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Hi Adrian

There are 2 things to consider - missing image on a product - and a file send to getimage that does not exist. They are not the same.

Here’s the key difference:

Product “missing image”

• This happens when the product simply has no image assigned (e.g. image path is empty).

• In that case the template typically ends up generating a GetImage URL where image= is empty or no getimage call at all - depending on your solution.

• That’s not a “missing file” scenario — it’s “no source was provided”, because the product data contains no image value.

GetImage/ImageHandler “missing image”

• This happens when the request does contain an Image parameter, but the file it points to does not exist on disk.

• In ImageHandlerMiddleware, the flow is:

  1. Read Image and map it to a physical path

  2. If the file exists → use it

  3. If the file does not exist → then (and only then) read AlternativeImage and use that instead

So: AlternativeImage is not a “product has no image” fallback.
It is a “the provided Image path is broken / file missing” fallback.

In other words:

• Empty Image (product has no image) → the template must handle it (choose a placeholder, don’t output GetImage, etc.)

• Non-empty Image, but file missing → ImageHandler can fall back to AlternativeImage (or 404 depending on settings)

You can read the information from settings: "/Globalsettings/Ecom/Picture/NoPicture/Large"

Hi Nicolai,
Thank you for the detailed description.

I agree with the separation between no image and invalid image.
However, shouldn't Swift handle the missing image logic in the templates? And instead of using a hardcoded value (/Files/Images/nopic.png), read it from the settings? I assume AlternativeImage it is read from the config, right?
I have managed to eventually find the information about the default missing image, but in GlobalSettings.Ecom.config. I initially searched for it in the general config.

Thank you,

Adrian
 

AlternativeImage is not read from config - it is parameter only. We do not use it - and neither should we. In Swift 2 we use TryGetImage - which will return false if the image does not exist. AlternativeImage parameter is old world and only for bad data in a bad implementation.

The fallback in Swift templates is only used if configuration is not returning a missing image from config.

Hi Nicolai,

I understand. All I am saying is that Swift is using a hardcoded value in the template instead of reading it from a configuration. And this does not sound like a good idea as long as there is a configuration to use.
Don't you think?

Thank you,
Adrian

No, Swift (Dynamicweb) uses the configured no image setting if specified - and Swift then falls back if the configuration also do not return anything. 

The viewmodels will contain the no image from configuration if present. 

Well,
I have found 6 results in 3 files in the standard Swift distribution:

Adrian

Hi Adrian

You do not understand what I write :-). I know they are there - and they should be there...

It works like this:

• "Product image"
• "Missing image" setting (If product image is not set, this is used)
• Fallback image in template (If "missing image" is not set and the "Product image" is also not set, the fallback in the template is used.
   

I am sorry, now I get it :)

I apologize 🙏

Adrian

No problem ;-)