Stack Exchange
Unable to create configurable product in Magento
I am struggling to create Configurable product using simple PHP script, I would appreciate if you can help me out, 
$sku_array = array(substr(sha1(mt_rand()), 0, 5),
                   substr(sha1(mt_rand()), 0, 5),
                   substr(sha1(mt_rand()), 0, 5),
                   substr(sha1(mt_rand()), 0, 5),
                   substr(sha1(mt_rand()), 0, 5),
                   substr(sha1(mt_rand()), 0, 5));
$color_array = array('Black','Blue','Green','Maroon','Navy','Red','White');
$size_array = array('S','M','L','XL','2XL');
$style_array = array('Men','Unisex','Women');
$price_array = array('8.90','9.00','12.30','14.25','15.99','11.30','4.45');
$associated_skus = array();

for($i=0; $i < 4; $i++) {
$productData = array(
    'categories'=> array(3),
    'name' => 'Name of product #' . ($i+1),
    'description' => 'Description of product #' . ($i+1),
    'short_description' => 'Short description of product #' . ($i+1),
    'websites' => array(1), // Id or code of website
    'status' => 1, // 1 = Enabled, 2 = Disabled
    'visibility' => 1, // 1 = Not visible, 2 = Catalog, 3 = Search, 4 = Catalog/Search
    'tax_class_id' => 0, // 0 None; 2: Taxable Good; 4: Shipping
    'weight' => 0,
    'stock_data' => array(
        'use_config_manage_stock' => 0,
        'manage_stock' => 0, // We do not manage stock, for example
        'qty' => '100',
        'is_in_stock' => 1
    ),
    'price' => array_rand(array_flip($price_array),1), // Same price than configurable product, no price change
    'additional_attributes' => array(
        'single_data' => array(
            array(
                'key'   => 'style',
                'value' => array_rand(array_flip($style_array),1), // Id or label of style, attribute that will be used to configure product    (Men,Unisex,Women)      
            ),
            array(
                'key'   => 'color',
                'value' => array_rand(array_flip($color_array),1), // Id or label of color, attribute that will be used to configure product
            ),
            array(
                'key'   => 'size',
                'value' => array_rand(array_flip($size_array),1), // Id or label of size, attribute that will be used to configure product
            ),
        ),
    ),
);

// Creation of simple products
$proxy->catalogProductCreate($sessionId, 'simple', '9', 'SKU-' . $sku_array[$i], $productData);
$associated_skus[] =  'SKU-' . $sku_array[$i];

}

echo "<pre>";
echo "Ass Products";
print_r($associated_skus);
echo "<br />";


/**
 * Configurable product
 */
$productData = array(
    'categories'=> array(3),
    'name' => 'Configurable product',
    'description' => 'Description of configurable product',
    'short_description' => 'Short description of configurable product',
    'websites' => array(1), // Id or code of website
    'status' => 1, // 1 = Enabled, 2 = Disabled
    'visibility' => 4, // 1 = Not visible, 2 = Catalog, 3 = Search, 4 = Catalog/Search
    'tax_class_id' => 2, // Default VAT
    'weight' => 0,
    'stock_data' => array(
        'use_config_manage_stock' => 0,
        'manage_stock' => 0, // We do not manage stock, for example
    ),
    'price' => 9.90,
    'associated_skus' => array($associated_skus), // Simple products to associate
    'price_changes' => array(),
);

$result = $proxy->catalogProductCreate($sessionId, 'configurable', '9', 'SKU-' . $sku_array[5], $productData);
echo "<pre>";
print_r($result);

Basically; simple products including configurable product is visible in admin backend but on the front side it does not display the product, and when tried to edit Configurable product skus of associated product also missing. 

Default Magento API does not allow to associate products to configurable products. You can customize the API to achieve this. Follow this blog - http://www.bubblecode.net/en/2012/04/20/magento-api-associate-simple-products-to-configurable-or-grouped-product/
If you do not wish to download the plugin, then simply refer the code from below files and update your API accordingly. 
associateProducts() - https://github.com/jreinke/magento-improve-api/blob/master/app/code/community/Bubble/Api/Helper/Catalog/Product.php
_prepareDataForSave() - https:// github.com/jreinke/magento-improve-api/blob/master/app/code/community/Bubble/Api/Model/Catalog/Product/Api.php
Hope this helps.
