Organization Question - Product Types vs Categories

[WWWD]

My site is divided into two areas, Products ("moneymakers") and Articles ("good will"). I am trying to reorganize and use ZC to serve both sides of the house. I was thinking that I would use the Product Types to make this happen. "Product" and "Stories." However, it seems like for all practical purposes there is no difference between these two types in ZC. Categories seems to clearly delineate but I want to use categories for the types of products.

I would dearly love any pointers that anyone could give.

Thanks

[lat9]

Are both "types" of products displayed in the same manner?

My feeling is that if "products" are displayed differently than "articles", I'd use different product_types for each (that would allow you to easily structure the display differently).

Can "articles" be placed into the cart or are they directly downloadable?

Again, a potential reason to go to a different product-type for "products" than "articles".

[mc12345678]

So, if your "articles" are not purchasable, but your product are, then that is a reason to use one (document style) for your articles, and a products type for your product.

This way you can set your product type display to not allow adding to the cart (no button presented) and hide "price" and other things that are not applicable/necessary to the document style.

You can still use your thought of two main categories one for product one for documents, and in fact can make your routine addition of each to that branch easier by setting a default product type within the category(ies) so that when you select new, you'll get the product type applicable to that category...

Anyways, would say that is a "starter" on product types. There's a lot of options that can be made available/modified based on product type and other changes to boot. :)

[WWWD]

Thank you, I appreciate your response. Is there a white paper on Product Types, I've seen add-ins for Books, but I really don't need anything that involved, there are no ISBNs, they're all free to read online, etc. So it seems a bit much.

[mc12345678]

Thank you, I appreciate your response. Is there a white paper on Product Types, I've seen add-ins for Books, but I really don't need anything that involved, there are no ISBNs, they're all free to read online, etc. So it seems a bit much.

Well, there are a lot of other customer facing "features" to some of those other plugins, such as looking for a book by author, or other related data that is not so easily captured with a simple product type. But, each store has its needs.

Here's a few things I found by searching the FAQs and then also the Wiki. Some of it is "programmer speak" but, if you can get past the techno babble and focus on the concepts of how things can interrelate, then that type stuff can be very helpful:

https://www.zen-cart.com/content.php...ogrammer-view)
https://www.zen-cart.com/content.php...ir-own-sidebox
https://www.zen-cart.com/content.php...ct-detail-page
https://www.zen-cart.com/content.php...trictions-work
https://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index.php/Product_Types
https://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index...._product_types
https://www.zen-cart.com/wiki/index....ct_type_layout

The last two are definitely just "info only" type pages, but the others describe how one can do things with product types... Contemplate on the possibility(ies) and then you can see how you can use a product type to your advantage. As for more of a "white paper"? I don't know of much within the forum that gives more detail. Most people stick with the basic product, product type and don't even know/realize the other possibilities that exist or how to take more advantage of them.

[WWWD]

Thank you for your help.