Linking Product Options to Download File Attributes

[Vasperilla]

Hello,
I am fiddling around with the demo. I am going to sell downloadable products. The product will be on one page with size options. I have uploaded all the zip files with different sizes. However I can't seem to link the appropriate files with the products options.

For example, I want to sell a photograph.
The photograph's page has the following options:
     Size: small
             med
             lrg
And I have uploaded zip files with the following:
            small.zip
            med.zip
            lrg.zip

And I have download attributes set up with the same names, and have chosen the correct one for each file.

Now, when the customer goes to the product page for the image, and chooses the large one, and checks out, how can they get only the lrg.zip file? Right now, it just gives them all the sizes in their downloads area. This doesn't make sense to me, I can't find how to link the correct download files with the correct options.

Also, the Abantecart doesn't seem to send the customer a notice that their files are available, or a link to the site, or anything. Why not? What am I doing wrong here? Thank you.

[eCommerce Core]

Interesting question. AbanteCart currently does not support downloads on option level

How about this approach?
You need to create download for product and assign download to product option (select box). Option needs to be created before.
One option per download

On a storefront only download for purchased option will be available.

Any other ideas?

[Vasperilla]

Hi Thanks for responding, but I am not sure I'm understanding your reply. Are you just reiterating my problem, or suggesting a fix?

[eCommerce Core]

I am suggesting an implementation. This is not a fix as there is no problem. What you need is a functionality that we will need to develop

[Vasperilla]

Ah, I see. Yes I would love an implementation. The bones are really already there, and I was surprised when you said it was not built in. I meant a "fix" to whatever I thought I was doing wrong, lol. I guess I should have said "solution" instead.

And, as for other ideas...yes. The system needs to have an email sent out to the customers that lets them know their files are ready for download, with a link to their "download area" in the email. It doesn't need to be a link to the file(s), just to the general downloads area. Being able to customise the email would be great.

Now, can you have it implemented, like, yesterday? Kidding

Thank you!

[eCommerce Core]

We still need to think what other ideas are here. Anybody else?

[Vasperilla]

If you are looking for any ideas related to digital files, I have some. I might be able to do some of these already. My main concern was the linking of the download options to files as this is a requirement of any cart I choose. Once I make it past this, I will delve into other features of the cart.

Oh, this totally blew by me, it needs to send receipts for the downloadable products too, just like it does/should for tangible items. The download link could be in this email.

I would LOVE for the cart to check the logged in user's previous purchases when they put something in their cart, and alert them if they have purchased the item before. This could be done in a pop up or in the cart under the product. This way they wouldn't rebuy accidentally. They could continue to buy again, or choose to delete from the cart at that time.

I plan to offer a daily or weekly free download to logged in members. A way to offer free downloads in a specified area would be good (like in a Block if I am understanding the Design functions correctly, I haven't even gotten to that yet.

I'd like to feature new items automatically (generated from the available on date in AbanteCart) in a Block or specified place on my site.

I need to offer a pdf of the products specs as a (free) download on the product's page. (might be able to do this already)

If I update a the files in a downloadable archive (such as replacing a file that has an error), I would like to email the customers that purchased that product, so they can re-download.

That's all I can think of right now.

[llegrand]

Wow,  so many questions and most are actually answered in the documentation or simply by playing with a demo or doing an install of Abantecart -  it is free.

as to your sizing issues -  while awaiting some additional fix which would probably come in the next version or two if they decide to include that functionality,   you could simply have 3 items -  and make a link in each of your product desc to the other sizes   AND  also place then in the You Also Might Like Tab
that would give you total control over each item.  Just a thought.

But  yes,  there is a link in the order email sent to your customers,
http://youdomain.com/demo2/index.php?rt=account/invoice&order_id=97

a customer must be logged into their account to access the download area.   And you cannot allow guest checkouts with downloads. 

there is nothing that I am aware of that will flag a customer that they have previously purchased and item  -  that would take an extension and some coding to accomplish, but doable.

As to your free download  - there could be several ways to do that -  yes a block could work,  there's a clever little notification extension in the marketplace that might also work well, and there is the reliable email campaign with a coupon code.  Again,  downloads ONLY work when a customer is logged in to their account.

If you enable the new items section -  they will automatically show up when you added them   -  it is date predicated  and you can manage the number of items shown in the section

Yes,  the PDF is already there.

Just download an installation and play around you will be amazed at the flexibility and control you have in this cart - right out of the box. 

