Solutions : Site Management : Parameter List Utility

Parameter List Utility
Installation and Usage

FILENAME: pl.html

PURPOSE: Describes Parameter List Utility dependencies, requirements, installation and usage.

DEPENDENCIES:

cm.pl - Configuration Management configuration and common logic modules (see: cm.html)
jhzcs.pl - JHZ-CS configuration and common logic modules (see: jhzcs.html)
IID (Item Information Dataset)

REQUIREMENTS:

Logic Modules

pl.cgi - logic module
db_tabs.pl - data mapping (required only for SQL RDBMS data source usage)

Output Template

embedded within pl.cgi

PACKING (PARTS) LIST

INSTALLATION:

Set Configuration variables assigned values in pl.cgi; see instruction contained in that module (see "Code Excerpt" below):

• $use_database (use SQL RDBMS data source?)
• $PL_file_dir (output subdirectory)
• $PL_filename (output filename)
• $PL_prod_data_col (item ID or portal item ID data column name)

Change Merchant record variable assigned values in pl.cgi; see instruction contained in that module (see "Code Excerpt" below):

• $PL_merchant{NAME}
• $PL_merchant{HOMEURL}
• $PL_merchant{TIMEZONE}
• $PL_merchant{EMAIL}
• $PL_merchant{STORETYPE}

Set PL LISTING Record Layout in pl.cgi; see instruction contained in that module (see "Code Excerpt" below):

• XXX
• XXX
• XXX

NOTE: The default PL LISTING Record Layout contained in pl.cgi is formatted to support use of JHZ-CS Banner Affiliate System for "PRODUCTURL" and "BUYURL" URL link handling. To use JHZ-CS "Item Detail" for "PRODUCTURL" and "Shopping Cart" remove the "/cgi-bin/banner/interceptor.cgi?userid=1000001&display=" portion from both PRODUCTURL and BUYURL resulting in:

PRODUCTURL="/cgi-bin/pg/i.cgi?i=<<item_id>>"

BUYURL="/cgi-bin/ec/sc/add.cgi?Item=<<item_id>>"

Code Excerpt

$PL_file_dir        = $site_root."PL/";
$PL_filename        = "domain-name.pml";    #    change to your domain
$PL_prod_data_col    = "inktomi_category";

#===========================================================
#    PL MERCHANT record layout and values
#

$PL_merchant_rec_layout    =<<"END";
<MERCHANT
    NAME="<<NAME>>"
    HOMEURL="<<HOMEURL>>"
    DATE="<<DATE>>"
    EMAIL="<<EMAIL>>"
    STORETYPE="<<STORETYPE>>"
/>
END
$PL_merchant{NAME}       = "Company Name";               #    change to your Company Name
$PL_merchant{HOMEURL}    = "http://www.domainname.com/"; #    change to your home page URL
$PL_merchant{TIMEZONE}   = "PDT";                        #    change to your Time Zone
$PL_merchant{EMAIL}      = "info\@domainname.com";       #    change to your contact e-mail address
$PL_merchant{STORETYPE}  = "ONLINESTORE";                #    change to your store type
$PL_merchant{DATE}       = localtime();

#---------------------------------------------------------------------
#    PL LISTING Record Layout -
#
#    Values are from IID i.dat
#
#    To add a new PL LISTING Record Tag, add another line of code
#    between "<LISTING " and "/>" in the format:
#                "TagName=\"<<product_col>>\" ".
#        Where:
#            "TagName" is the new Tag
#            "product_col" is one or more data column names
#                each wrapped in "<<" and ">>"
#
#        To specify a literal as opposed to a column name,
#            insert in place of "<<product_col>>"
#
#        To specify a combination of literals and column name(s)
#            put the literals outside of the <<...>>
#
#        NOTE:    Values are wrapped in quotes and must be
#                protected with a black slash "\".  Quotes within
#                values must be specified as \"
#
#---------------------------------------------------------------------
$PL_listing_rec_layout    =<<"END";
<LISTING
    CATEGORY="<<inktomi_category>>"
    PRODUCTNAME="<<item_manufacture>>, <<item_id>> (<<subcategory>>)"
    PRICE="<<item_price>>"
    PRODUCTURL="/cgi-bin/banner/interceptor.cgi?userid=1000001&display=/cgi-bin/pg/i.cgi?i=<<item_id>>"
    BUYURL="/cgi-bin/banner/interceptor.cgi?userid=1000001&display=/cgi-bin/ec/sc/add.cgi?Item=<<item_id>>"
    SHIPPINGINFO="Flat \$4.50 Online"
    SKU="<<item_id>>"
    PRODUCTID="<<item_id>>"
    IMAGEURL="http://www.domainname.com/<<item_image_sm>>"
    DESCRIPTION="<<item_description>>"
    BRAND="<<item_manufacture>>"
    AVAILABILITY="yes"
/>
END
#---------------------------------------------------------------------

#
#    END CONFIGURATION SECTION
#
############################################################

NOTE: Most FTP applications support automatic creation of directories and subdirectories when uploading a directory. Using that technique can assist in speeding up the installation process; however, assure common (shared) modules are fully configured to avoid overwriting a previously configured module.

TEMPLATES:

Customize embedded templates for content and format as desired.

• $PL_merchant_rec_layout (merchant header record)
• $PL_listing_rec_layout (item record)

Any variable contained in the IID may be referenced using the variables (column header name) wrapped in less than greater than pairs. The variable name cannot contain spaces.

USAGE:

This is a back end administration utility invoked via the URL that points to it. The default install location would point to "http://yourdomain/cgi-bin/cm/pl/pl.cgi" where "yourdomain" would be replaced accordingly.