Magento 1.9.1 not sorting Configurable product attributes dropdown by position

Question

Fresh install of Magento 1.9.1.

Magento is ignoring the attribute position set in Catalogue->Attributes->Manage Attributes->Manage Labels/Options for a configurable prod

Answer 1

Override the attribute collection and add the code changes as below. This will rectify the sort problem and also, the problem of loading of high options values. "The usort is giving problem in the prices, so commented out"

count()) {
            $pricings = array(
                0 => array()
            );

            if ($this->getHelper()->isPriceGlobal()) {
                $websiteId = 0;
            } else {
                $websiteId = (int)Mage::app()->getStore($this->getStoreId())->getWebsiteId();
                $pricing[$websiteId] = array();
            }

            $select = $this->getConnection()->select()
                ->from(array('price' => $this->_priceTable))
                ->where('price.product_super_attribute_id IN (?)', array_keys($this->_items));

            if ($websiteId > 0) {
                $select->where('price.website_id IN(?)', array(0, $websiteId));
            } else {
                $select->where('price.website_id = ?', 0);
            }

            $query = $this->getConnection()->query($select);

            while ($row = $query->fetch()) {
                $pricings[(int)$row['website_id']][] = $row;
            }

            $values = array();

            //custom codes
            if (!Mage::app()->getStore()->isAdmin() && isset(self::$_pricings[$this->getProduct()->getId()])) {
                $values = self::$_pricings[$this->getProduct()->getId()];

            } else {//custom codes
                foreach ($this->_items as $item) {
                    $productAttribute = $item->getProductAttribute();
                    if (!($productAttribute instanceof Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Attribute_Abstract)) {
                        continue;
                    }
                    $options = $productAttribute->getFrontend()->getSelectOptions();

                    $optionsByValue = array();
                    $sortOrders = array(); //custom codes
                    $sortOrder = 1; //custom codes
                    foreach ($options as $option) {
                        $optionsByValue[$option['value']] = $option['label'];
                        $sortOrders[$option['value']] = $sortOrder++; //custom codes
                    }

                    foreach ($this->getProduct()->getTypeInstance(true)
                                 ->getUsedProducts(array($productAttribute->getAttributeCode()), $this->getProduct())
                             as $associatedProduct) {

                        $optionValue = $associatedProduct->getData($productAttribute->getAttributeCode());

                        if (array_key_exists($optionValue, $optionsByValue)) {
                            // If option available in associated product
                            if (!isset($values[$item->getId() . ':' . $optionValue])) {
                                // If option not added, we will add it.
                                $values[$item->getId() . ':' . $optionValue] = array(
                                    'product_super_attribute_id' => $item->getId(),
                                    'value_index'                => $optionValue,
                                    'label'                      => $optionsByValue[$optionValue],
                                    'default_label'              => $optionsByValue[$optionValue],
                                    'store_label'                => $optionsByValue[$optionValue],
                                    'is_percent'                 => 0,
                                    'pricing_value'              => null,
                                    'use_default_value'          => true,
                                    'sort_order'                 => $sortOrders[$optionValue] //custom codes
                                );
                            }
                        }
                    }
                }

                //custom codes
                self::$_pricings[$this->getProduct()->getId()] = $values;
                /**usort($values, function($a, $b) {
                    return $a['sort_order'] > $b['sort_order'];
                });**/
            }

            foreach ($pricings[0] as $pricing) {
                // Affffding pricing to options
                $valueKey = $pricing['product_super_attribute_id'] . ':' . $pricing['value_index'];
                if (isset($values[$valueKey])) {
                    $values[$valueKey]['pricing_value']     = $pricing['pricing_value'];
                    $values[$valueKey]['is_percent']        = $pricing['is_percent'];
                    $values[$valueKey]['value_id']          = $pricing['value_id'];
                    $values[$valueKey]['use_default_value'] = true;
                }
            }

            if ($websiteId && isset($pricings[$websiteId])) {
                foreach ($pricings[$websiteId] as $pricing) {
                    $valueKey = $pricing['product_super_attribute_id'] . ':' . $pricing['value_index'];
                    if (isset($values[$valueKey])) {
                        $values[$valueKey]['pricing_value']     = $pricing['pricing_value'];
                        $values[$valueKey]['is_percent']        = $pricing['is_percent'];
                        $values[$valueKey]['value_id']          = $pricing['value_id'];
                        $values[$valueKey]['use_default_value'] = false;
                    }
                }
            }

            foreach ($values as $data) {
                $this->getItemById($data['product_super_attribute_id'])->addPrice($data);
            }
        }
        return $this;
    }

}

override the class Mage_Catalog_Block_Product_View_Type_Configurable check for the function public function getJsonConfig() change $prices = $attribute->getPrices(); to $prices = $this->_sortPrices($attribute->getPrices()); The function is as below

public function _sortPrices($prices) {
    $sort_orders = array();
    $sorted_prices = array();
    foreach($prices as $key => $value) {
        $sort_orders[$key] = $value['sort_order'];
    }
    asort($sort_orders);

    foreach($sort_orders as $key => $value) {
        $sorted_prices[] = $prices[$key];
    }
    return $sorted_prices;
}