How to import products with variations in Shopware 6

I'm trying to import products from an XML with variations. The import for the products works so far but it doesn't create the variations.

Here is my code (simplified):

    /**
     * @return int
     * @throws \Exception
     */
    public function execute()
    {
        // avoid reaching memory limit
        ini_set('memory_limit', '-1');

        // set tax id
        $this->setTaxId();
        if (empty($this->taxId)) {
            return 1;
        }

        // read products from import xml file
        $importProducts = $this->loadProducts();
        $csvBatch = array_chunk($importProducts, self::BATCH);
        $productNumbers = [];

        foreach ($csvBatch as $products) {
            $productNumbers[] = $this->processImportProducts($products, false);
        }

        $this->deleteProducts(array_merge(...$productNumbers));

        return 0;
    }

    /**
     * @param $productsData
     * @param $progressBar
     * @return array
     */
    private function processImportProducts($productsData, $progressBar)
    {
        $products = [];
        $productNumbers = [];

        foreach ($productsData as $product) {
            $products[$product['SKU']['@cdata']] = $this->importProducts($product, $progressBar);
            $productNumbers[] = $product['SKU']['@cdata'];
        }


        // upsert product
        try {
            $this->cleanProductProperties($products, $this->context);
            $this->productRepository->upsert(array_values($products), $this->context);
        } catch (WriteException $exception) {
            $this->logger->info(' ');
            $this->logger->info('<error>Products could not be imported. Message: '. $exception->getMessage() .'</error>');
        }
        unset($products);

        return $productNumbers;
    }

    /**
     * @param $product
     * @param $progressBar
     * @return array
     */
    private function importProducts($product, $progressBar)
    {
         ...

         $productData = [
            'id' => $productId,
            'productNumber' => $productNumber,
            'price' => [
                [
                    'currencyId' => Defaults::CURRENCY,
                    'net' => !empty($product['net']) ? $product['net'] : 0,
                    'gross' => !empty($product['net']) ? $product['net'] : 0,
                    'linked' => true
                ]
            ],
            'stock' => 99999,
            'unit' => [
                'id' => '3fff95a8077b4f5ba3d1d2a41cb53fab'
            ],
            'unitId' => '3fff95a8077b4f5ba3d1d2a41cb53fab',
            'taxId' => $this->taxId,
            'name' => $productNames,
            'description' => $productDescriptions
        ];

        if(isset($product['Variations'])) {
            $variationIds = $product['Variations']['@cdata'] ?? '';
            $productData['variation'] = [$this->getProductVariationIds($variationIds)];
        }

        return $productData;
    }

    /**
     * Get product variation ids
     *
     * @param string $productVariations
     * @return string
     */
    private function getProductVariationIds($productVariations)
    {
        $productVariationIds = explode(',', $productVariations);
        // get product variationIds in form of a string list
        $ids = $this->productRepository->search(
            (new Criteria())->addFilter(new EqualsAnyFilter('productNumber', $productVariationIds)),
            $this->context
        )->getIds();

        return implode(',', $ids);
    }

It loads correctly the ids but nothing happen. Also no error.

Anyone an idea how to import variations as well?

The variation field is not meant to be persisted or to create variants of a product. It has the Runtime flag, meaning it's not an actual database column but processed during runtime.

You have to create/update variants just like you create the parent product. Additionally you have to set the parentId and the options. The latter being associations to property_group_option, which you'll have to create first.

So in addition to your existing payload when creating parent products, you'll have to add this data to the variants:

$productData = [
    // ...
    'parentId' => '...',
    'options' => [
        ['id' => '...'],
        ['id' => '...'],
        ['id' => '...'],
        // ...
    ],
];

Finally you'll have to create the product_configurator_setting records. That's one record for each option used across all variants. Also the productId for the records has to be the one of the parent product.

$repository = $this->container->get('product_configurator_setting.repository');

$configuratorSettings = [];
foreach ($options as $option) {
    $configuratorSetting = [
        'optionId' => $option['id'],
        'productId' => $parentId,
    ];

    $criteria = new Criteria();
    $criteria->addFilter(new EqualsFilter('productId', $parentId));
    $criteria->addFilter(new EqualsFilter('optionId', $option['id']));

    $id = $repository->searchIds($criteria, $context)->firstId();

    // if the configurator setting already exists, update or skip
    if ($id) {
        $configuratorSetting['id'] = $id;
        // continue;
    }

    $configuratorSettings[] = $configuratorSetting;
}

$repository->upsert($configuratorSettings, $context);