Link a Main Product to sub-Product variants?

[ThePrawn]

Hi

We are selling refurbished computers. Which we currently track by a unique number (barcode) which allocate to every item refurbished. We use a database to keep track of stock in and out which as has the machines specification.

The problem I am having with Actinic is how to setup a Main Product (section/sub-section/sub-section/"model+processor type") to link to all the different variation we currently have in stock ie Compaq D51 P4 with 1.8GHz,256MB,20GB,CD,Qty=1 ; 2GHz,256MB,30GB,DVD,Qty=1 ; 2GHz,512MB,20GB,DVD,Qty=2 . I could give each computer it's own Product Entry (Product Reference=our unique number), but that would make the shop very confusing(messy) with loads of similar and/or same items for sale.

I have tried links with Main Product using Permutations =component/attributes/choices. Linking hidden products into the choices of the component permutation table. But this doesn't give any stock control, even when main product and/or hidden products have stock monitoring on is there a way arounf this

The only solution I can now think of is to set each Main Product with a hand coded list table using short description(links to hidden product) and add to cart button. But this could be very time consuming to maintain. (will need hand coding for each product).

Also on a similar line, if a product has more than one item in stock. Is it possible to assign each Product stock item a unique number? I tried a new Variable for Products by that only assigns one number per Product, not per Product items in stock.

Cheers

[I-CC]

If stock is the issue and showing items connected to components as being available or not, then take a look within the Advanced User Guide for v8, as this covers adding or hidding items in components based on the stock level, which should cover what you are looking for (I thinks). Not gonna be an easy task to achieve, but using the ability (AUG) should achieve what you are after.

[ThePrawn]

Cheers.
I think I may have a more serious issue. I upgraded to v8.5.0 a couple of days ago. I have just be checking stock level monitoring on products. I doesn't seem to be working live !! I can order as many items as I like, but after I retreive orders and then update, the items become out of stock. v8.5.0 seems buggy, quite a few things not working right at the moment! I will check previous version v8.0.4. and see where the issue is still there(setup on another PC).

[I-CC]

k - stock monitoring is not live and never been, with how it works being if when you updated the site an item has a stock of 10, then it means that anyone can order up to 10 items, but this could mean that 5 people could come onto the site and each order 5 each, making 25......

The way to reduce the impact of this is to download and update the site regularly (which can be scripted or use one of mole-end.biz's automaton moles), which will do the order download and updates for you, which would then mean if someone bought 5, then within the timescale you set on the mole, it will download the order, update the site stock levels and only 5 can be ordered by 1 order next time, but again, 1 person can order 5 and another can still order 5, so it is all down to the schedule of download/update to reduce the posssibility of this occurring.

[ThePrawn]

thanks for quick reply. That could be a serious problem for us. We are very likely to only have one item of a particular specification or even model at a time. And may have no way to replenish stock.
Also should I be able to order more than what I have in stock with stock monitoring on. ie just updated stock level of a product is 5, then I added 10 to by cart with no warning!! So now I'm -5 stock and can still add more to cart. Just about to check v8.0.4 for this.

[ThePrawn]

Ok sussed it. Need to set the Maximum Quantity to limit order quantity of an item.
Also realise the website only uses a flag to signal if item is in stock or out of stock. The Stock control is all done on computer running Actininc Client software via updates.
Cheers for your help pointing out no live stock, I presumed the .cat files stored stock info for the Perl CGIs.

[zmagyar]

If there is no strong reason to use product components you can achieve this by using product duplicates in my opinion. Just create a hidden section(s) where all of your products are listed. Then create duplicates wherever you need them.

[ThePrawn]

I am using a Hidden section for most products. But don't see how duplicate helps? I would end up with the same problem if not worse, loads of unnessary items.

After some checking I found if two people have both ordered an item and only one item exists. Than if one checksout before the other starts to checkout and I do a retrieve/update before the next person checksout there cart then they get red card on the item that is now out of stock PS could only check on v8.0.4 as problem below stop it on v8.5.0 but I assume it will be the same.

So where can I get infomation about scripting/batch commands used for automating order retreives and updates.

Next problem is probably V8.5.0 bug or some server setting. When using the several computers to browse online shop, when I checkout them (both) about the same time I am getting General Script Error ../../htdocs/acatlog/0z0z0ddxx.session can not be locked.
Using v8.0.4 I have no issue, works fine, exactly the same settings. I've tried deleting all files on server and then used refresh site, still the same, turned off SSL actinic setting, no joy. Another fresh hope.

