Forcing user to select choice

[PaulGrimshaw]

Hi,

Is there anyway of making users choose an option from a list of choices/components, rather than just leaving it as default?

I thought if I could add a new choice, say 'Select' so that it is the default and then some sort of check that the user has changed 'select' to one of the other choices.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Paul.

[NormanRouxel]

You could add some onSubmit JavaScript to the FORM that's around each product, that checks for any SELECT or RADIO items and pops up a warning and inhibits the form submission if any of these are at their default values.

Also you could add some onChange code to these Attribute Selectors that hides, or disables, the Cart button until they're all off the default value.

[completerookie]

have you tried adding a new "choice" to the top of each of the attributes you want to force the user to make a choice. give a value of "choose" and then when you fill the permutations tab, make sure the "Valid" is NOT-TICKED

According to the help text, the "valid" column is used for:

De-select this box if you wish to temporarily or permanently stop the permutation from being available.

The buyer is warned of this when they attempt to add the permutation to their cart.

so, if you have "size" as the attribute, add choices called "choose", "8","9","10" and then make sure that 8,9,10 is ticked and the "choose" is unticked.

[Breda]

HI,
Did anyone get this working with Permutations?
I have Permutations set up linked to hidden products. On the attributes I have Please choose set up as a choice, but when I go into the Permutations tab and click OFF valid it dosen't appear on the drop down menu and they are given the 1st choice as default.

It worked fine outside the permutations just as an attribute.
Thanks,
Breda

[Breda]

Hi,
Did you manage to get this working? Are you using Permutations?
Tanks,
Breda

[completerookie]

• create a component called "colour choice"
• under that create an attribute called "colour"
• under that create a choice called "please choose"
• create another choice called "red"
• create another choice called "blue"
• go back to the component called "colour choice"
• click on the permutations tab and click on the "fill list"
• click on each of the choices that have been filled in, and link to a product
• each of the colours (red and blue) should have the VALID tickbox filled in
• ANY/ALL of the "please choose" attribute combinations should be left unticked (ie NOT valid)

that should be enough to do what you need.

it doesn't matter how many combinations you have, say "colour" and "size" and "weight" then just look at the combinations in the permutations tab and ANY combination that has "please choose", just untick them

now on the web, the option "please choose" can now be selected but when you try to "buy" that choice, the user gets the error message.

this does have the massive benefit of making the user really think about what colour they want, rather than blindly picking the first available colour.

hope that helps

kevin

[Breda]

Hi Kevin,
Thanks for that, my problem is that I am using the Layout "Component Layout with Selectable Permutations" as I need to show the In Stock message on the drop down and that's the layout I was advised to use. When i choose that layout any fields not marked Valid disappear from the list.
You can see a sample here:
http://www.partyandjokes.com/acatalo...g/Batman_.html

Regards,
Breda

[completerookie]

ah.
we don't use stock levels, so I havn't done the patch to show its "in stock", so I can't help any further, sorry

perhaps someone else can help.

[TraceyG]

Hi Breda,

I think I've found a workaround to this issue:

- take a backup of your site before making these changes
- go to the 'Design' menu and select 'Library'
- expand the 'Permutation Row Layout' group (click the '+')
- double-click on the 'PermutationRow' selector
- set the 'Place of Setting' at 'Component'
- click 'OK'
- right-click on the 'Drop Down Permutation Entry' layout and select 'copy'
- this will put a new entry into the library as 'Drop Down Permutation Entry (copy)' - you can rename this to something more meaningful
- double-click on this layout and replace the contents with:

<option value="<actinic:variable name="PermutationChoiceList" value="Permutation Choice ID List" />">
   <actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22PermutationAssociatedNameIsUsed%22%20%2f%3e%20%3d%3d%20FALSE">
	   <actinic:variable name="PermutationChoiceList" value="Permutation Choice Name List" />
   </actinic:block>
   <actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22PermutationAssociatedNameIsUsed%22%20%2f%3e">
      <actinic:variable name="AssociatedProduct::ProductName" />
   </actinic:block>
 <actinic:block if="%3cactinic%3avariable%20name%3d%22ListIndex%22%20%2f%3e%20%3e1" >
	  <actinic:variable name="PermutationPrice" />
   </actinic:block>
</option>

- click 'OK'
- expand the 'Permutations Lists' group
- double-click on the 'Drop Down Permutation List' layout
- there should only be one variable in this layout. If is is anything other than 'PermutationRow', then righ-click on the variable and select 'Edit Appearance'. Change the 'Use fixed layout' field to 'No()'
- click 'OK' and 'OK' again on the layout window
- close the library
- on one of your product attributes create a new choice called 'Please select' (make sure it is at the top of the list)
- on the component permutation tab delete the current permutations and click the 'fill list' button
- untick the 'valid' option for the 'Please select' choice
- click 'Apply'
- on the 'Layout' tab change the 'Permutation Row Layout' to the new layout you created above
- click 'Apply Changes'
- you should see the 'Please select' option in the preview pane and when you upload the site and try adding the product to basket without changing the 'Please select' option, it will tell you that it's not valid.

I hope this helps.

[Breda]

Tracey, you are a star! Yes that worked great.
Thanks again.
I made a small change to get the In Stock message to appear on the drop down beside each product and that works too.

Breda