Presales questions

Again am sorry for delay in response. I hope I am not too late. Usualy I am here every day. I had to post notice that I'll be out. Also note that I am always out on Saturday and Sunday. But I'll check this topic later today and also Saturday after sunset, to make sure you get as quick answer as possible.

rockon 1.) EU tax laws: Is Emerald compliant? The demo doesn't let me access the config. Duh. Then I saw somewhere (forum post?) that v9.x does not have them implemented, yet. Really?! If not now, when... these laws are anything but new. I think I also saw reference to it getting implemented in v10. Well, even if v10 were available next week, I don't think I'd want to hang this client with 15k+ subscribers (and myself) onto a brand-new version... not within the first 3-6 months after launch, anyway. In other words, and IMHO, v9 must have, or instantly get, EU tax law compliance. If not, I'd be very disappointed about what calls itself "the best" and is factually one of the most expensive extensions in its category. It might as well be a deal breaker.

EU TAX 2015 new rules was not yet implementd. I was hoping that Emerald 10 will be released sooner and I added that there. Although also not fully because I cannot exactly understand rules. I read few sites and it all sounds complicated.

Anyway I can implement them just in few days. I only need someone who will explain me what to do. Who will tell me his scheme. For example: I am in DE and I want TAX to be added to those countries and not added to those countries and so on. As soon as I get that logik understood it is matter of few hours to get new Emerald version out.

rockon 2.) Purchase multiple subscriptions at once: I think I know the answer - it requires a cart, and that's not built in. Well, then I'm an avid HikaShop user... and that would do it, correct?

Exactly. YOu can use Hikashop to allow users to purchase few plans at once. Not only you can create plan -> product association where user get plan when purchase product, but you also can create product -> plans association where user may get few plans by purchasing only single hikashop product.

rockon 3.) "Extended" frontend management: There's quite a bit of frontend management already, but we'll need a lot more. A ton of fields for subscribers with multi-level ACL, more lists with filters, more statistics, map views, etc. No worries, I don't expect all that to come with Emerald! Sure, view overrides could be made. But I'm planning to use Emerald as the "core", then add a CCK/app builder like Cobalt or Fabrik (I'm pretty 'compatible' with Fabrik - Cobalt would be totally new for me...). Question: Do you foresee any problems with reading/writing Emerald DB tables/fields with a tool like Cobalt or Fabrik? Without changing Emerald's existing DB structure, of course.

That depends on your task. I am not sure what you want to write there. But whatever is your task, it is not dificult for me to add additional field to Emerald table so you could extend it with your own data.

I could tell you more if you xplain it using real example.

rockon 4.) The next version: It looks like v8 -> v9 wasn't just an "upgrade" but required more of a migration. So, once v10 comes, will v9 -> v10 be a walk in the park, or will it be a similarly "major" migration, perhaps a different DB structure, affecting the frontend in some drastic way as well, possibly requiring me to sort of "start all over" if UI/UX shall remain the same?

Emerald 10 contain some UI improvement and new features. But it does not require migration. You just update it over. Although it will be required to re-save every plan. In any case, detailed instruction on how to update will be published along with release.

Oh my god, I'm so glad to hear from you, Sergey! Thank you for your response!

Let me be honest: it's not too late, yet. I had some other disappointment with other similar extensions - not response time but code... hence, requiring me a ton of customization with all sorts of tricky stuff. Again, from the docs here Emerald seems still preferable, and if only because it has already a lot of the required frontend management.

Regarding the points:

1.) Since several years I don't live in Europe anymore, but my client for this project is there. I hear the new law isn't so difficult - in theory. What it means for code in form of conditions etc is a different thing, I suspect.

I shall dig deeper into it and verify, but in a nutshell it seems to be like this: a.) Company sells inside its own country: all as usual, VAT to be added. b.) Company sells outside its own country and either to an end-user, or to a business without proper tax registration/ID (might take real-time verification via external web service!): VAT of the target country (?!) to be added. c.) Company sells outside its own country and to a business with proper tax registration/ID (might take real-time verification via external web service in case customer provides some ID anyway!): no VAT to be added. Again, I'll dig a bit more myself, and if only for a good, simple source of info, then share.

However, with what I'm up to - honestly - I'm a bit afraid to depend on a brand-new Emerald version. Let's face it, it won't be absolutely bug-free, and I can't make my customer part of the "field test", haha. There will sure be other users who also depend on a safely working software (Emerald 9?), who will want to wait unil v10 is really waterproof, but need EU VAT law. Which is why I wonder why this darn VAT stuff shouldn't make it into v9, still. You bet, v9 will be still around for a while. Even if you had v10 now, I'd probably buy v9.......

2.) That's ok. I know HikaShop in & out... almost friends with Nicolas, Jerome & Co, haha... love it. Actually, I'm helping out on their forum a lot (under a different name than here), now at 1200 posts and 350 thank you's... and no end in sight. Almost like "the pepperstreet of HikaShop", lol.

