Wouldn’t it be nice if you could set up a configurable product, give it a list of configurable attributes, then auto-generate all of the simple products for you?
Even with “Quick simple product creation”, It takes at least one click per simple product. For some of us, that means over 100 clicks just to complete one configurable product.
Don’t you wish you could just set the configurable product up, specify the attributes, and then press one button to auto-generate all possible combinations of those attributes?
The system already knows what the attributes are, and it already knows what the possible combinations are. Why should we need to manually create all of these simple products? Changes are under way right now that are supposed to make it quicker, but I believe it will still not approach the speed that would be exacted if what I propose was implemented.
What we need is a one-click method to auto create all of the simple products that can be associated with a configurable. For example:
I create two attributes, Size and Color.
Size (Red, Green, Blue)
Color (Small, Medium, Large)
...and an attribute set, T-Shirt Attribs.
Then I create a configurable product, and press “Auto Generate Simple Products”
It automatically creates 9 simple products for me, representing the possible combinations of size and color. This way, instead of 27 clicks (It’s at least 27, count it out) for one configurable, its just one.
I’ve spoken with one of the devs, and from what he’s told me, it does not sound like the Magento team is planning on implementing this idea. However, I think it is very crucial to those of us who plan on selling highly configurable products where the number of possible combinations could easily reach into the thousands. We simply don’t have the time to click the mouse button that many times, no matter how fast it is.
Hi Brett - I do agree that this would be a nice feature to have, but it would be good if you kept all your comments on this matter in one place Makes it easier for those of us that watch the forums for ideas that we maybe able to help with.
I will take a look at this shortly - no promises.
Cheers
Adam
Sorry about making so many threads about it Ajazza. It’s hard to come up with a good thread title for this kind of stuff lol. I’ve been digging around a bit and I think the file to edit is:
Another problem has been that people don’t seem to understand what I’m asking for. Some people think I’m asking for a complete redesign of the cart to handle more customization for products. Other people think I’m asking for the quick create page to load faster. I can only hope you understand what I’m asking for lol… I really don’t know much about how Magento works so if it ends up being me who has to write this code, it’s probably gonna take a while.
I think someone with knowlege of the workings could easily write this code in under two hours, simply because it’s not changing anything, its only automating clicks and dropdown selections.
This is the video. What you see in this video is how I currently add my configurables. It is not sufficient. It is not a solution. It is the problem that I am suggesting a solution for.
Brett - I think that the people that could write a solution (ie. Myself, other community developers and the Magento Team) all know exactly what you mean. Yoav is simply offering solutions that may help others that are reading this thread. Cross posting makes it more confusing.
I will take a look as I said, I think doing it won’t be so bad - the tricky part will be working out which files I need to overwrite so that it can be packaged and thus not break any future updates.
Brett - I think that the people that could write a solution (ie. Myself, other community developers and the Magento Team) all know exactly what you mean. Yoav is simply offering solutions that may help others that are reading this thread. Cross posting makes it more confusing.
I will take a look as I said, I think doing it won’t be so bad - the tricky part will be working out which files I need to overwrite so that it can be packaged and thus not break any future updates.
Cheers
Adam
Let me know if there’s anything I can do to help, Adam.
I realize that Yoav is trying to help other people out, as I’m sure a fair number of people on the forums have no idea how to create configurable products It’s just frustrating for me when I need to create, under the current system, something like 3000 products, and the only way to do that will take an extremely long time.
I was just doing some math guys and it doesn’t look good for people with “highly” configurable products. We sell Care Packages and Gift Baskets (but I imagine florists and other gift businesses would have similar problems). We currently allow our users to choose from 15 items to build a care package (that number will only grow but let us start there for the sake of argument). In our smallest Care Package we allow our customers to choose any two items they like from the list of 15. Some simple math shows that we need to create 225 simple items. We can’t reduce this number because we can’t predict which items will be added first and which second. It is also possible to add two of the same item so no savings there. So 225 simple items, that’s not so bad. I’ve slogged through worse chores. The next size up allows the customer to choose any 4 items from the list of 15. Well that is a hefty 50,625 items. I don’t like it but I can probably figure out some way to automate it if I need to (Hell I can write a script to click the buttons in the admin interface if I have to, I wouldn’t like it but I could). Besides I only have to do it once (unless I want to add another choice then I’ve got to make another 14,911 entries to cover the one more choice in all of it’s combinations). But here is the proverbial kicker, my “large” Care Package (possibly the most popular item on our site) allows the customer to choose 9 items from the list of 15 possible items. That comes up to 38,443,359,375 simple items that I need to create. I’m not sure I’ve got that kind of free time.
Even if I could automatically generate every product variation, I’m not sure Magento would be happy with the kind of stress that would induce on the system. I might actually have to increase my server storage just to accommodate the data base of simple items associated with my large Care Package. I’ll have to perform a similar exercise with my Gift Baskets. Has anybody actually got a Magento cart working with even 1 billion simple items in it? How bout something more reasonable like 1 million items?
