Registering Custom Events

 

This topic contains basic information about registering custom events. This information includes background information about custom events, how to register events using the Events Editor in the BEA E-Business Control Center, and what you need to do when you make changes to custom events.

This topic contains the following sections:

• Overview of Creating a Custom Event

• Why Register an Event?

• Registering a Custom Event

• Updating a Registered Custom Event

Note: You cannot change any of the standard events supplied with BEA Campaign Manager for WebLogic, BEA WebLogic Commerce Server, or BEA WebLogic Personalization Server.

 

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Overview of Creating a Custom Event

The creation of a custom event is a multiple-step process. The following list provides an overview of the process:

• Create the code that defines the event and event listener.

• Create the code to trigger the event with a JSP tag or an API call.

• Register the event using the instructions in this topic.

• To record the event data for Behavior Tracking analysis, modify the weblogiccommerce.properties file to include the new event and create an entry for the event in the EVENT_TYPE table.

Note: For information about defining an event and defining a trigger, see Creating Custom Events. For information about modifying the weblogiccommerce.properties file, and creating an entry in the EVENT_TYPE table, see Persisting Behavioral Tracking Data.

 

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Why Register an Event?

When you create a custom event, you must register the event. Registering a custom event lets the E-Business Control Center know that the custom event exists. Registering permits campaign developers using the E-Business Control Center to create scenario actions that refer to the event. Registering also identifies the event's properties.

Whenever you change the event code, you must update the event registration. Conversely, whenever you change the event registration, you must also update the event code. A possible ramification of event modification is that the scenario actions that refer to the event's properties may need to be modified.

 

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Registering a Custom Event

The Event Editor in the E-Business Control Center allows you to easily register a custom event. For the purpose of registering an event, you can consider an event property as a name-value pair. During the registration of a custom event, you specify the event's name, description, and one or more properties. Each property has a range, type of permissible value, and default value. The information you need to register for an event should be available from your Commerce Business Engineer (CBE) or Java developer.

The properties for a custom event includes the following information:

• Data type: Specifies the data type for your property. The possible values are Text, Numeric, Floating Point Number, Boolean, and Date/Time.

• Selection mode: Specifies whether an property has a single default value or a collection of default values.

• Value range: Specifies whether the defaults are restricted to one specific value, one or more specific values, or any value.

Note: When you set property values, you are not guaranteed that the property will adhere to these restrictions at run time. Events are not checked by the SchemaManager for adherence to a property schema. Therefore, you need to keep the event type definition and the event registration synchronized.

As the previous list suggests, a combination of property values are possible. The possible combinations of properties are listed here:

• Boolean: The values for this type of property are either True or False. You can choose the default. The default value is displayed only in the Enter Property Values Window, not in the Edit Event Property window. When this data type is selected, the Selection mode and Value range are unavailable.

• Single, Unrestricted: This type of property has only one value, which is also the default value.

• Single, Restricted: This type of property has multiple values and a single default value. You can select which value is the default.

• Multiple, Restricted: This type of property has multiple values. You can select one or more values as defaults values.

• Multiple, Unrestricted: This type of property has multiple values. You cannot select any defaults; all values are defaults

Instructions for Registering a Custom Event

To register a custom event, complete the following steps:

1. Start the E-Business Control Center and connect it to a server. The Explorer window opens as shown in Figure 3-1.

   Note: For more information on connecting the E-Business Control Center to a server, see "Connecting the BEA E-Business Control Center to a Server" in the Using the E-Business Control Center documentation.

   Figure 3-1 E-Business Control Center Window

   
    

2. Open the Event Editor as follows:

   Note: You cannot edit the standard events.

   1. In the Explorer window, select the Event icon. A list of events appears in the Events field.

   2. Click the New Button, and then select Event. The Event Editor window appears as shown in Figure 3-2.

      Figure 3-2 Event Editor Window

      
       

3. In the Edit Event Editor window, complete these steps:

   1. In the Name field, enter a unique name for the event no longer than 100 characters (required).

   2. In the Description field, enter a description for the event no longer than 254 characters (required).

   3. Click the Save button in the E-Business system toolbar.

   4. To create properties for the event, click the New button. The Edit Event Property window opens, as shown in Figure 3-3.

      Figure 3-3 Edit Event Property Window

      
       

4. In the Edit Event Property window, complete these steps:

   1. In the Name field, enter a unique name for the property no longer than 100 characters (required).

   2. In the Description field, enter a description of the property no longer than 254 characters (required).

   3. In the Data type list, select the data type.

      Note: If you select Boolean as the data type, the Selection mode and Value range are no longer available. The default for Boolean is Single, Restricted.

   4. In the Selection mode list, select either Single or Multiple.

   5. In the Value range list, select whether the value is Restricted or Unrestricted.

   6. Click the Add/Edit Values button.

      The type of window that appears depends on the values selected.

Entering Property Values and Setting the Default Value

Depending on the data type, different steps are required for entering values and setting default values. The following property categories are available:

• Entering Properties with Boolean or a Single Value and Single Default.

