Resolved Setup help/advice for VM multivariants

Hey Andy,

how do you add the fields "Size" & "Colour" when setting up your CSVi template?

You will need to import the same file twice if you combine the parent and child products in one. As you can see in the Order of import, after the parents are imported, you need to update the available fields. Then again import the file so the children can be added with the correct multi-variants assigned to them.

Your file looks good to me for import. Are you having any problems with it?

As for the Size field being duplicate, that will give a problem. Each product will also be given a custom field of the name Size with the value from your CSV file. Unless that is what you want of course.

Each product will also be given a custom field of the name Size with the value from your CSV file. Unless that is what you want of course.

No This is not what I want so I will get rid of the "Size" Custom Field for now & think about how to change that in the future.

So my import file looks good, but in the import template, I do not need a field called Size? for the initial upload?
But then I need to look for available fields and add it into the template? Is that correct?

So would it make sense, to break these up into 2 templates?

I'll have a play with it, but feeling a bit confused (doesn't take much) :huh:

I do not need a field called Size? for the initial upload?

No need for the initial upload although you could have it but CSVI may report it as unsupported because it doesn't know about it's existence yet. I could check if I can improve the import routine to add the multi variant fields to the available fields list immediately as the parents should always be before the children.

I would keep it in 1 template and just run it twice unless you are more comfortable with 2 templates of course.

but feeling a bit confused (doesn't take much) :huh:

This weather is already frying our brains :silly:

I have run through all this again and cant seem to get it working?

First I deleted the "Size" Custom field that I had set up as a string Custom Field, cleared all the cache & ran the maintenance > Find available fields & after checking the "Size" field was gone.
I dont need this at the moment & if I need it in the future I'll rename it.

I have attached the CSV file I used, a screenshot of the preview & the logs for the 1st & second upload

These are the steps I took

1 - Uploaded csv file for the first time
2 - Checked for available fields by Maintenance > Maintenance > CSVi > Available Field > Continue
3 - Uploade the CSV file for a second time
4 - Checked in Virtuemart - Products are all there as parent/Child, but no custom field for Multivariant

After checking for available fields after the 1st import is anything else needed to be done?
I looked at the available fields in Maintenance > Available fields > Import > Virtuemart > Product& Custom field and I cant see any reference to "Size"

Have I missed a step or a setting?

Just noticed those downloaded log files are empty again?

I have just copied them into text files & added them here.

Andy

Hey Andy,

The download of the debug logs, I need to check that because more people get empty ones, I just haven't been able to reproduce it yet.

As for your issue, there is a problem I see with your CSV file.

1. The multi_variant_title for the parent is empty, this way CSVI can't find the multi-variant custom field. This must be the name you have given your multi-variant custom field.
2. The values you have now in the multi_variant_title should be in a column called Options (this is the value set in the multi_variant_fields.

Make those changes and see how it goes.

1. The multi_variant_title for the parent is empty, this way CSVI can't find the multi-variant custom field. This must be the name you have given your multi-variant custom field.

Its not empty? - It has the word "Options" set on the parent product and all the children products have nothing set.

1. [li]The values you have now in the multi_variant_title should be in a column called Options (this is the value set in the multi_variant_fields.

]

For the multi_variant_title I only have "Options" against the parent.
For the multi_variant_fields I only have "Size" against the parent
I then have another field called "Size" with nothing against the parent, but them S,M,L,XL, etc against the child products

Is this not correct as I pretty much lifted it from your demo/tutorial page.

I attach again my CSV file as think , I perhaps attached the wrong one last time, going by your comments?

MV-Product-3.csv

Thanks in advance,
Andy


MV-Product-3.csv

Hey Andy,

Not sure what happened with the CSV file but it sounds like I was looking at a different/incorrect file for sure.

Is this not correct as I pretty much lifted it from your demo/tutorial page.

That is exactly how it should look like. I don't see any problems with that. So if you do the import, update the fields and run the import again, it should be working. As I understand this is not the case. Can you post me your debug log of your last try?

I am going to setup this import as well and see what I get.

I'll run it again now & get the latest debug logs, but its in test site if you want access?

Hey Andy,

I ran your file without modifications and I get the attached file as result. This is using VM 3.0.9, which version are you using? I guess you see something else?

I just ran it again like this

1 - import that csv
2 - csvi > maintennce > available fields
3 - import the CSV again

As per screenshots, products are added , but the link between the multivariants is not there

using Vm3.0.8
Joomla 3.4.3
CSVi 6.0.rc1

Didn't know there was a VM 3.0.9, so I'll go and seek it out and try again :S

Andy,

I may have just stumbled upon something. In your import file, put the Size column at the end and see if that works. I found in the debug log this line

SELECT `virtuemart_custom_id` FROM `w3094_virtuemart_customs` WHERE `custom_title` = '' AND `field_type` = 'C'

which means it doesn't read the custom_title value from your file. I believe that is because the Size field is still unknown. Having the field at the end, this will not be an interferring factor. If this works, I will need to update the tutorial.

Keeping with VM3.0.8 for the time being, I tried as you suggested & moved the "Size" Column to the end.
This imported the products OK again & now imported the Multi Variant Custom Fields, But no Custom Labels where assigned.



I noticed when looking at the preview, I could no longer see the S,M,L,XL as I could within the CSV file before moving the size column to the end.



In the first attempts, I could see the S,M,L,XL,etc

I have updated Virtuemart to 3.0.9 & tried with the original CSV file, that seemed to work for you?

I am getting the exact same problem, so must be in my template setup somewhere.

I took some screenshots & would appreciate if you could take a look to see if I have something out of place.

I have the "Options" MV Custom field set up already with 100's of manual products set up, could this be an issue somewhere?

Hey Andy,

In the first attempts, I could see the S,M,L,XL,etc

Yes but look at the column title, it is under the multi_variant_title.

I noticed when looking at the preview, I could no longer see the S,M,L,XL as I could within the CSV file before moving the size column to the end.

Looking at your screenshot of the fields assigned to the template, you no longer have the field Size there. Since you have the correct field names already in your file, set the option Use file for configuration to Yes. This will then show you the Size field as well on the preview.

This imported the products OK again & now imported the Multi Variant Custom Fields, But no Custom Labels where assigned.

That is because the Size field is not present in your field list.

In short, set the Use file for configuration to Yes and run the import. This should set the custom labels. (Assuming the available fields have been updated).

set the option Use file for configuration to Yes

I have done that without any change? May I, have missed something else.
Once I set the option use file for configuration to Yes & then run the import I see this at preview;



Is there anyway I can add the field "Size" into the import template fields?

NOTE - I also tried this with moving the "Size" field to the last column & in the original position

All sorted after walking through slowly with Roland via Skype.
I had all correct settings & CSV file, just must have missed something myself.

The current set up works fine, although Roland created a better way to run through this & I helped test this.

Within the next release of CSVi, you will just have to import the Multivariant import file twice, removing the need to run through the searching for available fields step, as this is now done behind the scenes

This will help simplify the process & be better when trying to explain to shop admins.

Plus once you have ran the initial import, subsequent imports will work fine just importing the once, assuming the Multivariant Custom Fields remain the same.

If you introduce a new Ramification to the multivariants, then running the import twice will be needed for the 1st attempt again.

Thanks Roland for simplifying and with all your help give to me