Tutorial: Extending an SOI service with UserData

Customizing Web 2.0 and Web services to support customization of the OrderItem noun by using the UserData field.

This tutorial shows you the steps that are involved in extending the OrderItem noun of the Web services architecture to include new information. UserData is used to transfer the new Order information from the example Web 2.0 store to WebSphere Commerce where it persists to the database. In this tutorial, you customize the shopping flow to allow the customer the ability to track engraving information for an Order Item. After this customization, a customer can view the options in their shopping cart for any items that can be engraved. For example, wine glasses can have the options for the text to be engraved and have options for the size and font of that text.

Learning objectives

After you complete this tutorial, you should be able to complete the following tasks:
  • Extend nouns by using the UserData field to include new information.
  • Use UserData to transfer information where it persists to the database.
  • Add support for personalizing products

Time required

Expect this work flow to take about 4 hours to complete.

Skill level

This tutorial is intended for advanced WebSphere Commerce Store developers who are responsible for creating new business logic.

Before you begin this tutorial, ensure that you are familiar with the following concepts and tasks:
  • WebSphere Commerce Developer
  • An understanding of the Java programming language.
  • A basic understanding of the database type that is used in your WebSphere Commerce development environment.
  • A basic understanding of JSP pages.
  • A basic understanding of EJB beans.
  • A basic understanding of access beans.
  • A basic understanding of XML.

System requirements

Before you begin this tutorial, ensure that you have: