Store flows

WebSphere Commerce Accelerator allows you to configure certain features in published stores. That is, if your store is based on one of the following starter stores, you can select what features you want to display in your store (follow the links for store-specific details):

• Consumer direct store

• Advanced B2B direct store

• B2B direct store

This is done by selecting to enable or disable the features in the Change Flow notebook pages accessible from the Store menu of WebSphere Commerce Accelerator.

The JSP files in the starter stores listed above include customized tags (<flow:ifEnabled> and <flow:ifDisabled>) that WebSphere Commerce Accelerator uses to enable or disable the selected features in your store. The <flow:ifEnabled> tags enclose the portion of the JSP files that is applicable only when the specified feature is enabled. The <flow:ifDisabled> tags enclose the portion of the JSP files that is applicable only when the specified feature is disabled.

After configuring the store-flow features, you have two options: Apply or Apply Permanently. If you choose Apply, WebSphere Commerce Accelerator will use the appropriate tags to control the features' display in the store. The tags will remain in place and the JSP files unchanged. However, if you choose Apply Permanently, WebSphere Commerce Accelerator will remove the portions of the JSP files that will not be used. That is, if you have selected to enable a feature, WebSphere Commerce Accelerator will leave the portion of the JSP file that is enclosed within the <flow:ifEnabled> tags but will remove the portion of the JSP file that is enclosed within the <flow:ifDisabled> tags. Both the <flow:ifEnabled> and <flow:ifDisabled> tags will also be removed.

Important: Once you have chosen Apply Permanently, you can no longer reconfigure any of the store-flow features within your store. As a result, IBM recommends that you create copies of the JSP files of the store that you are about to configure. The JSP files are located in the following directory:

• WC_eardir/Stores.war/ storedir

• workspace_dir\Stores\Web Content\ storedir

The consumer direct, B2B direct, and advanced B2B direct store archives also include extra XML files that WebSphere Commerce Accelerator uses during the configuration process. Do not remove these files from the store archives or change them in any way, or the configuration features may be lost.

The custom tags (such as <flow:ifEnabled> and <flow:ifDisabled>) and XML files used in the consumer direct, B2B direct, and advanced B2B direct starter stores are not meant to be used in stores not based on these starter stores. The tags and XML files should not be copied or recreated in other stores or store archives.

 

Related Concepts

Store archive
Starter store archives

 

Related tasks

Change store flows