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Step 2: Creating the Pencil product definition

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A product definition provides a detailed way to describe a particular product that you want to add to your catalog. A product definition contains properties that are used to define or describe a product. For example, most product definitions may contain properties named "manufacturer" and "stock keeping unit" (SKU).

You can think of a product definition as a type of template. When products are added to a catalog, values are assigned to the properties that you assigned to the product definition. These property values both describe and uniquely distinguish a particular product variant.

In this step, you will create a product definition for the pencil product. You will then assign product variant properties and create new property definitions for your product definition. You will use the pencil product definition later in Lab 3 when adding pencil products to your catalogs.

To create the Pencil product definition

  1. In Business Desk, expand the Catalogs module, and then click Catalog Definition Designer.

    The Catalog Definition Designer: Category Definitions screen appears.

  2. From the toolbar, click View, and then select Product Definitions from the drop-down list.

    The Catalog Definition Designer: Product Definitions screen appears. Notice that there are already predefined product definitions available. You will use the Printer product definition later in this tutorial.

  3. Click New.

  4. In the Product Definition: New screen, in the Product Definition Properties section, in the Name text box, type Pencil.

You have named the new product definition Pencil. Next you will assign product variant properties to the Pencil product definition.

To assign product variant properties

  • In the Product Variant Properties section, in the Available properties list, select Manufacturer, hold down the CTRL key and click SKU, release the CTRL key and then click Add.

    The Manufacturer and SKU properties appear in the Assigned properties list in the Product Variant Properties section.

You have assigned the Manufacturer and SKU product variant properties to the Pencil product definition. Next you will create and define a new property definition for the pencil product.

To create the LeadColor property definition

  1. In the Product Variant Properties section, click New.

  2. In the New Property Definition dialog box, in the Type list box, select Multiple Choice and then click Continue.

  3. In the Property Definition: New (Multiple Choice) screen, in the Properties section, do the following:

    Use this To do this
    Name Type LeadColor.
    Display on Site Select the Yes check box.
    Default value Click ellipsis .

    The Multiple Choice Values dialog box appears.

  4. In the Multiple Choice Values dialog box, in the New value text box, type Black, and then click Add.

  5. In the Multiple Choice Values dialog box, in the New value text box, type Blue and then click Add.

  6. In the Multiple Choice Values dialog box, in the New value text box, type Red and then click Add.

    The Black, Blue, and Red values appear in the Values list in the Multiple Choice Values dialog box.

  7. Click OK to save your multiple choice values and return to the Property Definition: New (Multiple Choice) screen.

  8. In the Property Definition: New (Multiple Choice) screen, in the Properties section, select Black from the Default value drop-down list.

  9. In the Display in products list check box, select Yes.

  10. In the Property Definition: New (Multiple Choice) screen, in the Display Names section, click New, and then do the following:

    Use this To do this
    Language Select English - United States from the drop-down list.
    Display Name Type Lead Color.

  11. Click Accept.

  12. To save the property definition and create a new property definition, click save and create new on the toolbar.

    The New Property Definition dialog box appears.

You have created the LeadColor property definition, which will be used to describe the lead color of your Pencil product. Next you will create another new property definition called BodyColor.

To create the BodyColor property definition

  1. In the New Property Definition dialog box, in the Type list box, select Multiple Choice and then click Continue.

  2. In the Property Definition: New (Multiple Choice) screen, in the Properties section, do the following:

    Use this To do this
    Name Type BodyColor.
    Display on Site Select the Yes check box.
    Default value Click ellipsis .

    The Multiple Choice Values dialog box appears.

  3. In the Multiple Choice Values dialog box, in the New value text box, type Black and then click Add.

  4. In the Multiple Choice Values dialog box, in the New value text box, type Blue and then click Add.

  5. In the Multiple Choice Values dialog box, in the New value text box, type Red and then click Add.

  6. In the Multiple Choice Values dialog box, in the New value text box, type Yellow and then click Add.

    The Black, Blue, Red and Yellow values appear in the Values list in the Multiple Choice Values dialog box.

  7. Click OK to save your multiple choice values and return to the Property Definition: New (Multiple Choice) screen.

  8. In the Property Definition: New (Multiple Choice) screen, in the Properties section, select Yellow from the Default value drop-down list.

  9. In the Display in products list check box, select Yes.

  10. In the Property Definition: New (Multiple Choice) screen, in the Display Names section, click New, and then do the following:

    Use this To do this
    Language Select English - United States from the drop-down list.
    Display Name Type Body Color.

  11. Click Accept.

  12. To save the property definition and create a new property definition, click save and create new on the toolbar.

    The New Property Definition dialog box appears.

You have created the BodyColor property definition that is used to describe the body color of your pencil product. Next you will create a property definition called LeadSize.

To create the LeadSize property definition

  1. In the New Property Definition dialog box, in the Type list box, select Multiple Choice and then click Continue.

  2. In the Property Definition: New (Multiple Choice) screen, in the Properties section, do the following:

    Use this To do this
    Name Type LeadSize.
    Display on Site Select the Yes check box.
    Default value Click ellipsis .

    The Multiple Choice Values dialog box appears.

  3. In the Multiple Choice Values dialog box, in the New value text box, type #1 and then click Add.

  4. In the Multiple Choice Values dialog box, in the New value text box, type #2 and then click Add.

    The #1 and #2 values appear in the Values list in the Multiple Choice Values dialog box.

  5. Click OK to save your multiple choice values and return to the Property Definition: New (Multiple Choice) screen.

  6. In the Property Definition: New (Multiple Choice) screen, in the Properties section, select #2 from the Default value drop-down list.

  7. In the Display in products list check box, select the Yes check box.

  8. In the Property Definition: New (Multiple Choice) screen, in the Display Names section, click New, and then do the following:

    Use this To do this
    Language Select English - United States from the drop-down list.
    Display Name Type Lead Size.

  9. Click Accept.

  10. Click Save and go Back to save this property definition and return to the Product Definition: New screen.

    You have created the LeadSize property definition, which you will use to describe the lead size of your pencil product.

    The Product Definition: New screen appears. The Manufacturer, SKU, LeadColor, BodyColor, and LeadSize properties appear in the Assigned properties list in the Product Variant Properties section. Because property and product definitions are created at the site level, once a property definition is created, it can be used to define any product for any catalog on your site.

  11. Click save and go back to save the pencil product definition, and return to the Catalog Definition Designer: Product Definitions screen.

    You have created the Pencil product definition. Proceed to Step 3: Creating the Pen product definition, where you will re-use the BodyColor property definition that you created in this step when you create the Pen product definition.

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