Supply categories
Manage your supply categories: start from a set of base 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 Cup liners…). In AreaCacao, categories are managed and yours: the module starts with a set of base categories to get you going, and from there you can rename them, delete them, or add your own.
Base categories
The first time you use the module, these base categories are seeded:
- Containers
- Labels
- Packaging
- Consumables
- Cup liners
- Tools
- Other
Base 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 (base 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.
Base 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.
For filters to group things well, be consistent: reuse an existing category from the picker instead of typing a new variant ("Boxes" and "boxes" are different if you create them separately).
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.