Invalid Master Category

[djdavedawson]

I have just set up some linked products, and there is a dropdown box at the top where you edit the products that says "Invalid Master Category".

How do I fix this ?

Thanks

DD

[fairestcape]

What's happening here is that a product with this alert is LINKED. If you navigate to the category management screen, you'll see a YELLOW SQUARE next to the offending product.

LINKED products are useful, as the function allows you to feature a single product in more than one category.

Basically it's the SAME product data-set, that is rendered more than once - each time in a different category.

Zencart is asking you to specify that product's MASTER CATEGORY. This means, ZC wants you to specify the category where the master record is located because if you later EDIT that data, you will have to edit the "original version" of the product and not its "linked counterpart".

This is important, becuase if you call up the wrong version (the one that's NOT in the Master Category) and change its price, or description, you will have a CONFLICT of data in different parts of your store.

If you edit the version that resides in your MASTER category, then the changes you make will automatically apply to the LINKED versions as well.

Please note that when you "copy" a product, you have an option to either create a DUPLICATE product, or a LINKED product.

A duplicate product is not the same, and it is a complete "stand-alone" from the original from which it was copied. It is edited independently of its original, and is considered by your ZC as a totally separate product.

A LINKED product relies on one data-set, and this must be administered in one place only - that place being the MASTER category you assign to it.

[djdavedawson]

When I go into one of the original products. The dropdown box has "45M ID#21" selected in the box. Which is the model number of my product and the Original that was set up. When I click on the box I have 2 more options.

"Invalid Master Category" or "Adjustable Version ID#49"

"Adjustable Version" being the linked product that was created.

Are you saying that "Invalid Master Category" will always be a selection in the dropdown box ?

Thanks Again

DD

[fairestcape]

I think you may have another problem here...

Did you copy (LINK) the product to a category that already has SUB-CATEGORIES in it?

ZC cannot function properly if a category has a "mix" of sub-categories and products.

Make sure that all products exist at the lowest possible category level - sometimes, when creating linked products, you can create this error unknowingly.

Go through all those linked products, and make sure they are located in a category at the lowest possible level. If they are not, use the MOVE function to put them in a lowest-level category.

Then, in the MASTER CATEGORY drop-down, you will see only Category Labels appear...

[djdavedawson]

I don't have an mixed categories, ones where there are products and categories in the same place.

The products was linked from a sub category 5 folders down from the top if you will, to another subcategory 5 folders down.

For Example:

From:
Main > Brand > Brand by Model > Series > Line > "Product was here"

To:
Main > Brand > Brand by Type > Kind > Spec > "Linked to here"

In the example, the first 2 categories "Main" and "Brand" are the same.

Is there a way to correct the issue through the DB ?

Thanks

DD

[fairestcape]

In your dropdown for that product, you should have the following menu options:-

Invalid Master Category ID
Line ID # xx
Spec ID # yy

(where xx and yy are the CATEGORY id numbers).

If you are not getting these labels, then something else is amiss (and I'm not sure what it could be).

Try creating a TEST category, then "link" another product to it - - - see what happens with a "fresh" category.

[djdavedawson]

Ok, So that's the way my does appear. I tested this with a fresh zencart install. and in the dropdown, there will always be a selection for "Invalid Master Category".

Seems confusing but if that's just the way it is, it's cool.

Thanks for all your help