Setting up Matrix item types and Item Options
When a client needs to track multiple variations of an item, we have a couple of options we can recommend, depending on the situation. First, you might start by suggesting that they use Item Options. This is simply a list of things we can assign to any one item. We might, for instance, have an item called 100% Cotton Hoodie and we know we can sell it in red, blue, or orange styles. So long as we just have a simple set of variations like this, Item Options can work fairly well. We just set the list of options on the item's screen and then we can select from that list when creating a Sales Order later on.
This can be too limiting, though, for many items, and in those cases, we need to go with the more complex Matrix-type items. With Matrix items, the system allows us to define a parent item, the Hoodie in the preceding example, and then a set of child matrix items, each representing one variation of that parent. For instance, if...