Anyway, let's see if i understand correctly: Emerald memberships would be HikaShop products, and a customenr could add 2 or more subscriptions/memberships into his cart, then check out in one go? I need this... the usual one-at-a-time purchase is a no-go in this case.

What I need to be certain about: Are the Emerald actions, rules etc part of your Club deal (starting at 99 for 6 months), yes or no? I got confused when reading different stories here...

If I use HikaShop, I won't need Emerald payment gateways, but use HikaShop's instead, yes?

3.) Imagine I used Cobalt (or Fabrik, sorry...) to extend your DB tables by some columns (so you won't need to worry about "custom fields"), build my own forms, my own lists, reports, CSV im/export, filters, map stuff, statistics incl charts etc etc. I could then also utilize the required multi-level ACL per field with varying view/add/edit rights, and so on, without you needing to re-invent the wheel.

I don't see any problem with it, have done such stuff before. But then this next point is (well, was?) important, because if there were certain DB differences in between v9 and 10, I'd have to re-do a lot of forms and lists and what not.

4.) If the database structure of v9 survives the update to v10, so my customization work is not for nothing, that'll be great, because then I can start with v9 now, use it for as long as it seems practical and "safe" (errrrmmm, EU VAT assumed...), and at some point relatively easily switch to v10.

So, please confirm once again that v10 will use the same DB table/column structure and names as v9 for at least all data related to plans, subscribers, supbscriptions and transaction history (or whatever terminology you use - you know what I mean).

Finally, sorry for me expressing my frustration here, and the rant against pepperstreet's (sure silly) comments. I'm really not a dumbass newbie and don't need patronizing if all I want is to BUY.

I suggest you delete the three other threads: "Guess I have to give up", "No reply?", and "Urgent". Let the past be the past and let's focus on the future!

Really finally for now (!), are you a one-man-show? What if you break a leg (god forbid!)? Any backup? Anyone to jump in, take over?

rockon 1.) Since several years I don't live in Europe anymore, but my client for this project is there. I hear the new law isn't so difficult - in theory. What it means for code in form of conditions etc is a different thing, I suspect.

My Code is ready. I have a special function where I have to insert the logic. For me technicaly it is very simple once I understand the rules.

rockon (might take real-time verification via external web service!)

It is already there. EU VIES online check.

rockon There will sure be other users who also depend on a safely working software (Emerald 9?)

When I am talking about fast EU rules implementation I am talking about Emerald 9 as well.

rockon 2.) That's ok. I know HikaShop in & out... almost friends with Nicolas, Jerome & Co, haha... love it. Actually, I'm helping out on their forum a lot (under a different name than here), now at 1200 posts and 350 thank you's... and no end in sight. Almost like "the pepperstreet of HikaShop", lol.

You sound like a promissing customer. I feel sad we had a bad start :)

rockon Anyway, let's see if i understand correctly: Emerald memberships would be HikaShop products, and a customenr could add 2 or more subscriptions/memberships into his cart, then check out in one go? I need this... the usual one-at-a-time purchase is a no-go in this case.

Absolutely. And even as I mentioned you can create hikashop products that by purchasing one product will give user few plans. It is like ready preset cart.

rockon What I need to be certain about: Are the Emerald actions, rules etc part of your Club deal (starting at 99 for 6 months), yes or no?

Exactly. When you subscribe you get access to all possible downloads. All rules, gateways, actions and rest.

rockon If I use HikaShop, I won't need Emerald payment gateways, but use HikaShop's instead, yes?

Yes there is a way. I know some customers they created Emerald list of plans layout override in template and placed there redirect to Hikashop product list. thus users never will be able to purchase plans through Emerald.

rockon But then this next point is (well, was?) important, because if there were certain DB differences in between v9 and 10, I'd have to re-do a lot of forms and lists and what not.

The DB is absolutely the same. In fact even when I add new column to any table in Emerald 10 it is delivered next update with Emerald 9. I have automated build system that analize DB and create patch immediately. It means that Emerald 9 DB is absolutely the same as Emerald 10 is going to be.

rockon So, please confirm once again that v10 will use the same DB table/column structure and names as v9 for at least all data related to plans, subscribers, supbscriptions and transaction history (or whatever terminology you use - you know what I mean).

Once again confirm that all data structure will be the same.

rockon Finally, sorry for me expressing my frustration here, and the rant against pepperstreet's (sure silly) comments. I'm really not a dumbass newbie and don't need patronizing if all I want is to BUY.

I suggest you delete the three other threads: "Guess I have to give up", "No reply?", and "Urgent". Let the past be the past and let's focus on the future!

No need for appologize. You were right. I had to place notice so people coould plan the day.

rockon Really finally for now (!), are you a one-man-show? What if you break a leg (god forbid!)? Any backup? Anyone to jump in, take over?

If I still alive, then yes. I think I have doяen of people who will gladfully jump in. If I die, then that's whole difefrent story. I cannot say for sure. Anyone who think he can can jump in. It is open source. Just take latest version and continue. But you are right it is 1-man-show now.