Sorting products using deep search sequencing

Deep search sequencing refers to the process of ordering products within a category and all its subcategories. This process is used to enhance the storefront by using Category-based browsing flows that customers can use to browse products.

Note: Interim fixes for Feature Pack 7 are required to use this feature. Apply the latest cumulative interim fix for Feature Pack 7, JR52306.fep.

About this task

This task enables deep search sequencing by sorting by both category sequence and product sequence. This is done by setting the EnableDeepProductSequence value to true in the catalog component configuration files on both the WebSphere Commerce and Search EAR files.

Alternatively, if you want to enable sorting only by product sequence, instead set the EnableDeepProductSequence value to false in the catalog component configuration files on both the WebSphere Commerce and Search EARs.

Procedure

Configure the search properties in the catalog component configuration file (wc-component.xml) on both the WebSphere Commerce and Search EARs:
1. Open the catalog component configuration files on both the WebSphere Commerce and Search EARs for editing.
  The catalog component configuration file is stored in the following location on the WebSphere Commerce EAR:
  
  WC_eardir/xml/config/com.ibm.commerce.catalog-fep/wc-component.xml
  
  The default catalog component configuration file.
  
  WC_eardir/xml/config/com.ibm.commerce.catalog-ext/wc-component.xml
  
  The extended catalog component configuration file. This customized version of the file contains only the changed properties.
  
  The catalog component configuration file is stored in the following location on the Search EAR:
  
  Search_eardir/xml/config/com.ibm.commerce.catalog/wc-component.xml
  
  The default catalog component configuration file for the search application.
  
  Search_eardir/xml/config/com.ibm.commerce.catalog-ext/wc-component.xml
  
  The extended catalog component configuration file for the search application.
  
  For more information about the values within the file, see:
  - Search properties in the component configuration file (wc-component.xml) (WebSphere Commerce EAR)
  - Search properties in the component configuration file (wc-component.xml) (Search EAR)
2. Set the following property:
```
<_config:property name="EnableDeepProductSequence" value="true" />
```
  Where EnableDeepProductSequence enables deep search sequencing by sorting by both category sequence and product sequence.
  For more information about setting values in the file, see:
  - Changing properties in the component configuration file (wc-component.xml) (WC EAR)
  - Changing properties in the component configuration file (wc-component.xml) (Search EAR)
3. Save and close the configuration file.
4. Deploy the customized files to the production environment.
Preprocess the WebSphere Commerce search index data, passing in the following extra parameter:
```
-deepSequence true
```
Build the WebSphere Commerce search index.

What to do next

After enabling deep search sequencing, you can browse the storefront and see that products are sequenced across a category and all of its subcategories.