External Product References

[JonG]

I'm having a bit of trouble with Product Replication, which I've been working with Jan on. Thought I might try a request for assistance to this larger community.

I've established a file with product references in Excel XP. Have been careful to make sure that all columns are "Number" or "General" as appropriate. There are no unusual characters in the product reference field (they're just text and a number). When the file is imported, Actinic assigns all products referenced within to "Unallocated External Products". I can't drag and drop them to any section of the site.

However, when I sent the file to Jan, she was able to reference the products inside it and install them to a catalog.

This evening, I uninstalled and reinstalled Actinic, and started a website from scratch using the same theme (Clean Layout: Layout03). My thinking: perhaps I clicked a setting or altered an important file that was interfering with the Excel import. No dice. The products still won't import into the site. I've tried the same thing with an Access database. Same result.

This is, afaik, the final step I need to take before I get my client's website up and running. Unfortunately, the site requires the import of external product references -- for product replication. Can anyone make any suggestions for a possible solution?

I'd greatly appreciate it.

TIA,
Jon

[Jan]

The problem that Jon is having is that he can link to the spreadsheet (and also the to the PRB workaround method which uses an access database), his products appear in the unlinked external products list but when he tries to drag and drop them into a section they move but will not drop.

Here's a quote from an email

The arrow on each icon points to the right and the box area behind the arrow on the icon is grayed.

Here's my problem: When I try to drag and drop each product into the subsections I'd like to have them in, they don't move. They remain in 'unallocated'.

So I don't think that this is an excel linking to Actinic problem, as Jon said I can link to the access database without any problem and drag and drop the new products into sections.

[BTW Jon, can you create a test product in Actinic and drag and drop that somewhere?]

Regards,

[jacy]

Hiya Jon,
This is probably a bit silly but have you checked view/options/business settings/options and made sure there isn't a tick in Auto generate product references?

Cheers,

Mitch

[JonG]

It's unchecked

Thanks Jan, for clarifying.

Mitch, the 'autogenerate product references' box is unchecked. The product reference character count is 3. Hide product references in online catalog is checked. Show product references in catalog is also checked. Thanks though! (hadn't thought of that!)

Jon

[Jan]

AH HA! Your product references are longer than three characters so you need to make the product reference size bigger, 20 is the max (the max size in the sample of data that you sent to me was 18). Try that and I reckon it will start working.

Regards,

[JonG]

Yes!!

That worked!

Jan, THANK YOU!!! I can't tell you how frustrating that was!

Now I'm off to replicate the same products over and over again.

Jon