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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.
Management Center framework
The Management Center framework is the foundation for business user tooling. The business objects are defined by the individual components that make up the Management Center. The framework uses those definitions to provide all of the features that you can use to find, create, modify, and delete the defined business objects. If you plan to customize the Management Center, it is important to understand the framework and the components that make up the Management Center.
Customizing catalog filters
You can customize catalog filters to suit the business needs of your site. For example, you can create a new condition or action for business users to add to price rules. Customization is supported for user interface in the Catalog Filter and Pricing tool, and for the catalog filter services.
Customizing catalog entry properties
A catalog entry property is a searchable property of catalog entry that has been configured in WebSphere Commerce search. The conditions can be created in a catalog filter, the prebuilt properties are: part number, and manufacturer. With customization, you can add additional searchable catalog entry properties that can be used in a catalog filter.

Catalog filter customization: Customizing catalog entry properties

A catalog entry property is a searchable property of catalog entry that has been configured in WebSphere Commerce search. The conditions can be created in a catalog filter, the prebuilt properties are: part number, and manufacturer. With customization, you can add additional searchable catalog entry properties that can be used in a catalog filter.

Procedure

This example procedure outlines the high-level steps to create a property.

Configure a searchable property, for example, property with key name WarTerm, warranty term.
Open the file LOBTools.war\WebContent\config\commerce\price\objectDefinitions\CatalogFilterCatentPropertyChildObjectDefinition.def
Add a code snippet similar to the following example to the child object definition, cftPropertyAttributeObjectDefinition.
```
<ObjectTemplate 1displayName="${extCatalogFilterResources.warrantyTerm}" 2templateType="WarrantyTerm">
<Xml name="template">
3<name>WarTerm</name>
4<attrType>Integer</attrType>
</Xml>	
</ObjectTemplate> 
```
Where:

1displayName

The display name of this property. This value is shown on the user interface.

2templateType

The unique template type identifier.

3name

The propertyName Value passed in the BOD message. Use the same name that is configured in search engine.

4attrType

This data type of this property: String, Float, Integer.
Open the file LOBTools.war\WebContent\jsp\commerce\catalogfilter\SerializePropertyType.jspf. Add the code shown in bold to the <c:choose> element.
```
<c:choose>
… …
	<c:when test="${propertyName == 'WarTerm'}">
		<attrType>Integer</attrType>
	</c:when>
</c:choose>
```