products module showing inconsistant number of items

[bunglehaze]

This is something I reported ages ago at the very launch of VM2.0 and I am disappointed to say that nothing has changed over the various versions since.

Using the VM products module I specify 6 product, and 6 products per row which would normally give me a full width to use as a products display, if I choose featured products, 6 display, if i choose latest products, 6 display (although actually it shows OLDEST products, not latest), if I choose best sales, 6 display.

HOWEVER... Whenever I choose random products I get a lottery on how many will display, sometimes (but not often) 6 will show, most often you see 3,4 or 5 products. This is the same horizontal or vertically laid out.

NO CACHING, ZIP, NADA. before I get asked this question over and over - I know how to diagnose most issues and this is my first port of call to ensure it is switched off - actually cache is never used at the moment anyway as VM2 modules never work properly with it on - another annoyance.

details: Joomla 2.5.4, VM2.0.4, all modules, plugins etc removed both using the installer and also double checked via FTP that the files were removed, following up with a check over the database to ensure they are not there too. Essentially a fresh install on the AIO - NO OVERRIDES. The issue occurs on every template I try, Joomla standard or third party - it is NOT a template incompatability, it IS a VM2 issue.

This shop was migrated from VM 1.1 as soon as VM2.0 launched, I wish I had not bothered as the amount of changes I had to make to get the site working was a joke, hopefully now with 2.0.4 the major issues have been solved but to my mind I feel that some remnant of the original migration to the (lets be honest, broken) VM2.0 has either left an issue somewhere - there is not other reasonable explaination for this behaviour.

Could the module be trying to pull unpublished products? Resulting in a blank space?
Could it be pulling non-existant products with the same result?

There is no other way I can see this happening, for the result of 6 across to be correct in all other formats but random products I feel that the code is falling down while pulling product information, obviously I would like some DEV input if possible as this is a major annoyance and one I have tried working through now for months with no resolution. If any other users are getting similar issues I would be keen to hear them and what you have tried to do to fix them.

3 images below show:

6 random products - displaying correctly
3 random products - see below
2 random products - this should NOT be happening

source code from the 2 product module

Code Select Expand

<section id="top-b" class="grid-block"><div class="grid-box width100 grid-h"><div class="module mod-box deepest">

<h3 class="module-title">VM - Featured products</h3> <div class="vmgroup">

<div class="vmproduct">
<div class=" width16 floatleft"><div class="spacer">
<a href="/component/virtuemart/frags-sps-branching/turquoise-bottlebrush-item?Itemid=0" title="Turquoise bottlebrush"><img src="/images/stories/virtuemart/product/resized/Turquoise_bottle_4c1ca75f6a374_130x130.jpg" alt="Turquoise_bottle_4c1ca75f6a374.jpg" class="featuredProductImage" border="0" /></a><div class="clear"></div> <a href="/component/virtuemart/frags-sps-branching/turquoise-bottlebrush-item?Itemid=0">Turquoise bottlebrush</a> <div class="clear"></div> </div></div>
<div class=" width16 floatleft"><div class="spacer">
<a href="/component/virtuemart/lps-colonies/lps-l6-item?Itemid=0" title="LPS L6"><img src="/images/stories/virtuemart/product/resized/l6  39.00_130x130.jpg" alt="LPS_L6_4deb70975cfd4.jpg" class="featuredProductImage" border="0" /></a><div class="clear"></div> <a href="/component/virtuemart/lps-colonies/lps-l6-item?Itemid=0">LPS L6</a> <div class="clear"></div> </div></div>
</div>
<br style='clear:both;' />

</div>
</div></div></section>

<div id="main" class="grid-block">

<div id="maininner" class="grid-box">


<section id="innertop1" class="grid-block"><div class="grid-box width100 grid-h"><div class="module mod-black deepest">


<div style="text-align: center;" align="right"><a href="/shop/mini-maxi-anemones" title="mini maxi anemones are a small and vibrant new anemone that suits a reef system perfectly"><img src="/images/minimaxi.png" border="0" width="375" height="200" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-width: 0px;" /></a></div>

</div></div></section>

<section id="innertop2" class="grid-block"><div class="grid-box width50 grid-h"><div class="module mod-red deepest">


<div align="right"><a href="/shop/critters" title="clean up crew and reef critters are the perfect purchase for your system"><img src="/images/cleanup.png" border="0" alt="clean up crew and reef critters keep your system in tip top shape" width="375" height="200" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-width: 0px;" /></a></div>

</div></div><div class="grid-box width50 grid-h"><div class="module mod-green deepest">


<div align="right"><a href="/shop/ricordeas" title="florida ricordea corals available in many colours"><img src="/images/ricordeas.png" border="0" alt="florida ricordeas by mail we also sell yuma for those in the know" width="375" height="200" style="border-style: initial; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; border-width: 0px;" /></a></div>

</div></div></section>

cheers


[attachment cleanup by admin]

[bunglehaze]

ADDED Some interesting findings - module dev please read and respond ***

I am updating this as I got fed up of the random products showing incorrectly so I decided to use latest products in it's place.

Backstory ** I added a bunch of new items on the same day (50_ items to be more accurate) and the module displayed correctly, two of the latest products sold and subsequently I am back (again) with a module that WILL NOT display the correct number of products again, only 4 are showing out of 6. **

Having delved a little further I  think I have figured the problem and would like very much for the module dev to take a look over my findings to see if this can be fixed for future modules (and possibly how to sort this out now)

The products that sold have been bought and paid for, they are showing as 1 in stock and 1 booked, ordered products  - I assume that once an order is shipped the booked product then reverts to zero and in stock levels do the same.

When the product shows as in stock it displays the correct number of products, when the product is also booked the module still allocates the position in the module but leaves the product area blank (because being booked, it is not a valid product essentially), if I then put the stock to zero and booked to zero the module picks up another 2 of the latest products to replace them and displays the correct amount - as it should!

What needs to be put in is a function to ignore any products that are in booked from the module display, when I have the products module set to random products and it is showing a few less than I set in the config, my guess is that somehow, older products that have been booked and not put back into stock are being called up, the place in the module shows them as blank but in effect IS showing the correct amount.

[sveibern]

I have the same problem. I want to show 6 products, but sometimes I get 5, and sometimes 6.

[bunglehaze]

Sveiburn, have you tried setting the module in the way I mention? If you can get the same result making the changes I did it would confirm my suspicions. I sent an email yesterday to Milbo asking him to pop into this thread for a look, heres hoping he reads it and decides to have a look.