Problems with saving new product (stock, price)

Question

I'm creating a new product like this:

$item = array(...);    // associative array has attribute values
$product = Mage::getModel('catalog/product');
$product->setTypeId('simple');
$product->setSku($item['sku']);
$product->setName($item['name']);
$product->setPrice($item['price']);
$product->setStatus($item['status']);
etc...
$this->updateStock(product->getId(), $item['quantity']);
$product->save();

....

public function updateStock($id, $qty)
{
    $stockItem = Mage::getModel('cataloginventory/stock_item')->loadByProduct($id);

    $stockItem->setData('is_in_stock', 1);
    $stockItem->setData('manage_stock', 1);   // tried a couple of variants like 'inventory_manage_stock'
    $stockItem->setData('qty', $qty);
    $stockItem->save();
}

I'm having some problems:

1. [SOLVED] Price doesn't get inserted the first time save() is called. If I run this code again (with $product = Mage::getModel('catalog/product')->loadByAttribute('sku', $item['sku'])), price get set around the second time. (SOLVED: I didn't set the product type. Code updated)

2. [SOLVED]Regarding stock.. I can't get the Use Config Settings checkboxes to be checked (by default it is when item is created in admin) in the Inventory tab in the admin when a new product is created.

Upon investigating the database, when I save the product initially, the corresponding row in cataloginventory_stock_item is not created. So, it looked like I needed to initialize it somehow before the initial product save. I have solves this issue, and I will update the answer later.

1. [SOLVED]I tried to remedy problem 2 by setting the manage_stock to true, but I can't even set "Manage Stock" to "Yes". updateStock() works for products that are already existing.

How can I solve these issues?

Answer 1

Creating a new product will not generate product->id that you are passing in updateStock Method so that is why updateStock is working only for existing products.

I would suggest to check

$product = Mage::getModel('catalog/product');
    $product->load(18); //18 is my existing product id
    echo '<pre>';
    print_r($product->getData());
    exit;

This will give you idea about data associated to product.

Recently, I have created a method that is used to create product. Please review it.

public function createProduct($categories = array(3),$productName,$sku,$price=0,$productDescription,$productShortDescription,$status,$visibility,$attributeSet,$taxClass,$qty,$stock,$websites = array(1),$productImage='',$productMetaTitle,$productMetaKeyword,$productMetaDescription) {             

    $product = new Mage_Catalog_Model_Product();        
    // Build the product
    $prod = array(); 
    $prod['sku'] = $sku;
    $prod['attribute_set_id'] = $attributeSet;
    $prod['type_id'] = 'simple';
    $prod['category_ids'] = $categories;
    $prod['website_ids'] = $websites;
    $prod['name'] = $productName;
    $prod['description'] = $productDescription;
    $prod['short_description'] = $productShortDescription;
    $prod['weight'] = '1';
    $prod['status'] = $status;
    $prod['url_key'] = Mage::getModel('catalog/product_url')->formatUrlKey($productName);
    $prod['url_path'] = Mage::getModel('catalog/product_url')->formatUrlKey($productName); //TO-DO :: find correct method
    $prod['visibility'] = $visibility;
    $prod['price'] = $price;
    $prod['tax_class_id'] = $taxClass;
    $prod['meta_title'] = $productMetaTitle;
    $prod['meta_keyword'] = $productMetaKeyword;
    $prod['meta_description'] = $productMetaDescription;
    $product->setData($prod);
    $product->setStockData(array( 
        'is_in_stock' => $stock, 
        'qty' => $qty,
                'manage_stock' => 1
    ));
    if($productImage) {
        Mage::app()->getStore()->setId(Mage_Core_Model_App::ADMIN_STORE_ID);
        $product->setMediaGallery (array('images'=>array (), 'values'=>array ()));
        $product->addImageToMediaGallery($productImage,array('image','small_image','thumbnail'),false,false);
    }
    try {
        $product->save();           
        return $product->getId();
    }
    catch (Exception $e){
        echo $e->getMessage();
    }               
}

Hope above method helps you.

Also if you set manage stock from System->Configuration->Catalog->Inventory->Product Stock Options to Yes, then you don't need to pass manage_stock in above method. Product will be automatically created with manage stock set to yes.