Lee, a long time user of Abantecart

[Vasperilla]

llegrand,

This is going to be really long, my apologies. I am including your quotes to help out, lol. Thanks for such a detailed response.

Wow,  so many questions and most are actually answered in the documentation or simply by playing with a demo or doing an install of Abantecart -  it is free.

I thank you for your response, but I feel you misread. Or maybe I did, not sure...  I was not looking for answers to all the things I listed, I was responding to eCommerce Core's request for ideas for new implementations or features, which is how I understood his post.  And, I noted in my post, that I could possibly already do these things, but I had not gotten to the rest of the features in the demo...because I got stuck on the download options in the demo...which I am playing with, as stated in the original post.

as to your sizing issues - 

It's a workaround, but the problem for me is, it would seem, that I would have four or five different product pages for the same "photo", each one with a different size, which after a certain number of products, is confusing to the customer, and it clutters up the store. I actually would just simply move on to a different cart than do that. I may even option out more than just size, which would become an out of control issue very, very fast. There are a few carts that have this "options linked to download files" capability (with plugins), but they also have some shortcomings, so I was trying Abantecart. It looks great so far, but I do need that one feature for sure. My product is more complicated than photos, I was just using that scenario for ease of understanding.

But  yes,  there is a link in the order email sent to your customers, ...

When I purchased from my cart, I didn't get an email. I also saw someone else with the same problem on the forum in a different post which was unsolved, I can't find it right now. I went into my own demo, and made sure I was logged in and all my info was correct, purchased, then in the admin panel completed the order which is a requirement for releasing downloads..etc. Still no email, even though my downloads are available in my account. There may be a setting I am missing, I will go back and check.

-----------
As for the rest, thank you for clarifying. I am slowly making my way through the demo, but I would honestly be wasting my time without the feature needed in my original post. This is why I asked on the forum in the first place. I do hope the feature is implemented, I have a few weeks before I really need to have it to begin developing. Abantecart is a huge contender if this feature is implemented by then.

Thank you both for your replies, I really do appreciate it. And I would really like to see the implementation I mentioned in the original post.

If I misunderstood eCommerce Core's response, I apologize.

[llegrand]

Glad you posted back -  and you didn't misunderstand ecommerce -  but I was thinking he was asking for input on just your specific need on the downloads issue. 

Since you're the first one to post this requirement and the cart is always improving they may well get something accomplished for next version.   But if you like everything else and are in a hurry,  you can engage Abantecart or any other php coder to make a solution for you. You could even make it an extension and offer it for sale in the marketplace.   You may not be the only person who can use this feature.

It is the way of most things - there is no one perfect solution to everything we want to do with our carts - so we look for work arounds,  write extensions,  or do without  depending on the degree of need and the depth of our time and our bank accounts.

Good luck with your endeavor however you go about it.
Lee




 

[Vasperilla]

Thanks llegrand,

Well I'm certainly open to any questions on my specific need More than open, lol. I'll think about it more, now that I know what I want is not possible at this time. I was just trying to work with the software, because it looked like it could be done, due to having all the attributes and options already there. "All" that is necessary is hooking them up...but that is in quotes because I know there is more to it than that.

I am still looking at Abantecart in general. I've only had the demo for two days. I'm still curious about the rest of it's features and now that I know my required feature is not available now, I can finally look at the rest of the cart features, LOL.

I'm not in a huge hurry. I'll wait and see for now. I'm hoping it will be added into the core of Abantecart. Digital sellers need this option more than is recognized.

Thank you!
Gina

[Vasperilla]

Was wondering if there was anymore thought to my suggestion(s), still keeping Abantecart in mind, but getting close to needing to get going on the build. Thanks!!

[cashvo]

I am not sure if this is a new feature or if it could be done already...or, maybe a "work around" exists? In any case, I'd like to contribute my thoughts and angle onto this topic...since you are asking for ideas 

What I am looking for is a way to provide streaming audio and video to my buyers...that is, once they buy and pay for the content, they can go to their Downloads area and VIEW it...I want to stream this content instead of requiring them to download it. Is this possible?
----

On the subject of giving FREE downloads...is it possible to create a download product that is only available to "Signed in" members only? That is, I do not want this item discoverable publicly....I want to create the free item and give it away to a select group of buyers only. So, only those buyers who I've given access to (by adding it to their Downloads area) can see/download this content.