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[gjh42]

If your client can place new products in the correct "track & trace" subcategory, surely they could select a switch somewhere in admin (maybe on the product editing page) which would set a "track" flag for the product. If you are coding for which shipping option to present anyway, distinguishing on a product field level shouldn't be so different from using a product's category, and the client won't see any of that logic anyway. What happens if there are both kinds of products in the cart? Does the whole shipment have to be tracked, or can it be broken into two shipments (presumably saving money in shipping)?

I think making the required custom back-end coding do the whole job is better than also requiring custom front-end coding.

[Nick1973]

I've looked at backend coding and creating some kind of switch to select whichever postage method a product will go at but wouldn't know where to start on the backend to do that.

If the cart contains a first class item and a track and trace item then the whole shipment goes track and trace.

What your saying about creating a switch to select the correct postage would get around my problem so if you can shed some light on what I would need to do then I would be really greatful.

[gjh42]

There is a mod in Free Addons for "product extra fields" which will let you add a new field to the product editing page. Then there are various wiki articles, possibly tutorials and certainly forum threads about modifying cart or checkout actions based on a product (or a product with a certain field value) being in the cart.

[Nick1973]

ok, well I know about the product extra fields mod but not sure if it will do the job. will have a look though.

[gjh42]

It will definitely add a field to the db and the possibility to enter something in the admin product page. What you do with that is the subject of the articles/threads/etc. A db field can be tested for and retrieved with the right SQL statement.

[Nick1973]

ok well I've just had a look and it adds extra fields but they are text boxes and I would need to have a dropdown, radio buttons or tickboxes and then they would have to select the correct postage table (I'm using two table rates for first class and track and trace).

[gjh42]

The essential function of the field would be to distinguish between tracked products and general products. Without modifying the field code, you could set it up so that any entry in that field is interpreted as "track me" and null as "general".

The support thread for that mod may have some discussion of changing the field type.