As discussed in the Creating Multisite Applications chapter, the Site Repository has a touchpoint item descriptor that defines properties that are common to all commerce channels. For example, the touchpoint item type has properties for specifying the default product catalog and price lists, because virtually any type of commerce channel has a catalog and prices.

The touchpoint item descriptor definition includes a sub-type-property attribute that specifies that its type property is used to define item subtypes:

<item-descriptor sub-type-property="type"...>

The Site Repository also includes by default a siteConfiguration item descriptor that is a subtype of the touchpoint item type:

<item-descriptor sub-type-value="siteConfiguration"
  super-type="touchpoint" ...>

The siteConfiguration item type adds properties that are specific to Web sites, such as properties for specifying site URLs. By default, sites you create using Site Administration are stored in the Site Repository as siteConfiguration items.

To represent other commerce channels, you can create additional site configuration types by adding new subtypes of the touchpoint descriptor. For example, you could create a subtype for representing physical (“brick and mortar”) stores:

<item-descriptor sub-type-value="storeConfiguration"
  super-type="touchpoint" ...>

This subtype might include properties specific to physical stores, such as properties for specifying store locations.

Creating repository item subtypes is described in the Item Descriptor Inheritance section of the Repository Guide. You must also create one or more site categories that define the editing environments for the properties of the new site configuration type. See the Defining Site Categories chapter for information about creating site categories.

If you create a new site configuration type, it appears as an additional option on the + menu in Site Administration. This makes it easy to specify the proper site configuration type when you create a new site.

Note that the siteGroup item type also supports the creation of subtypes. This makes it possible to create site group types that include additional properties for use with specific site configuration types. If you create a new site group subtype, it also appears as an additional option on the + menu in Site Administration.

Note: Be careful not to confuse site configuration types with site types. Site types are essentially labels for differentiating sites based on criteria such as their function or the type of data they include. The touchpoint item type (and therefore any subtype of it) has a siteTypes property that can store a collection of enumerated string values identifying the site types for a given site. See Configuring Site Types for more information about site types.