Multiple file formats for downloads - help!

ok.... here is my problem

i will be offering various documents for download via my site, so here is a scenario:

customer wants a letter pack which contains 3 documents in pdf format.
i also offer this pack in word formats and text formats

basically i would like the customer to be able to select the format they require and then the cart knows to add those 3 files in that format to the cart when the add to cart button is pressed, i have looked about and cant seem to find what i am looking for....im guessing this will be straight forward and im just being simple!:frusty:

i forgot to mention that i have tried adding the file but it keeps saying duplicate attribute - attribute was not added

Can't you just make 3 Zip files for:
PDF
MS Word
.txt

And then the Option Name:
Media Type

with Option Values:
Option Name: Media Type
Pick a Format
Default Sort Order 0
Display Only YES
Default YES

Option Name: Media Type
PDF
Default Sort Order 10
Filename: whatever_pdf.zip

Option Name: Media Type
MS Word
Default Sort Order 20
Filename: whatever_msw.zip

Option Name: Media Type
.txt
Default Sort Order 30
Filename: whatever_txt.zip

Note: the filename convention is to help identify groups of downloads for humans ... :smile:

Now the customer is forced to pick the right format for them, as the default cannot be added to the cart ...

i could use zip files, but if at all possible i would prefer not to, would it be possible to create each file as a product and hide these then create another product which advertises all of these together then when you select the format somehow the products would be linked and added to the cart that way? i have read a little bit about product linking but dont really understand it yet.....im kinda just throwing ideas around!!

Ajeh's advice still applies even if you don't want to zip the files. Use whatever filename you like. The rest of her instructions apply just the same.

they do to an extent but they dont explain how to add more than one file to the shopping cart by selecting one option.

tonyb1986:

they do to an extent but they dont explain how to add more than one file to the shopping cart by selecting one option.
True.

Workaround:
You can set all your attributes as individual Option Names with type Radio Button, and make the corresponding Option Values set to be "default" and then when customers add to cart, all those radio button choices will be added to the cart, thus giving them all the multiple files as part of their order.

But, giving them multiple files "A, B, C, and D" by choosing one radio button , vs getting files " E, F, G, and H" by choosing a different radio button ... that's not an option in the current version of Zen cart.

ok no problem, looks like ill have to go down the zip file route, as much as i dont want to! i believe this is something that should be implemented into zencart however as i dont believe i am the only person that would benefit from this 'implementation'

thanks for all the help all the same!!

DrByte:

True.

Workaround:
You can set all your attributes as individual Option Names with type Radio Button, and make the corresponding Option Values set to be "default" and then when customers add to cart, all those radio button choices will be added to the cart, thus giving them all the multiple files as part of their order.

But, giving them multiple files "A, B, C, and D" by choosing one radio button , vs getting files " E, F, G, and H" by choosing a different radio button ... that's not an option in the current version of Zen cart.

Can you explain this to me a bit a more? The above confused me a bit in what you were saying to do.

Thank you so much!

http://www.zen-cart.com/videotutorials/tutorial-download-attribs-139.mov
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=71

DrByte:

http://www.zen-cart.com/videotutorials/tutorial-download-attribs-139.mov
https://www.zen-cart.com/tutorials/index.php?article=71

Thank you for links, however I already know how to setup downloadable products. It seemed that the workaround you were talking about allowed multiple format file downloads.

The problem having something in a zip file is the size of the file. We sell ebooks and audio books. One audio file is 25mb. We cannot put that in a zip file and people with slow connections download stuff like that. It would be easier and quicker for them to download one file at a time, however, using attributes as per the link description and tutorial and how we do attributes at the moment, they have to select a file format thus ultimately only giving them access to one file.

Is this something we'll have to custom design or can this be done with Zen Cart as it is right now?

So, you don't want to give them a choice; rather you just need to give them several files, all which are auto-selected, right?
In that case, as I mentioned earlier, use separate Option Names for each segment, with one Option Value each, and assign each file to a separate Option Name/value pair.