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User Guide
The information contained in this section applies to WebSphere Commerce Version 8. The documentation also applies to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in a newer section.WebSphere Commerce is a single, unified e-commerce platform that offers the ability to do business directly with consumers (B2C), directly with businesses (B2B), and indirectly through channel partners (indirect business models). WebSphere Commerce is designed to be a customizable, scalable, and high availability solution that is built to leverage open standards. It provides easy-to-use tools for business users to centrally manage a cross-channel strategy. Business users can create and manage precision marketing campaigns, promotions, catalog, and merchandising across all sales channels.
Integrating
Topics in the Integrating category highlight the tasks that are commonly performed for using WebSphere Commerce in combination with other products.
Integrating with back-end systems and external applications
External systems integration is a key feature of the WebSphere Commerce solution. In WebSphere Commerce business logic is enabled for integration and built-in adapters and interfaces are provided for common integration points. Additionally, the WebSphere Commerce integration solution leverages integration standards by using various IBM connectivity solutions.
Back-end integration legacy messages
The WebSphere Commerce offers support for messages which use the legacy message format. Unless you are migrating from a previous version of WebSphere Commerce Suite, it is recommended that you use the XML messages instead, since they accomplish the same function, and are easier to read and maintain.
UserData element for outbound messages
The outbound XML message Report_NC_PurchaseOrder includes the UserData XML element as an optional element. Include the UserDataField element in this message to send additional data. You can customize the fields to pass extra data that is not included in the messages.

