Supply categories
Manage your supply categories: start from a set of built-in categories and rename, delete, or create your own.
What they are
Categories group your supplies so you can filter and read them at a glance (all Containers, all Cups…). In AreaCacao, categories are managed and yours: the module starts with a set of built-in categories to get you going, and from there you can rename them, delete them, or add your own.
Built-in categories
The first time you use the module, it creates these built-in categories:
- Containers
- Labels
- Packaging
- Consumables
- Cups
- Tools
- Other
Built-in categories can be renamed but not deleted (they show a lock in the manager). Categories you create yourself are fully editable and deletable.
Where to manage them
There are two places to work with categories:
From the supply form (quick)
When you create or edit a supply, the Category field is a search-as-you-type picker: type to filter the list, select one, or use Create "…" to add a new category without leaving the form. The new category is available instantly for every other supply.
From "Manage categories" (full)
In the supplies catalog header, click Manage categories. A panel opens with all your categories, where you can:
- Rename any category (built-in or your own) inline.
- Delete your own categories. Supplies already using one keep their value — nothing breaks.
- Add a new category with the Add category button.
Built-in categories show a lock: you can rename them, but not delete them.
The category selector in the catalog's filter bar is fed by your managed categories, so any new category shows up as a filter as soon as you create it.
Compatibility with earlier values
If you already had supplies with a hand-typed (free-text) category before this improvement, they still display as-is: the category stored on each supply is preserved even if it doesn't exactly match a managed category. When you delete one of your own categories, the supplies that used it keep the stored name; that category simply stops being offered in the picker and filters.
The app won't let you create two categories with the same name, even if only the capitalization differs (it warns "A category with that name already exists"). Even so, for the filters to group things properly, be consistent: reuse an existing category from the picker instead of typing a variant ("Box" and "Boxes" would be two different categories).
Next steps
Supplies catalog
The /supplies screen: search, category and supplier filters, creating supplies, custom fields, CSV import/export, and cost history.
Supplies in a recipe
How to add supplies to a recipe from the Supplies tab of the components catalog and choose between per-unit or per-batch quantity, with a worked example.