Stock by Attribute v4.0 addon for v1.3.5-1.3.9

[Mikeondraco]

Hi all, I'm back with a couple more questions...... I am now using Zen Cart 1.5.4. and have installed the above version of SBA (https://github.com/potteryhouse/stoc...12345678_ZC154). Everything is working as far as the setting of attributes is concerned and even the glitch I had with the previous version has been resolved regarding zero quantities. However, I do have a couple of issues, both of which may well be down to me missing some settings I am sure, but I seem unable to resolve either.

The first issue, is that although I have the setting in 'Configuration/Stock/SBA Show Stock Level on Product Info Page' set to 'true', the quantities are not showing in the drop-down list, as shown on the screen dump attached.

Secondly, on the product info screen, even though some of the options have stock (and in this case there is only one option anyway) the following text is permanently displayed: 'The combination of options you have selected is currently out of stock. Please select another combination.', as shown on the second attached screen dump.

Any advice, help or even just telling me I am twit and change this and that setting, will be gladly received

Mike

Dump_1.jpg
Dump_2.jpg

[mc12345678]

I need to modify the default installation script a little, but if you goto configuration-> Dynamic Dropdowns and turn of the single attribute option, the issue described (for single attributes) will go away. :)

Ie, the default programming you are used to seeing will return.

[Mikeondraco]

I need to modify the default installation script a little, but if you goto configuration-> Dynamic Dropdowns and turn of the single attribute option, the issue described (for single attributes) will go away. :)

Ie, the default programming you are used to seeing will return.

Great, thank you, sorted that one. I guess the modification you noted is for the missing quantities ?

Another question I have, the answer may be obvious but I have not seen it. Can options have sub-options? To try and explain, we have products in multiple colours and multiple sizes, so the customer would select the colour first and then size, but of course all sizes may not currently be in stock for all colours. Thus the size stock quantities will be different for differing colours.

Mike

[mc12345678]

Great, thank you, sorted that one. I guess the modification you noted is for the missing quantities ?

Mike

Two fold actually. Until the single attribute dropdown of dynamic dropdowns is "fixed", it should be turned off from the start (ie, installed with it off). Priority was to find a way to display multiple attributes, which does work as reprogrammed...

While still a little "patchy" trying to ensure a functioning product, a plan in place to make improvements, and that is relatively easy to install/use. :)

[Mikeondraco]

Two fold actually. Until the single attribute dropdown of dynamic dropdowns is "fixed", it should be turned off from the start (ie, installed with it off). Priority was to find a way to display multiple attributes, which does work as reprogrammed...

While still a little "patchy" trying to ensure a functioning product, a plan in place to make improvements, and that is relatively easy to install/use. :)

I think it is quite easy to use, just need to reprogram myself from the way it is done in the package we are currently using (x-cart). It was working fine, but they turned off the multiple attribute feature from the free version and want to charge me $500 per year to use it.....

BTW, I edited my last post adding another question, in case you have not noticed

Mike

[mc12345678]

Another question I have, the answer may be obvious but I have not seen it. Can options have sub-options? To try and explain, we have products in multiple colours and multiple sizes, so the customer would select the colour first and then size, but of course all sizes may not currently be in stock for all colours. Thus the size stock quantities will be different for differing colours.

Mike

Hadn't noticed, thanks for pointing out. That is the part that has been specifically modified/created using Dynamic Dropdowns to create an additional choice above the original four of the oob DD. Yes, but at the moment there is a bit of a caveat in it's operation. It is possible to identify the quantity and out-of-stock condition for all attribute options. What you describe is the mutliple attribute condition (multiple option names technically.)

The caveat is this: if in your example, if sizes 5, 7, and 9 are only fabricated for blue, but 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 (or the European equivalents) are offered for all other colours, then when making a selection of blue will indicate that 6 and 8 are out of stock... Technically never available... This is something that is on the platter to fix... Also though, at the moment I believe that a variant must be entered for all options otherwise a stock quantity of the total available sum of all combinations is shown for those options not entered as a variant... Also to be corrected or rather will self correct when the first issue is addressed.

Stock will not be displayed until at the last option of choices, and depending on what stock is missing, an out-of-stock message may appear at a point early in the selection, if all sub-selections are unavailable... More of a thing when three or more attributes are applied to a product...

I think it is quite easy to use, just need to reprogram myself from the way it is done in the package we are currently using (x-cart). It was working fine, but they turned off the multiple attribute feature from the free version and want to charge me $500 per year to use it.....

BTW, I edited my last post adding another question, in case you have not noticed

Mike

Glad that found that SBA is easy to use. What you saw was Dynamic Dropdowns applied out of the box as directed by the instructions: multiple dropdown used for a single attribute product... For some reason the out of stock message gets hard set. Haven't fixed it yet because potteryhouse and jeking had worked out a single attribute option that works just fine, so back to priorities... :) There are a number of other UI tweaks on the admin side also that I am sure you will come across since you are a previous user of SBA...

Could always apply that to *ahhmm* something else.

