Step 1: Creating sales catalogs

In this part of the tutorial you will create three different sales catalogs. The first one will act as the main sales catalog, the second one will be a holiday sales catalog, and the third one will be a spring fever sales catalog. When you create the catalogs make sure to enter the codes exactly as shown since those codes will be used in later steps. As well, make sure that these codes are unique and contain no spaces. After the unique identifier is in place, WebSphere Commerce provides the mechanism for the URL to reference the sales catalog by its identifier. Once you setup the store to point to a sales catalog this way, then all remaining pages will display that sales catalog until a new sales catalog is specified by another URL reference. This allows a shopper to be able to view multiple catalogs in a single store.

Follow these steps to create three new sales catalogs:

  1. Ensure you have started a Web server, you can use the test environment as follows:
    1. Start WebSphere Commerce Developer.
    2. Start the WebSphere Commerce Test Server.
  2. Open the WebSphere Commerce Accelerator

    Select the Consumer Direct starter store.

  3. Select Merchandise > Sales Catalogs
    Select Products > Sales Catalogs
  4. Click New
  5. Enter the following information about the New Sales Catalog page:
    1. Code (required): The sales catalog code which uniquely identifies the sales catalog in the WebSphere Commerce system
      • ConsumerDirectSalesMain
    2. Description: A description of the sales catalog
      • Main Sales Catalog
    3. Language: The language for the catalog. If you are creating a sales catalog in a language other than your store's default language, ensure that you have created that same catalog in the default store language first. The reason is because the default language is always referenced whenever other language data does not exist
      • Enter your preferred language
    4. Name: The name of the sales catalog
      • Main Items
    5. Short description: A brief description of the sales catalog
      • Main Items
    6. Long description: A long description of the sales catalog
      • Main Items
    7. Thumbnail image file and location: The thumbnail size image path and name for the sales catalog
      • Do not enter any value in this field for this tutorial.
    8. Full size image file and location: The full size image path and name for the sales catalog
      • Do not enter any value in this field for this tutorial.
  6. Click OK. The new sales catalog is displayed in the list of available catalogs
  7. Enter merchandise into your catalog
    1. Put a check next to the catalog you just created, and click Design
    2. Create a sub-category by clicking New Category
    3. Click Edit Catalog Entries, then click Find Categories
    4. Put a check next the name of the category you are interest in, and click List Catalog Entries
    5. Put a check next to the name of the catalog entries you want to insert into your catalog, and click Add To Target Category
    6. When you have selected all of the catalog entries that you want for your new catalog, click the Sales Catalogs link in the bread crumb trail at the top of the page
  8. Repeat steps 4 through 7 to create the holiday sales catalog, entering the following information for step 5:
    • Code: ConsumerDirectSalesHoliday
    • Description: Holiday Items
    • Language:Your preferred language
    • Name: Holiday Items
    • Short description: Holiday Items
    • Long description: Holiday Items for special sales catalog references
    • Thumbnail image file and location: Do not enter any value in this field for this tutorial.
    • Full size image file and location: Do not enter any value in this field for this tutorial.
  9. Repeat steps 4 through 7 to create the spring fever sales catalog, entering the following information for step 5:
    • Code: ConsumerDirectSalesSpringFever
    • Description: Spring Fever Items
    • Language:Your preferred language
    • Name: Spring Fever Items
    • Short description: Spring Fever Items
    • Long description: Spring Fever Items for special sales catalog references
    • Thumbnail image file and location: Do not enter any value in this field for this tutorial.
    • Full size image file and location: Do not enter any value in this field for this tutorial.

You have now created three new sales catalogs: a main sales catalog, a holiday sales catalog, and a spring fever sales catalog. You have also learned how to specify catalog entries to go in the new sales catalogs.

In the next step, you will create the URL references needed to link your new catalogs to a store view.

(C) Copyright IBM Corporation 1996, 2006. All Rights Reserved.