Product - Master Category problem

[quentinjs]

Along the way I believe thhe "Master Category" was added to the system. I am not sure how my problem occured, but I have a lot of products with a Master Category of 0. Some are linked cats, others are not.

If its a linked cat I can select the proper cat from the list, but for the ones that arent I don't have an easy way to fix this. Is there a script for updating the master categories. I'm using ZC 1.3.6

[DrByte]

1. do a full database backup of your mysql data
2. Admin->Tools->Store Manager ---->Reset ALL Products Master Categories ID

[Ajeh]

Note: if you reset the Master Categories ID ... you then want to run the Update Products Price Sorter as well ...

WARNING: if you are using Linked Products ... be careful!! Updating the Master Categories ID will select the first categories_id found in the products_to_categories table as the master_categories_id

If you are missing master_categories_id from the products table it sounds like you are importing products ...

If you are not importing and missing this setting on the products then you have something messed up in the code on your Admin ...

This is all managed as files are added, edited, moved, etc. for you ...

[quentinjs]

Well I haven't been importing products, I was leary of doing that and messing things up in a nasty way.

The new products added are working, these are ones added with 1.26 or earlier I believe. Also I run PHP 5 / MYSQL 5 which could be part of thhe problem as I did have troubles with copying products as well.

[Ajeh]

All of those things could contribute to the problem ...

Did the updates on master_categories_id and products_price_sorter fix these issues?

[paulm]

Recent versions of the quick_updates mod have the option to view and update your master cats quickly.

latest version can currently be found here:
http://www.zen-cart.com/forum/showpo...&postcount=153

[bettysue]

Hi,
I also just noticed a problem with "invalid master category id" in a store that was upgraded from v1.35 to 1.36 (files uploaded, upgrade was db upgrade).

However in addition to the products giving the invalid master id error, they also have this error message at the top of the product edit screen:

Warning: reset() [function.reset]: Passed variable is not an array or object in /my/path/edited/for/security/admin/includes/classes/object_info.php on line 29

Warning: Variable passed to each() is not an array or object in /my/path/edited/for/security/admin/includes/classes/object_info.php on line 30

the object_info.php file has not been modified. Also when looking at the product in the product edit screen the description is gone.

Any suggestions as to where to begin searching for a fix to this error?

betty

[duncanad]

I have exactly the same error messages as reported by Betty. I have looked at the Products table within the database and the Master Category ID seems to be set correctly. There is nothing obvious missing.

I am running v 1.3.5

I have this problem with just a few products - not all.

The products display correctly in the Catalogue and customers appear to be able to order OK. It's just when I try to edit the product details in Admin that the error appears. The products have probably been copied and moved over time so the cause may be related to this - but others that have been copied and/or moved do not exhibit the problem.

Resetting the Master Categoies ID does not solve the problem.

Any ideas anyone?

Thanks,

Alan

[dbltoe]

Don't know if it will help but we created the problem for ourselves by changing the product_type in the database. When we changed it back, the error in Admin went away.

[duncanad]

I can now replicate this problem so I now think I know the cause.

If a product has been copied (linked) from one category to another and it is decided to delete the product from the master category but not from the secondary category then in Admin

Catalog>Categories/Products>Master Category>Product

if you click on the delete button (red x) you are then given a choice of which copy of the product you wish to delete. If you choose to delete the copy in the Master Category (tick the box) but not the copy in the secondary category (un-tick the box) and then click 'Delete' the copy of your product in the Master Category will be deleted but the copy in the secondary category will still be there. If you now go to the secondary category and try to edit it you will get the following error:

Warning: reset(): Passed variable is not an array or object in /home/1256/tester/rcm.testingit.net/public_html/admin/includes/classes/object_info.php on line 29

Warning: Variable passed to each() is not an array or object in /home/1256/tester/rcm.testingit.net/public_html/admin/includes/classes/object_info.php on line 30

and none of your product details will appear in the edit product screen.

Fortunately the product will still appear in the catalog and customers will still be able to purchase it.

In the database you will find that in the 'products' table the 'master_categories_id' is set to the categories_id of the category the product has just been deleted from whereas in the products_to_categories table you will find that the products_id is only linked to the secondary categories_id, the entry linking the product to the master categories_id having been deleted by the above action.

Changing the master_categories_id in the products table to match the categories_id linked to the product_id in the products_to_categories table does not solve the problem. Neither does resetting all Products Master Categories and Products Price Sorter in the Store Manager which in essence does the same thing.

I know that the above action should not be carried out - and there are plenty of warnings in big red letters - but that hasn't stopped my client!

Anyone any idea how to put this right?

Regards,

Alan