Attribute and Product Finder Content Models

This chapter describes the content models of the attribute and product finder meta-data. These elements are not defined in the API schema. Instead, they are treated as strings in the API schema:

When you use GetAttributesCSCall and GetProductSellingPagesCall (or classes that implement the IAttributesXmlProvider interface) the attribute meta-data is returned as an XML string in the AttributeData and ProductSellingPagesData field, respectively. This enables you to use the Item Specifics SYI XSL stylesheet to render the meta-data.
When you use GetProductFinderCall, the product finder meta-data is returned as an XML string in the ProductFinderData field. This enables you to use the Product Finder XSL stylesheet to render the meta-data.

This topic focuses on the conceptual logic that governs the way the meta-data is organized and the dependencies that can exist between attributes. When you list an item with attributes or search for products, your request will fail if you use invalid combinations of attributes.

If you use the Attributes Library, you can ignore many of the details of this model, as indicated in the sections below. However, there may be certain aspects of the model that you will find useful to understand if you are modifying or extending the sample classes provided in the Attributes Library and when you are testing your application.

Before reading this chapter, you should be familiar with the basic definitions of attributes, characteristics, characteristic sets, and products as described in Working with Attribute-Based Features.

This chapter is organized into these main sections:

The Attribute Meta-Data Model

The Product Finder Meta-Data Model