A recent discussion in the Business Bloomer Club centered around displaying WooCommerce product variations in a table format for easier quantity selection.
The goal was to replicate a specific “table view” for selecting product quantities rather than the default dropdown menu. While some plugins offer this table-style selection on single product pages, the request here was to have a similar interface on the product category page as well.
Here’s a look at possible solutions and plugins to achieve this setup.
Solution 1: WooCommerce Bulk Variations Plugin
One recommended option is the WooCommerce Bulk Variations Plugin by Barn2. This plugin is designed to display variations in a table layout, allowing customers to easily select quantities across different options. While it’s typically used on single product pages, it can be extended to display in a similar format on product category pages.
Key Features
- Table View for Variations: Displays product variations in a table format, making quantity selection straightforward.
- Configurable for Category Pages: With minor customization, you can adapt the plugin to show the table layout at the category level.
Solution 2: Custom Code for Basic Table View
For a simpler setup or for sites with a single attribute variation (e.g., sizes only), creating a custom loop with PHP can dynamically output a table for quantity selection. Here’s an outline of how to approach this:
- Fetch Variations: Use a custom loop in WooCommerce to fetch each product variation based on the selected attribute.
- Table Layout: Format the fetched variations into a table layout using HTML and CSS.
- AJAX Add to Cart: Integrate AJAX to allow quantity selections to be added to the cart without reloading the page.
This custom approach allows flexibility, though it may require modifying WooCommerce’s add-to-cart functionality to align with AJAX and ensure it works seamlessly in a table format.
Additional Considerations
Displaying on Product Category Pages
To make the table view work on category pages, ensure that the plugin or custom code supports the WooCommerce shop loop. You may need additional functions or custom hooks to inject the table layout for variations into category templates.
Alternatives
For projects on a tight budget, plugins like WooCommerce Product Table or other bulk ordering plugins may also offer a simpler solution.
Conclusion
Achieving a variation table view on WooCommerce can significantly improve the shopping experience, especially when dealing with numerous product options. Using a dedicated plugin like WooCommerce Bulk Variations or custom code allows for control over where and how the table view is displayed.
