alex has been busy.. that is the reason for the lack of support (if true.. i don't know).. but links sql is sure to turn out like links2 some time when there are plenty of users..

[btw.. PUGDOG.. i think i learned that from you Wink.. those LONG emails did put some sense into my noggin.. heh]

anyways.. CYA!
jerry
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Re: Is it ready for real life situations? In reply to
The thing to consider -- if you are starting out with a 'new' project, there should be no problems growing into link SQL.

If you are trying to 'port' a project over to LinkSQL, then you'd need to examine the specifics of your project.

Most of the 'problems' people are having is trying to port an existing Links2.0 site over to the _EXACT_ same LinkSQL site -- and there are differences.

Starting out fresh, I don't think you'll see any problems, and you'll be seeing more features added on a regular basis. The program is definitely stable enough for a production environment, and I've been using the DBSQL.pm module to add SQL-based features to other areas of my site. It's a very good interface to the DBI BD module.



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Re: Is it ready for real life situations? In reply to
Hello there!

Before some months when I started with a lot of enthusiasm working with Import.pl, I could not. Tha that moment Editor.cgi was not yet born. So I had a lot of problems and I kept on writing messages. It was you who commented as a reaction, which I do not forget, may be, that Links SQL is not for novices!

I agree.

Later Editor.cgi came out. The help only says, well, phooh, it will import and export your data. Thats all!!! How, what, consenquences, and other things nothing more. Look at how a good creation is presented. Its a really good program. So wher are the problems? I could not import my database at that time because the Access hatched DATETIME instead of DATE. Alex did not help. Now he has answered that I should change the format in my database field of Access into a text field instead of date. Now those dates are in the format of DD.MM.YYYY (Anyone can check it out about the possibilities of export functions/Specifications of Access) and by changing them into text format I will have to experiment it out again, as to how the products of this guy Gates hatches the Date format out, and come back to the Board and tell, Oh it did not work.

Where are the problems?

Links SQL produces Kilometer Long listings of Categories. As you rightly commented as Novice as I am, it is ofcourse a mind blowing problem for me to handle this and may be bring a solution. Think of 10,000 categories and the length of the pop-ups. Further Alternate Categories. Therefore Categories gerenator listing must do it twice producing the Kilometer long listing. Against this there are many logical counter arguments of not using pop-ups at all. This one can achieve by other methods like geting categories from the Location field of the browser, or however one may put it, etc.

Now I inserted 250 categories. It was calculating statistics for a long time in comparision to building. Ofcourse it takes time. Now if I have 10,000 categories (Not as an extreme situation) how long it takes to calculate stats? Thats not Alexes fault. So if I do not want to get it calculate, how do I do it?

There are many things like this. That does not meat Links SQL is a bad program. Actually I do not also beleive the betas from Alex as betas. They are robust program scripts.

Lastly I was expecting a message (and a discussion of a similar manner) like yours. Smile

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rajani











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Re: Is it ready for real life situations? In reply to
I've always had my questions answered promptly from Alex through email and also on this message board. I have never had any problem with the LinksSQL product, it has functioned like expected. I believe you have to judge the product on how it works BEFORE you start modifying it yourself. If it doesn't function properly after you modify it, that is not the responsibility of the creators of LinksSQL, that your responsibility. Its a great product and my company will continue to purchase it for Websites we design. Good support, good product.

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Matt Brink
Radiks Internet Access
mbrink@radiks.net
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Re: Is it ready for real life situations? In reply to
Hi,

When you purchase Links SQL right now, we give you version 1.02 which is not a beta. There are only one or two very minor issues in it. There is also a 1.1 beta which has a lot of new features in, and yes, it is a beta and I wouldn't recommend using it on a production site. It's meant as a preview for those who want to see what's coming up.

As for support, I answer email questions same day, and spend a lot of time in the forum here.

I will be happy to refund anyone's money if they think the program doesn't perform as advertised.

Cheers,

Alex
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Re: Is it ready for real life situations? In reply to
Hello Alex!

Quote:
spend a lot of time in the forum here.

Before anything, would you please be so kind to help me with the import of my database. I have had enough of this hide and seek games, since three months. It started with the installation problems and not with the import.

Nobody says that the product it shit. Nobody says that one wants to proudly claim the money back. We know that you are fair and will always remain.

What is important is to help proffessionally your clients to satisfy them who will then speak about the product themselves.

I would go to the extent of asking you for the money back only when I am convinced that the program of Links SQL is of no use by me, not because the program is badly designed, but because you and your program created such a situation especially in my case that I could not use it. If that would be the case then you must accept the shame and the blame.

With some of your liscenced users your script my function perfect as you thought but others it may not. There may be many many conditions developing.


