Magento 1.9.1 not sorting Configurable product attributes dropdown by position

Notice: The solution laid out here extends a block class file in Magento's core library. I reviewed Magento's source code prior to this approach and determined that there was not a good event to observe to avoid this approach. If in a future version of Magento this sorting issue is resolved, you may undo these changes below simply by disabling the extension in it's app/etc/modules XML file.

Step 1: create the file app/etc/modules/FirstScribe_CatalogOptionSortFix.xml

Contents:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config>
    <modules>
        <FirstScribe_CatalogOptionSortFix>
            <active>true</active>
            <codePool>local</codePool>
            <depends>
                <Mage_Catalog />
            </depends>
        </FirstScribe_CatalogOptionSortFix>
    </modules>
</config>

Note: For step 2 and 3, create directories for these files as necessary. For example, you may already have the directory app/code/local, or you may not, depending on what extensions you have already installed on your site.

Step 2: Create the file app/code/local/FirstScribe/CatalogOptionSortFix/etc/config.xml

Contents:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<!--
/**
 * Magento 1.9.1.0 has a bug in that the configurable options are sorted by
 * ID rather than position for the Configurable Product's front end view script.
 * This extension addresses this problem.
 *
 * @category    FirstScribe
 * @package     FirstScribe_CatalogOptionSortFix
 * @version     2014.12.15
 */
-->
<config>
    <modules>
        <FirstScribe_CatalogOptionSortFix>
            <version>1.0.0</version>
        </FirstScribe_CatalogOptionSortFix>
    </modules>
    <global>
        <blocks>
            <catalog>
                <rewrite>
                    <product_view_type_configurable>FirstScribe_CatalogOptionSortFix_Block_Product_View_Type_Configurable</product_view_type_configurable>
                </rewrite>
            </catalog>
        </blocks>
    </global>
</config>

Step 3: Create the file app/code/local/FirstScribe/CatalogOptionSortFix/Block/Product/View/Type/Configurable.php

Contents:

<?php
/**
 * Magento 1.9.1.0 has a bug in that the configurable options are sorted by
 * ID rather than position for the Configurable Product's front end view script.
 * This extension addresses this problem.
 *
 * @category    FirstScribe
 * @package     FirstScribe_CatalogOptionSortFix
 * @version     2014.12.15
 */
class FirstScribe_CatalogOptionSortFix_Block_Product_View_Type_Configurable extends Mage_Catalog_Block_Product_View_Type_Configurable
{
    /**
     * @var Magento_Db_Adapter_Pdo_Mysql
     */
    protected $_read;

    /**
     * @var string
     */
    protected $_tbl_eav_attribute_option;

    /**
     * Composes configuration for js
     *
     * @version 2014.12.15 - Addition of this line:
     *    $info['options'] = $this->_sortOptions($info['options']);
     *
     * @return string
     */
    public function getJsonConfig()
    {
        $attributes = array();
        $options    = array();
        $store      = $this->getCurrentStore();
        $taxHelper  = Mage::helper('tax');
        $currentProduct = $this->getProduct();

        $preconfiguredFlag = $currentProduct->hasPreconfiguredValues();
        if ($preconfiguredFlag) {
            $preconfiguredValues = $currentProduct->getPreconfiguredValues();
            $defaultValues       = array();
        }

        foreach ($this->getAllowProducts() as $product) {
            $productId  = $product->getId();

            foreach ($this->getAllowAttributes() as $attribute) {
                $productAttribute   = $attribute->getProductAttribute();
                $productAttributeId = $productAttribute->getId();
                $attributeValue     = $product->getData($productAttribute->getAttributeCode());
                if (!isset($options[$productAttributeId])) {
                    $options[$productAttributeId] = array();
                }

                if (!isset($options[$productAttributeId][$attributeValue])) {
                    $options[$productAttributeId][$attributeValue] = array();
                }
                $options[$productAttributeId][$attributeValue][] = $productId;
            }
        }

        $this->_resPrices = array(
            $this->_preparePrice($currentProduct->getFinalPrice())
        );

        foreach ($this->getAllowAttributes() as $attribute) {
            $productAttribute = $attribute->getProductAttribute();
            $attributeId = $productAttribute->getId();
            $info = array(
                    'id'        => $productAttribute->getId(),
                    'code'      => $productAttribute->getAttributeCode(),
                    'label'     => $attribute->getLabel(),
                    'options'   => array()
            );

            $optionPrices = array();
            $prices = $attribute->getPrices();
            if (is_array($prices)) {
                foreach ($prices as $value) {
                    if(!$this->_validateAttributeValue($attributeId, $value, $options)) {
                        continue;
                    }
                    $currentProduct->setConfigurablePrice(
                            $this->_preparePrice($value['pricing_value'], $value['is_percent'])
                    );
                    $currentProduct->setParentId(true);
                    Mage::dispatchEvent(
                            'catalog_product_type_configurable_price',
                            array('product' => $currentProduct)
                    );
                    $configurablePrice = $currentProduct->getConfigurablePrice();

                    if (isset($options[$attributeId][$value['value_index']])) {
                        $productsIndex = $options[$attributeId][$value['value_index']];
                    } else {
                        $productsIndex = array();
                    }

                    $info['options'][] = array(
                            'id'        => $value['value_index'],
                            'label'     => $value['label'],
                            'price'     => $configurablePrice,
                            'oldPrice'  => $this->_prepareOldPrice($value['pricing_value'], $value['is_percent']),
                            'products'  => $productsIndex,
                    );
                    $optionPrices[] = $configurablePrice;
                }
            }

            // CALL SORT ORDER FIX
            $info['options'] = $this->_sortOptions($info['options']);

