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Create a metaphor XML input file

Create an XML input file to specify which store's metaphors you want to build, update, or delete with the create metaphor scheduler command.

Before creating an XML input file, determine the following for the catalog data to work with:

• The store ID

• The category ID

• The features that correspond to the database column names (if you are building metaphors)

For more information about the XML specifications, see the pabatch.dtd file located...

• WC_INSTALL /xml/tools/pa

• WC_INSTALL \xml\tools\pa

Also, see the online help file documenting the Product Advisor XML input file DTD.

To create an input file:

Procedure

1. Open a text editor. In the following directory, or a directory of the choice create a new XML file, or use the sample metaphor input XML file as a template:

   • WC_INSTALL/xml/tools/pa

   • WC_INSTALL\xml\tools\pa

2. Type the following to specify processing information and the store ID for this execution of PACreateMetaphorBatchCmd scheduler command:

   <?xml version="1.0"?>   
   <builder>      
   <store SID="6001">
   </store>   
   </builder>
   

   where SID is the desired store ID. All other tags for this input file should be placed between the store begin and end tags.

3. To build either a Product Explorer or a Product Comparison metaphor, use the following tags to specify the category to which the metaphor applies. <category ID="1"> </category>

4. Refer to the online help file that details the preparation of the metaphor that to create:

   • Prepare a Product metaphor

   • Prepare a Guided Sell metaphor

     You can create more than one metaphor in the XML file. Category elements can contain both Product Comparison and Product Explorer metaphors, as long as they relate to that category.

     To create Product metaphors for different categories requires multiple category elements. Category elements cannot contain Guided Sell metaphors.

     Note that metaphors are defined for a particular category, and therefore will use the same set of attributes for all languages. If values do not exist for a specific language, or the attribute itself doesn't have a translated name, then the value will not be shown. This means that there is no default language for an attribute.

5. Save the file.

• Sample: Product Advisor metaphor XML input file
  Product Advisor provides a sample XML input file for use with the Product Advisor scheduler command. The sample file is metaphor.xml, which has a Product Explorer metaphor and a Product Comparison metaphor, as well as a Guided Sell metaphor for category '1'.

  To use the sample as a base for your own XML file, create a backup version of the file, and then edit the file as required.

• Prepare metaphors
  To use the Product Advisor, prepare a search space, and then create any or all of the three types of shopping metaphors that the customers can use.

• Prepare a Product metaphor
  The steps in this section explain how to prepare a Product Comparison metaphor or a Product Exploration metaphor for a category.

• Prepare a Guided Sell metaphor
  The steps in this section explain how to prepare Guided Sell metaphor.

• Create metaphors using the command utilities
  With the scheduler commands, you can build, update or delete metaphors.

• Delete a metaphor
  The steps in this section explain how to delete a catalog or metaphor.

• Migrate Product Advisor data from staging server to production server
  The steps in this section explain how to migrate Product Advisor data from the staging server to the production server.

• Update the metaphor settings
  After you have prepared a metaphor, you can change the following from the user interface or by editing the XML input file.

Related concepts

Dynamic data beans

Widget beans

Related tasks

Create metaphors using the command utilities

Prepare a Product metaphor

Prepare a Guided Sell metaphor

Related reference

Product Advisor XML input file DTD

Sample: Product Advisor metaphor XML input file

Sample: Product Advisor JSP files

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