Catalog management module in a custom product configuration system
A software system may be used to define configurable products for use in a selling application module by sellers of products to define custom configuration of products to satisfy customer needs. During periodic points in time, a subset of all configuration of these configurable products may be offered for sale by sellers user special price terms and conditions. Catalogs of sale products may provide a mechanism for configuring only products that are included within sale products. A catalog manager module may assist in preparing a catalog of product data and related configuration rules associated with only products included within a particular catalog.
1 . A method comprising:
presenting a product list in the form of a hierarchical option-option attribute tree to a user;
accepting user selection commands selecting items from a hierarchical option-option attribute tree for inclusion within a catalog product data database;
for each item selected, identifying and applying all configuration rules related to all items lower in the hierarchical option-option attribute tree to all associated items according to the configuration rules; and
extracting product data and configuration rules associated with all selected items within the hierarchical option-option attribute tree to generate the catalog product data database;
wherein the option-option attribute tree comprises a hierarchical data structure corresponding to definition of configurable products.
2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
modifying customizable product attributes associated with products selected within the option-option attribute tree.
3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the option-option attribute tree includes a product item having one or more options, each of the one or more options possess a plurality of option attributes.
4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the catalog product data database is used by a selling application module to specify configurable products for sale to customers.
5 . The method according to claim 2 , wherein modifying customizable product attributes comprises:
obtaining product classes corresponding to all items within the option-option attribute tree;
retrieving metadata corresponding to product classes;
determining identity of all customizable product attributes using retrieved metadata;
modifying customizable product attributes using user input; and
updating the catalog product data database to contain user specified modification to the customizable product attributes.
6 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the customizable product attributes comprises a product price.
7 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein the customizable product attributes comprises a product discount.
8 . The method according to claim 5 , wherein modifying customizable product attributes further comprises:
receiving user input defining catalog use limitations associated with the catalog product data database; and
modifying the catalog product data database to include the catalog use limitations.
9 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the catalog use limitations comprises a valid data range during which the catalog product data database may be used.
10 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the catalog use limitations comprises a valid region defining a geographical region in which the catalog product data database may be used.
11 . A computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing a programmable processor to:
present a product list containing an option-option attribute tree to a user;
accept user selection commands selecting items from a hierarchical option-option attribute tree for inclusion within a catalog product data database;
for each item selected, identify and apply all configuration rules related to all items lower in the hierarchical option-option attribute tree to ensure inclusion of all necessary items and only permitted items within the hierarchical option-option attribute tree;
extract product data and configuration rules associated with all selected items within the hierarchical option-option attribute tree to generate the catalog product data database; and
modify customizable product attributes associated with products selected within the option-option attribute tree.
wherein the option-option attribute tree comprises a hierarchical data structure corresponding to definition of configurable products.
12 . The computer-readable medium according to claim 11 , wherein readable medium comprising instructions further causing a programmable processor to:
obtain product classes corresponding to all items within the option-option attribute tree;
retrieve metadata corresponding to product classes;
determine identify of all customizable product attributes using retrieved metadata;
modify customizable product attributes using user input; and
update the catalog product data database to contain user specified modification to the customizable product attributes.
13 . The computer-readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein the customizable product attributes comprises product price.
14 . The computer-readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein the customizable product attributes comprises product discount.
15 . The computer-readable medium according to claim 12 , wherein readable medium comprising instructions further causing a programmable processor to:
receiving user input defining catalog use limitations associated with the catalog product data database; and
modifying the catalog product data database to include the catalog use limitations.
16 . The computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the catalog use limitations comprises a valid data range during which the catalog product data database may be used.
17 . The computer-readable medium according to claim 15 , wherein the catalog use limitations comprises a valid region defining a geographical region in which the catalog product data database may be used.
18 . A catalog manager module comprising:
product-component selection module; and
a product-component rules module;
wherein the product-component selection module accepts user selection commands selecting items from a hierarchical option-option attribute tree for inclusion within a catalog product data database; and
the product-component rules module identifies and applies all configuration rules for each item selected that are related to all items lower in the hierarchical option-option attribute tree to all associated items according to the configuration rules.
19 . The catalog manager module according to claim 18 , wherein the catalog manager module further comprises:
a product-component and rules output module, the product-component and rules output module extracts product data and configuration rules associated with all selected items within the hierarchical option-option attribute tree to generate the catalog product data database.
20 . The catalog manager module according to claim 18 , wherein the option-option attribute tree comprises a hierarchical data structure corresponding to definition of configurable products.
21 . The catalog manager module according to claim 18 , further comprising an additional parameters module that modifies customizable product attributes associated with products selected within the option-option attribute tree.
22 . The catalog manager module according to claim 18 , wherein the option-option attribute tree includes a product item having one or more options, each of the one or more options possess a plurality of option attributes.
23 . The catalog manager module according to claim 18 , wherein the catalog product data database is used by a selling application module to specify configurable products for sale to customers.
24 . The catalog manager module according to claim 21 , wherein the additional parameters module further:
obtains product classes corresponding to all items within the option-option attribute tree;
retrieves metadata corresponding to product classes;
determines identify of all customizable product attributes using retrieved metadata;
modifies customizable product attributes using user input; and
updates the catalog product data database to contain user specified modification to the customizable product attributes.
25 . The catalog manager module according to claim 24 , wherein the customizable product attributes comprises a product price.
26 . The catalog manager module according to claim 24 , wherein the customizable product attributes comprises a product mark-up.
27 . The catalog manager module according to claim 24 , wherein the additional parameters module further:
receives user input defining catalog use limitations associated with the catalog product data database; and
modifies the catalog product data database to include the catalog use limitations.
28 . The catalog manager module according to claim 27 , wherein the catalog use limitations comprises a valid data range during which the catalog product data database may be used.
29 . The catalog manager module according to claim 27 , wherein the catalog use limitations comprises a valid region defining a geographical region in which the catalog product data database may be used.