How to Add a Size Dropdown Variant to Shopify's Dawn Theme

Let me take you on a little journey. Picture this: it's a late Monday evening, and I've barricaded myself with a fresh mug of hot cocoa. The rain tippity-taps against the window, a constant reminder that I should hurry up just in case the power naps out. There's a particularly pesky bug in my Shopify store that's been gnawing at me for days. Yes, you guessed it—adding a size dropdown variant to the wondrous Dawn theme. Ever needed to accomplish the same? Let's turn this late-night quest into your personal Eureka moment!

Step One: Delve into the Mystical Realm of Shopify Admin

First things first. We need to set the stage here. Jump into your Shopify Admin—it's the control center of your entire operation, almost like the Batcave, but with fewer bats and more digital dashboard-y things. Head over to Products and find the product that craves the size dropdown variant. Open it as if you were opening a treasure chest in Zelda.

Here you'll see a section titled Variants. This is the sacred space where we get to define what options our beloved customers will choose from. Click on Add variant if your product doesn’t have any yet, or select an existing variant if you’re adding sizes to it.

Now, you'll see an option to enter different sizes under the Option values. Write each size your product comes in—small, medium, large—whatever floats your boat.

Step Two: Unleash the Power of Metafields

Now, if you're like me, the word 'metafield' probably makes your hair stand on end, but trust me on this one—it’s not as terrifying as it sounds. Think of metafields as those secret compartments in an old walnut wardrobe, storing all the extra information you didn't know you needed.

Navigate to Settings in your Shopify Admin, then select Custom data followed by Metafields. Here, we’re setting up a metafield definition. Click on Add definition and give it a meaningful name, like “Size Options” because who doesn't love clear labeling? Choose Variants as the content type.

Before we get lost in the depths of complexity, let's keep it light. We just need to select Single line text as the metafield type. Save your definitions and you're halfway there!

Step Three: Taming the Code in Dawn

Ah, the promise of HTML and CSS—our trusted allies. After a sip of cocoa and possibly a quick rain dance for inspiration, we embark onto Dawn’s codebase. In Shopify Admin, head to Online Store > Themes, find Dawn, and click Edit code.

You'll find yourself amidst a sea of files, but we’re looking for the product-form.liquid file inside the Sections folder. Imagine it’s that one scarf that you can never find in your closet; there it is, just waiting to be discovered.

Search for the existing size code, or wherever you want to insert your size options. You’ll likely find a select option code block—let's plug our metafield into it. Here's where you add a little magical piece of code like this:

{% for option in product.options %}
  {% if option.name == 'Size' %}
    <label for="{{ option.name }}">{{ option.name }}</label>
    <select id="{{ option.name }}" name="size" class="product-size-dropdown">
      {% for value in option.values %}
        <option value="{{ value }}">{{ value }}</option>
      {% endfor %}
    </select>
  {% endif %}
{% endfor %}

This code effectively lays the groundwork for a proper size dropdown to flourish on your site. It checks for size options and creates an HTML dropdown.

Celebrate with a Pas de Deux of Testing and Tweaking

Don’t forget, dear readers, after you wrestle with code and configure everything, indulging in a victory lap around the room isn’t just recommended—it’s imperative. Refresh your store page, and admire the newly minted size dropdown variant.

But wait! Testing is the knightly shield safeguarding us from user errors. Try playing with your storefront, and ensure the dropdown behaves as it should.

Reflect and Revel in the Now

There you have it, an evening gone well with warm cocoa and cold rain, turning a pesky problem into nothing more than a mere digital hiccup. As the rain subsides and you bask in triumphant glory, remember, these are the small victories we weave into the tapestries of our lives—or online stores, at the very least. Now go forth and customize your Shopify universe with newfound confidence, all while chuckling at the quirky journey you’ve just taken.