Displaying 'live' prices in a drop-down list.

[Simpsons]

Hi,

Can anyone offer some advice on a seemingly simple problem.

I have 15 products (shampoos/conditioners) which are all available in 3 sizes (500ml, 2L, 4L). Rather than cluttering up the screen, with 60 individual products, I've opted to utilise a component, attribute and choice combination to keep this number to a sensible 15. Customers are able to pick which size they want from a drop-down list, with each list entry linking to the associated 'hidden' product record.

At present the drop-down list only displays size information as defined using the choice headings. However, I would like this information to include the associated product prices.

I realise I can simply type this information along side the choice heading, but this will generate much more work in future if prices should change. Therefore, I need to know if theres a segment of HTML code which can be used to extract the price from a specified product record and display it in a drop-down list entry.

According to the Actinic help system, it is possible to embed HTML in this way, I just need to know what the necessary code is likely to be.

If any one can assist me here, I'd really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance.
Kevin Simpson

[Jacques]

Hello,

Unfortunately as far as I know you can't do that :(
You've got to edit all those prices yourself

[webyourbusiness]

there MIGHT be a way to edit the HTML template.. to put a pricing netquotevar into the drop-down actinic template - my personal experience with Actinic is that you can't use netquotevar anywhere you need to use them - only in places that Actinic thought you might use them (limited to say the least) ... so we do it by hand - editing the display name for the option - it's a pain in the rear...

It would be REALLY nice to have a checkbox to display the price on the end of the component - Chris D - you listening here... ;)

[jont]

It would be REALLY nice to have a checkbox to display the price on the end of the component - Chris D - you listening here... ;)

Add my name to the wish list also - with the new component features added in v7 this has to be an essential step forward - with 1000's of products on a site this would be invaluable

[cdicken]

Hi there

I am listening :) and I have passed all this onto the development team. For me, it is the missing piece required to make components truly fly (although it is quite tricky - e.g. where would you show the prices if you have assigned a different price to each combination of choices selectable from two drop-downs?)

[GreyKnight]

I need this function too, I'm amazed it's not already a feature of Actinic. All the options for our products are listed as individual items on our site as the prices need to change automatically :( Far too much work to manually edit them all the time... :eek:

This problem makes all the clever component features of Actinic completely useless for us - they may as well not be there.

[Simpsons]

I think Chris has a point here when trying to deal with two drop-down lists. However, my feeling is that only one attribute would control price, the other would usually be a 'personalised' option (e.g. clothing - where 'size' controls the price but 'colour' is a personal preference.).
I agree this example doesn't fit every retail model, but I think it can be adopted for the most commonly sold items.
How you develop this idea, is a little more tricky but if Actinic could be a little more flexible on its embedded HTML options and NETQUOTEVARS this would probably cater for most users needs.

[Jacques]

However, my feeling is that only one attribute would control price, the other would usually be a 'personalised' option (e.g. clothing - where 'size' controls the price but 'colour' is a personal preference.).

Yes I've got many products like this. :)

[doug selby]

Yes please!

My predecessor seems to have had this working in v3 using the old embedded drop-down system, but I am having a nightmare trying to recreate this effect in v7, using various combinations of components, attributes etc.

Also, I would like to tidy up the ordering by selecting 'No Order Line for Main Product', but my products don't have a 'Pricing' tab. Is this a limitation of the Catalog edition, or have I missed a trick?

[doug selby]

Also, I would like to tidy up the ordering by selecting 'No Order Line for Main Product', but my products don't have a 'Pricing' tab. Is this a limitation of the Catalog edition, or have I missed a trick?


A-ha! This option disappears when all the components are optional. Logical, I suppose, but not really what I wanted. Still, only a minor niggle, this - the component/attribute pricing is more of an issue.

Component prices don't even show in the shopping cart!

[Univiz]

I need this function too, I'm amazed it's not already a feature of Actinic. All the options for our products are listed as individual items on our site as the prices need to change automatically :( Far too much work to manually edit them all the time... :eek:

This problem makes all the clever component features of Actinic completely useless for us - they may as well not be there.
Couldn't have put it better!

With 10,000 products from mutiple suppliers with at least two price increases per year and all at different times, we're having to use a 'header' fragment for the main product info with the variations listed underneath using the compact product template.

It's a shame really as once you get your head around how the components and attribute feature works [and it is clever stuff], and then you realise its unworkable from a price maintenance perspective.

Regards
Sharon

[Kevin]

I maintain a site which similarly frustrating when price changes happen. I bet everybody's got one.

How about... If, instead of displaying the prices in the component options themselves (which, as Chris pointed out, would be impossible to display for some more complex components), a client-side script was provided instead to update the display price according to selections from the component model form fields?

I've bodged a script like this in the past - specific to one client's needs - which worked well. IME It shouldn't take a seasoned Actinic codemonkey more than a couple of days to do.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to make my annual plea for some of the more useful placeholders could be globalised across all the major templates please. Having to resort to hacking around with server-side scripting just to get a section list in the brochure pages in version 7 is making me a bit cross.

[cdicken]

Hi there

Thanks for your thoughs and feedback. We are very aware of the design limitations in the current system of templates/design|text and the next major release of Actinic will see some significant improvements in the logic of the design - e.g. putting section lists on brochure pages is just a case of putting one there.