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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 this article (partner login required).

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

For more information, 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

General

To create a new feature, do the following:

  1. In the censhare Admin Client, open the Master data/Features table, and click icon

    .

  2. To use the feature, the Enabled field must be selected.

  3. 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

Alternative 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 unique identifier for the feature and are used in censhare Web and in the backend. Use camelCase.

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 (partner login required).


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:

  1. In the Child features area, click icon .

  2. In the Feature field, select the desired feature.

  3. In the Type field, select Hierarchy.

  4. Select Enabled.

  5. 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.

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