duplicates and my brain: disaster

[gabrielcrowe]

Does the amount of o's in noob count for anything?

well, without sufficient o's it'd say nob.

or, even 'nb'.

[leehack]

I mean, I know what has duplicates, but how is anyone else supposed to know? As someone suggested before, search for the product reference number every single time? Gimme a break, it should be there in front of you.

I agree on this point, there should be a report or an easy way of finding all copies and where they are. At the moment i recommend a section just containing master products which are duplicated across the site. This is then a complete list of what you have duplicated across the site.

It is 2007 though and such junky methods or such long winded other ways should not have to occur to find something so simple.

If a product has duplicate(s) then show the prod refs and have that linked to take you straight to the product. That is what you call user friendly.

[TraceyHand]

well, without sufficient o's it'd say nob.

I'm thinking that was Lee's point actually!

[bentleybloke]

I have noted the following issues with duplicates (which I use extensively). All of my original products are in a hidden section so I don't have to hunt for them. Only duplicates are used in the store so I don't know if these issues occur in other setups.

1/ Create a product, populate store with duplicates. Edit image file name field at the original product. Whilst the field value changes at the duplicate in the software, the image does not update when the store is uploaded.

2/ Variables which are not editable in the duplicate do not update when changed at the original product.

3/ In a scenario where multiple price schedules are active and a duplicate or fragment has visibility settings changed (i.e. not visible to retail customers), if the original products are hidden and a duplicate is added to the cart, the cart empties itself on bounce.

4/ If the duplicate short description can be edited and has been, when the duplicate is added to the cart, the original product short description is displayed (what's the point in being able to edit the information in a duplicate so it is tailored to a particular section then?).

5/ The link to the product in the cart does not go to the actual duplicate which was added to the cart (again, what's the point in being able to edit the information in a duplicate so it is tailored to a particular section then?)

6/ The marketing products cannot be edited at the duplicate. e.g. If you have a product X with products A, B and C in its marketing list and products A & B are compatible and products B & C are compatible product A shows up in the marketing list when viewing product C.


I'm sure there were more... if I remember them I will update the post.

Duplicates have never worked properly since they were introduced.


Added 14/09/07:

7/ If Reset is clicked at the duplicate Actinic crashes 80% of the time (even on 8.0.1 HFUA). Whereas, if you're resetting all duplicates and go to the original product to click Reset, Actinic does not crash.

[george]

Good post Jonathan, lets hope the whole duplicate system gets the tidy up that it needs. And soon.

[Darren B]

Nice one Jon, i helps me understand were some of the issue i get come from, saved me time doing research

D

[gabrielcrowe]

and i have a wishlist addition:

rick click on a duplicate and select 'convert to full product'.

[leehack]

lol @ rick click, that would be a good feature.

Good list too Jonathan, scarey when it's all amalgamated, shows you how much bad stuff just becomes accepted as the norm.

[Darren B]

mind could have said

Dick click or Right Dick i suppose