Product attributes provide a method to specify specific versions or variations of each product when adding the product to the shopping cart. The selected attributes are sent in the receipts and order notices and are also recorded in the sales history. An unlimited number of product attributes can be set for each product.
Each product attribute alternative can be optionally set to override downloads, shipping charges, and/or sales tax. This is useful where one product might be delivered in various formats. An example of where this might be used is where music titles are available for the same price in several different formats. No shipping or tax would be charged for the MP3 file download in the U.S., but it might be taxed in the UK. CD or mini-disks would have shipping costs and might be taxable, depending on the local tax laws.
Add Product Attributes
To create or edit product attributes, click Edit Catalog, select the category, and click the Attributes button next to the product.
To add a new attribute, enter the Caption, the number of Alternatives and click the Add Attribute button.
If the number of alternatives is set to 0 and the Add Attribute button is clicked, the attribute will be added as a Comment Field.
Enter the parameters for each alternative.
Attribute alternatives can have a different price set for each alternative. Check the "Activate separate buy buttons and/or prices" box to allow each alternative to have a separate price and separate buy buttons for each in the catalog.
Check the "Activate separate shipping options" box to have the option of setting each attribute have no shipping and/or no sales tax.
To delete an alternative simply click the "Delete" button. When finished editing the alternatives click the "Save" button.
Note: Only one set of alternatives for each attribute can have prices. When prices are set in the alternatives, separate buy buttons and prices appear in the catalog. The attribute prices and separate buy buttons will work with shopping cart turned On or Off. A gif image may be displayed in the catalog in place of each alternative by naming it the same as the alternative, but in all lower case and uploading it to the images directory. For instance, if the alternative is named "CD", the image file name should be cd.gif.
Edit Existing Attributes
To edit or remove existing attributes, click the Attributes button in the Edit Catalog menu. Existing attributes will appear with Update, Remove, and Alternatives buttons next to them.
To change the caption, edit the text and click Update. To exit without changes click the back button or another menu selection.
To edit alternatives, click the Alternatives button. Edit or delete the alternatives as needed, then click the Save button.
Attributes for Downloadable Products
When you have a downloadable product there is an extra check box labeled "Activate separate download options"
If you upload multiple files for a product. You can have each alternative point to one, none, or all (default) of those files.
Let's say you have a product that can be shippable or downloadable.
With this feature you may use one alternative as the shippable product and the others as specific downloadable file types.
Deactivate shipping and taxes on the downloadable products.
Change prices accordingly.
Don't forget to click the Save button when you have finished editing the attribute.
Pass productid to third party script using an attribute
The product ID is not included by the automation fulfilment feature but there is a way to include this or any other product specific information you want to send. An attribute with 1 alternative to the product you wish to use the automation for. You can for example call this attribute "Product ID". Set the single alternative to the product ID for your product or to any other identifier you wish to use. Click the Fulfilment button for the product on the Edit Catalog page and select the fulfilment option you are using. Enter a field name for the attribute, for example "productid" or any variable name your receiving cgi script is using. Now your fulfilment option will send this information to the cgi script after a purchase and since the number of alternatives is just 1 your customers will not see the attribute.