PStore 3 runs Install Fine, but Step 4 is a Blank Page!

2/17/2010 4:32 pm | #1 Awemaker

Hi-

I guess I need a solution to my solution.

I am aware of the need for "create view privileges", which appeared after I bought this thing.

I have gone through 3 techs at my server on this thing. It is dawning on me that it is NOT a usual request- I would say shared hosting is the norm these days, wouldn't you? Now you're selling hosting??

I first need to know if this is the issue at step 4. PowerStore 3 runs the install perfectly, but Step 4 is a blank page - you look at the source, and it has nothing between the <body></body> tags.

Then I need to know if you had tested for the "create view privileges" in the prior 3 steps, especially #1. I think I would have. . . is it not possible there?

We can go from there.

Please help me, WebAssist. If the solution to my solution needs another solution that you won't be providing. . . let's not go there.

2/18/2010 12:07 pm | #3 Eric Mittman

The create view should not be a problem if you are getting past step2, this is where the db is setup. Step 4 is setting the site settings. To see what the error might be you should open up this page and add in the following php code to the top of the page:

install > 4.php

php:

<?php

error_reporting(E_ALL);

ini_set('display_errors','on');

?>

Please give this a try and view this page again, it should let you know if there is an error occurring and what it is.

2/18/2010 3:41 pm | #4 Awemaker

RESOLVED, and a question

This is resolved.

I went to get the file from online to paste the code, when I saw "4.php" 0 bytes.
FTP error.

I am sorry I got worked up, but Now I need to know:

What problem will I encounter without "create view privileges"? (What ever that is. . .)

2/19/2010 2:39 pm | #5 Eric Mittman

The SQL used in PowerStore relies on some views. In order for the script to create the views that will be needed you must first have the permissions to do so in your db. Without these permissions the views will not be created and the queries used in PowerStore will not function properly.

2/19/2010 4:52 pm | #6 Awemaker

Can we do without the Cosmic Queries?

OK-

So, what functionality will I lose? I think I need to know, now that I'm all installed. My server has already told me "no" on the "create view privileges". They say there is a security risk. (So, why would you do it this way?)

Had this special requirement been posted BEFORE I bought this "solution", we wouldn't be having this discussion.

Perhaps WebAssist could re-write the queries in question using a different method? I am still needing support here. It sounds like some bad decisions were made. Since I am a relatively new owner of everything you make, I am truly hoping the bad decision wasn't mine.

What's needed, it seems, is a fix, please.

2/19/2010 5:21 pm | #7 Eric Mittman

The view is used only for coupons. On the product reslults page and on the update_productCoupons page. If you do not have the view available then you should disable individual coupons rather than deleting them out rite.

We are working on this situation and are going to attempt to come up with a way of doing this without the view.

2/19/2010 5:36 pm | #8 Ray BorduinWebAssist

There are no security risks associated with view privilages. If there were, the most popular hosting companies in the world like 1&1 wouldn't give view privilages to their millions of customers without problems like they do.

That is a cop out by your hosting company. Ask them for documentation on how giving view privilages creates a security hole and they will stop blowing their hot air... or they have some information that some multi-billion dollar hosting companies would love to know since they are making the mistake of giving create view privilages to millions of people every day.

Anyway... we can't fight all of the bad hosts in the world, and unfortunately it does appear to be a relatively common issue, so we will do a patch to stop using views entirely in the next month or two. The decision to use a view was made (by me) in order to simplify the code and allow the deletion of the coupons to be done using our delete from table server behavior instead of needing hand coding... we will code the solution without views instead to account for this problem moving forward when confronted with the same problem.

In the meantime, if you remove the view, the only result will be that you will not be able to delete coupons or remove products from the list of available from those applied coupons except by doing so in the database directly. The rest of the store should continue to function normally.

Did this help? Tips are appreciated...

2/21/2010 1:10 pm | #9 Awemaker

Thank You

This was the data I needed, exactly, and properly addressed. Well done.

I am able to manipulate data in the DB using PHPMyAdmin. Pointers toward that regarding the schema and fields involved would be appreciated, if they're not obvious.

Coupon functionality is what I needed & wanted most in the update, for many reasons.

I am happy for your decisions toward a fix on the "view" issue. Didn't mean to call you out too harshly. You do excellent work, and are the picture of responsibility. It can't be easy.

I will be directing my server company (Lunarpages) to this thread regarding their cop out. They get a C- on this one so far, but it's not over.

I am sorry to have been upset, but I was disappointed on V2 for the need to have my customer pay a monthly fee for PayPal Payments Pro (a surprise, though it was on me), and here in V3, the "Create view" issue ( a surprise, this time on you.)

I am going to school full time to learn what's "under the hood' (at 50), but in the mean time, I am depending on the solutions & easy(er) stuff.

An aside, my anger on this led to an A on an article / rant about customer service in my eCommerce class (you weren't named), and this thread addresses things people need to know on this issue in the future. You continue to get A's on CS, but I was worried there.

Thanks again.

2/22/2010 7:59 am | #10 Ray BorduinWebAssist

The view is really just used to concatinate the product and coupon ID from the couponproducts table.

This is because our delete from database server behavior asks for the key field to delete and in order to delete the correct coupon we don't want to delete all coupons for that product, or that coupon for all products, we just want to delete the specific coupon-product that you are working with.

So we create a view that selects from the table with:
concat(CouponID,'_',ProductID) AS JoinedKey

That way we can pass in the couponID and product ID together as the key and use the server behavior to delete the correct record.

Did this help? Tips are appreciated...

Technical Support Forums

Free, outstanding support from WebAssist and your colleagues

PStore 3 runs Install Fine, but Step 4 is a Blank Page!

2/17/2010 4:32 pm | #1 Awemaker

PStore 3 runs Install Fine, but Step 4 is a Blank Page!

2/18/2010 11:26 am | #2 Awemaker

Update

2/18/2010 12:07 pm | #3 Eric Mittman