Adding a Property Definition

A property definition specifies a single characteristic of a category definition or a product definition in your catalog. One property definition can be used by multiple category definitions and production definitions, and it can be shared across catalogs. For example, the property definition "Description" can be used in every product definition and category definition for adding descriptions to categories and products.

After you create the property definition, you can add it to a category definition or a product definition.

To add a property definition

1. In Catalogs, click Catalog Designer.
   
   
2. In the Catalog Designer: Category Definitions screen, click on the toolbar, and then select Property Definitions from the drop-down list.
   
   
3. In the Catalog Designer: Property Definitions screen, click on the toolbar, and then select the property type that you want to use to create a new property definition.

   The boxes that appear in the Catalog Designer: Property Definitions screen depend on the type of property definition you have selected.

4. In the Property Definitions screen, do the following:

   Use this	For property type	To do this
   Name	All	Type a name for the property. Note After you save this property, you cannot change the property name.
   Display on site	All	Select this check box to display the specified property to users on your Web site. If you want to keep some properties private for internal use, do not select this check box.
   Display name	All	Type the name that is to be displayed on the Web site as a label for this property. For example, for a property named "ShirtColor," you may want the label to be "Color."
   Free text searchable	Text, multiple choice	Select this check box so that free text searching on your catalog will apply to values stored in this property. When you select the Free text searchable option, the property definition is added to the full index for the catalog. You must update the full text index after changing items in your catalogs that are marked as searchable. For information about updating the full text index, see Refreshing and Publishing a Catalog.
   Specification searchable	Text, number, decimal, money/currency, date/time, multiple choice	Select this check box in order for this property to be used in specification searches. A specification search enables users to select the values of interest to them that help them find particular products.
   Minimum length	Text	Type the number that defines the minimum length of the value for this property type. The default minimum length is zero (0) characters. If you specify a length other than zero, this property becomes a required property for a product or category definition.
   Maximum length	Text	Type the number that defines the maximum length of the value for this property type. The maximum allowed length is 3600 characters.
   Minimum value	Number, decimal, money/currency	Type the number that defines the minimum value for this property. The default minimum value is zero (0).
   Maximum value	Number, decimal, money/currency	Type the number that defines the maximum value for this property type. For example, to add a property for money, enter a number including the decimal point and any fractional amount that could accommodate the greatest monetary value to be applied to a product.
   Earliest date	Date/time	Type the date to indicate the earliest date that you want this property to be valid. For example, the earliest date users can order a new record.
   Earliest time	Date/time	Type the time in 00:00 format (for example, 13:00 is 1 P.M.) to indicate the earliest time that you want this property to be valid. For example, a start time.
   Latest date	Date/time	Type the date to indicate the latest date that you want this property to be valid. For example, the latest date users can order a promotional product.
   Latest time	Date/time	Type the time in 00:00 format (for example, 22:00 is 10 P.M.) to indicate the latest time that you want this property to be valid. For example, an expiration time.
   Default value	Text, number, decimal, money/currency, date/time, multiple choice	Type in the default value for the property type. The format varies depending on the property type you are adding.
   Assign to all product definitions	All	Select this check box to assign the property to all product types. Do this for generic product properties such as name, description, or weight.
   Export to Data Warehouse	All	Select this check box to export the property to the Data Warehouse. Exporting to Data Warehouse makes data available for reporting purposes.
   Display in products list	All	Select this check box to display this property in the products list.

   
   
5. To save the property definition and return to the Catalog Designer: Property Definitions screen, click on the toolbar.

You can now add the property definition to a category definition and/or a product definition.

Notes

• If you select the Assign to all product definitions option, any future definitions you create will automatically inherit this property.
  
  
• You cannot use the following special characters in the name of a property definition: arrows < >, ampersand &, or parentheses ().
  
  
• A property name cannot start with a number.

See Also

About Catalogs

Adding a Product Definition

Adding a Category Definition