Reference - Product option category properties

General

Option category name

The name of the product option category used internally, i.e., available in various parts of the system’s administration interface.

The option category name allows your on-line store administrators to use a more descriptive name than the one displayed to the customers on the live site, e.g., Color of shoes.

Display name

The name of the product option category displayed to your customers on the live site.

The display name is supposed to be less descriptive than the option category name because the customers can see this name in the context of a given product, e.g., Color.

Code name

The string identifier of the product option category object used by developers in the code. Unless there is a reason to set a particular value, you can leave the default (automatic) option, and the system generates an appropriate code name.

Description

To make the product option category easier to use and maintain, you can add a description of the product option category, for example, an explanation about the scenarios for which the category is intended.

Enabled

Indicates if the product option category is enabled in the system. Product option categories that are not enabled cannot be assigned to any products.

Type

Set the type of the product option category. The system offers the following types:

  • Attribute – the options available in categories of this type represent product attributes, e.g., product’s different colors or sizes. This type of category allows the user to select only one option at a time.
  • Products – the options available in categories of this type represent separate products that your customers can optionally purchase together with the main product, e.g., PCs may be offered with printers as options. Options in this category can also represent components of a product, e.g., hardware components of a configurable PC. Based on the configuration of the product option category, this type of category allows the user to select a single option or multiple options at a time.
  • Text – the options available in categories of this type allow your customers to purchase products with optional texts. For example, you can offer books with inscriptions. Please note that there can be only one option in each such category unless you customize the product options form.

Based on the selection of the type of the product option category, the system displays more properties in the Options category (Attribute, Products) or in the Configuration category (Text).

You cannot change the type of the product option category if the options that the category contains:

  • are used in the shopping cart,
  • are used in at least one order, or
  • are used in at least one product variant.

The following properties are available for the Attribute type and Products type option categories:

Options

User control type

Note: This property only applies to Portal Engine sites. On MVC sites, developers have full control over the option selectors.

Specify the type of selector for options in this product option category. The system offers the following selection types:

  • Drop-down list
  • Radio buttons in both vertical and horizontal layout
  • Check boxes in both vertical and horizontal layout (available for Products type categories only)

Default text

Specify a prompt text, e.g. (Please select), displayed in the product option selector when your customers open a page offering the respective product options.

For example, your customers can order an operating system as an option for a configurable PC. When the customers open a page with the details of this product, the respective selector displays (Please select), while the system expects further customer input.

This field is displayed only when you select Drop-down list in User control type.

To ensure correct functionality, you must use the default record text as the value of the Predefined choice property.

Otherwise, the system may not display the prompt text as the product option selector’s default value.

Predefined choice

Specify which options the system selects by default when the customer opens a page offering the respective product options. Only the Check box selection type allows you to pre-select more than one option.

If the Display price adjustment field is selected, the system displays the options together with respective price adjustments (if defined), e.g. (+ $29.99). The + and - characters indicate if the adjustment represents an additional charge to or reduction of the price of the main product.

Display price adjustment

If selected, the price for product options is displayed to the user.

For example, the price adjustment for a selected product option is displayed to your customers on the live site while viewing the details of a product. (The product must be offered together with the given product option.)

Specifying price adjustment for product options is optional.

This means that no price may be displayed for some product options even if this field is selected.

The following properties are available for the Text type option category:

Options

User control type

Note: This property only applies to Portal Engine sites. On MVC sites, developers have full control over the option selectors.

Specify the type of input field that your customers use to enter the text. The system offers a simple text input field, and a multi-line text input field.

Predefined choice

Specify a prompt text, e.g. (Enter your text), displayed in the text input field when your customers open a page offering the respective product option.

For example, your customers can order an engraving as an option for a watch. When the customers open a page with the details of this product, the system displays (Enter your text) in the respective text input field, while waiting for further customer input.

If the Display price adjustment field is selected, the system displays the option together with the respective price adjustment (if defined), e.g. (+ $9.99). The + and - characters indicate if the adjustment represents an additional charge to or reduction of the price of the main product.

Display price adjustment

If selected, the price for product options is displayed to the user.

For example, the price adjustment for a given product option is displayed to your customers on the live site while viewing the details of a product. (The product must be offered together with the given product option.)

Specifying price adjustment for product options is optional.

This means that no price may be displayed for some product options even if this property is selected.

Validation

Minimum text length

Specify the minimum length of the text that your customers must enter.

Maximal text length

Specify the maximum length of the text that your customers can enter.