Improved Attributes Controller (now built-in to v1.3.9)

NOTE: THIS FEATURE IS ALREADY BUILT-IN TO Zen Cart v1.3.9

Have you got a whole bunch of options/option values for your products?
Do you hate having to add a single option value at a time?

One of the stores I manage on a regular basis has about 12 option names and around 150 possible option values. That makes for a real hassle when using the drop-down selectors to add an option name/value combination to a product, particularly if you have to do it a large number of times (the average product on that site has around 70 option name/value combinations assigned: that's 70 entries per product with the current system....)

I've developed an improvement for those drop-down boxes, making the option values that appear in the second box dependent upon the selection in the first box (no more searching through all those values to find the ones that match the option name). Javascript is used to avoid having the page reload when you make that selection in the first box.

Here's the major time saver: the second box (option values) allows multiple selections! So you can add a whole bunch of option values with a single page load!

One proviso on that though: all the other selections on the page (attribute price, weight, default, etc) are used for each option value that you have selected. So for example if you have entered a price of +2.00, it's used for every option value that you had selected in that second drop-down box.

Extract the attributes_controller.php file from the zip attached to this post, upload it to your admin folder (make a backup of your original file first) and you're set to save some time.

Now, if only I could work out how to implement that dependent options trick on the catalog side....but that's a much longer-term project.

Edit: this has been built/tested on v1.3.0.1 (it will work on earlier versions but you may have to copy the function zen_hide_session_id() from v1.3.0.1 admin/includes/functions/general.php )

NOTE: THIS FEATURE IS ALREADY BUILT-IN TO Zen Cart v1.3.9; As such this addon is NOT compatible with v1.3.9 and newer.
DOWNLOAD HERE: http://www.zen-cart.com/index.php?main_page=product_contrib_info&products_id=114

What a brilliant idea! I expect this will soon rank alongside Image-Handler as one of the top "must haves" :thumbsup:

I've made another minor modification to the file so that the option values are added with their default sort orders if no entry is made in the sort order box (saves another click to update to default sort orders later).

<see downloads area for distribution file>

wow what a great idea, i cant wait to try this. it takes me so long when adding attributes, this sounds great.

thanks so much for this contrib

Cara

this is the same thing as the ajax attribute controller contrib listed last week right? its nice (although its just dhtml, not really ajax i think). The option values table is a little lower than the options name box.. at least thats how it appears in opera. havent tried with other browsers yet.. but that doesn't affect its performance

Nice work :)

qhome:

this is the same thing as the ajax attribute controller contrib listed last week right?
It effectively does the same thing using javascript, but all the code is contained within the one file. And as far as I know, the Ajax mod doesn't allow multiple selections or add the default sort order.

ah yes i see. you are right. works nice :)

Just got round to trying this out - WOW!

:clap: :clap: :clap:

:thumbsup:

WOW This is the best thing since sliced bread. Your a genius. I can now create products practically without any effort

You ought to be congratulated!! :onfire: :bigups: :bigups:

Thanks a bunch!!

Great contribution bunyip!!

I cannot wait to see it by myself!:smile:

bunyip:

Edit: this has been built/tested on v1.3.0.1 (it will work on earlier versions but you may have to copy the function zen_hide_session_id() from v1.3.0.1 admin/includes/functions/general.php )

Can you elaborate this? Im using ZC 1.2.7, so I downloaded ZC 1.3.0.1 and looked for that function in the file you indicate, but I couldnt find it. Let me see If I understood well this:

1. I will have to open admin/includes/functions/general.php in v1.3.0.1

2. Find the function zen_hide_session_id() (I couldnt find this in the code)

3. Open the previously mentioned file, but in my v1.2.7, and add the code there.

Thanks!
Mike

Mike,
first of all, I made an error in stating which file the function zen_hide_session_id() is in: it's in admin/functions/html_output.php, not general.php.
Anyway, I also did some checking: that function was introduced in v1.2.6, so you should be fine (I noted the error when running this new attributes controller on a 1.2.4 store).

For people still using v1.2.5 or earlier that want to use this improved attributes controller, you'll need to copy that function zen_hide_session_id() from a v1.2.6 or later copy of admin/includes/functions/html_output.php (it's the last function in the file) and paste it into your own admin/includes/functions/html_output.php

Yeaaah!

Working like a charm, now:smile: Thanks a lot for your help, its gonna save us a lot of time.

(I hope some day we could see something like that in the attributes in the catalog side.)

Cheers my friend,
Mike

Can I just say thank you thank you thank you a million times!! this is the best contribution in the world!!! I have been looking, hoping and praying that someone would come up with something like this - going to make a massive difference to my customers.

Totally perfect

Argh! I just finished adding attributes to about 1000 products before I found this.

This contrib is awesome!!!! Thank you.

<hands bunyip the "Best Zen Contribution of 2006" award with much applause>

This mod is now available in the Downloads section - look under Admin Tools. (Instructions have been included for making it work on v1.2.6 or earlier versions)

So, now you've made us all extremely happy with this...how's the Reward Scheme coming along? :laugh:

I take it you have nothing better to do than cater to our whims!:laugh: :laugh:

Why oh why didn't i find this sooner????... This is GREAT!!!!!!:cheers:

You launched this with amazingly fortuitious timing. I was with a client today teaching her about maintaining her site. As she began to understand the potential of attributes, she quadrupled their number and complexity. My heart sunk.

We took a break, during which I chanced across a reference to this mod on another thread. I followed up immediately. downloaded it to my test server and 15 minutes later was ready to start the practical session with the new mod. It couldn't possibility have been better timed.

Many, many thanks.

kelvyn:

48% of my gripe with Zen Cart was the attributes controller. You fixed that. Another 48% is having to move one product at a time. Is there any mod you could turn your skills to that would replace the "m" symbol with tickboxes, so I could tick 20 products and move them at once?
Kelvyn, such a 'move multiple products' ability wouldn't be particularly difficult to code: I might even take a crack at it sometime in the not-so-distant future.:smartass:

bunyip:

Kelvyn, such a 'move multiple products' ability wouldn't be particularly difficult to code: I might even take a crack at it sometime in the not-so-distant future.:smartass:

That would be another stunning contribution addressing one of the few irritations within ZC. It would also be extremely convenient to be able to copy a complete category at the category level.

Reverting back to the attributes - a suggestion to the dev team to incorporate this mod into whatever is the next release of ZC (whether it be 1.3.1, 1.3.0.2 or even 1.3.0.1.1 :laugh: ) even though it must be the easiest modification to apply...ever!