Admin Product Preview

[heatherbell]

Currently working on updating and testing Admin Side on Bootstrap 5.
This is nearing completion so heads up that release is on the horizon.

Part of this is has been a closer look at some Admin pages, specifically here, Product Preview.
That's the page view when you go to Catalog>Categories/Products, open a category folder and click that Eye icon in the table which opens catalog.php?cPath=x&pID=x&action=new_product_preview&read=only to currently see like this;

Screenshot 2024-12-15 103752.png

As is, this seems to be of little use.
We do use a similar preview page in another system we have, to be able to quickly see all data for an item, which is very useful.
Can only guess that was the original intended purpose of this but it currently does not do that.
Would see a very good use for it, if it was updated to output all data (everything that shows in all product edit tabs), including that which comes from 3rd party hooks/addons, if authors care to use it.

We've done some playing with it and have something, using Terms Addon to test an added hook call, that now shows like this:

Screenshot 2024-12-15 104249.png

Now this does output useful data in a meaningful way (without having to drill down into product edit) but, of course, another option is just to remove the page from core but that's a shame if there is use for it.

Thoughts?

[14Steve14]

We currently do not use that preview page. As it is, it seems to be a waste of time having.

As its having work carried out to improve the page, anything that makes the page better will be welcome by many users I am sure, myself included. If it could replicate the information on the full product page either including or excluding any other addons further down the page such as recently viewed and cross sells, then the page would be worth having and keeping.

It would be a useful way of making sure all the data is included rather than having to activate and deactive the product in the live store to ensure that it includes all that it should.

[Dan Cole]

We currently do not use that preview page. As it is, it seems to be a waste of time having.

As its having work carried out to improve the page, anything that makes the page better will be welcome by many users I am sure, myself included. If it could replicate the information on the full product page either including or excluding any other addons further down the page such as recently viewed and cross sells, then the page would be worth having and keeping.

It would be a useful way of making sure all the data is included rather than having to activate and deactive the product in the live store to ensure that it includes all that it should.

I'm in general agreement with this and don't use the preview page either. I've never found it to be of any real use.

If you're making changes in this area I would simply like to see it link to or pull up the product page from the shop side of the site. Having a quick way to review what changes I've made, that customers see, would, I think, be helpful and of some use. It is a practice I follow when updating or adding products and probably most shop owners do so too.

Dan

[heatherbell]

It seems the use of this page is to show available data, not to show a facsimile of the shop-side product page which might not even use/output the available data.

[Dan Cole]

It seems the use of this page is to show available data, not to show a facsimile of the shop-side product page which might not even use/output the available data.

That's not my take on it but if that was the intention perhaps its an opportunity to remove it from the core.

Dan

[14Steve14]

It seems the use of this page is to show available data, not to show a facsimile of the shop-side product page which might not even use/output the available data.

If it cant be improved and be of some benefit to store owners, then remove it. Spend time on another area where it will be of use. It would just be nice to see the page without the need to make a page active on the live site just to see what it looks like especially with new products.

[heatherbell]

If it cant be improved and be of some benefit to store owners

The improvements are of benefit to this shop-owner. The view provides available data on a read-only page without the need for Admin users to use Edit especially where the careless fingers of other Admin users can cause issues.

Spend time on another area where it will be of use.

I don't take instruction from anyone on how to spend my freely given time.

[Kofod95]

I've never used the product preview (on purpose, but accidentially clicked it once in a while).
However, I could see a plus in a site listing all data (also from add-ons, provided they add the hook-call) - mostly as a "new tab" or "modal" link from other places, like orders?action=edit, reports and so. Those links could be added by add-ons (I did that for orders, once, but decided to link to the shop-side instead, to view more data)

//Daniel