- Tools for creating data
WebSphere Commerce provides several tools to create and manipulate your store data. The following list describes the tools.
- XML conventions used in starter store archives
Data in starter store archives takes the form of well-formed, XML files valid for the loading utilities. The store archive XML files are intended to be portable and should not contain generated primary keys that are specific to an instance of the database. Instead, the files use internal-aliases, which are resolved by the idresgen utility at the time of publish. The use of these conventions allows the starter store archives to be copied and published multiple times.
- Registering commands
When the WebSphere Commerce instance is created commands are loaded into the database by the language-independent bootstrap file. If you create or customize multiple new commands or JSP files for your store, you may want to register them using an XML file, which you can then load into the database using the loading utilities, or as part of a store archive that can be published using the Publish wizard.
- Creating store data assets
Use the Store tools in WebSphere Commerce Accelerator to create or edit the store assets.
- Creating catalog assets
To create the catalog assets for your store, you need to create a master catalog by adding information to several WebSphere Commerce database tables. You can create your catalog using XML files that are loaded into the database by the loading utilities. If you are creating a globalized catalog, you will need separate XML files for each locale your store supports. Each locale specific XML file adds the translatable information, such as descriptions, for your catalog, catalog groups, and catalog entries.
- Creating pricing assets
There are three main methods to create pricing assets.
- Creating tax assets
- Creating shipping assets
The shipping tools in WebSphere Commerce Accelerator allow you to create and edit certain shipping assets (for example shipping modes and jurisdictions), but not all shipping assets. The following list details the database tables that can be edited by the shipping tools:
- Adding a currency
You can add a currency by loading an XML file.
- Creating fulfillment assets
Before your store can ship goods to a customer, you must define the fulfillment center, or centers, that will supply these goods. Create this information in the format of XML files that can be loaded into the database using the Loading utilities. Fulfillment centers can also be created by using the WebSphere Commerce Accelerator.
- Creating inventory assets
Since inventory is operational data, it changes daily, as your customers purchase products from your store, or return items to it. As a result your inventory levels go up and down as you sell products, and as your fulfillment centers receive new inventory from suppliers.
- Creating jurisdiction assets
You must create jurisdiction assets for your store in order to apply tax and shipping charges. Once jurisdictions have been created for your store, you can edit them or create new ones, using the Tax and Shipping notebooks in the store tools on the WebSphere Commerce Accelerator.
- Creating store fulfillment assets (non-ATP)
After you have defined the fulfillment center or centers that will supply goods for your store, you must associate a fulfillment center to each product. That is, you must identify which fulfillment center will supply which of your products.
- Creating store-catalog-shipping assets
In order to associate shipping modes with your store, you must associate a calculation code with the catalog entries in your store for each contract your store includes.
- Creating units of measure assets
Units of measure are pre-populated in the WebSphere Commerce Server database when an instance is created. You can also define new units of measure in WebSphere Commerce for use in your store, or delete units of measure that you do not want to use in your store.
- Creating language assets
Language assets are pre-populated in the WebSphere Commerce Server database when an instance is created. You can also define new languages in WebSphere Commerce for use in your store, or delete languages that you do not want to use in your store.
- Database asset groups
If you do not want to create all the database assets and package them into a store archive file before publication, then you can load database asset groups using the WebSphere Commerce loading utilities.
- Database asset groups dependencies
All WebSphere Commerce database assets are divided into groups for creation and loading. These groups are a logically related set of tables. The order in which these database asset groups are organized is important to data loading, since certain objects must exist before you load the relationship between objects.
- Bootstrap files
Bootstrap files are XML files which WebSphere Commerce uses during instance creation to populate database tables with information after the schema is created. Once the data is loaded, you can see the preloaded information in the appropriate database table. Bootstrap files can be used to retrieve information about specific data, such as calculation codes and pricing policies.
- Creating tickler action code assets
A tickler reminds a CSR or Customer Service Supervisor to perform an action such as calling a customer to get a replacement payment instruction or to review a price override. A tickler action code classifies work which is in done in an effort to resolve a tickler.
- Creating tickler reason code assets
A tickler reminds a CSR or Customer Service Supervisor to perform an action such as calling a customer to get a replacement payment instruction or to review a price override. A tickler reason code defines the purpose for a tickler.
- Customizing the Data Load utility
You can customize the Data Load utility to load custom data by creating your own data readers, column handlers, and business object mediators. When you are working with the Data Load utility to load custom data you can define how your data maps to WebSphere Commerce business objects as well as physical database schema, providing customization for specific business needs, and deploying the customization.
- Overview of WebSphere Commerce performance and stability configurations
- Integrating with a Content Management System to use the web feed utility
To use the web feed utility, you can integrate with any Content Management System that generates web feeds.