            /**
             * Prepare formated values for options choose
             */
            foreach ($optionPrices as $optionPrice) {
                foreach ($optionPrices as $additional) {
                    $this->_preparePrice(abs($additional-$optionPrice));
                }
            }
            if($this->_validateAttributeInfo($info)) {
                $attributes[$attributeId] = $info;
            }

            // Add attribute default value (if set)
            if ($preconfiguredFlag) {
                $configValue = $preconfiguredValues->getData('super_attribute/' . $attributeId);
                if ($configValue) {
                    $defaultValues[$attributeId] = $configValue;
                }
            }
        }

        $taxCalculation = Mage::getSingleton('tax/calculation');
        if (!$taxCalculation->getCustomer() && Mage::registry('current_customer')) {
            $taxCalculation->setCustomer(Mage::registry('current_customer'));
        }

        $_request = $taxCalculation->getDefaultRateRequest();
        $_request->setProductClassId($currentProduct->getTaxClassId());
        $defaultTax = $taxCalculation->getRate($_request);

        $_request = $taxCalculation->getRateRequest();
        $_request->setProductClassId($currentProduct->getTaxClassId());
        $currentTax = $taxCalculation->getRate($_request);

        $taxConfig = array(
                'includeTax'        => $taxHelper->priceIncludesTax(),
                'showIncludeTax'    => $taxHelper->displayPriceIncludingTax(),
                'showBothPrices'    => $taxHelper->displayBothPrices(),
                'defaultTax'        => $defaultTax,
                'currentTax'        => $currentTax,
                'inclTaxTitle'      => Mage::helper('catalog')->__('Incl. Tax')
        );

        $config = array(
                'attributes'        => $attributes,
                'template'          => str_replace('%s', '#{price}', $store->getCurrentCurrency()->getOutputFormat()),
                'basePrice'         => $this->_registerJsPrice($this->_convertPrice($currentProduct->getFinalPrice())),
                'oldPrice'          => $this->_registerJsPrice($this->_convertPrice($currentProduct->getPrice())),
                'productId'         => $currentProduct->getId(),
                'chooseText'        => Mage::helper('catalog')->__('Choose an Option...'),
                'taxConfig'         => $taxConfig
        );

        if ($preconfiguredFlag && !empty($defaultValues)) {
            $config['defaultValues'] = $defaultValues;
        }

        $config = array_merge($config, $this->_getAdditionalConfig());    

        return Mage::helper('core')->jsonEncode($config);
    }

    /**
     * Sort the options based off their position.
     *
     * @param array $options
     * @return array
     */
    protected function _sortOptions($options)
    {
        if (count($options)) {
            if (!$this->_read || !$this->_tbl_eav_attribute_option) {
                $resource = Mage::getSingleton('core/resource');

                $this->_read = $resource->getConnection('core_read');
                $this->_tbl_eav_attribute_option = $resource->getTableName('eav_attribute_option');
            }

            // Gather the option_id for all our current options
            $option_ids = array();
            foreach ($options as $option) {
                $option_ids[] = $option['id'];

                $var_name  = 'option_id_'.$option['id'];
                $$var_name = $option;
            }

            $sql    = "SELECT `option_id` FROM `{$this->_tbl_eav_attribute_option}` WHERE `option_id` IN('".implode('\',\'', $option_ids)."') ORDER BY `sort_order`";
            $result = $this->_read->fetchCol($sql);

            $options = array();
            foreach ($result as $option_id) {
                $var_name  = 'option_id_'.$option_id;
                $options[] = $$var_name;
            }
        }

        return $options;
    }
}

Step 4: If enabled, refresh Magento's "Configuration" cache type under System -> Cache Management of the admin panel.

Extension overview

  1. Extend the Mage_Catalog_Block_Product_View_Type_Configurable class.
  2. Add a method to sort options by their position value by pulling this info from the database.
  3. Rewrite the getJsonConfig method to call our new function after having gathered the options for an attribute.

The answer by Meogi works but is not the perfect answer as it will only sort the options on the frontend. Try creating an order from the admin panel for a configurable product. You will still get the incorrectly sorted attribute option list.

Instead, you can copy app/code/core/Mage/Catalog/Model/Resource/Product/Type/Configurable/Attribute/Collection.php to local folder app/code/local/Mage/Catalog/Model/Resource/Product/Type/Configurable/Attribute/Collection.php and apply this patch:

Index: app/code/local/Mage/Catalog/Model/Resource/Product/Type/Configurable/Attribute/Collection.php
===================================================================
--- app/code/local/Mage/Catalog/Model/Resource/Product/Type/Configurable/Attribute/Collection.php
+++ app/code/local/Mage/Catalog/Model/Resource/Product/Type/Configurable/Attribute/Collection.php
@@ -301,7 +301,28 @@
                     }
                 }
             }

+            /**
+             * Mage 1.9+ fix for configurable attribute options not sorting to position
+             * @author Harshit <[email protected]>
+             */
+            $sortOrder = 1;
+            foreach ($this->_items as $item) {
+                $productAttribute = $item->getProductAttribute();
+                if (!($productAttribute instanceof Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Attribute_Abstract)) {
+                    continue;
+                }
+                $options = $productAttribute->getFrontend()->getSelectOptions();
+                foreach ($options as $option) {
+                    if (!$option['value']) {
                         continue;
                     }

+                    if (isset($values[$item->getId() . ':' . $option['value']])) {
+                        $values[$item->getId() . ':' . $option['value']]['order'] = $sortOrder++;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            usort($values, function ($a, $b) {
+                return $a['order'] - $b['order'];
+            });
+            
             foreach ($values as $data) {
                 $this->getItemById($data['product_super_attribute_id'])->addPrice($data);
             }

If you are hesitant of copying across a core file to local folder then I can create a quick module, <rewrite> this Collection.php file and just override the _loadPrices() function and introduce this fix.