Mryntu

In my Magento ce 1.9.2.1 website, I have created many product custom attributes by setup-upgrade scripts like below:

<?php
$installer = new Mage_Eav_Model_Entity_Setup('core_setup');

$installer->startSetup();

$installer->addAttributeGroup('catalog_product', 'Business Directory', 'Business Directory', 1000);

$attribute_set_id = $installer->getAttributeSetId('catalog_product', 'Business Directory');

$attribute_group_id = $installer->getAttributeGroupId('catalog_product', $attribute_set_id, 'Business Directory');

$installer->addAttribute('catalog_product', 'city', array(
 'label' => 'City',
 'type' => 'varchar',
 'attribute_set' => 'Business Directory',
 'input' => 'select',
 'default' => '',
 'backend' => 'eav/entity_attribute_backend_array',
 'frontend' => '',
 'source' => '',
 'global' => Mage_Catalog_Model_Resource_Eav_Attribute::SCOPE_STORE,
 'visible' => true,
 'required' => false,
 'user_defined' => true,
 'searchable' => false,
 'filterable' => '1',
 'comparable' => false,
 'visible_on_front' => false,
 'visible_in_advanced_search' => false,
 'unique' => false,
 'option' => array (
 0 => array("Please Select City...")
 ),
));

$installer->updateAttribute('catalog_product', 'city', 'is_filterable', 1);

$attribute_id = $installer->getAttributeId('catalog_product', 'city');

$installer->addAttributeToSet($entityTypeId = 'catalog_product', $attribute_set_id, $attribute_group_id, $attribute_id);

$installer->addAttribute('catalog_product', 'postcode', array(
 'label' => 'Postcode',
 'type' => 'varchar',
 'attribute_set' => 'Business Directory',
 'input' => 'select',
 'default' => '',
 'backend' => 'eav/entity_attribute_backend_array',
 'frontend' => '',
 'source' => '',
 'global' => Mage_Catalog_Model_Resource_Eav_Attribute::SCOPE_STORE,
 'visible' => true,
 'required' => false,
 'user_defined' => true,
 'searchable' => false,
 'filterable' => '1',
 'comparable' => false,
 'visible_on_front' => false,
 'visible_in_advanced_search' => false,
 'unique' => false,
 'option' => array (
 0 => array("Please Select Postcode...")
 ),
));

$installer->updateAttribute('catalog_product', 'postcode', 'is_filterable', 1);

$attribute_id = $installer->getAttributeId('catalog_product', 'postcode');

$installer->addAttributeToSet($entityTypeId = 'catalog_product', $attribute_set_id, $attribute_group_id, $attribute_id);

$installer->endSetup();

unset($installer);

As you can see, both the attributes are select(dropdown) and both have no values initially when they are created(this is my custom key criteria, empty attributes dropdown only).

But when I populate them programmatically from frontend form, their values doesn't show up in Admin >> Catalog >> Attributes in their forms. They still show no options in admin, why ?

Replace

'option' => array (
 0 => array("Please Select City...")
),

to

'option' => array (
 'values' => array(
 0 => array("Please Select City...")
 )
),

You have to assign product attribute in group

$setup->addAttribute('catalog_product', "price_status", array(
'group' => 'Group Name', //you can also use "General"
'type' => 'int',
'input' => 'select',
'label' => 'Allow check price ?',
'visible' => 1, 
'sort_order' => 10,
'visible' => 1,
'required' => 0,
'user_defined' => 1,
'searchable' => 0,
'filterable' => 0,
'comparable' => 0,
'visible_on_front' => 0,
'visible_in_advanced_search' => 0,
'is_html_allowed_on_front' => 0,
'is_configurable' => 1,
'global' => Mage_Catalog_Model_Resource_Eav_Attribute::SCOPE_STORE,
'backend' => 'eav/entity_attribute_backend_array',
'option' => array (
 'values' => array(
 0 => 'No',
 1 => 'Yes',
 )
),

May be it will help you.