100 product downloads vs. 100 product attributes

Dumb question.

Lets say I have a website and I plan on selling download files (.txt) that describe the different flies to tie for fly fishing.

From a server standpoint, Which is better?

A: One product with 100 attributes with radio buttons for multiple downloads

or

B: 100 download products with no attributes

just sayin....

You definitely don't want to go down the "1 product, 100 attributes" path. The attributes' handling (primarily in the cart calculations) will be overwhelmed, IMO.

Also, FWIW, a product with a download is a product with at least one attribute -- the one that defines the to-be-downloaded file!

Yea and that was a question I had too. Why does a downloable product have to have any attributes at all? Good point. Glad to see you are awake.

I am glad I asked. Looks like I will have the 100 product layout.

Anyone else want to weigh in on the two ways of doin this?

I would say a mix of the two rather than either extreme. Regardless, the "download", unless a clickable link not to require "purchase" is used, requires an attribute. Having to search through either 100 products or a product with 100 attributes requires sorting through, sifting through, basically finding that "one" product of interest. 10 products with potentially 10 attributes would appear reasonably balanaced for 100 variations.

I agree with the hybrid solution. But how would you breakdown 100 flies that all look alike, basically. Looking through 100 radio buttons wouldnt take very long. But looking through 100 products probably would take a bit of time.

And one other question. Limit on attributes?

pixelpadre:

I agree with the hybrid solution. But how would you breakdown 100 flies that all look alike, basically. Looking through 100 radio buttons wouldnt take very long. But looking through 100 products probably would take a bit of time.

And one other question. Limit on attributes?
So it would seem that regardless of the method of presentation: all as an attribute, all as products or some sort of mix that the initial problem would exist. Ie. How to address 100 files of "the same thing". This generally would be something that someone in the know of the product would be better suited to answer. As far as the filenames themselves, since they are not images, then the file(s) can be named as desired though recommend all lowercase, no spaces (hyphen or underscore is acceptable).

As to "limit" of attributes, most of what is discussed about them above relates to load and process time to present several on screen. The "limit" is primarily database size dependent.

If you're worried about populating the database with the proper name for each such attribute/filename combination, there are tools available to help with that, though some offer the ability (I think) to upload the image in parallel with uploading the database information others offer just the ease of populating the database with actual upload (ftp) to be done separately either before or after.