Product Administration Guide > Configuration Constraints >

About Configuration Constraints

A configuration constraint defines how two items in a customizable product or a product with attributes are related. For example:

• In a product with components, Component A and Component B are mutually exclusive. If the user picks one, then you want to prevent them from picking the other. One way you can do this is by writing a configuration constraint: Component A excludes Component B. The Constraints view provides a constraint template to help you write this constraint.
• A product with attributes comes in a number of different colors and sizes. However, the color red is not available in the XL size. One way you can prevent users from picking a product with the color red and the XL size is to write a configuration constraint: Red excludes XL.

Constraint templates are constraint statements where you replace variables in the statement to create a configuration constraint. The Constraints view provides constraint templates for the most common types of configuration constraints. You can also create your own constraint templates.

In the Constraints view, you create a configuration constraint by first selecting a constraint template. Then you pick items from the customizable product and operators or even other constraint templates to replace the variables in the constraint. Both arithmetic and logical operators are provided by the Constraints view.

Configuration constraints you create apply only to the current product, and are stored as part of it. In contrast, constraint templates reside in the Constraints view and can be used with any product.

For information about the templates that are available with the product, see Configuration Constraint Template Reference.