Karl Kopp

In my previous post I stepped through the process of upgrading your base Umbraco 4.0.x build to the latest 4.5.x build. At the bottom, I noted I would write a post about how to update your XSLT. I expected to write a big post with lots of examples. Turns out, there is only one thing you need to know to successfully move to Umbraco 4.5.x and that one thing is…

Blackpoint DK Umbraco XSLT conversion tool

That's all :) Its a great online tool that helps do the leg work of moving to the new XML schema, and the results I've had to date have been really solid. Try it, and let me know if you have any issues - keen to see what other people experiences are…

I have seen a few people ask for details on how to upgrade Umbraco 4.0.x to 4.5.x and since I was doing a site here at Next Digital, I thought I would document a quick 'how-to' on how to get this done.

1. Start by downloading the correct version of Umbraco 4.5.x (I used the .NET 3.5 version of 4.5.1). Note: If you extract the files using the Window's built in compression tool, you will need to 'UNBLOCK' the ZIP file from the zip files properties dialog before extracting, otherwise your installation may not include all the required files.
2. Backup your existing Umbraco site and database. I just did a dump of the database, and zipped up all the files in my webroot folder.
3. I then copied the App_Browsers, App_Data, bin, install, umbraco and umbraco_client folders over the existing folders (in my 4.0.x build, there was no existing App_Data folder).
4. Rename your existing web.config to web.config.old and copy over the new web.config
5. Open the new web.config and copy all the settings in <appSettings> from your old web.config file. Note: there is a new config setting for umbracoContentXMLUseLocalTemp that doesn't exist in the old config. Make sure to keep this setting. Also copy over the existing paths for the umbracoReservedUrls, umbracoReservedPaths, umbracoContentXML, umbracoStorageDirectory and umbracoPath as they now start with a tilda (~).
6. In the web.config, update the <mailSettings> settings if you use a custom SMTP server.
7. Modify the 2 membership providers (umbracoMembershipProvider and UsersMembershipProvider) in the web.config and remove the passwordFormat="Hashed" from both as the password in the existing database is not hashed.
8. From the /config directory, copy over the new config files (scripting.config, ClientDependency.config, Examine.config, ExamineSettings.config)
9. In the xsltExtensions.config file, remove the /bin/ directory from the assembly name, this is no longer required.
10. Now open the site homepage in a browser and Umbraco should take you to the installation screens. Step through the process and your Umbraco is now up to date with the 4.5.1 build!!

Update 1 (28/07/2010)

A few more updates that may be required are listed below:

1. In the umbracoSettings.config, you should add to your existing file the following keys under the content node: PreviewBadge (adds the new preview badge to pages that are previewed), UmbracoLibraryCacheDuration (will allow media and member data to be cached) and if you want to use some new packages you will need to add UseLegacyXmlSchema = false (you will need to update the XSLT if you do this). 
2. Also in umbracoSettings, you will need to add the <help> section to enable the new help.

This will update the core of your Umbraco build, but there will be a few final steps. You will need to:

• Update all your XSLT to the new format. I'll do another post with some examples later.
• Update any packages you may use to the latest version (wish there was an easy updater for Umbraco like WordPress ;).

...everything looks like a nail! And often you are so blinded, that even when you don't have a hammer, you still look at everything like nails :)

It all started this morning when I sent an email to a few of my trusted senior guys here Next Digital, and sent them this link that is a good article about Joomla verses WordPress with a focus on ease of usability for the end user.

I got all sorts of answers around comparing apples and oranges, WordPress is not a CMS but a simple blogging tool, Joomla is a 'CMS framework' and so on. But I think that some of the guys missed the point - WordPress DOES make it easier to get content to a website than Joomla, and for 'basic sites', WordPress is an easier tool to install, setup and manage!

But I think that because the majority of the sites we build here and not classed as 'basic sites', we start to lose some perspective. The first few clients wanted a website that enabled content to be added, and WordPress wasn't around so we used tools like Joomla, Umbraco, Sitecore and FatWire. But as time marches on, new tools are developed that do fulfil a need - take WordPress and simply creating a blog - that then do get extended (like WordPress and its new ability to add static pages) and now fill a void. And sometimes they fill that void with improvements or enhancements that further simplify implementations, like WordPress themes and plugins which are just fabulous.

We are so used to looking at everything as a nail / CMS, but we need to sometimes stand back and see if this implementation may be a case where a simpler tool will a) get the job done, b) get it done easier and c) provide more value to the client. I'm definitely a fan of all the CMS's mentioned above, but I also think its important to put the hammer away and see what other tools are out there.