Before playing the song of "Money back garantee" here, if you had tried to tell me how to import data from my access database, I would have been able to use my week-end in installing/importing it.

I am you client. You have offered to many users, if you have a database we give you a converter into Links SQL. In my case I have no special demands. Just tell me how the hell I import my database of 20,000 links into Links SQL.

It does not have any special format. The only problem is the Category names that does not get converted into CategoryIDs when they get into the database. And the date is anathor problem. This are no special problems but your script does not support till now.



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rajani











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Re: Is it ready for real life situations? In reply to
.. money back guarantee ...

i think that is just too "never to be seen".. i mean.. for a CGI SCRIPT?!?

i could get a copy.. and then immediately say.. "oh.. it doesn't work on my server.." and ask for my money back.. and still have that copy..

Alias-mail (no url.. heh no advertising).. they tell you to TEST your server with their test scripts before they let you buy it.. that way you can't say it's not compatible..

jerry
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Re: Is it ready for real life situations? In reply to
But, if you continue to use it, you are breaking the law, and copyright is International. Most countries with Internet access have subscribed to it, under pressre of economic sanctions (how else).

So, copyright is enforcable.

You are not buying the program, you are purchasing a license to USE the program. There is a big difference.

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Re: Is it ready for real life situations? In reply to
so i can ask for the code and not use it eh? Wink

hehe..

anyways.. i would hate it if i gave my code away and they either want their money back or they somehow don't pay..

as a matter of fact.. i have encountered this problem with 2 people!.. totalling me about $175.. but still that is not much and i didn't care.. it was easy work.. [the main problem was that they were both internationals]

the main reason is cause the internet is so.. uhh "free".. 2 things that defines.. 1. everyone is breaking copyright laws in one way or another.. 2. wareZ.. [total problem].. i know a few people that "somehow" got links sql all of a sudden.. i know they would never buy it.. as a matter a fact.. one or two said "my friend gave it to me"..

that's the problem with software.. Wink the only problem companies face with hardware is the competition.. especially.. the "eMachine".. heh

jerry

[This message has been edited by widgetz (edited October 15, 1999).]
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Re: Is it ready for real life situations? In reply to
woo..

IT TOOK ME 20 MINUTES TO INSTALL LINKS SQL!!

ack.. Smile

SQL.pl never ran.. (just wanted to tell you that.. maybe you need to fix it.. but when ran on web browser.. nothing.. when ran in telnet.. i get some driver missing DBD::mysql thingy.. i had to go through your SQL.pl code and do everything by hand through sql commands Wink

it was fun though.. i do have a request though.. ALEX.. can you think about changing the DATE field in Links to TIMESTAMP or DAYDATE.. [sql terms] that way you can actually sort them in order by the time they were actually put into the database (ie: 5 links were added to database on one day.. you want to sort them in order.. to do this.. you would have to sort first by ID DESC and then DATE DESC..

idunno.. i just find the TIMESTAMP thing in sql nice.. it's easy to parse so you can easily change the format to like longdate or just the date itself..

jerry
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Re: Is it ready for real life situations? In reply to
Jerry,

Let SQL return the dates.. it can sort on the dates, and search on the dates.

SELECT * FROM Links Where Add_Date < current_date()

You can also change the date format to almost anything (look in the middle of the mysql book for a good table).

The problem with Timestamp is that it's an auto-update field. Every time the database record is accessed it changes. It's sort of a 'date of last mod' field. That would not be a bad idea for the 'updated' field, except (or because) Admin modifications would be recorded as well as user mods.

I have added a "Time" field to the record, and that is probably the easiest way to do it. That way you can easily sort by time_of_day to see when most activity is, etc.

The time I use is HH:MM:SS and it works just fine through the DBSQL.pm interface with the Links table.

I probably would change the Mod_Date to a timestamp and add a TimeOfDay (HH:MM:SS) field to the final version of my database).

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Re: Is it ready for real life situations? In reply to
Have you tried DATETIME?

i think that's more of what i meant.. i never knew timestamp auto updated..

jerry
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Re: Is it ready for real life situations? In reply to
Hi Jerry,

That's why it normally comes with installation. Wink There can be a lot of setup issues related to mysql, DBI, DBD::mysql versions etc that can cause problems. As for SQL.pl, it's not meant to be run from the web (hence no .cgi), it's meant to be run from telnet.

As for DATE, DATETIME, TIMESTAMP, my thoughts are:

TIMESTAMP auto updates a field, and I believe isn't ANSI SQL, it's specific to mysql (could be wrong though).

For fields like Add_Date and Mod_Date, there's no reason to store the time the link was added, so I chose DATE over DATETIME.

Cheers,

Alex