Uneven stock: is there a module? is there a name for the problem?

[veganline]

My slippers have 3 x 3 attributes 
small, medium, large;
red, white, blue.

My stock is only 1 small red, 1 medium white, one large blue.

My default options, I understand are 
- dropdown / radio / colour or texture
- the order button can be hidden for items out of stock, so customers must experiment (and there are lots of warning messages and options to show stock levels but I don't use those)

Am I right?

If so, is there a module that allows a customer to see "small, medium. large", and then see only the available option?  

(my real example is slippers with 3 or 4 colours and 7 sizes and dozens of stock but 3 x 3 will do) 

(I don't know if people who write modules have a name for this problem - maybe i could google if I know the usual name)

Edited December 28, 2019 by veganline

[netamismb]

Those are supported by default on products. Set product attribute size as small, medium, large and color as red, white, blue. Add the combination and set the stock only for the one available.

Edited December 29, 2019 by netamismb

[veganline]

That was a good start for experimenting, just to make sure I'm not missing anything simple before I go hunt modules. Thanks. This is what I think I found.

ONE ATTRIBUTE PER PRODUCT

(1)
bo>preferences>products>Display unavailable product attributes on the product page
allows me to choose "no" ; they disappear.

(2)
bo>catalog>socks>quantities | when out of stock & availability settings
allows me to hide the order button to prevent ordering out of stock attributes, if they are shown, or
allows me to change the "availability" message on the order form to add a warning

TWO ATTRIBUTES PER PRODUCT

(1) doesn't apply
(2) does apply; the attribute combination shows but the order button disappears.  A warning pops-up saying "This product is no longer in stock with those attributes but is available with others."

If I type that message into a search engine I find threads by people who hoped for a nifty DIY work-around to cross-out the missing attributes or hide them or something, instead of hiding the button, a system that requires customers to play hide-and-seek till they find something in stock.

If I made each colour a separate product, and showed the products next to each other with radio buttons for sizes (on Community Theme or Niara next edition), that's probably the only other option without buying a module. I should search for attribute grid modules and find one that shows stocked and out-of-stock items neatly.

Have got this right?
Happy winter to anyone reading this.

Edited December 29, 2019 by veganline

[netamismb]

I am not sure I following. You should have 2 attribute per product: color and size. In BO, Product  Combination  you can add new combinations ; one with  size - small color red, one with size medium color  white and one with size large blue, and add the stock. 

[veganline]

Yes that's fine. I can get it going, but the default is a bit awkward for two attributes with  missing combinations; the "order" button disappears when the combination is missing. I set-up a test this morning on veganline.co.uk/w

I guess the neatest work-around is to make each colour a separate product, then show stock as radio buttons. Or find a module.

https://web.archive.org/web/20191229155337/https://veganline.co.uk/w/t-shirt  
...large size is in stock and gets a button
https://web.archive.org/web/20191229160045/https://veganline.co.uk/w/t-shirt
...another combination is out of stock and doesn't get a button

This works but is not ideal because customers have to click on combinations until the button appears.

------------------------------------------------added 05/01/19 18.59

(Anyone who finds this by accident, looking for ideas, might want to remove the quantity section, because it appears and disappears alarmingly from the top of the form.
bo> preferences> custom code | css> 
#quantity_wanted_p {display: none !important;}
It's also possible to edit the theme's product.tpl template to move the quantity section right down the page.)

Edited January 5, 2020 by veganline
below the line / info for anyone who finds this by accident

[datakick]

I guess you can solve this with a little javascript that would

1. unselect all attributes
2. Display only first attribute (Color), and hide others (in your case Size)
3. When customer selects color, then filter all sizes according to color selection, and display Size selector

This kind of modification would take like 10-20 lines of js code.