Adding Attributes - Can't select Option Name

I'm trying to add the attribute "Colour" to my products.
I have created this Option in the Attribute Controller.

I can see it - it's my only Product Option - type Text - sort order 10 - size 32 - Max 32.

I now want to apply this to categories of products.

The boxes below that allow Adding and Deleting options for products are where I assume I do this.

The dropdown box that says "Select an Option Name" is empty - so I can't select my option to apply to products..

Have a missed something?

Thanks,
Amber

What admin page are you trying to use for adding attributes to products? There must be an attribute already applied to at least one product (in Attributes Controller) before you can do any multi-add/copy process.

Attributes require two things - An Option Name AND at least one Option Value (although you wouldn't need an attribute for just one option).

Let's say we have a 3 x 5 rug that we want to sell in colors of red, green, or blue.

The Option Name would be Color and the Option Values would be Select a Color, Red, Green, and Blue.

They would be assigned in the Attributes Controller thusly:

1. Select a Color - sort order 0 - Attribute Flags Y N Y Y Y N
2. Red - sort order 10 - Attribute Flags N N N Y Y N
3. Green- sort order 20 - Attribute Flags N N N Y Y N
4. Blue- sort order 30 - Attribute Flags N N N Y Y N

Here's the reasons for what I've shown are:

1. You must have a "Descriptive Selection" that is not an actual selection that is set to display only and the default that the customer sees.
2. The display only will force the customer to actually make a decision rather than accidentally selecting Red while actually wanting Blue.
3. The Option Values are then added with sort orders. I use 10, 20, 30, etc. just in case another color comes along that needs to go between Red and Green.

Note that these instructions have nothing to do with an item that may have different weights, prices, discounts, etc. If this is the case, Price, Weight, and other Prices and Weights might come into play. In particular, a shirt might cost more for large and even more for extra-large. And, by the very nature of their different sizes, each would have more weight. Remember that the entry would be the amount ADDED to the basic cost/weight for that size.

That's a really quick explanation of a complicated portion of Zen Cart. There's lots more info in the forum if you search for Product Attributes.

Perhaps I'm going about this the wrong way.

I have populated my site with a csv file containing about 15,000 products.
Right now I am missing a level of detail on the site.
For example, I have a specific brand of pen, that comes in 3 colours.
All three items have only one image.
The way I have it right now, there is no colour, so shoppers are unable to differentiate between the three pens.
Each pen has a different item number - which needs to be associated with that colour.

I was assuming I needed to add another 'field' or 'attribute' to my items - then use Easy Populate 4 to upload a new dataset, containing colour for all items that have colours.
I don't want to have to manually set the colour for each item, and I don't want all the colours of a certain item type to have the same item number.

What is going to be the best way to achieve this?

Thank for your help :)
Amber

Not a user of EP, so can't speak to it.

With the Attributes Controller, you can copy the attributes to a product or category.