Currently when a child product is added as a variant to a master product, the in-stock value of the child product record is no longer used. The variant record has an in-stock value and that is used from then on. Same for the stock warning value.
But the product screen for that child product still shows an in-stock quantity field. And worse, the admin has no visual way of knowing that the product is a child variant to a master product and its instock values should be ignored. Technically, that child product now has a stored in-stock value in two completely different AC7 tables.
I think that's going to lead to some real confusion when people go to update stock quantities. Both for programmers and non-programmers alike.
I don't see the advantage of having the stock values stored in the variant record. Perhaps there is more back-end code which was made less complex because of this design. It would seem easier to just pull the stock quantity value from the existing child product instock field.
From a progrmmers standpoint, my job just got harder. My update routines that electronically synchronize product quantities with the distributor now have to scan two tables instead of one. Once through the ac_products table for all non-variant products, and another through the ac_productvariants to update variant child quantities.
Guess everything has to have a tradeoff somewhere