Running W2k server with Apache XAMPP settup with ActivePerl5.8.8 , IIS ftp as Actinic doesn't like filezilla ftp (Microsoft Windows lack of permissions problem).

[TraceyG]

Hi,

I am getting General Script Error ../../htdocs/acatlog/0z0z0ddxx.session can not be locked.

Is this the full error? I take it that 'acatlog' is a typo? At what point during the checkout is this error shown? Does it only happen when more than one person checks out at the same time or does it happen all the time?

It seems like the script doesn't have permission to access the session file for some reason, although there are no changes between this version and v8.0.4 so I'm not sure why it happens with v8.5 and not for v8.0.4. We have seen this happen before on sites where the host is using a server farm and it is because the ownership of the effective script user is different on one of the servers to that which created the session file, therefore, it can't access the session file. Can you confirm if this is how your host is set up.

A possible way around it is to go into the 'Web | Network Setup' screen and click on the 'Cart Options' button and set the locked and unlocked permissions to 660, however, this should only be a temporary measure until the problem is solved.

So where can I get infomation about scripting/batch commands used for automating order retreives and updates.

Look in the help files for 'command lines'.

[ThePrawn]

Hi thanks for help with the command line options, that's solved

On the script error. I found it occurs when I enable Paypal as a payment option (with or without a Paypal ID entered) also Worldpay in test mode and the two default credit card payments avaliable(Paypal was not set in v8.0.4 originally, but the problem didn't occur when Paypal was set a payment method in v8.0.4). I changed network cart option to '0660', SSL enabled. Note I am using the default xampp certificate which is invalid (date and site) but I just click to accept it. Now switched War-ftpd as recommended, better than Microsoft IIS that had very limited settings.

The following error was from IE6, the same on IE7, strangely Firefox2 the cart 'check out' worked fine.
I was also able to login ok, but viewing cart gave this error and if I was lucky to view cart after about 30sec after click, then check always failed in IE6,IE7.

I assume a server SSL setting, like invalid certificate is the problem, but why only when Paypal enabled?

Cheers
Sean


A General Script Error Occurred

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Error: ../acatalog/0Z0Z0Z0A1174424406B896.session can not be locked during Session init!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Press the Browser back button and try again or contact the site owner

[cdicken]

Server problems like this are always a bit of a nightmare to track down. I would suggest a process of elimination - i.e. try it with your two PSPs enabled, but without SSL and see if it makes a difference. Then try it the other way round.

The other setting to try is 'Web | Configure Expiry Periods'. One difference between IE and Firefox is the way they handle cookie expiries - it might be worth seeing if a change here makes any difference (i.e. make the expiry periods a bit longer).

Other than that, I suggest contacting Actinc Support and asking them to take a look and see whether they can see what the problem is - but please bear in mind they are not server administrators so they won't be able to give you lots of help to get your server set up correctly.

[TraceyG]

Hi,

Error: ../acatalog/0Z0Z0Z0A1174424406B896.session can not be locked during Session init!

With regards to this, we think we may have identified a problem. It's a bit technical, but basically, when using Paypal or Nochex a *.session.OPN file is created. During each stage of the checkout this file is locked and released (it had to be done this way to solve a timing issue).

The lock is owned by the SessionLock package which in turn is owned by the Session package which itself is owned by the Actinic package.

Perl does not clean up in any particular order. The expected process is that SessionLock is destroyed first followed by Session and finally by Actinic but some times Session is destroyed before SessionLock. Consequently SessionLock is orphaned and the DESTROY is never invoked.

The workaround for this problem is to:

- open 'Windows Explorer' and browse to 'c:\program files\actinic v8\sites\<site name>
- locate 'Session.pm' and take a backup of the file
- open it in a text editor such as 'notepad'
- search for 'sub GetSessionFileName' and you will see...

sub GetSessionFileName
        {
        my $Self = shift;
        my $sID         = shift;
        my $sPath = $Self->GetSessionFileFolder();
        return ($sPath . $sID . '.session');
        }

- insert the following directly after this ...

        sub DESTROY
        {
        my $Self = shift;
        $Self->{_LOCKER}->Unlock()
        }

- close and save the file and update the site.