• Entering Properties with Multiple Values and Single, Multiple, or All Defaults

• Entering Properties with Date and Time Values

Entering Properties with Boolean or a Single Value and Single Default

To enter the default value for Boolean property or a property with a single value and a single default (unrestricted), complete the following steps:

1. In the applicable Enter Property Value window (Figure 3-4), perform one of the following:

   • For a Boolean property, select either True or False.

   • For a Single Value, Single Default property, enter a value.

     Figure 3-4 Enter Property Values Window—Boolean or Single Value, Single Default

     
      

2. Click the OK button.

3. In the Edit Event Property window, click the OK button.

Entering Properties with Multiple Values and Single, Multiple, or All Defaults

To enter multiple property values and set one or more defaults (unrestricted), complete the following steps:

1. In the applicable Enter Property Values window (Figure 3-5, Figure 3-6 or Figure 3-7), enter a value, and then click the Add button.

   Figure 3-5 Enter Property Values—Multiple Values, Single Default

   
    

   Figure 3-6 Enter Property Values—Multiple Values, Multiple Restricted Defaults

   
    

   Figure 3-7 Enter Property Values—Multiple Values, Multiple Unrestricted Defaults

   
    

2. Repeat the previous step until you have entered all values.

3. To select one or more default values, complete one of the following:

   • If you do not want to select a default, go to next numbered step.

   • For multiple values with a single default, select the value (radio button) that you want to set as the default, and then click the OK button.

     Note: To remove the default value for a property with multiple values and a single default, click the Deselect All button.

   • For multiple values with multiple restricted defaults, select the value (check boxes) that you want to set as defaults, and then click the OK button.

     Note: For multiple values without restrictions (that is, the Value range is Unrestricted), you do not need to select any defaults.

4. In the Edit Event Property window, click the OK button.

Entering Properties with Date and Time Values

Properties with date and time values can use all Selection mode and Value range settings. For more information about these settings, see Entering Properties with Boolean or a Single Value and Single Default and Entering Properties with Multiple Values and Single, Multiple, or All Defaults.

To enter date and time values and set one or more defaults, complete the following steps:

1. In the Enter Property Values window shown in Figure 3-8, click the drop-down arrow in the Date list. A calendar appears.

   Figure 3-8 Enter Date/Time Values

   
    

2. Select a date from the calendar.

3. In the Time field, enter a time.

4. Click the Add button.

5. To add more dates and times, repeat the first four steps until you have entered all the values.

6. To select one or more default values, complete one of the following:

   • If the event has a single date and time with a single default (restricted), click the OK button.

   • If the event has multiple dates and times with a single default (restricted), select the value (radio button) that you want to set as the default, and then click the OK button.

   • If the event has multiple dates and times with multiple defaults (unrestricted), select the values (check boxes) that you want to set as the default, and then click the OK button.

7. In the Edit Event Property window, click the OK button.

 

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Updating a Registered Custom Event

Whenever you make changes to a custom event's code, you should update that event's registration. Updating the registration lets the E-Business Control Center know about the changes in the custom event and aids campaign developers using the E-Business Control Center to modify any scenario actions that refer to the event.

To update a custom event, complete the following steps.

1. Start the E-Business Control Center and connect it to a Web server. The Explorer window opens.

   Note: For more information on connecting the E-Business Control Center to a server, see "Connecting the BEA E-Business Control Center to a Server" in the Using the E-Business Control Center documentation.

2. In the Explorer window, select the Event icon. A list of events appears in the Events field as shown in Figure 3-9.

   Note: You cannot edit standard events.

   Figure 3-9 Explorer Window

   
    

3. Double-click the custom event that you wish to edit. The Event Editor window opens as shown in Figure 3-10. The Event properties field displays a list of existing properties.

   Figure 3-10 Event Editor Window

   
    

4. In the Event properties field, select the property that you want to edit.

   Note: For more information about setting custom event properties, see Entering Property Values and Setting the Default Value.

5. Click the Edit button. The Edit Event Editor window opens as shown in Figure 3-11.

   Figure 3-11 Edit Event Property Window

   
    

6. To change the Data type, Selection mode, or Value range, select a setting from the appropriate list box.

   Note: If you change the property setting Data type, Selection mode, or Value range, the associated values will be erased.

7. To add or change values, click the Add/Edit values button. The Enter Property Value window opens as shown in Figure 3-12.

   Figure 3-12 Enter Property Value Window

   
    

   1. To remove a value, select the value, and then click the Remove button.

   2. To add a value, enter the value, and then click the Add button.

   3. To change a value, select the value, remove it, and then add the new value.

   4. If required, select the default value or values.

   5. To remove the default value for a property with multiple values and a single default, click the Deselect All button.

   6. Click the OK button. The Enter Property Value window closes.

8. After you have finished updating the properties or values for the event, click the OK button in the Edit Event Property window.