Module Conversion Script.

I may try a site that doesn't have any third party modules to see how it goes. It could be a day or so.

It should. Yes, it would be placed in a zip file. I have not had the chance to test it myself yet either, but it should convert it.

Does the script convert databases?  

I can't find an answer anywhere. If it does, do we place the database in a zip file?

I must apologise, but you reminded me when you said there was no reason for it to appear in page builder. It was an old module and you reminded me that I asked the developer to make it so it would appear in page builder. He wrote some SQL code for it to do that, but when I upgraded to 7.2 that code was still in the database on my working site and I'd completely forgotten about it. I've since installed the code on my Cheetah site and "Wallah", the module works perfectly.

For me this is a huge step forward because my site consists of many 3rd party modules. If they all transfer over as easily, I can start rebuilding the site with Cheetah. That leads me to another question which I hope you will answer in your news feed. Do you have any idea when you can say Cheetah will be ready to use as an active site? By that I mean working the same as Dolphin 7.4.2 in its current form.

Don't see how i would be any help here. I looked at the modules install.sql and see no entry for the sys_page_compose table. So as it is, i do not see how a entry could appear in the page builders. There is nothing in the code to put anything in the page builders.

Perhaps the original may help, so i can see the documentation on what it is and what it does.

I just did a pretty simple module. The conversion seemed to go fine, It installed okay, The Settings screen is there but the block doesn't appear in Page Builder. I can send you a copy if you wish.

Interesting. Ok. i'll look into fixing that.

I had a module with a directory/folder that was empty.  That directory was missing from the converted zip package which threw an error on installation of the module.  I added the missing directory; in this case "images" and the module installed without any issues.

Pretty sure i have the version number update issue fixed now as well.

It installed after I changed the version number.  My original issue was that I uploaded the original zip file instead of the converted one.  Oops.

Your converted zip successfully installed on this site. However the compatible version setting in the config file did not get updated, so i will have to look into that issue next.

I will have to see what is happening later.  I am getting a white page; probably some php error.  It appeared to convert the module but I can't install it.

OK, it appears that it did convert.  I am going to see if it will install.

Ok. Give it another try.

It's working perfectly when i run it manually, but failing when run from cron. Weird, i'll take another look.

Deano, is it possible that the download link is pointing to the original module zip file and not to the converted zip file?

Still not working for me.  I can send you the zip file that I uploaded so you can see and test for yourself.

The module converter is ready for testing again. I will not be creating any tutorial videos. It won't be necessary. After a few hours sleep i had a couple of ideas and found a way to scan through and convert just about any zip file uploaded. Even if they have other zip files of other versions of the module.

I would prefer if people would only upload the version compatible with Dolphin 7.4.2, but i know there will be people that will not bother to separate them. So i did the best i could do to deal with that in the script.

 I agree.  We need to support the developers and if they are to have an interest in developing for Cheetah, they need to see that their work will pay for them.

Anton's license states that the module can only be used on one domain which is fair enough. It doesn't mention Dolphin specifically.  I haven't checked Modzzz yet.

I will leave the conversion script publicly accessible. I will leave it up to the developers to complain to the member that converted it if they have a problem with it.

As for your failed conversion. It was because all the modules files were in folder xxxx. If you went one more folder in, to the folder containing the actual files and zipped those up, it would have worked.

Anyhow. The processing is turned off at the moment while i do some rewrites and create a couple of instructional vids on how to properly zip up the files. Then i will put it back online.

I will purge any files still sitting there before it goes back online.

Re Conversion: I uploaded a Zip I created myself. It contained a folder xxxx which I would normally upload to my dolphin modules directory. Inside xxxx were the usual folders: classes, install, request.php etc. The conversion download was identical to the folder I uploaded and didn't work on Cheetah.

Re licenses: I have something like 25 - 30  Modzzz modules which probably cost $20 each. If I decided to abandon Dolphin and move to Cheetah, it would be dependent on me being able to use all those modules on the Cheetah site. In 18 months Dolphin will be in the history books and my investment in the rubbish bin. I stand corrected, but I think the courts would rule that a binding license for a non-existent or non-supported product  is worthless. They would probably rule that provided the license or module is only used on one product, moving it from a dead script to a living clone would be acceptable.

However, if Modzzz or Anton were prepared to charge (say) $5 per module to allow us to transfer the licenses, I wouldn't be offended. 

Ok. Looks like i am going to have to create a tutorial video to provide instructions on how the zip file must be created. The converter is working fine for the modules, just not templates so that i will need to fix.

What i have discovered by going through some of the uploaded zip files is vendors are packing these things in a variety of ways. Some of those zip files contain other zip files for more than one version of Dolphin. That of course will not work.

I cannot possibly account for all the variety of ways a zip file can be packed, so i will have to require zip files packed per instructions i will provide. The conversion script will then perform some tests to make sure it's as expected and if not will reject it and send a notification to let you know it was rejected.

I will let you know when i have the rewrites to the converter complete and the tutorial vids done so it can be publicly retested.

Yes, I can understand about the developer point of view.  It will depend on the license that came with the module.  It if clearly states for use on one Dolphin site only, then the license would not translate to a Cheetah site.  However, if the license simply states for use on one domain only, then we could use that module on our Cheetah sites since it isn't tied to Dolphin.  However, the question arises as to making modifications to the code; often the license would grant the end user to make modifications in the code for the purpose of the end user; one could not distribute those code changes.

The attraction of Cheetah will be to those that have invested a lot into Dolphin modules; an investment they look to lose with Dolphin since Boonex has basically abandoned the platform.  Many of the old developers are gone; some have even pulled their profiles from the market.  If one won't be able to reuse the modules from Dolphin, then Cheetah will lose some of the attraction.

I am thinking that I could easily make the modifications necessary for a Dolphin module to work on Cheetah.  The conversion script was for end users that don't have the skills to do so.  I will have to look at the licenses that are included with the modules I have purchase from the Boonex market and make a decision on how to proceed.

Thank you.

The module conversion script is not functioning properly. So until i get it fixed, please do not upload any more for conversion.

Also, after complete testing is done, i will need to restrict the conversion script to market developers only so they can convert their own modules to put in the cheetah market for sale.

It's not fair to the developers if everyone is converting modules developers wrote for dolphin so people can use them in cheetah without the developers permission to do so. If a developer chooses not to support or create modules for cheetah, then they have the right to not allow them to be used with cheetah.


I believe the reason the conversion is failing may be due to how the files were zipped up. The scripts directory conversion function depends on the presence of files in the root of the zip file. If all that's there is a folder, then it does not recurse through it. I will have to rewrite that function. When i first tested it, i zipped up the contents of my module folder starting from the folder the request.php file is in. Not one folder back. That was a mistake on my part, but may take a while for me to get corrected.