Create & publish product specification tables

Tables for product specifications show all product items of a product and their properties. You can populate a table on a web page or print a brochure by placing the source asset in a layout or on a web page.

Context

Product tables are a feature of censhare PIM. Output tables provide a media-neutral representation of these tables. The content of the table can be generated from a variety of product-type assets that are used as a source. Product tables are created in the respective context, which can be a product, product family, product edition, product set or product series. For publishing, these assets can be placed directly in a layout or on a web page. The table is automatically generated for the respective output channel. 

Prerequisites

To use the output tables for web and print publishing, you need the Editor for Adobe InDesign documents with a valid license or an Online Channel configured in your censhare system.

Introduction

In the context of censhare PIM, products, product families, product editions, product sets and product series are the data source for product specification tables. The items represented in a table column or table row are either product items (source: Product asset) or products (source: all remaining source asset types).

The table preview shows the respective properties - for example, technical specifications - for each product item. The output table configuration allows properties to be grouped or merged in one table cell or create crosstabs. The output table configuration is done by an administrator. As a user, just select the appropriate output table in order to preview the table. Depending on the configuration of the output table, more options are available, for example:

• Language: Select the output language for the table.

• Orientation: Select the table orientation (horizontal/vertical)

• Other filters: Enter or select a filter value

After you have selected an output table and other options, the preview shows the resulting table. In the next step, place the source asset in a layout asset or assign it to a static content asset of a web page. The final table is generated automatically in the respective output format (Adobe InDesign or HTML) which can be published in print products or on a web page.

Select the table preview in the source asset

To select the source asset and view options:

1. Open the source asset in an asset page.

2. Go to the "Table" tab.

3. In the Preview widget, select an output table.

   

   Available output tables are shown in the widgets next to the Preview widget, for example the "Technical specifications" or "Product variants" widgets (the names may be different). If no output table is assigned in either of these, click on the "+" button in the widget header and select an output table asset. Be aware that the output table is specific for each asset type. If you are not sure which output table to select, ask an administrator.

4. If available in your configuration, select the desired view options like language and orientation.

5. Copy the asset ID of the source asset to your clipboard. With the ID, you easily find it when you place it in the Layout asset.

6. Save and close the source asset.

Place the source asset in a layout or web page

To create a print layout or web page using the table data from the source asset:

1. Open the asset where you want to place the table.

   • To create a print layout, open the respective Layout asset with an appropriate Adobe InDesign template.

   • To publish the table on a web page, open the respective Static content widget that stores the HTML snippet.

2. Place the source asset in the layout. (use the "Add media to Layout" dialog and the copied source asset ID), or assign it to the static content widget.

3. Save the changes.

Result

You have created a table in the respective layout (web or print) that is ready to be published through the respective channel (web/print).