In this quick step guide we are going to follow basic steps to create a full-operating flow. We'll create the Bike advisor flow example.

1. Advisor Menu

If you click in advisor backend menu link you will enter the step chart to create a flow with questions, options and solutions.

First step: Create a flow.

Each flow is a full advisor with its questions, options and solutions. In order to create a flow you must configure the title, publish parameters, front page of the advisor, and the layout to show the options and the results. You can choose the number of columns and the width of the container for both layouts. You can also add a header and footer sections to the pdf export. We will name it 'Bike advisor' and create the front page with some introductory text.

Second step: Create the questions.


The questions to ask the user are built using default html editor. Define the text and/or images for the question, a title, and select which of the questions (steps) is the previous one. This way you will create a 'path' of questions that will be presented in order to the user.

NEW!: From version 0.2.1, you have available a new parameter for the step 'Precondition'. Place here any value of a previous option, and the flow will follow this path when that option is selected. It will follow according values or steps without precondition otherwise. Using this feature you can create dynamic flows with questions depending on previous answers, each path with different levels of questions before reaching the final results.


For our example we are going to create three questions (Gender, type of bycicle, and extra options) in order to get the advisor select which products are more suitable for the user.

Third step: Create the possible answers for each question

Each option has a description, a free content, and a value. The values will be used when building the solutions for the flow. Enter each question and add new options to choose from. We'll create two options for the question gender (male/female), 4 options for the question 'type of bycicle', and 4 more options for the last question, in order to choose filtered items)

Fourth step: Create products.

Now you must create all possible results for your flow. Each 'product' or result has free content, you can place here links to different parts of your site, images...anything you could build with your html editor.
NEW!: If you have already created your products using joomla articles, HikaShop or Virtuemart components, you can skip this configuration step, and create your solutions using your existing content.

We'll create a set of bycicles of different types, and we'll attach the products to the path of options followed by the user in the next step.

Fifth step: Solutions.

A solution is built with a condition, and a result. So, you can define product 1 will be shown as result if user answered option 1 to the first question AND option 3 to the second one....OR if answered option1 to the last question, regardeless of the other answers.
NEW!: You can select as solution any custom product created using advisor configuration, or any existing product from a joomla article, HikaShop or Virtuemart.


Conditions that have to match at the same time should be grouped at the same solution rule, for ex:>
BIKE1 will be shown if answer1 is 1 AND answer2 is 2 AND answer3 is 3...>
if you want to define alternate conditions for this product, you will define another solution rule for the same product, so these two rules:>
BIKE1 will be shown if answer1 is 1 AND answer2 is 2 AND answer3 is 3.>
BIKE1 will be shown if answer3 is 4>
define that if answer3 is 4, bike 1 will also be shown as result, because it matches rule 2.>
Once you have all products and solutions configured, you can publish your module.>
The module will ask you to configure standard parameters, to get the advisor placed at a specific position of your template, or write any custom position, which you could place inside an article using {loadposition xxx} function.>
You only need to select which flow should execute the module, and you're done.>
The advisor shows the front page of the flow, and a button to start the questions.




The resume will show previous responses to the questions. When all questions are finished, advisor will search which products match the rules according to the responses given, and it will show the results.

If you have selected for your solutions either hika shop or virtuemart products, you will also see an 'add to cart' button for hika shop and a button to access full specs for virtuemart and continue your shop checkout.

User will have available a pdf export link in order to download advisor results as a pdf file.

Tracking user input

Selecting 'Stats log' option from your backend, you will be able to check a bar graph showing number of times each option is selected, and also a log with all user inputs that will show you the paths followed by your users. You have available an option to export these data to a csv file that can allow you to build your own reports.