[ikoshkin]

CS-Cart currently has 2 similar entities: product variations and option combinations. They serve the same purposes as variations:

• A convenient way to switch between similar products on the storefront.
• Separate inventory tracking for those products.

We're planning to:

• Remove option combinations in version 4.10.1.
• Ask you to turn all existing option combinations into product variations during the upgrade to 4.10.1. The process will be automatic and will take a few clicks.

Please note that there is a difference between options and option combinations. We are planning to remove only option combinations. Options will remain, and their price and weight modifiers will affect products as before, but different quantities will be handled only by variations based on features. Variations give you more control than option combinations:

• Selection of the correct variant on the product page:
available both with variations and combinations.

• Separate inventory tracking for variants:
available both with variations and combinations.

• Displaying similar products as separate items in the catalog:
not available with combinations / available with variations, if you choose so.

• Filtering variants on the storefront:
not available with combinations / available with variations.

• Back-in-stock notifications about a variant:
not available with combinations / available with variations.

• Product import in a single file with consistent structure:
not available with combinations / available with variations.

• Price management:
the price of an option combination must be set via the modifiers of option variants / the price of each variation can be set independently.

• Own images:
an option combination only has its own main image / product variations can have as many images as they needs, or borrow them from parent products.

Here's the looks comparison: the old option combinations are on the left, and the new product variations are on the right.





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Please reply here if:
• Your store absolutely needs option combinations instead of variations (we'd be very interested to know why).
• You use third-party addons that extend the functionality of option combinations.

[teosu]

good point ! option combinations really old technology. Please complete remove from cs-cart.  i will start new project ant iam just vaiting new variations.

 

why you have to remove and begin new system ?

 

i have a product, have 80+ combination. its mean, must  different 80 product for google, and all combinations have different description images etc. combination system cant manage it. and realy bad for seo and customer experiences

[Flow]

I use our own and 3rd party addons that extend the functionality of option combinations. But I guess we'll have to adjust these when you get rid of them, and the new variations look great so it will be worth it

[Jacek]

I think it's a good idea but you have to give us more details. How exactly will the conversion look like. Will you include the conversion tool in 4.10.1 RC? If yes, it's crucial that you wait for the feedback of the beta testers.

 

Our store heavily relies on option combinations and the transition has to be made perfect.

[johnbol1]

IM worried 

[Flow]

IM worried 

 

Another 2 years of your life gone!

[imac]

I think it's a good idea but you have to give us more details. How exactly will the conversion look like. Will you include the conversion tool in 4.10.1 RC? If yes, it's crucial that you wait for the feedback of the beta testers.

 

Our store heavily relies on option combinations and the transition has to be made perfect.

Yes, we plan to include the conversion tools to 4.10.1RC

[12ka4]

Much needed change....took too long to change...

Can you guys now put similar effort in shipping methods please? its long overdue..

[12ka4]

Question will main picture change based on what variation is picked? If user selects yellow color will the main image change to Yellow tshirt? 

[GUY]

Does this affect the eBay synchronization as that appears to be reliant on option combinations rather than variations. I simply can't seem to get this feature to work once the product is converted to a variation?

[mattcaswell]

I know this is an old thread but exactly how am I supposed to track inventory now? I make embroidered products to order. I would have inventory tracking the quantity of each color hat that I have in stock, and when they selected the hat color and logo, it would decrease the quantity of that color by 1.  I don't see a way to do that now because when I select track inventory with options,  all the variations selectors disappear on the product page except 1 of each feature.

[johnbol1]

https://docs.cs-cart...select_box.html

 

any good ? each variation has its own stock I think.

no need to use the track inventroy with options ? (guessing)

[mattcaswell]

https://docs.cs-cart...select_box.html

 

any good ? each variation has its own stock I think.

no need to use the track inventroy with options ? (guessing)

They do.. but when you have, say.. black hats and they choose a Honda Goldwing to be embroidered on it, thats the issue. I  make everything to order so it's a black black hat and the variations think every single variation has 10 of them, but in actuality there are only 10 black hats total and 13 different embroidery designs so it thinks I have 130 black hats already embroidered.

 

It doesn't work.  option combinations did.  if I embroidered the hats ahead of time that would be different but I provide customized products for my customers.

 

thanks for your assistance!

matt

[ikoshkin]

They do.. but when you have, say.. black hats and they choose a Honda Goldwing to be embroidered on it, thats the issue. I  make everything to order so it's a black black hat and the variations think every single variation has 10 of them, but in actuality there are only 10 black hats total and 13 different embroidery designs so it thinks I have 130 black hats already embroidered.

 

It doesn't work.  option combinations did.  if I embroidered the hats ahead of time that would be different but I provide customized products for my customers.

 

thanks for your assistance!

matt

Hello, Matt.

 

In the scenario you describe, the "Color" of the hat should be a "Feature" (see "Products > Features"), because it's an inherent property of a hat that affects stock. "Embroidery", on the other hand, could remain an option. It's a property that may or may not be a part of a product (like "Extended warranty", etc.)

[mattcaswell]

Hello, Matt.

 

In the scenario you describe, the "Color" of the hat should be a "Feature" (see "Products > Features"), because it's an inherent property of a hat that affects stock. "Embroidery", on the other hand, could remain an option. It's a property that may or may not be a part of a product (like "Extended warranty", etc.)

I'll try that. Thank you. The whole process for doing variations under 4.11.5 is confusing. I don't have the update in my system yet

 

That seems to work. 

 

Thank you for providing clarity on this.