duplicate product issue with value not showing

[wesleythorne]

HI, i have set up many duplicate products in V7 catalog, the master product contains a custom propoerty with a value of 'for 250 grams of sweets'
This custom property displays ok on the master product but when i view the duplicate online the duplicate is missing the custom property value.

I can see the text i entered in the value box when viewing the duplicate product in the back end of catlog but it does not show online.

I added my custom property to the product line template to get it to show for the master product, is there a template for duplicate products that i also have to add the custom property to ?

Thanks
wesley

[jont]

Duplicates work the same way as master. If you are using the duplicates in another section make sure you are using the same product layout - they may be inheriting a default layout from the master section that does not have the CUSTOMVAR in there

[wesleythorne]

hi, I have checked the templates, the duplicate products are set to use parent, the parent has been sent in design options to 'Act_ProductLineLarge_wes.htm'
I amended this template to include my custom property, it displays ok for master products but not duplicates.
I have also compacted the database and refreshed site but still getting the problem.

To see the problem please view the link below, it will take you to the duplicate product, the price should have 'for 250 grams next to it'
It is showing just '250g' maybe it is my browser not refreshing but i have tried it in explorer and firefox with cleared cahe.

http://www.treasureislandsweets.co.uk/acatalog/test/acatalog/army_and_navy_boiled_sweet.html


The link to the master product which displays correctly is:

http://www.treasureislandsweets.co.uk/acatalog/test/acatalog/winter_army_and_navy.html

Thanks
wesley

[wjcampbe]

These are definitely not using the same product layout. Open both pages in a tabbed browser like Opera or Firefox and click back and forth between the two - see the movement?

[wesleythorne]

hi, i just viewed in firefox and yes your right they dont look the same.
However, i have just checked my setup and in design/option/layout/default product template/Act_ProductLineLarge_wes.htm

The duplicate product is set up as :Layout/Product Layout/Use Parent

The master product is set up as: Layout/Product Layout/Use Parent

I thought Actinic is supposed to then use the dafult template set up in design option/layout
It looks like something is overiding this setting else there is a bug somewhere.

Thanks
wesley

[wjcampbe]

Try specifically selecting Act_ProductLineLarge_wes.html as the template for both - they just might have different parents :)

[wesleythorne]

hi, i have just changed both duplicate and master to 'Act_ProductLineLarge_wes.htm' in the product layout.

I have viewed both products in tabed firefox and i am still not getting the correct display.

The duplicate fails to show the custom property correctly.

Thanks for looking, hope I can get this sorted quickly as i have spent far too long on this one issue.

wesley

[jont]

It should work - I have products with 4 customvars and they are all passing through to the duplicates fine. Have you also checked the properties tag in the dupe is ticked to use as CUSTOMVAR ... this should not need ticking as it is copied over when pasting the duplicate but worth a check

[wesleythorne]

hi, just doubled checked but the duplicate is set to Use as CUSTOMVAR
None of the other options are checked.

I dont see what is going on here, the master and duplicate product layouts are set to 'Act_productlinelarge_wes.htm'
This should overide all other settings, plus in design option layouts the product layout is also set to 'Act_productlinelarge_wes.htm'

Thanks
Wesley

[wjcampbe]

Is the customvar specified in the properties tab of the duplicate product and what value do you see assigned to it there?

I see '250g' where the full text should be 'for 250g of sweets'.

If yes, and you delete it, do you completely lose the custom text or does it now inherit from the parent?

[wesleythorne]

hi, the duplicate product has 'for 250 grams of sweets' showing in the value box of the custom property. As it is a duplicate of the master it is showing but you can not change it.

it is also ticked as use custom var.

I shall now remove the text from the master product and see if it updates then put the text back in and see what happens.
Thanks
wes

[wesleythorne]

ok, i have just remove the custom property text value from the master product, this has in turn removed in from the duplicate product when viewing in catalog backend.
I have uploaded and the master product now shows without the custom property text. However the duplicate product is still showing '250g'
It seems like actinic is not updating the duplicate product properly.
I have email actinic support about this as well.

I shall now re enter the custom property text in the master product and upload again.
Shall see what happens
Thanks
Wesley

[wesleythorne]

me again!
I have now re entered teh custom property text in the master product, it shows in the duplicate product whilst viewing in the backend of catalog.
I have uploaded but the duplicate product still does not update.

What a waste of a day this is...
Thanks for all who are trying to sort this for me, hope day is better than mine.

Wesley

[wesleythorne]

Ok last thing i can think off trying,
I have clicked on RESET for duplicate product, checked all settings and layouts, uploaded cleared all cache from web browser, viewed in explorer and firefox and on a mac!
Still no joy!
wes

[wjcampbe]

Wes,

One last attempt - add one letter to the duplicate page click apply, and then delete it again and click apply - this should force actinic to see the version of the page on your local drive as new and actinic should upload that to the server.

[wesleythorne]

hi, i just changed the duplicate product as you suggested, nothing doing there!
I have just changed the duplicate product text to read 'any old iron' the duplicate product now displays any old iron in the product description online, but the custom property does not update!

Thanks, i have to pop out now as the shop needs stocking up, shall be back later to try again!

Regards
Wesley

[wesleythorne]

back again, anyway, i have deleated the offending duplicate product and created a new duplicate from the master in its place.
I uploaded and all worked, I have tested the custom property by entering in some other details and the duplicate is linking as it should when uploaded.
However this still leaves me with about 100 duplicates that are not behaving as they should, it looks like i migh have to delete them all and start again.
I think actinic duplicates is a bit buggy and has cost me a lot of time.
The software must be getting itself confused somewhere with updating duplicates.

