Flat File Delete Products and Variants

[lesliekirk]

lesliekirk You can do this via XML Provisioning.

<Product_Delete code="existing_product_code"></Product_Delete>

The above code will delete a product when it is uploaded via Data Management "Import Data and Settings in XML Provisioning Format" option.

Question - will this delete the Product Attribute? Not the Inventory Variant.

[lesliekirk]

Another delete question - how do I delete the attributes for the products that were used in the creation of the Inventory Variant products? In other words, I also need to delete the attribute option that were created in the Master Product during the original import.

I need to delete the product attribute at the same time the Inventory Variant product is deleted.

[lesliekirk]

lesliekirk You can do this via XML Provisioning.

<Product_Delete code="existing_product_code"></Product_Delete>

The above code will delete a product when it is uploaded via Data Management "Import Data and Settings in XML Provisioning Format" option.

Thanks Nick, I knew it could be done using the XML Provisioning Format - I was just wondering if a flat-file method was available. LOL, during the time I was waiting for an answer I was able to create a custom field, assign it, then use it to identify the products that needed to be deleted from the batch screen. Maybe not the "right" way, but it works for me

[Nick]

lesliekirk You can do this via XML Provisioning.

<Product_Delete code="existing_product_code"></Product_Delete>

The above code will delete a product when it is uploaded via Data Management "Import Data and Settings in XML Provisioning Format" option.

[lesliekirk]

Years later I'd like to circle back to this - is there a way to use a product flat file to mass/bulk delete products? I have 15592 product codes that need to be removed.

[Mark Hood]

Mark Hood has confirmed that it wipes the lot.

As I understand it the ability to customize upload directories is coming, but it will be a while.

For a different site I maintain I set up a "dummy" inactive product to upload images from the admin (no ftp access needed).
It of course just adds to the graphics folder but they will not be deleted by the delete unreferenced process.

[Leanne]

I'd love to know how that's handled as well. It would be great if the image uploader in Miva gave an option of two (or more) different destination folder locations - one for product images and one for other site images. That way users could more safely "Delete Unreferenced Images" without fear of accidentally losing header images, content page images, etc.

Mark Hood has confirmed that it wipes the lot.

As I understand it the ability to customize upload directories is coming, but it will be a while.

[Leanne]

It deletes them best practice of course is to create different ones...

Thanks for confirming. It's a bit of a conundrum as to which is worse: a bloated graphics/00000001 file, or giving store employees ftp access to upload non-product images into a different directory...

[delcorsets]

How are you all handling the removal of images associated with deleted products? I have a site that currently has 430 products to be deleted, and also has an extremely bloated graphics/00000001 folder that needs to be cleaned up. I'm leery of the Delete Unreferenced Images feature of Image Machine Management. How does it handle images that may be used in category headers or elsewhere on the site?

I'd love to know how that's handled as well. It would be great if the image uploader in Miva gave an option of two (or more) different destination folder locations - one for product images and one for other site images. That way users could more safely "Delete Unreferenced Images" without fear of accidentally losing header images, content page images, etc.

[Mark Hood]

How are you all handling the removal of images associated with deleted products? I have a site that currently has 430 products to be deleted, and also has an extremely bloated graphics/00000001 folder that needs to be cleaned up. I'm leery of the Delete Unreferenced Images feature of Image Machine Management. How does it handle images that may be used in category headers or elsewhere on the site?

It deletes them best practice of course is to create different ones...

[Leanne]

Thanks, I will take a look at that.

[Bruce - PhosphorMedia]

Not sure about the 'Delete Unreferenced Images" feature either, but if you can generate the list of associated images, either by export or looping through the actual product runtime list (PLST), then either using the legacy images reference or the ImageMachine reference function, locate the removed products images and us the "sdelete(filename)" function.

I remember setting up a semi-automated version of this for a client, where we had them use an import to set the products to be 'in-active' and then use an SMT script on a hidden page to first, run through all un-activated products, then delete images, and then delete the product.

[Leanne]

How are you all handling the removal of images associated with deleted products? I have a site that currently has 430 products to be deleted, and also has an extremely bloated graphics/00000001 folder that needs to be cleaned up. I'm leery of the Delete Unreferenced Images feature of Image Machine Management. How does it handle images that may be used in category headers or elsewhere on the site?

[lesliekirk]

There may be something else going on with the site - just opened a support ticket.

[Bruce - PhosphorMedia]

Sounds like a cache issue. Have them run the 'clear cache' feature after updating a batch of products.