I don't know if it's doable, but it would be a great contribution to consider attributes as node. But I don't like the idea to make it core because it's the way ecommerce choose and I like that ubercart choose another way.

I think for your case, the best choice is to use product kit ?

dolittle, I think you raise a fairly common issue for "combination sale" shops, but I don't think the solution is to change the attribute system. By very definition, the word "attribute" seems to describe a particular value or component on the product, not choosing other products from the catalog to add to a product. While attributes can be used to specify component parts of a whole, attributes should not turn into the way to allow customers to build a custom product kit (which is essentially what you're describing). There are other options that make more sense.

The main one is that of a new understanding of product relationships. Products right now may be stand alone or grouped to be sold together together in a kit by the administrator. There is nothing that lets someone piecemeal create a kit and add it to the cart or choose an add-on from the product catalog. We've tossed around the idea of accessories in the past, and that seems to be more like what you're describing. There's one core product (a computer system), and then the customer can choose to add a bunch of related products as accessories (LCD monitor instead of a CRT, wireless keyboard/mouse, etc.). This would have to start as a new module and perhaps build its way into core. It would take some work to figure out the best UI from the admin and customer sides.

I played a little with product kits to test out a possible solution for dolittle and came across some oddities.

1. Are product attribute price adjustments not used when products are added to a kit?
2. Is there a reason for not showing product attributes in the cart when the products are a part of a kit?
3. When I do add a kit containing products with attributes to a cart, then go back to that kit and add another one my cart gets mangled.

Are product kits not meant to contain products with attributes, is something botched with my install that is causing this, or is anyone else able to replicate these?

Dolittle, I could see your Computer example working as follows:

Product Kit: Computer
 Product: Screen (price 0)
   attribute: Screen Type
     option: No Screen
     option: 19 inch (+$250)
     option: 21 inch (+$400)
 Product: Video Card (price 0)
   attribute: Video Card Type
     option: No Video Card
     option: Video Card (+$100)

Not ideal, and like I said...I don't think attribute price adjustments are taken into account in product kits or displayed during checkout or maybe even saved at all, but I think it could work.

Looks like im in the same boat. Im gutted because i like the Ubercart module but ultimately this is what is going to make me switch to ecommerce.

Cant i edit the code so that i can add products (**that carry a value eg product1b=£5, in a drop down box similar to the way attributes are listed**), to another product (**that carries no value eg product1, £0**), then hide the price of any products that carry a value of £0.

Instead of:

PRODUCT 1
Price £0
\attribute 1 - +£5
\attribute 2 - +£10

I would like it to read:

PRODUCT 1

\Product1b - £5
\Product1c - £10

Is this possible?... or even making sense? lol

I could do that... its just not ideal, im going to stick to creating seperate products i think, thanks though.