You can perform the following actions using an item field manager:
- specify field attributes, such as caption, column width in price-list, tips and etc;
- publish/unpiblish fields in price-list, in order, in shopping cart and disable field for using;
- add custom properties and characteristics of the product;
- delete custom properties and characteristics;
To manage item fields go to admin panel->"Components"->"IPrice minimart"->"Item fields"
Field types
There are 3 types of item fields: system, property, characteristic.
- System field is basic and can not be removed. You can change some of the attributes of the system field, such as column width price list, alignment, caption, hint, as well as a sign displaying the price list, shopping cart or order.
- Property is a custom field. It allows the user to enter information in the product field, such as some product options, some product value. Set "Field type" parameter to value "Property" for the field to make it as a Property.
- Characteristic is a custom field. It is permanent characteristic of the product. The value of a characteristic is specified in the admin panel when editing product. You can configure searching products by the characteristic. If the "Field type" parameter of the field is set to value "Characteristic", then the field is a characteristic of the product.
Pic 1. Item field manager
Pic 2. Editing field: property or characteristic
Pic 3. In price list
Pic 4. In item page
Pic 5. Properties in item pageList of system fields and custom predefined fields of item
System fields:
- name (SKU) - SKU of the product.
- shortdesc (Name) - product name.
- select - select field allows the user to select product in price-list.
- dropdown (Property) - the Main property of the product. It allows to select a product option for the user. Each option of the main property may have additional cost for the product. Also each option may have a separate image if the product.
- avail (Available) - product quantity available in stock.
- discount - discount for the product.
- cost - a product price.
- proc_nds (Tax rate) - tax rate of the product.
- sum_nds (Tax amount) - tax amount of the product (calculated field).
- totalwithouttax (Total without tax) - total amount for the product line without tax amount (calculated field).
- total - total amout for the product line with tax amount (calculated field).
- image - image column in price-list.
- rating - rating of the product.
- wieght - weght of the product.
- totalweight - total weight for product line.
Predefined characteristics:
- unit - units item.
- manufacturer - manufacturer of the product.
Adding or editing field
You can add a custom field (Property or Characteristic) or edit any type of field. Some options are not available when you are editing the system field.
Field options:
Basic section- System name - You need to specify an unique name for the field (only latin characters 'a'..'z').
- Caption - specify the caption of the field.
- Tip - Tip for the field.
- Maximum length - You need to specify a maximum length of the field in the database (in characters). You need to estimate the approximate maximum size of the field in characters. Please be careful setting this field. You can not change it later when editing. If you strongly need to change the maximum size of the field, then you have to first remove the field and then re-add. Moreover, all data in this field will be removed.
- Display width - display width of the field column in price list (in pixels or in percent). For example: 250px or 15%.
- Display align - alignment of the filed value in price list.
- Allow sorting - if "Yes", then this field will be able to sort the list of products.
- Allow to hide in the price list - if "Yes" then this field can be hidden in price-list displayed on narrow screens. Thus, you can adjust the price list so that the possible information on the product is displayed on wide screens, and only the minimum necessary information about the product is displayed on narrow screens. Demo.
- Status - Enable or Disable field for using.
- Access - you can show any item field for some user groups only. You can select predefined access levels to show item field for some user groups only: Public and Guest - field is visible for any users; Super User - field is visible for super users only; Registered - field is visible for registered users only; Special - field is visible for user user groups "Manager", "Author", "Administrators" and for all groups of heirs. Also you can add your custom access level with separate set of user groups using Access level manager: Joomla admin panel->Users->Access Levels
- In price list - display field in price list.
- In cart - display field in shopping cart.
- In order - display field in order.
- In search - specify "Yes" if you want the field to participate in the search for goods. If yes, then the field will be available for search in the Advanced Search module, as well as in the header search filters in price list mode. In this case, an index is created for the field in the database to speed up the search.
- Additional search fields - You can specify additional search fields along with this field. Thus, if a user searches, for example, by product Name, then the search will be carried out not only by Name, but also by additional search fields specified for the Name field (for example, by SKU, by other product characteristics). Additional search fields can be set for the product fields SKU, Name, as well as for all characteristics of the product.
- Field type - "Property" - the field is a property of the product and the user of the site will be able to enter information in this field. "Characteristic" - a field is a characteristic of a product, which is set when editing a product in the admin panel, it can participate in the search for items, as well as in the table of comparison of items.
- Data format - "String" - usual string value. "Currency" - this field will be displayed as a currency using currency format.
- Allow a value list in search filter - select "Yes" if you want the field in the "Advanced Search" module to be displayed as a list of all existing values of this field in products. This will allow the user not to enter a search string in the search field, but simply select the desired value. For example, if you set this option in the "Manufacturer" field, then the user in the search module will simply select the manufacturer from the drop-down list instead of entering search string.
- Allow select multiple values for searching - If 'Yes', then the user can select multiple search values of the field using checkboxes.
- Display in tab - If "Yes", then the field content will be displayed in the separate tab in the item page with tabs.
- Process by plugins - if "Yes", then the field content will be processed by Joomla content plugins. For example, it allows to insert maps and video in separate tabs on Item page using "Google Map" plugin or "All videos" plugin.
- Group name - You can specify a group name for the field. In this case all characteristics will be grouped in item page or compare items table.
- Input required - if "Yes", then the user must enter the value for the Property.
- Minimum value - minimum value that the user can enter for the property in number format.
- Maximum value - maximum value that the user can enter for the property in number format.
- Error message - error message apears when the user entered incorrect value.
- Width of input field (px) - width of input element of this field in pixels.
- Allow list of values - if yes, then the Property may have the list of values displayed with dropdown list.
- Default list of values - Specify the default list of values for the Property (if the paremeter "Allow list of values" is specified to "Yes"). For example: red;green;blue . If you need to use values of the Property in formula price or formula weight, then you need to use the following format of the list of values: price1:value1;price2:value2... For example: 200:red;300:green;400:blue . For more details about using formulas see the chapter "Administration - Using formulas". You can override the default list of values of the property for each item in the item editing page, on tab "Properties and characteristics".
Each value must not be duplicated (must be unique). The default selected will be the first value from the list if the user has not already selected a value. You can specify an empty value anywhere in the list of values. For example, to set an empty value in the first element of the list, add a semicolon at the beginning of the list: ;value1;value2 , to set an empty value in the middle of the list: value1;;value2, empty value at the end of the list: value1;value2; - Add to the item name in order - if "Yes", then the Property value selected by the user will be added to the product name in the order.
Manage the display of product fields
You can control the display of fields in the price list, shopping cart and order using the options "Display in price list", "Display in cart" and "Display in order". In addition, for each category, you can assign your own list of properties, characteristics and columns in the price list for items of this category. If no field in this list is selected, all fields that are published in the Item field manager will be displayed. If for a specific category you need to disable the use of properties or characteristics for items of category, then select "No" for the category parameter "Properties" or "Characteristics". See more detail for editing categories in "Administration"->"Categories" chapter.