PIM - Create product features
Product Information Management
Product features are stored in the Master data as Features. They can be added manually in the censhare Admin Client.
User roles
For more information, see the section Solution administrator.
Context
Product features are created in the Master data table of the censhare Admin Client.
Prerequisites
None
Introduction
Important notes:
(1) Product features are represented as Feature Assets. Feature assets are created automatically when you add a new feature to the Master data/Features table in the censhare Admin Client. Do not create Module / Feature assets in censhare Web or in the censhare Client!
(2) The Product / Product feature asset type is deprecated. Do not use this asset type to add product features.
Product features store any kind of product data in the censhare PIM solution. Technically, product features are asset features. They are added to and configured in the Master data/Features table. To indicate that an asset feature is used as a product feature, use the default product trait key, or add your own trait keys.
Preconfigured product features
The censhare standard configuration contains more than 30 preconfigured product features. The ID of the preconfigured product features starts with censhare:product. Some product features are functional features that reference assets within the PIM data model or control the inheritance and lookup of product features across asset structures.
You can use the standard product features and add your own product features. Do not change the configuration of the standard features, in particular of the functional features. Changing the standard configuration of product features can affect the functionality of the censhare PIM solution.
Import standard product classifications
This article describes the manual creation of product features. If you import standard product classifications into your censhare PIM solution, product features are created automatically. For more information, see Standard product classifications.
Custom product features
You can add your own product features in the censhare Admin Client. The feature configuration is described below in this article. For further configuration steps of a custom product classification, see the section PIM setup guide.
Note: If you add your own product features, always test the system behavior under real load conditions, as the configuration of a feature can affect the performance and memory usage of the censhare Server.
Key steps
- For more information, see General.
- For more information, see Details.
- For more information, see Classification system.
- For more information, see Child features.
- For more information, see Index Configuration.
General
To create a new feature, do the following:
In the censhare Admin Client, open the Master data/Features table, and click icon
.To use the feature, the Enabled field must be selected.
In the ID field, enter the feature ID. The naming convention for product features starts with censhare:product. The ID must be unique in a system.
Details
In the Details area, enter the following details:
Field | Remarks | Description |
Name [en] | required | The name of the feature. The value is used as label for the input field in UI dialogs. |
Name [de|fr|it|jp|...] | optional | Localized names. |
Description [en] | recommended | A short description of the feature for internal and administrative purposes. |
Description [de|fr|it|jp|...] | optional | Localized descriptions. |
Label [en] | optional | Alernative UI label. Use to overwrite the Name of the feature in UI dialogs. For example, enter a shorter or more self-explanatory name. |
Label [de|fr|it|jp|...] | optional | Localized UI labels. |
Placeholder text [en] | optional | A label or short text that displays in the input field in UI dialogs, if no value for the feature exists. For example: Enter a text for string values, or Select a value for dynamic value lists. |
Placeholder text [de|fr|it|jp|...] | optional | Localized placeholders. |
Tooltip [en] | recommended | Tooltips display when a user moves the cursor over an input field in a UI dialog. Enter a description or short instruction that helps users to edit the feature. |
Tooltip [de|fr|it|jp|...] | optional | Localized tooltips. |
Asset resource key | required | Unique identifier of an asset. Used in the Feature asset that censhare creates from a feature. Resource keys are used in dynamic value lists and queries. For more information, see this article. |
Namespace URI | optional | Prefix that assigns the feature to an entity. The name and namespace URI together comprise a unique key. |
Trait key | required (default: product) | Identifies the feature as product feature. Trait key and Property key combined are a unique identifier for the feature and are used in the censhare Web and in the backend. For more information, see this article. |
Property key | required | Identifies the feature in the internal data model. Trait key and Property key combined are a unique identifier for the feature and are used in censhare Web and in the backend. Use camelCase. For more information, see this article. |
Top level property | only for child features | Defines the logical structure of child features. If enabled, the feature can be addressed directly in the trait, even if it is a child feature of another feature. If disabled, the child feature can only be addressed through the parent feature. |
