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User Guide
The information contained in this section applies to IBM WebSphere Commerce Version 7.0.0.9 and Feautre Pack 8. The documentation also applies to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in new editions.
Developing
The topics in the Developing section describe tasks performed by an application developer.
Presentation layer
WebSphere Commerce uses Java Server Pages (JSP) to implement the view layer of the Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern. The view layer is in charge of retrieving data from the database through the use of data beans and formatting it to meet the display requirements. The view layers determines whether the request is sent to a browser or streamed out as XML. JSP files present a clean separation between data content and presentation.
Customizing promotions
Customizing promotions can involve the customization of the promotion business user tools and the underlying promotion engine, which features a clean architecture supporting rich functionality, as well as a wide array of customization possibilities.
Promotion engine customization
You can customize the promotion engine if your customization scenario is not already supported by the existing promotion engine function.
Promotion engine components
The promotion engine comprises a series of configurable components. All of these configurable components are specified in a configuration XML file, WCSPromotionEngineConfig.xml. The promotion engine is configured per WebSphere Commerce instance; it is not possible to have different configurations for stores in the same instance.
Sequence builder
The sequence builder sorts the list of promotions that are returned by the agenda builder, and decides the order in which to evaluate promotions. The sequence builder is a configurable component of the promotion engine.

Sequence builder

The sequence builder sorts the list of promotions that are returned by the agenda builder, and decides the order in which to evaluate promotions. The sequence builder is a configurable component of the promotion engine.

For more information about the default sequence that promotions, which are created and managed with Management Center, are evaluated, see Combining promotions. For more information about the default sequence that promotions, which are created and managed with WebSphere Commerce Accelerator, are evaluated, see Promotion evaluation sequence.

The following XML fragment can be found in the promotion engine configuration. It is used to specify the sequence builder:


<PromotionExecutionSequenceBuilder impl="com.ibm.commerce.marketing.promotion.runtime.StorePathSupportedSequenceBuilder"/>

Custom sequence builders must implement interface: com.ibm.commerce.marketing.promotion.runtime.PromotionExecutionSequenceBuilder