suppose you have a seperate but common size option that you can use for multiple products. it may look something like this...
Code:
<HTML>
<TITLE>XL L M S 001</TITLE>
<BODY>
<h3>--cut here--</h3>
<TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0">
<TR ALIGN="CENTER">
<TD>
<SELECT NAME = "option|001|%%PRODUCT_ID%%">
<OPTION>Sizes
<OPTION VALUE = "XL|">XLarge
<OPTION VALUE = "Large|">Large
<OPTION VALUE = "Medium|">Medium
<OPTION VALUE = "Small|">Small
</SELECT></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<h3>--cut here--</h3>
</BODY>
</HTML>
so you would name this file "XLLMS-001.html". the reason for naming in such a manner is for easy reference. at a galance you know the sizes and option number so you can either select this file by name knowing it's contents or when composing another option you know the sizes and option number are already in use... helps to avoid duplication and no need to open the file for review.
suppose you have a common color set as well. but these colors maybe used with different size sets. so you make a color option file...
Code:
<HTML>
<TITLE>yellow green blue pink 002</TITLE>
<BODY>
<h3>--cut here--</h3>
<TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0">
<TR ALIGN="CENTER">
<TD>
<SELECT NAME = "option|002|%%PRODUCT_ID%%">
<OPTION>Color
<OPTION VALUE = "Yellow|">Yellow
<OPTION VALUE = "Green|">Green
<OPTION VALUE = "Blue|">Blue
<OPTION VALUE = "Pink|">Pink
</SELECT></TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<h3>--cut here--</h3>
</BODY>
</HTML>
you may want to name this option file "ygbp-002.html". so now you have easy reference for quickly adding to an auto option file. to create an option file which calls these two options you may have something like this...
Code:
<HTML>
<TITLE>01XL L M S - Y G B P02</TITLE>
<BODY>
<h3>--cut here--</h3>
<TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0">
<TR ALIGN="CENTER">
<TD>
<FONT FACE=ARIAL SIZE="2"><B>Select Size And Color</B></FONT></TD>
</TR>
<tr>
<td>
%%Load_Option_file XLLMS-001.html%%</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>
%%Load_Option_file ygbp-002.html%%</td>
</tr>
</TABLE>
<h3>--cut here--</h3>
</BODY>
</HTML>
so you may want to name this auto option file "01XLLMS-YGBP02.html" or something to that effect. the numbers and letters are self explanitory. this is the file that you would select in the add or edit products screen in the store manager for the product. the table scructure may not be what you want so it will take some thought to structure the tables in all files according to needs.
now this may seem a little silly on the elementary scale but it is a very powerful feature for complicated options. you could even do something like...
Code:
<HTML>
<TITLE>XL L M S 001</TITLE>
<BODY>
<h3>--cut here--</h3>
<TABLE CELLPADDING="0" CELLSPACING="0">
<TR ALIGN="CENTER">
<TD>
<SELECT NAME = "option|001|%%PRODUCT_ID%%">
<OPTION>Sizes
<OPTION VALUE = "XL|">XLarge
<OPTION VALUE = "Large|">Large
<OPTION VALUE = "Medium|">Medium
<OPTION VALUE = "Small|">Small
</SELECT></TD>
</TR>
<TR>
<TD>
%%Load_Option_file ygbp-002.html%%</TD>
</TR>
</TABLE>
<h3>--cut here--</h3>
</BODY>
</HTML>
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