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Using Product Classes as Templates for Products with Components

You can create a product class and use it as a template for building other products with components.

Use this feature when you have products with components that include the same group of items. For example, you sell desktop computers. You have seven configurable models that share the same chassis types, keyboards, and mouse. You can create a product class consisting of these three relationships. You would then use the product class as the basis for constructing each model.

The following features of the product class are inherited by all class members:

  • Relationships and their contents.
  • Configuration rules.
  • Resources
  • Links
  • User interface groups.
  • The base theme and product theme are not inherited
  • User interface property definitions and scripts are not inherited by class members

To use a product class as a template for a product with components

  1. Navigate to the Administration - Product screen, then the Product Classes view.
  2. In the Products Classes list, select the product class you want to use as a template.
  3. Navigate to the Administration - Product screen, then the Product Definitions view.
  4. Lock the product with components.
  5. In the Product record for the desired product, in the Product Class field, select the desired product class.

    Adding a product to a product class will be inherited by any customizable product that is associated to the Product Class

  6. Navigate to the User Interface view and verify the class-product structure has been inherited correctly.

    NOTE:  The user interface defined on product class is automatically inherited to the product class structure. You need to adhere to the following rules if you want to add an additional group at the product or child class level to the inherited user interface:

    1. The user interface records must have the same name in each product class hierarchy.
    2. Group sequence numbers must be unique and ordered as required in a product class hierarchy.