Master Configuration File

The master configuration file, which contains XML, is the focal point of category and module configuration for Commerce Server Business Desk. For the sake of modularity, the specific configuration of each module or set of modules is isolated in other XML configuration files, called module configuration files, each of which is referenced by a moduleconfig element within the master configuration file. The module configuration files can be thought of as include files for the master configuration file.

This topic explains the contents of the master configuration file. Specifically, it shows the XML structure. Each element name is a link to a description of the contents of that element; the attributes of each element are shown in italic, without the equal sign and value that normally accompanies them. Required elements and attributes are shown in bold; optional elements and attributes are not in bold.

The XML schema for the master configuration file can be found in the file Bdconfig-schema.xml in the Business Desk Config folder.

Note

• The XML elements and attributes in the master configuration file must be expressed in lowercase letters.

XML Structure

<?xml version = '1.0' encoding='windows-1252' ?>
<config>
  <categories>
    <categoryid>
      <name>name with underlined access key</name>
      <key>access key from above</key>
      <tooltip>category tooltip</tooltip>
    </category>
    ...
    <categoryid>
      <name>name with underlined access key</name>
      <key>access key from above</key>
      <tooltip>category tooltip</tooltip>
    </category>
  </categories>
  <moduleconfigs>
    <moduleconfigcategoryid />
    ...
    <moduleconfigcategoryid />
  </moduleconfigs>
</config>

config

This required element contains all configuration information in the master configuration file.

• Parent Element
  None (document root).
• Required Child Elements
  categories, moduleconfigs
• Optional Child Elements
  None.
• Data
  None.
• Attributes
  None.

Return to XML Structure

categories

This required element contains one or more category elements.

• Parent Element
  config
• Required Child Elements
  category (at least one, but typically more)
• Optional Child Elements
  None.
• Data
  None.
• Attributes
  None.

Return to XML Structure

category

This required element identifies and describes a Commerce Server Business Desk category.

• Parent Element
  categories
• Required Child Elements
  name, key, tooltip
• Optional Child Elements
  None.
• Data
  None.

Attributes

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name

This required element specifies the name of the category as the Commerce Server Business Desk user sees it.

• Parent Element
  category
• Required Child Elements
  None.
• Optional Child Elements
  None.
• Data
  The category name, as the Business Desk user sees it.
• Attributes
  None.

Remarks

The specified category name must identify the accessibility key by underlining one of the characters in the name. Properly escaped HTML must be used to implement the underlining: the appropriate character must be preceded by the string <U> and followed by the string </U>.

For example, if the category name is Content and the accessibility key is "c", the name must be specified as &lt;U&gt;C&lt;/U&gt;ontent. This results in the HTML string <U>C</U>ontent, which appears in the browser as Content.

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key

This required element specifies a character that serves as the accessibility key associated with the category.

• Parent Element
  category
• Required Child Elements
  None.
• Optional Child Elements
  None.
• Data
  The accessibility key, which the Commerce Server Business Desk user sees as an underlined character in the category name.
• Attributes
  None.

Remarks

The accessibility key for the category should specify the same character identified with underlining in the category name. For example, if the category name is specified such that the user sees the string Content, the character "c" must appear between the <key> and </key> tags.

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tooltip

This required element provides a brief description of the purpose of the modules contained within the category, and should be more descriptive than the category name itself.

• Parent Element
  category
• Required Child Elements
  None.
• Optional Child Elements
  None.
• Data
  The category tooltip string, which the Commerce Server Business Desk user sees when the cursor is over the category name.
• Attributes
  None.

Return to XML Structure

moduleconfigs

This required element contains references to the various module configuration files specified for this instance of Commerce Server Business Desk.

• Parent Element
  config
• Required Child Elements
  moduleconfig (typically contains at least one for each category element defined within the categories element)
• Optional Child Elements
  None.
• Data
  None.
• Attributes
  None.

Remarks

Multiple modules per category can be defined in two ways. First, multiple moduleconfig elements identifying the same category but different module configuration files can be defined. Modules are shown in the category in the same order that the moduleconfig elements appear.

Second, multiple modules can be defined in a single module configuration file, and linked to a category with a single moduleconfig element.

The two approaches can be combined.

Return to XML Structure

moduleconfig

This required element specifies a specific module configuration file for use in this instance of Commerce Server Business Desk.

• Parent Element
  moduleconfigs
• Required Child Elements
  None.
• Optional Child Elements
  None.
• Data
  None.

Attributes

Return to XML Structure

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