User Guide
The information contained in this section applies to WebSphere Commerce Version 8. The documentation also applies to all subsequent releases and modifications until otherwise indicated in a newer section.WebSphere Commerce is a single, unified e-commerce platform that offers the ability to do business directly with consumers (B2C), directly with businesses (B2B), and indirectly through channel partners (indirect business models). WebSphere Commerce is designed to be a customizable, scalable, and high availability solution that is built to leverage open standards. It provides easy-to-use tools for business users to centrally manage a cross-channel strategy. Business users can create and manage precision marketing campaigns, promotions, catalog, and merchandising across all sales channels.
- Planning
  Creating a custom implementation of a WebSphere Commerce store requires a significant amount of planning. From gathering client needs, to deploying the live solution, much work is needed to successfully deploy a custom client store. Use the resources in here to help you plan every phase of store creation.
- Installing
  Review the following sections for information about installing the WebSphere Commerce product, associated maintenance, and WebSphere Commerce enhancements.
- Migrating
  Before you migrate to WebSphere Commerce Version 8.0, review this information to help plan and execute your migration.
- Deploying
  The topics in this section describe how to publish stores to either a test or production environment, and how to deploy customized code.
- Operating
- Integrating
  Topics in the Integrating category highlight the tasks that are commonly performed for using WebSphere Commerce in combination with other products.
  - Integrating with back-end systems and external applications
    External systems integration is a key feature of the WebSphere Commerce solution. In WebSphere Commerce business logic is enabled for integration and built-in adapters and interfaces are provided for common integration points. Additionally, the WebSphere Commerce integration solution leverages integration standards by using various IBM connectivity solutions.
    - SOA Logical Architecture and WebSphere Commerce back-office integration
      WebSphere Commerce provides back-office integration to enable your business application services to connect to access services.
    - Outbound services
      WebSphere Commerce provides the capability for you to enable outbound web services to send information and messages that are generated from WebSphere Commerce.
    - Inbound services
      WebSphere Commerce provides inbound web services to retrieve information for WebSphere Commerce business operations. You can use the code and documentation that is provided with WebSphere Commerce to enable inbound web services to integrate backend systems and external system with WebSphere Commerce operations.
    - Integration XML messages
      WebSphere Commerce offers support for inbound and outbound messages that use the XML format. Each inbound message invokes specific behaviors within the WebSphere Commerce Server by executing a controller command. Each controller command in turn performs operations on the WebSphere Commerce database and subsystems. Some controller commands can be executed by more than one XML message. In addition, some messages can invoke different commands, depending on the content of the message.
    - Procurement system integration
      WebSphere Commerce provides the capability to integrate with procurement systems. This capability enables WebSphere Commerce customers to participate as suppliers in the procurement system's marketplace, increase sales, and enhance their business-to-business presence on the Web. WebSphere Commerce provides an extensible and customizable functionality in such a way that one can extend either the messages or the business logic.
    - Distributed Order Management (DOM) integration
      DOM integration enhances the shopping flow in the Aurora starter store, while enhancing backend system integration with WebSphere Commerce. This integration provides comprehensive coverage of the order lifecycle across channels, from capture to fulfillment.
    - Controller commands
      Controller commands encapsulate the business logic for a business process. By default, WebSphere Commerce provides various controller commands to help you integrate WebSphere Commerce with backend and external systems.
    - Back-end integration legacy messages
      The WebSphere Commerce offers support for messages which use the legacy message format. Unless you are migrating from a previous version of WebSphere Commerce Suite, it is recommended that you use the XML messages instead, since they accomplish the same function, and are easier to read and maintain.
      - NCCommon.mod - source file
        WebSphere Commerce defines all inbound XML messages based on DTD files. Each DTD file consists of several XML elements and the NCCommon.mod file.
      - NCCustomer_10.mod - source file
        WebSphere Commerce defines all inbound XML messages based on DTD files. Each DTD file consists of several XML elements and the NCCommon.mod file. In addition, the Create_NC_Customer_10.dtd and Update_NC_Customer_10.dtd files also include information from the NCCustomer10.mod customer common file.
      - NCCustomer_10.mod file
        The NCCustomer_10.mod customer common file consists of customer information for new customers. It is used for both the Create_NC_Customer and Update_NC_Customer messages.
      - UserData element for inbound messages
        All inbound messages include the UserData XML element as an optional element. Include the UserDataField element to transport additional data. You can customize the fields to pass extra data that is not included in the messages.
      - UserData element for outbound messages
        The outbound XML message Report_NC_PurchaseOrder includes the UserData XML element as an optional element. Include the UserDataField element in this message to send additional data. You can customize the fields to pass extra data that is not included in the messages.
      - Customer New message
        The Customer New message is a legacy format inbound message that contains customer information for a customer. A back-end application generates this message and sends it to the WebSphere Commerce inbound message queue, where the WebSphere Commerce system receives the message. WebSphere Commerce updates information for a new customer by calling the UserRegistrationAdd controller command.
      - Customer Update message
        The Customer Update message is an inbound message that contains customer information for a customer. A back-end application generates this message and sends it to the WebSphere Commerce inbound message queue, where the WebSphere Commerce system receives the message. WebSphere Commerce updates information for a registered customer by calling the UserRegistrationUpdate command.
      - Order Create message
        The Order Create message is an outbound message that contains order details for a completed order. The WebSphere Commerce system generates this message and sends its data to an outbound message queue, where a back-end system receives the message. This application takes the message and continues any back-end business processes required to complete the specified task for the order. Use Order Create to fulfill the order process of orders that begin with the WebSphere Commerce system, but also require some additional or back-end work by a separate system.
