Dealing with Options Names, sort orders, when product share similar names?

Hi I am trying to set up my store. I don't even know how to explain it but i hope you get what i mean.

Basically i have products that have options specific to it and then have some options that could be used by different products.

I assigned sort orders to the first product (we will call it Product A)

Product A have options specific to it and then it has some options Produc B, C, and D also have.

So if Product A has the following options;

• Color Scheme (drop down box) (sort order 0)

• Skin Tone (drop down box) (sort order 1)

• Front Personalization (text attribute) (sort order 2)

• Fonts Available (none editable field) (sort order 3)

• Front Font Selection (drop down box) (sort order 4)

• Back Personalization (text attribute) (sort order 5)

• Fonts Available (none editable field) (sort order 6)

• Back Font Selection (drop down box) (sort order 7)

Then Product B has options specific it it then it also can use the same options as Product A

such as;

• Front Personalization (text attribute) (sort order 2)
• Fonts Available (none editable field) (sort order 3)
• Front Font Selection (drop down box) (sort order 4)
• Back Personalization (text attribute) (sort order 5)
• Fonts Available (none editable field) (sort order 6)
• Back Font Selection (drop down box) (sort order 7)

Since i assigned sort orders to the option names for Product A when i get to Product B and it has it's own specific options that come before i use the options. So it sometimes means the "sort orders" of the options they can both share may be off thus causing the options to appear out of order from one Product to the Other.

So my question is;

1.)
I want to only defined the similar options they can boh share 1 time but they can be used by different products. How can i keep them from appearing out of order since the sort order # may differ from one product to the next.

2.) If it would be better to just defined these field separate for each product (not share them) between products any suggestions how to name them since they basically ask the same info.

So if i create option name "Front Personalization" for Product A. If i defined a new field for Product B that needs the same info "i can't name it "Front Personalization" as if i do i will not know which one it is when i use the attribute controller as they will both say;

"Front Personalization"

So i am confused as a good way to name the fields if i do them separately for each product.

Any help will be greatly appreciated and i hope understand what i mean.

You can see what mean with this product;

http://bigstickies.com/goshop/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=19&products_id=40

notice "Front Personalization Font" is at the bottom when it should be before "Back Personalization".

I apparentloy defined "Front Personalization" when setting up a different product so when i use it with this product it shows it in the wrong order as the sort order # is not the same

Signed
AngelaH

For the shared options define your sort order as the master schema

For the one that is to be first and different for products - - make them all "0" and these will always be first when added to a product

master schema?

Is that something i can set in the admin?

Or would i have to do something to my database inside mysql.

I've never heard that term before.

Can you point me in the right direction.

Thanks for your feedback already

My store is version Zen Cart 1.3.8a

Signed,
AngelaH

Your master schema

• Front Personalization (text attribute) (sort order 2)
• Fonts Available (none editable field) (sort order 3)
• Front Font Selection (drop down box) (sort order 4)
• Back Personalization (text attribute) (sort order 5)
• Fonts Available (none editable field) (sort order 6)
• Back Font Selection (drop down box) (sort order 7)

Thank you....