how can i accomplish this with attributes?

Hi.

Right now our site is very sluggish due to multiple attributes per product. We are also using the attributes to product listing module found here in the forum (it allows us to display the attributes in the product listing).

The issue we have is that for every product we have 6 attributes (each with the alphabet and 0-9 as choices). The attributes are the same, except we have them declared 6 times (to allow customer to choose 6 letters or initials in their order). Due to this, multiplied by 1000+ products, the site loads very slow, like 1+ minute to load a page.

So my question is, can we create just one set of attributes and have it show up 6 times in each product? This way there is no strain in the database and teh system. If so, how do we accomplish this? I tried replicating the $options_menu[$i] variable found in attributes_listing.php. However, how do we get them to show up in the shopping cart and in the succeeding pages, like checkout etc. I'm not sure how the zencart engine works and not sure how to pass the variable to the different pages needed.

Can anyone help? I;m sure there are others facing something similar of an issue.

Thanks

You did not provide a link so that we could see what it is you are attempting

BUT for text and pricing this can be done in this way seen HERE

one page is:

http://www.thecustomchip.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=6_87_161_162_165

loading a product details page loads fine. but since we are displaying the attributes in the product listing, it's getting very slow. now I have removed the other products and left 84 products, each with these 8 attributes (each attribute has 40+ choices). The page listing is still loading 15-20 seconds.

Please check http://www.thecustomchip.com/store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=6_87_161_162_165 you'll notice that the attributes are the same same per product (8 attributes of the same type and choices).

We would like to make them just 1 attribute per product, but each attribute is loaded 8 times or 8 instances since they are one and the same throughout.

That would surely boost the speed, but we're not sure how to accomplish it.

thanks

Its definitely very slow. For this page i got: Parse Time: 20.013 - Number of Queries: 5796 - Query Time: 15.644644821762

For an easy fix, try the Query cache addon, this might help a lot to reduce the number of Queries.

However, using text attributes with max of 3 characters may simplify the use of your website as well for customers.

we already have that module installed though.

the textboxes pribably will be a last resort, but right now I think there should be a way to reuse just one attribute and it's choices and make multiple instances of it, since the 8 attributes we load per product are identical.

any adive how we can accomplish this?

Thanks!

bump anyone???

I'm just thinking out loud here, but since it looks like displaying the attributes in the product listing is what's causing the slowdown, and since that hodgepodge of dropdowns and text boxes is, well, ugly, and at best, bewildering to your visitors (this one, anyway) maybe the best idea would be to remove attributes from the product listing and return to standard Zencart operation.