      - Order Status Update message
        The Order Status Update message is an inbound message that contains status information for a WebSphere Commerce order. A back-end application generates this message and sends it to the WebSphere Commerce inbound message queue, where the WebSphere Commerce system receives the message. WebSphere Commerce uses the OrderStatus command to update the tables ORDSTAT and ORDISTAT with the new order status information.
      - Product Price Update message
        The Product Price Update message is an inbound message that contains price information for a product. A back-end application generates this message and sends it to the WebSphere Commerce inbound message queue. When the WebSphere Commerce system receives the message, it runs the ProductOfferPriceUpdate command.
      - Product Quantity Update message
        The Product Quantity Update message is an inbound message that contains inventory information for a product. A back-end application generates this message and sends it to the WebSphere Commerce inbound message queue, where the WebSphere Commerce system receives the message.
  - IBM Watson Campaign Automation integration
    You can integrate IBM Watson Campaign Automation with WebSphere Commerce so that transactional emails are sent by IBM Watson Campaign Automation.
  - Sterling Order Management integration
    The integration between WebSphere Commerce and Sterling Order Management combines the industry-leading front-end capabilities of WebSphere Commerce with the proven, back-end order and inventory management features of Sterling Order Management.
  - IBM MQ
    WebSphere Commerce provides a listener for IBM MQ for inbound requests, and an adapter for IBM MQ for outbound requests, to integrate back-end, and external systems with WebSphere Commerce.
  - Content management integration
    You can integrate WebSphere Commerce with an external content management system through a punch-out window from Management Center and through the web feed utility. You can integrate WebSphere Commerce with IBM Web Content Manager to provide Management Center users the ability to associate IBM Web Content Manager content with WebSphere Commerce objects.
  - Mobile applications that use IBM Worklight
    IBM Worklight is a mobile application platform that you can use to develop cross-platform hybrid applications for the Aurora starter store.
  - Facebook integration
    Facebook integration relies on several Facebook plugins to add the Connect to Facebook, Like, and Send buttons to the Aurora starter store.
  - Analytics for IBM WebSphere Commerce
    WebSphere Commerce provides a framework that you can configure to integrate your store with an external Web analytics solution. This framework includes a tag library that you can use in store page JSP files to provide appropriate analytics information to the external analytics system.
  - IBM Product Recommendations and WebSphere Commerce
    IBM Product Recommendations is an IBM Digital Analytics solution that you can subscribe to that automatically generates personalized product recommendations on the storefront. The recommendations are based on the browsing, shopping, and purchasing behavior of individual customers. If your site is integrated with IBM Digital Analytics, you can display recommendations from IBM Product Recommendations on your store pages.
  - IBM Marketing Center integration
    You can integrate Management Center with IBM Marketing Center, a cloud-based, all-in-one solution that combines customer analytics with real-time marketing. To integrate with IBM Marketing Center, you must configure the WebSphere Commerce biConfig.xml file to enable the integration. You can also configure single-sign on between Management Center and IBM Marketing Center.
  - IBM Digital Data Exchange integration
    To simplify the process of collecting and sending customer shopping behavior data to analytics providers, integrate WebSphere Commerce with IBM Digital Data Exchange (DDX). IBM Digital Data Exchange (DDX) is offered as part of the IBM Digital Analytics solution.
  - Administering IBM Enterprise Marketing Management
    If your site is integrated with IBM Enterprise Marketing Management applications, such IBM Digital Analytics, IBM Product Recommendations, or IBM Marketing Center, you can administer the application features that your site uses. For example, you can administer IBM Digital Analytics based customer segments and import recommendations for IBM Product Recommendations.
  - IBM Dynamic Pricing
    Dynamic Pricing 16.4 is a cloud-based pricing system that analyzes real-time market data to provide suggestions on how merchandisers can react to competitor pricing and shifts in market conditions. Data can be fed to Dynamic Pricing from multiple sources, including WebSphere Commerce. You can configure WebSphere Commerce to export pricing data to Dynamic Pricing for pricing analysis and adjustment. The adjusted pricing data can then be imported from Dynamic Pricing to WebSphere Commerce, so the prices can be propagated to your live store front.
  - Universal Behavior Exchange (UBX) integration
    You can integrate Universal Behavior Exchange (UBX) with WebSphere Commerce so that you can import and export WebSphere Commerce customer segments as UBX audiences between third-party applications.
  - Watson Content Hub integration
    You can integrate Watson Content Hub with WebSphere Commerce, so that you can manage content in Watson Content Hub and then use the content in the Management Center Catalogs tool.
  - Integrating IBM WebSphere ILOG JRules BRMS with WebSphere Commerce for pricing
    IBM WebSphere ILOG JRules BRMS is a business rule management system that allows developers to easily build and deploy rule-based applications that automate fine-grained, variable decisions used by business systems. You can use WebSphere ILOG JRules to build pricing rulesets, and then reference those rulesets from WebSphere Commerce price rules you create in Management Center.
- Administering
- Tutorials
  WebSphere Commerce provides many tutorials to help you customize and understand your WebSphere Commerce instance and stores.
- Samples
- Developing
  The topics in the Developing section describe tasks performed by an application developer.
- Compliance
  The following section describes how you can leverage WebSphere Commerce features and functionality to help your site be compliant with different privacy and security standards.
- Securing
  These topics describe the security features of WebSphere Commerce and how to configure these features.
- Performance
- Troubleshooting

UserData element for outbound messages

The outbound XML message Report_NC_PurchaseOrder includes the UserData XML element as an optional element. Include the UserDataField element in this message to send additional data. You can customize the fields to pass extra data that is not included in the messages.

The name of the new field to be added should be the attribute of the name for the UserDataField element.

The following DTD describes the UserData element:


<!ELEMENT UserData (UserDataField+)>

<!ELEMENT UserDataField (#PCDATA)>

<!ATTLIST UserDataField

name CDATA #REQUIRED>

The following is an example of the UserData element:


<UserData>

   <UserDataField
name="field_name">field_value</UserDataField>

            . 

            .UserDataField repeated
loop 

            .

</UserData>