Changelog – October 20, 2025

🎯 Blank Category Assignment Feature Implementation

Overview

Implemented the ability to assign blank categories to products instead of individual styles, allowing for more flexible inventory management and automatic SKU creation across multiple interchangeable styles.

🚀 New Features

Product Details – Blank Category Assignment

• Added category selection UI in product details page
• Toggle between Individual Styles and Blank Category modes
• Category dropdown with live preview of styles in selected category
• Automatic SKU creation for all styles in assigned category
• Preference ranking display showing which style is default

UI Components

• Radio button toggle for choosing between individual styles vs category
• Category selector dropdown with style preview
• Real-time style display showing brand, name, and preference ranking
• Visual feedback for current assignment mode

🔧 Technical Implementation

Database & API Integration

• Leveraged existing /api/products/[id]/assign-category endpoint
• Automatic variant_sku creation for all styles in category
• Priority-based SKU assignment using preference rankings
• Default style marking for highest preference (rank 1)

Form State Management

• Added blank_category_id to form schema and validation
• Local state management for UI mode switching
• Form change detection including category assignments
• Mutual exclusivity between individual styles and categories

Type System Updates

• Enhanced MamaTriedProduct interface with blank_category_id field
• Added BlankCategory import for type safety
• Form validation for category assignment

📊 Data Flow

Category Assignment Process

1. User selects “Blank Category” mode
2. Chooses category from dropdown
3. System displays all styles in category with preference rankings
4. On save, calls assign-category API
5. Creates variant_skus for all styles based on size/color combinations
6. Sets priority and default based on preference rankings

SKU Management

• For each variant (size + color): Creates one variant_sku per style in category
• Example: 8 sizes × 1 color × 2 styles = 16 variant_sku records
• Priority matching: Uses preference_rank from category_styles table
• Default assignment: Highest preference (rank 1) marked as default

🎨 User Experience

Visual Design

• Clean toggle interface with clear mode indicators
• Category preview showing all styles with rankings
• Real-time feedback on form changes
• Consistent styling with existing product details form

Workflow Integration

• Seamless switching between individual styles and categories
• Preserved existing functionality for individual style management
• Clear visual indicators for current assignment mode
• Form validation prevents conflicting assignments

🔍 Files Modified

Core Implementation

• src/types/mama-tried.ts – Added blank_category_id to product interface
• src/components/products/product-sections/product-details.tsx – Main UI implementation

Key Changes

• Form schema updates with blank_category_id field
• React Query integration for fetching categories
• Local state management for UI mode switching
• Form submission logic with category assignment API calls
• Conditional rendering based on assignment mode

🧪 Testing & Validation

Functionality Verified

• ✅ Button interactions working correctly
• ✅ Category selection displaying proper styles
• ✅ Form state updates reflecting user choices
• ✅ Style display showing brand, name, and preference rankings
• ✅ Mode switching between individual and category

Data Integrity

• ✅ Category data loading with style relationships
• ✅ Preference rankings displaying correctly
• ✅ Form validation preventing invalid states
• ✅ API integration ready for category assignment

🚧 Current Status

Completed

• ✅ UI implementation with toggle buttons
• ✅ Category selection and display
• ✅ Style preview with preference rankings
• ✅ Form state management
• ✅ Type system integration

In Progress

• 🔄 Persistence testing – Category assignments not persisting after save
• 🔄 API debugging – Investigating category assignment API calls
• 🔄 Form submission – Ensuring proper data flow to backend

🎯 Next Steps

Immediate Tasks

1. Debug persistence issue – Category assignments not saving
2. Verify API integration – Ensure assign-category endpoint is called
3. Test end-to-end flow – Complete category assignment workflow
4. Remove debug code – Clean up temporary debugging elements

Future Enhancements

• Bulk category assignment for multiple products
• Category inventory dashboard for monitoring
• Dynamic style updates when categories change
• Advanced preference management for style selection

📝 Notes

Technical Decisions

• Used local state instead of form.watch() for better UI responsiveness
• Maintained backward compatibility with existing individual styles
• Leveraged existing API rather than creating new endpoints
• Preserved form validation and change detection

User Impact

• No breaking changes to existing workflows
• Enhanced flexibility for inventory management
• Simplified SKU management for interchangeable styles
• Better scalability for products with multiple style options