ASP.NET-Based Catalog Sitelet

Article
11/12/2009

Location in SDK: SDK\Samples\ASPNET\Catalog Sitelet

The primary goal of the Catalog Sitelet is to demonstrate how to use the Catalog object model to browse and search a product catalog, providing you with a functional example of the catalog API in action.

The Catalog Sitelet consists of a package file, which you unpack using Commerce Server Site Packager. The source code for the sitelet is included in this package. You can deploy the sitelet to a server running Commerce Server 2002 without the need for code modifications. After the Catalog Sitelet has been deployed, you can use it to browse and search a sample catalog.

The Catalog Sitelet demonstrates the two query mechanisms supported by the Catalog object model, and also demonstrates using the Catalog object model to provide catalog browsing functionality.

Similar functionality to that found in the ASP.NET-Based Catalog Sitelet can be found in the ASP-Based Catalog Sitelet. For more information, see ASP-Based Catalog Sitelet.

Best coding practices are maintained in this sample, and the code represents the prescribed method of using the object model.

ASP.NET-Based Catalog Sitelet Code Notes

Installing the ASP.NET-Based Catalog Sitelet

ASP.NET-Based Catalog Sitelet Code Notes

This sitelet demonstrates multilingual functionality. The following languages are supported: English, French, German, and Japanese. The sitelets set the language character sets in the Page_Init functions of several ASPX pages using code such as the following:

strLanguage = coll[Utility.languageLabel];
try {SelectedCulture = CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture(strLanguage);}
catch(Exception e) {
SelectedCulture = CultureInfo.CreateSpecificCulture(Utility.englishLanguage);
strLanguage = Utility.englishLanguage;
}

Installing the ASP.NET-Based Catalog Sitelet

You unpack the Catalog Sitelet using Commerce Server Site Packager. The package file for the ASP version of the Catalog Sitelet is located in the following directory:

<drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft Commerce Server 2002\SDK\Samples\ASPNET\Catalog Sitelet\SDK-CATALOGSITELET-ASPNET.PUP

Use the following procedure to install the Catalog Sitelet on one computer using the Quick mode in Site Packager.

Unpacking the ASP.NET-based Catalog Sitelet using the Custom unpack option and creating independent databases for each of the site resources is not recommended.

To unpack the ASP.NET-Based Catalog Sitelet

In Windows Explorer, navigate to the <drive>:\Program Files\Microsoft Commerce Server 2002\SDK\Samples\ASPNET\Catalog Sitelet directory.
Click the SDK-CATALOGSITELET-ASPNET.PUP icon.
In the Unpack screen, select Quick Unpack, and then click Next.
In the Quick Unpack screen, ensure that the SQL Server computer name is correct, enter the SQL Server login name and password, and then click Next.
In the Commerce Server Site Packager window recommending Windows Authentication, click OK.

By default, the sitelets do not work with Windows Authentication. For more information about configuring the sitelets to work with Windows Authentication, see step 6 in Deploying Commerce Server Using Windows Authentication.
In the Profiling System screen, accept the defaults, and then click Next.
In the second Profiling System screen, accept the defaults, and then click OK.
After the unpacking is complete, a dialog box appears with the message "Unpacking is complete!". Click Finish.
In Internet Explorer, in the Address box, type HTTP: //<computer name>/netCatalogSitelet to open the sitelet.

ASP.NET-Based Catalog Sitelet

ASP.NET-Based Catalog Sitelet Code Notes

Installing the ASP.NET-Based Catalog Sitelet

See Also

Additional resources