Here are 3 problems in PowerStore that need to be addressed
First.
While testing on my remote server I've noticed that if I place an item in cart and proceed to checkout I'm asked to log-in or register as expected.
I click log-in as I am registered and after logging in I'm taken to users_Profile.php rather than to checkout.
Is that necessary? Or can we be taken directly to checkout?
Second.
I will quote myself here and Jason Byrnes from the thread "how do you add to base price with added product option?"
Jason
each option is a unique record in the database. all of the attributes for each option can be customized.as far as the user is concerned, it appears to be the same item, they are just making a selection form a drop down box. But the option can have it's own price, own inventory count etc.
Me
That's what I thought and after I made several entries employing that principle – changing SKU along with size and/or color – it seems to have worked.Now what would be really trick would be to treat the SKU field as we do the options we create so we could enter all the variables for shirt x including the different SKU's and than select them from the "manage options" window. The only caveat would be that the SKU should not display to the customer. Probably wouldn't be a bad idea to allow the choice of not displaying any option.
That would be a lot less work than what I'm now doing – enter all the options than the data about a product and "save" than "update" and change the SKU and choose the predefined size and/or color and "save" again, than do it all over again for the next iteration of the same product. So 5 sizes available in 2 colors each available with one of 2 different color designs means, if my math is correct, 40 trips through the process I've just described.
If SKU were an "option" a whole lotta steps could be saved.
The way I'm doing it now all iterations of the same product show up as a single item with size and color variables and thus enables tracking inventory by SKU.
Alternatively, you could use one overarching SKU and create a "part#" option or somesuch but that again would have to be not displayed to the customer.
If I'm right about all that I've said than I don't think I'm the only one who was unaware of the full potential available and this ought to be made more clear to everyone.
Mick
After reading numerous comments and questions in this forum it seems to me that there is a great deal of confusion about what can be done with the options.
What I've done as described above (and please tell me if I've taken a wrong turn here) allows me to - in effect - reuse much of what is in place from a previous product by simply saving the changes i.e. new SKU different size whatever. Assuming the product is a single item with the only differences being size , color, SKU, image. The result being that that product and all its iterations are displayed as a single item with options. Clicking the options displays the differences in color size image etc.
The advantage to me is that I can maintain my distinct SKU for each item and track inventory, sales etc.
The impression I was given before this was that in order to maintain my unique SKU's I would have to insert each item as a separate item and that they would each be displayed separately. If I wanted all iterations to be displayed as a single item with options I would have to forgo a unique SKU for each iteration. I don't think I was the only one with that impression.
Which leads to the Third item:
When I do as described above and make a variation to a product and attempt to use a previously used image I'm forbidden from doing so. If a make a copy of that image and save it with a different name I'm allowed.
I hope what I've said isn't too confusing. I find it hard to put into words.
Mick