Any thoughts from actinic on this would be nice,
Thanks for all the suggested help,
Wesley

[Bruce]

Hi Wes,

Am having development take a look at this. Will post back with findings.

Kind regards,

[Bruce]

Can you tell me if you had the duplicates in the catalog before you upgraded to v7.0.5? This issue has been sorted with v7.0.5 so I would like to take a look at your Database (ActinicCatalog.mdb) so that we can run a check to see if the issue has been inherited from an earlier version or not.

Kind regards,

[wesleythorne]

hi, the duplcates where created in a previous v7, i have email my snapshot to support as requested.
thanks
wesley

[Bruce]

Hi,

Thanks for that, will get back to you once I see the snapshot in office tomorrow.

[wesleythorne]

Hi, any news yet? i have had no reply by email to confirm you have the snapshot.
I trust you have it,
Kind Regards
Wesley Thorne

[Bruce]

Hi,

I do not have the snapshot as yet. Can you email it over to me offline using the community email facility?

Kind regards,

[wesleythorne]

Hi, i dont see how to attach the snapshot in the community email.
I did email the snapshot last friday to
Seeths Balakrishnan at actinic support.
No word from him yet.
Wesley

[Bruce]

Hi,

I am getting the snapshot from Seeths. Will post back shortly..

Kind regards,

[wesleythorne]

Hi, sorry to nag but any news yet.
I carnt carry on deveolping until ths is resolved.
Thanks
Wesley

[Bruce]

Hi wesley,

Sorry for the delay... The problem is that the properties dialog is viewing the original product, as it should do, but the page is generated using the properties of the duplicate which are sometimes missing and sometimes different from the
original product.

We have found a way to recover the data without manually recreating the duplicates but it's not simple. It involves running 3 queries, exporting to Excel, manipulating the data and importing back into Access. Do you have Excell and Access 2000? Will you be able to do this if given the instructions on how to?

Else you will have to send me the latest DataBase so that we can repair it for you and while we have the DataBase you should not run Actinic or you will lose the changes when I return the fixed DB.

My email address is bksupport@actinic.co.uk, do let me know as soon as possible.

Kind regards,

[wesleythorne]

Hi, the snapshot you have is the most up to date
Can you fix the isse for me and email me the results please.
I havent changed the site or taken orders since emailying you the snapshot.
Thanks for looking into it.
Wesley Thorne

[Bruce]

Hi Wesley,

Emailed corrected DB to you. Hope this helps with progress.

Kind regards,

[wesleythorne]

Hi, i just copied over the new database, did a site refresh and all was ok for five mins.
I have just changed the custom property text again in on eproduct and although the duplicate shows the correct text in actinic it does not update again on-line.
The product in question is 'cherry menthol' which can be found in the 'winter sweets' section and the duplicate in 'boiled sweets a-k'
This is proving to be a real bug for me.
I am now going to reinstall actinic and reinstall via snapshot then copy over the databse you emailed me.

Thanks
Wesley

[wesleythorne]

hi, still no joy, i have just reinstalled actinic as well.
There must be a bug in actinic and custom propertys.
Wesley

[bentleybloke]

Following hard disk failure and computer rebuilding/reinstalling etc. :( I installed 7.0.5 and imported a pre-disaster snapshot.

I have original products hidden and duplicate products in various other sections (site not yet live). In version 7.0.4, it was possible to edit and specify additional custom properties on the duplicate product. In 7.0.5 the custom properties for the duplicate are greyed out. The help-file however, says that properties can still be edited at the duplicates!

If a custom property is retro-specified (i.e. after the duplicates are created) it will work for the original product and appear in the greyed out properties tab of the duplicates, but its value will not show even in the preview box or when uploaded to test site... yes, I have got the customvar in the template! If the custom property is specified when the duplicate is created it works fine! It's a bit of a bugger if you edit a custom property after you have created many duplicates, because the only way to get the new custom property to upload is to go to the duplicates, cut them and re-paste.

A wee bug perhaps?

Version 7.0.5 FJBA Developer
Windows XP Pro 2002 (SP2)

Before posting, I tried installing a fresh copy of 7.0.5 (eval mode) on a completely different computer (also running XP pro 2002 SP2) and had exactly the same problem in the default store.

[wesleythorne]

Hi, it looks like i will have to deleate all my duplicates and re create them, what a waste of time, i am allready over a week behind since noting this problem.
Actinic have copied over the existing data for me but this i will need to change in the future. I guess i could just carry on for now and hope a future update comes out that address's this issue before i have to deleate them all.
I am only upgrading to V7 because of the duplicate product feature.

Wesley

[Bruce]

Hi Wesley,

Development are investigating this issue, there is a bug here somewhere that is causing the UI to correctly read the product CUSTOMVAR's from the main product but site generation is using the duplicates and CUSTOMVAR's are not maintained for the duplicates. Will post back and let you know if there is a fix for this or a workaround they can come up with.

Kind regards,

[bentleybloke]

Hi Wesley,

FYI, the duplicate custom properties work fine in version 7.0.4. They update when you change the values at the master and you can also specify custom properties at the duplicate too. If development don't come up with a fix or work-around you could revert to 7.0.4; although a number of issues were fixed with the release of 7.0.5 as listed here:

http://www.actinic.co.uk/referrer/changes.htm

[wesleythorne]

hi, thanks for that, i think i will stick with 7.05 as i have just spent some time upgrading my site and all my custom template and scripts etc.
Funy how it worked fine in the previous 7.04 and now broken in 7.05.
Wes

[Bruce]

Hi Wesley,

This is a bug that was a result of fixing an issue with the Dupliactes UI in v7.0.4. Development are looking at patching a fix at the earliest. Will keep you posted.

[wesleythorne]

Hi, ok thanks for that will keep my finger crossed.
Wesley