If you use a backend catalog management system to define attribute data or new product
attributes, you can use catalog import to import new product attribute definitions into
Salesforce B2C Commerce and to make sure that attributes managed via the backend system
can't be edited in Business Manager.
Useful Elements for Managing Attributes
In the catalog.xsd, the product-attribute-definitions element uses the
complexType.AttributeDefinitions type, which contains two useful elements:
- externally-managed-flag - used to indicate that the custom
attribute values are externally managed and can't be edited in
Business Manager.
- externally-defined-flag - indicates whether the custom attribute definition is
managed in an external system and then imported in our system. This element is
intended for merchants that use Catalog Management Systems, where they manage
their catalog data along with product meta data. Attribute definitions that are
imported along with catalog information are implicitly marked as
externally-defined. There is no way to set the externally-defined-flag in
Business Manager.
Note: Although most metadata attributes can be set when creating a product
attribute definition, the following attributes can only be set via Business Manager:
-
order-required-flag
-
searchable
Delete and Create Custom Product Attribute Definitions in
a Single Feed
You can delete obsolete attribute definitions and create attribute definitions in a
single feed using the product-attribute-definitions element.
- In UX Studio, in the pipeline that you use to import your catalog, locate the
ImportCatalog pipelet.
- In the ImportConfiguration parameter, enter
{importAttributeDefinitions:true}. Note: If this option isn't set, the
product-attribute-definition element is ignored by import and an error
is generated in the import log.
- From your backend system, generate a feed based on the catalog.xsd
that has the following:
- a
product-attribute-definitions element for
each new attribute definition you want to create.
- if you want to remove a product attribute definition that is
externally defined, make sure that it isn't included in the feed.
Whether you are importing with the UPDATE, MERGE, or REPLACE mode,
the replace semantic is always used for
product-attribute-definitions element, so any
attribute definitions that are flagged externally defined in the
database and not defined in the import file are removed from the
database.
- Import the feed via a job.
Note: Importing the feed
manually in Business Manager causes the
product-attribute-definitions element to be
ignored.
Changing Product Object Custom Attribute
Definitions
Because custom product attribute definitions are created in the catalog import can't be
searchable or order-required, to prevent unintended changes to the storefront, you
must change these attribute settings after catalog import.
Note: Carefully consider whether the new attributes can affect your cart,
checkout procedure, or order information.