Guys let’s stop the insanity. There has to have been a reason why the Magento team chose to implement configurable products the way they did. I’d like to hear it so I can gain some insight into the process. But I think everyone would agree that expecting anyone to make over 35 BILLION entries to create a configurable product is just not going to happen.
I love this product. It does almost everything I need. I don’t want to dump it. I’m willing to get my hands dirty and fix this (I’m a programmer in my day job), but I need someone who has been working this project longer than a month to confirm that a fix is within my power and that this is not so ingrained in the Magento code that it can’t be overcome.
I’m thinking a custom product module similar in nature to the custom shipping and payment modules. Is this possible? Can I get a bone on where to start. I will be wading through code to see what I can find, but I’m sure we all know there is quite a bit of code to go wading through.
This was not meant to be inflamatory merely informative. I now what it is like to work on a project, release it into the wild, and suddenly have tons of users jump down your throat about how they would have done it. That is not my intent. I want to help make it better. I don’t care about finger pointing. It doesn’t solve the problem. Not to mention the fact that I might very well be asking for something completely insane. Just because I’m not the only one asking doesn’t me the rest aren’t insane also.
Ya Munchy many of us are having this same difficulty. I haven’t heard much from Magento and many posts on the forum seem to go unanswered. I would also like to understand the logic behind their current methods. My goal was to run a clothing store using Magento however that simply is not possible at this time due to attribute issues and creating configurable products.
If anyone figures out a hack, temporary solution, or fixes Magento’s code I would love to hear about it…
MunchyMonster - This was addressed many time on the forum. I think the functionality you are looking for is not configurable products but what we call bundles. This feature is coming soon and will allow you to create the kind of functionality you are looking for.
@yoav
I’ve been scouring the forums but so far have only found people complaining (myself included ) about configurable products not doing what we thought they did. I did notice the bundles in the roadmap (right at the top of the list). I also noticed that the latest alpha release was just pushed out to SVN. Any chance that a sneak peek at bundles is in there?
Alternatively is there anywhere we can get more info on how a bundle will work when they are implemented. I’ve got to tell my boss whether Magento is a go or no go for our project. I can probably string her along until the official release of bundles, IF they are going to take care of our problem. I know the offical release is at least a few months (please tell me only a few months) away, but I’ve got custom code to write and she will be fine so long as I can show progress and assure her that the final product will make her life easier in the long run.
Before I go down that path I’d like a little warm fuzzy feeling about how a bundle works. I made assumptions about how configurable products would work and now I’m facing down a large customization task or a new trade study to find another web cart. Can’t afford to be wrong too many times.
@MunchyMonster - bundle functionality is not available on the alpha branch yet. The bundle functionality is on schedule to be released with our next minor release that is going to be released in June of this year.
The bundle functionality will allow to create items that are built from simple products (do not map to a simple product as is with configurable products). This will allow some built-to-order items to be created without creating all the different combinations of products. For example a built-to-order computer might have an option of hard-drive, case and power supply, say with 3 options each. Only nine simple products will need to be created with the bundle product having 3 options and a customer can build his own computer as he wishes. This example can be extended to gift-baskets, shirts with prints on them etc…
@YoavKutner - THANK YOU! Assuming bundles work as you have explained (I know how features morph over time and implementation), it sounds like they are exactly what we are looking for. We can continue to limp along on our old site until this feature is added. In the meantime I can start the laundry list of minor extensions that we will want by the time we launch our new site using Magento as the engine. Fortuantely most of them have been at least partially implemented by others and they have shared their experience here in the forums.
Thank you all for taking the time to respond and keep the information flowing. Communication is what will make Magento a top of the line can’t be touched leader in the field.
If I have further difficulties I know my associates in the forums will either be able to come to my aid, or the vigilant staff of the Magento team will be able to answer my questions. See you all on the forums.
So I recently upgraded to 1.1.6 and still do not see the functionality that Brett was asking for in his original posting. As far as I understand he was looking for a way to create all sub-products automatically by selecting a main products colors and sizes for example all off of one screen. Instead with configurable products you have to create each sub-product one by one. According to what I read in this thread bundled products was supposed to solve this, however I still do not see how this works.
Basically what I’m looking for is a way to define a main product and then go to a variation selection screen where I can define which colors and sizes I want. Then click a button which creates all the sub-products (simple products) for me. I still do not see this type of functionality in the latest release as Bundled products does not appear to do this. Unless I don’t understand the way Bundled Products work. Has anyone had similar similar problems with Bundled Products?
Makes it easier for those of us that watch the forums for ideas that we maybe able to help with.
It’s just frustrating for me when I need to create, under the current system, something like 3000 products, and the only way to do that will take an extremely long time.
simple items that I need to create. I’m not sure I’ve got that kind of free time.
) about configurable products not doing what we thought they did. I did notice the bundles in the roadmap (right at the top of the list). I also noticed that the latest alpha release was just pushed out to SVN. Any chance that a sneak peek at bundles is in there?
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