[Mikeondraco]

Hadn't noticed, thanks for pointing out. That is the part that has been specifically modified/created using Dynamic Dropdowns to create an additional choice above the original four of the oob DD. Yes, but at the moment there is a bit of a caveat in it's operation. It is possible to identify the quantity and out-of-stock condition for all attribute options. What you describe is the mutliple attribute condition (multiple option names technically.)

The caveat is this: if in your example, if sizes 5, 7, and 9 are only fabricated for blue, but 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9 (or the European equivalents) are offered for all other colours, then when making a selection of blue will indicate that 6 and 8 are out of stock... Technically never available... This is something that is on the platter to fix... Also though, at the moment I believe that a variant must be entered for all options otherwise a stock quantity of the total available sum of all combinations is shown for those options not entered as a variant... Also to be corrected or rather will self correct when the first issue is addressed.

Stock will not be displayed until at the last option of choices, and depending on what stock is missing, an out-of-stock message may appear at a point early in the selection, if all sub-selections are unavailable... More of a thing when three or more attributes are applied to a product...



Glad that found that SBA is easy to use. What you saw was Dynamic Dropdowns applied out of the box as directed by the instructions: multiple dropdown used for a single attribute product... For some reason the out of stock message gets hard set. Haven't fixed it yet because potteryhouse and jeking had worked out a single attribute option that works just fine, so back to priorities... :) There are a number of other UI tweaks on the admin side also that I am sure you will come across since you are a previous user of SBA...

Could always apply that to *ahhmm* something else.

Aha, if I could afford it I probably wouldn't be giving myself (and you....) all this grief

To try and clarify it in my mind, it seems that the only way I can do this (at the moment maybe) is, as I think you are saying, that I create a variant for each product type (i.e. white size S, black size S, pink size S, etc., etc.) so that there is a specific stock quantity for each possible variant? This would result in a single drop down choice rather than a multiple drop down though .... I think

Mike

[mc12345678]

Aha, if I could afford it I probably wouldn't be giving myself (and you....) all this grief

To try and clarify it in my mind, it seems that the only way I can do this (at the moment maybe) is, as I think you are saying, that I create a variant for each product type (i.e. white size S, black size S, pink size S, etc., etc.) so that there is a specific stock quantity for each possible variant? This would result in a single drop down choice rather than a multiple drop down though .... I think

Mike

Ahh yes, I see the confusion... Thinking "old school".

So let's get familiar with some terms...

Option names: the type of object to be selected, colour and size.
Option values: the values (number, text, whatever) that describes the option name: blue, green for colour, 5, 6, 7, 8, etc. For size
Variant, the cobination of option values of each option name that uniquely identifies the product... This aspect is captured/controlled by SBA. The other two are inherent to ZC.
So, when creating the SBA variants, adjacent to each option name select the dropdown All-Attribute-Combo.. Every variant type will be populated with the quantity entered at the bottom (including 0 as that got fixed recently).

Then with DD for multiple attributes active and sba_sequenced_dropdown applied, that product will display multiple attributes for selection with the option names display according to their sort order. Upon making the first selection (two option names applied) view of the second option name option will display the quantity available or out-of-stock. Swith to another first selection and the second selection will be updated...

So, that should help wrap your mind around it a little more. :)

[Mikeondraco]

Ahh yes, I see the confusion... Thinking "old school".

So let's get familiar with some terms...

Option names: the type of object to be selected, colour and size.
Option values: the values (number, text, whatever) that describes the option name: blue, green for colour, 5, 6, 7, 8, etc. For size
Variant, the cobination of option values of each option name that uniquely identifies the product... This aspect is captured/controlled by SBA. The other two are inherent to ZC.
So, when creating the SBA variants, adjacent to each option name select the dropdown All-Attribute-Combo.. Every variant type will be populated with the quantity entered at the bottom (including 0 as that got fixed recently).

Then with DD for multiple attributes active and sba_sequenced_dropdown applied, that product will display multiple attributes for selection with the option names display according to their sort order. Upon making the first selection (two option names applied) view of the second option name option will display the quantity available or out-of-stock. Swith to another first selection and the second selection will be updated...

So, that should help wrap your mind around it a little more. :)

Ok, something to wrap my mind around tomorrow I think. Need, as you say, to approach it from a different angle.

BTW, defo old school here

Thanks again for your time, patience and answers - really appreciated.

Mike

[mc12345678]

Ok, something to wrap my mind around tomorrow I think. Need, as you say, to approach it from a different angle.

BTW, defo old school here

Thanks again for your time, patience and answers - really appreciated.

Mike

No problem, you'll see just how easy it is once you try it/think about it.

In this forum related to SBA, old school is building attributes using way too much time and effort to type in an option value of each combination, so that it looked like this:

Shoe: colour1 and size1
Colour2 and size1
Colour1 and size2
Colour2 and size2

Etc....

Now, type in all the colors (ZC has some default entries if not mistaken)
Type in the sizes (can modify one of the default option names to accomplish)
The in sba admin, assign combinations of those manually (blah) or using the combo option (yeah potteryhouse and jeking for providing the option that got modified to allow greater than 6 option names, though if that many are needed might have issues... ) :)

Anyways, get some rest and think about it later.:)