Target object | Asset | Product features are stored in assets (products, product items, product categories, product families, etc.) |
Domain | default: root | Only relevant if you want to create product features that are only visible in different domain branches. For example: in different organizational structures, or subsidiaries. |
2nd Domain | default: root | Only relevant if you want to create product features that are only visible in different domain branches. For example: in different organizational structures, or subsidiaries. |
Type | select: Asset feature | Categorizes the feature in the master data table. Product features are created as Asset features. |
Sorting | enter an integer value | Specifies the position that a feature has in a selection list. Note: If the sorting is set to alphabetical, the Sorting attribute is ignored. |
Value type | required | Select the value type (data type) of the product feature. Note: The value type cannot be changed after you save the feature! |
UI control | only with Value types that allow multiple UI controls | Select a UI control in dialogs that is different from the default. The available options vary depending on the selected value type. For example, select a color picker instead of a string field for hexadecimal color values. For more information, see this article. |
Unit | only with the Value types: Floating-point number, Floating-point number pair | Assign a single unit to a numeric value. You can only select either a unit or a unit set. For more information, see this article. |
Unit set | only with the Value types: Floating-point number, Floating-point number pair | Assign a unit set to a numeric value. You can only select either a unit or a unit set. For more information, see this article. |
Language | optional | Specifies if a language can/must be selected for the feature. |
Colour | optional | Specifies, if a color can/must be selected for the feature. |
Storage | Versioned/Unversioned | Specifies how a feature is stored. If you select Versioned, censhare creates a new asset version when the value is edited. For product features, do not select Attribute, Full-text, Function, Out-of-band or External. For more information, see this article. |
Value expression | optional | Enter an XPATH expression that retrieves the value from the asset metadata. Values are indexed and searchable. For example: censhare:like-count-calc counts the likes of a product. |
Master data value list | only with the Value types: Hierarchical value list, Value list | References a table and column in the master data that contain the source values. This field is not relevant for product features. |
Value list resource key | only with the Value types: Integer, Text (string), Asset key reference, Asset reference | References a Value list asset that queries assets that display in a dynamic value list. For example: Feature items. For more information, see this article. |
XML attribute | disabled | Creates an attribute in the root element of the XML representation of the feature. This field is not relevant for product features. |
Multiple values | disabled/enabled | If enabled, users can enter and store multiple values of the same feature. |
Searchable | enabled | If enabled, features can be searched in the Expert search. Recommended for product features. |
Relevance | disabled/enabled | If enabled, users can enter a percentage of relevance when they edit the feature. The relevance is taken into account for the search. For more information, see this article. |
Modifiable by user | disabled/enabled | Select to allow changes to the feature configuration in the censhare Admin Client for users with appropriate permissions. |
Classification system
When you import a standard product classification, censhare creates the respective features and populates these fields automatically. Do not fill out these fields manually! For more information, see this article.
Asset reference
This area is only displayed if you select the value types Asset reference or Asset key reference. Define the relation names and asset filters. When users edit the feature, censhare creates an asset reference, and the names and filters apply. For more information, see this article.
Child features
Notes:
(1) There are two ways to create product features with child features: The parent feature can have a value itself, or no value at all. If the parent feature has no value, select the value type None. The value of the feature consists of the values of the child features.
(2) The naming convention for the feature ID reflects the feature hierarchy. IDs of child features are the same as feature the parent feature ID with a suffix that identifies the child feature. The suffix is separated by a period.
(3) Child features can be nested in multiple levels.
To create a hierarchical product feature, you can add any existing feature as child feature in this area. Proceed as follows:
In the Child features area, click icon
.In the Feature field, select the desired feature.
In the Type field, select Hierarchy.
Select Enabled.
To add more child features, repeat the previous steps.
Index configuration
To index a product feature and make it searchable for users in the Quick search or Expert search, configure a separate index feature that creates and stores the index of a product feature. Do not create the index directly in a product feature! For more information, see this article.
Related topics
For more information see this article.