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Attribute tool which is easier on the user


niknakgroup

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OK, bear with me on this one; my explanation may be abit long winded, but hopefully it makes sense....

 

Right, at the minute the attribute page in the admin panel is great, provided you have a small database with few attributes. Once you get to the point of having over 500 possible attributes and 7k+ products, the page takes an absolute AGE to load, and then when you add the attributes, you can only do it one at a time. There is a bulk attribute copier contrib, which is great for those who use the same attributes all over the place on their products. Although I no longer have my jewellery site, I will use that site as the example for my problem and proposed solution:

 

At the minute, as a pure example, I may want to add a ring to my products. This ring would have the following attributes:

Metal: Yellow Gold, White Gold, Platinum, Silver, Titanium

Size: H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V

Gemstone: Amethyst, Topaz, Ruby, Garnet, Amber, Lapis Lazuli, Cubic Zirconia

Finish: Highly Polished, Patinated, Scratched Effect, Matt

Gift Options: None, Gift Wrapped, Gift Wrapped with Care Kit

 

So, for just one product, I have 5 attribute dropdowns and a total of 35 possible options. Using the admin screen, even with quick loading (which just does not happen when your database is the size of mine - so far I have over 42,000 attributes already in), this would take best part of half an hour to add in, and with the database being the size it is, would also kill my site for any visitors who happened to be on the site at the same time! Bear in mind that using my site as the example again, each year there are going to be a fresh 1000+ products to add, and if a new suppleir is introduced, thats another 1500+ a pop. At half an hour just for the attributes, there has to be another way.....

 

So, I personally have always used a direct to database approach using phpMyAdmin and a perverted Excel database. It works, but trying to explain this system to somebody who is new to the software, or who does not have the time to learn SQL syntax is a complete minefield, so I began thinking about possible alternatives - see what you think of this:

 

In the admin screens, when adding a product, you currently have a couple of buttons on the right hand side which say "Add New Product" and "Add Category" (or something similar) - eithe rin here, or at the bottom of the new product page, you could add an "Attributes" button - this has the effect of already selecting the rpoduct, meaning that the attributes page does not have to load EVERY attribute for EVERY product. Advantage #1. Next, this page could be a simple list of every Attribute grouping (i.e. from example above, "Ring Size", "Metal", "Gift Option" etc. etc.), and iunder each grouping, the attributes that were relevant. Each attribute then has a radio button on the left and a text box (4 or 5 characters long would do it) to the right. When you select the radio button, you can then add the attributes price implication into the text box. When you have selected all of your required attributes and set the prices, you then click "Update" and bingo - every attribute for one product is added in one hit. Likewise, at a later date you can go back to a product, edit, add or remove attributes very easily and quickly.

 

This would be an extremely useful contribution, and I cant see too much int he way of problems once it is set up, but my problem is this - I dont have the foggiest where to begin! Are there any geniuses out there looking for a new project? My skills are burgeoning, and I would be a very willing accomplice, but is there somebody willing to grab this mini-project and turn it from a good idea on paper (or on screen;)) into a very good and useful conttrib?

 

Yell me or reply to this thread - also if you cant help, but like the idea, please post your thoughts.

 

***Watch this space....***

Edited by niknakgroup

Please note - if I have suggested a contrib above, it doesnt mean it will work! Most of the contribs are not ones I've used, but may be useful for your particular problem....

Have you tried a refined search? Chances are your problem has already been dealt with elsewhere on the forums.....

if (stumped == true) {

return(square_one($start_over)

} else {

$random_query = tep_fetch_answer($forum_query)

}

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  • 4 weeks later...

In other software I have used they go about about adding attributes in a slightly different manor.

 

For example

  1. Enter your product
  2. open your attribute list
  3. select desired attributes via selection check boxes
  4. apply selection to product.

So you would have something like the following

 

Product=Ring

Metal=Gold, White Gold, Silver, Platinum, Titanium, etc... (Each one with its own selection box)

Stone= Gem, Ruby, Diamond, Amesthest, etc... (again eash one with its own selection box)

Size= h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, etc... (yet once again each one with its own selection box)

With all the appropiate attributes selected you would hit the apply button. This in turn creates all availible options for this item based what attributes have been selected, while using the original description and page layout for the intial product.

 

This made the installation of multipal attributes extremely easy while using that software.

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OK, bear with me on this one; my explanation may be abit long winded, but hopefully it makes sense....

 

Right, at the minute the attribute page in the admin panel is great, provided you have a small database with few attributes. Once you get to the point of having over 500 possible attributes and 7k+ products, the page takes an absolute AGE to load, and then when you add the attributes, you can only do it one at a time. There is a bulk attribute copier contrib, which is great for those who use the same attributes all over the place on their products. Although I no longer have my jewellery site, I will use that site as the example for my problem and proposed solution:

 

At the minute, as a pure example, I may want to add a ring to my products. This ring would have the following attributes:

Metal: Yellow Gold, White Gold, Platinum, Silver, Titanium

Size: H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V

Gemstone: Amethyst, Topaz, Ruby, Garnet, Amber, Lapis Lazuli, Cubic Zirconia

Finish: Highly Polished, Patinated, Scratched Effect, Matt

Gift Options: None, Gift Wrapped, Gift Wrapped with Care Kit

 

So, for just one product, I have 5 attribute dropdowns and a total of 35 possible options. Using the admin screen, even with quick loading (which just does not happen when your database is the size of mine - so far I have over 42,000 attributes already in), this would take best part of half an hour to add in, and with the database being the size it is, would also kill my site for any visitors who happened to be on the site at the same time! Bear in mind that using my site as the example again, each year there are going to be a fresh 1000+ products to add, and if a new suppleir is introduced, thats another 1500+ a pop. At half an hour just for the attributes, there has to be another way.....

 

So, I personally have always used a direct to database approach using phpMyAdmin and a perverted Excel database. It works, but trying to explain this system to somebody who is new to the software, or who does not have the time to learn SQL syntax is a complete minefield, so I began thinking about possible alternatives - see what you think of this:

 

In the admin screens, when adding a product, you currently have a couple of buttons on the right hand side which say "Add New Product" and "Add Category" (or something similar) - eithe rin here, or at the bottom of the new product page, you could add an "Attributes" button - this has the effect of already selecting the rpoduct, meaning that the attributes page does not have to load EVERY attribute for EVERY product. Advantage #1. Next, this page could be a simple list of every Attribute grouping (i.e. from example above, "Ring Size", "Metal", "Gift Option" etc. etc.), and iunder each grouping, the attributes that were relevant. Each attribute then has a radio button on the left and a text box (4 or 5 characters long would do it) to the right. When you select the radio button, you can then add the attributes price implication into the text box. When you have selected all of your required attributes and set the prices, you then click "Update" and bingo - every attribute for one product is added in one hit. Likewise, at a later date you can go back to a product, edit, add or remove attributes very easily and quickly.

 

This would be an extremely useful contribution, and I cant see too much int he way of problems once it is set up, but my problem is this - I dont have the foggiest where to begin! Are there any geniuses out there looking for a new project? My skills are burgeoning, and I would be a very willing accomplice, but is there somebody willing to grab this mini-project and turn it from a good idea on paper (or on screen;)) into a very good and useful conttrib?

 

Yell me or reply to this thread - also if you cant help, but like the idea, please post your thoughts.

 

***Watch this space....***

 

 

This one might help you get started: Improve Product Attributes/Item Editor

 

 

Or this one, which is kinda turns the logic you described around, but this metode might have some merrit too:

 

Products attibute ehancement

Edited by toyicebear
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