Creating the object definition for the customer segment attribute

Create a new object definition for the new customer segment attribute to collect input from the Management Center user interface. When business users fill in data about the new attribute in a customer segment, the object definition persists the data in the MGPCONDELE database table.

Before you begin

Review the following topic to ensure that you understand object definitions in Management Center:

Object definitions

Review the MGPCONDELE table:

MGPCONDELE

About this task

In the Marketing tool, each customer segment attribute must have an object definition.

Procedure

Open WebSphere Commerce Developer and switch to the Enterprise Explorer view.
Create a directory to store your new customer segment object definition.
Use a directory structure similar to the following example:
- LOBTools/WebContent/WEB-INF/src/xml/your_company_name/marketing/objectDefinitions/customerSegment/
Create the new file for the customer segment attribute object definition. Name the file using this syntax: attribute_nameObjectDefinition.xml; for example, LoyaltyPointsObjectDefinition.xml.

Define the new customer segment attribute object definition by creating a new child object definition:

Define a new child object definition to represent a customer segment attribute OR list or AND list condition that:

Extends from ChildObjectDefinition.
Has a baseDefinitionName of CSElementAndOrListConditionObjectDefinition.
Has a globally unique objectType value.
Contains one or more child object definitions that have a baseDefinitionName of CSElementSimpleConditionObjectDefinition used to represent a customer segment simple condition.

Here is an example:

<Definitions> 
   <ChildObjectDefinition
      definitionName = "LoyaltyPointsListObjectDefinition"
      objectType = "LoyaltyPointsList"
      baseDefinitionName = "CSElementAndOrListConditionObjectDefinition">
      <ChildObjectDefinition
         objectType = "LoyaltyPointsCondition"
         baseType = "CSElementSimpleConditionObjectDefinition">
         <Xml name = "template">
            <conditionVariable>loyalty</conditionVariable>
         </Xml>
         <PropertyDefinition
            propertyName = "conditionValue"
            required = "true"
            type = "integer"
            displayName = "Number of points"/>
      </ChildObjectDefinition>
   </ChildObjectDefinition>
</Definitions>

Define another new child object definition that:

Extends from ChildObjectDefinition.
Has a globally unique objectType value.
Is a singleInstance object.
Has a templateTypeProperty defined.
Has an idProperty of elementName.
Has an Xml element named template.
Has one or more child ObjectTemplate elements defined.
Contains a child definition that is based on CSElementAndOrListConditionDefinition.

Here is an example that adds this new child object definition as a child element of the Definitions element:

<ChildObjectDefinition
   definitionName = "extLoyaltyPointsObjectDefinition"
   objectType = "LoyaltyPoints"
   singleInstance = "true"
   templateTypeProperty = "template"
   idProperty = "elementName">
   <Xml name = "template">
      <elementName>LoyaltyPoints</elementName>
      <template>ignore</template>
   </Xml>
   <ChildObjectDefinition baseDefinitionName = "LoyaltyPointsListObjectDefinition"/>
   <ObjectTemplate templateType = "ignore"
      displayName = "Ignore customer loyalty points">
      <Xml name = "template"/>
   </ObjectTemplate>
   <ObjectTemplate templateType = "lessThan"
      displayName = "Number of points is less than or equal to the following number">
      <Xml name = "template">
         <object objectType = "LoyaltyPointsList">
            <elementName>loyalty</elementName>
            <conditionUsage>orListCondition</conditionUsage>
            <object objectType = "LoyaltyPointsCondition">
               <conditionOperator><=</conditionOperator>
            </object>
         </object>
      </Xml>
   </ObjectTemplate>
   <ObjectTemplate templateType = "greaterThan"
      displayName = "Number of points is greater than or equal to the following number">
      <Xml name = "template">
         <object objectType = "LoyaltyPointsList">
            <elementName>loyalty</elementName>
            <conditionUsage>orListCondition</conditionUsage>
            <object objectType = "LoyaltyPointsCondition">
               <conditionOperator>&gt;=</conditionOperator>
            </object>
         </object>
      </Xml>
   </ObjectTemplate>
   <ObjectTemplate templateType = "between"
      displayName = "Number of points is within the following range">
      <Xml name = "template">
         <object objectType = "LoyaltyPointsList">
            <elementName>loyalty</elementName>
            <conditionUsage>andListCondition</conditionUsage>
            <object objectType = "LoyaltyPointsCondition" name="upperBound">
               <conditionOperator><=</conditionOperator>
            </object>
            <object objectType = "LoyaltyPointsCondition" name="lowerBound">
               <conditionOperator>&gt;=</conditionOperator>
            </object>
         </object>
      </Xml>
    </ObjectTemplate>
<ChildObjectDefinition>

Add a reference to the new object definition file wherever it is used.
Register the new object with the top customer segment AND list object definition:
1. Open the LOBTools/WebContent/WEB-INF/src/xml/commerce/marketing/objectDefinitions/customerSegment/TopAndListObjectDefinition.xml file.
2. Add an instance of the new customer segment condition single instance object by inserting an element similar to the following example (see the line in bold font):
```
<ChildObjectDefinition definitionName="cmc/marketing/TopAndListObjectDefinition" 
                                          idProperty="elementName" objectType="TopAndList">
	…
	<ChildObjectDefinition baseDefinitionName="cmc/marketing/LoyaltyPointsListObjectDefinition"/>
	…
</ChildObjectDefinition>
```
3. Save and close the file.