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Automatic Creation of the Customizable Product Structure

When the customizable product structure is automatically created at runtime from Configuration and Feature table data, it is determined by the following factors:

• The first product found in the active row of a Configuration table is treated as the root product.

  If more than one product is found in the row, the first product encountered scanning from left to right is assumed to be the root product. Subsequent products are treated as children of the root product. However, because a relationship cannot be added for automatic extraction, this method is not recommended.

• Any attribute found in the active Configuration table row is treated as the value of the attribute for the root product. You can add an unlimited number of attributes by creating a new column for each attribute.
• Any product found in the active row of a Feature table is treated as a child product of the root product. If more than one product is found in the row, the first product encountered scanning from left to right is considered the child and all others are ignored.
• Any attribute found in the active Feature table row is treated as the value of the attribute for the root product, unless a product is found in the same table. If a product is found in the Feature table, the attribute is treated as an attribute of that product and not of the root product.
• The name found for the Relationship (in the Relationship column) in the active Feature table row is treated as the Relationship within the root product to which the child belongs.

To model in Advisor to connect to Customizable Products, use the following steps:

• Map root products in the Configuration table.
• Map root product attributes in the Configuration table.
• Map root product attributes in Feature tables.
• Map child products in Feature tables.
• Map attributes of the child product in Feature tables.

The following section provides the procedures for completing each of these steps. These procedures refer to an example where a Main Configuration table is modeled to add a minivan with a green exterior, white interior, and convenience package. This example is shown in Figure 18.

Figure 18. Modeling Example

Mapping Root Products in the Configuration Table

Use the following procedure to map root products in the Configuration table.

To map root products in the Configuration table

1. Navigate to Administration - Product > Advisor Pagesets > Configuration Tables.
2. Select a Configuration table to map the root product and its attributes.

   Depending on your modeling needs, you may create a Configuration table specifically for the purpose of mapping products.

3. Switch to the Designer view for the Configuration table.
4. Create a type (0) column and give it any name other than a reserved name.
5. Map the column to the business component "Internal Product" by selecting it from the picklist.
6. Select a field from the list of fields in the Internal Product business component.

   For product structure creation, it does not matter what field you select. However, the value for the field you select is published in the data model and is available for the modeler to display in the UI at runtime like any other data in any other cell.

7. Switch to the Editor view.

   A Picklist icon appears in the column you created and mapped in Step 6.

8. Click the Picklist icon to open a list of Internal Product business components.
9. Select the product you want to select as the root product for each row of the Configuration table.

   The product you select for a row is treated as the root product whenever that row of the Configuration table is active. In the following example, Horizon Minivan was chosen as the root product.
10. You can select the same product for more than one row. However, you must do so by picking it from the picklist each time.

Mapping Root Product Attributes in Feature Tables

Use the following procedure to map root product attributes in Feature tables.

To map root product attributes in Feature tables

1. Navigate to Administration - Product > Advisor Pagesets > Feature Tables.
2. Select the Feature table that you want to map the attribute to.
3. Switch to the Designer view.
4. Create a Standard column and give it any name other than a reserved name.
5. Map the column to a class by selecting a class from the Class picklist.
6. Map the column to a specific attribute of the class by selecting it from the Attribute picklist.
7. Switch to the Editor view.
8. Enter the exact value for the attribute you want the root product to have when the Feature table row is active.
9. Repeat Step 8 for each row of the Feature table to map all the values of the attributes, each of which becomes the value selected when its row is active.

Mapping Child Products in Feature Tables

Note that you must select a product for the root, but you can choose not to select a product for a child. You may choose not to add a child by:

• Not mapping a column for it, in which case the user will never get a child.
• Entering the value null for a mapped row.

To map child products in Feature tables

1. Navigate to Administration - Product > Advisor Pagesets > Feature Tables.
2. Select the Feature table you want to map to the child product.

   This procedure uses the following feature table as an example.
3. Switch to the Designer view.
4. Create a column and give it any name other than a reserved name.
5. Map the column to the Internal Product business component by selecting it from the picklist.
6. Select a field from the list of fields in the Internal Product business component.

   For product structure creation, you can select any field. However, the value for the field you select is published in the data model and is available for the modeler to display in the UI at runtime like any other data in any other cell.

7. Create another column and give it the reserved name RELATIONSHIP and do not map it to anything. RELATIONSHIP is a reserved word.
8. Switch to the Editor view.
9. In the column you mapped to a business component, click the Picklist icon to select the product you want to select as the child product for each row of the Feature table.
10. In the Relationship column, enter the exact name of the Relationship of the root product that this child should belong to within the customizable product structure.

    If you want a row not to be mapped to a product, do not choose an item in the picklist, or delete the entry in the row. The relationship name does not need to be set in this case.

    The following figure shows an example where Option Packages is the relationship of the root product.

Mapping Attributes of the Child Product in Feature Tables

To map attributes of the child product in Feature tables, complete the following two procedures:

• Mapping Child Products in Feature Tables.
• Mapping Root Product Attributes in Feature Tables.