In addition to the description of the design, the XML file also contains parameters and describes actions driving the behavior of the user interface.

The end-user is guided along the configuration process. Obviously, he can choose to answer such or such question, to come back into a step to review his inputs, to manually browse the configuration tree. Therefore, some behavior actions are automated to ease the navigation and/or to launch some processes triggered by the user manipulations.

Two main elements are dedicated to drive the Configurator UI behavior: the Actions and the next/previous Policy.

For the Catalog UI, the end-user is free to browse the collection hierarchy (no automation of the next/previous policy) but some actions allow him to reach specific pages.

CONFIGURATOR ACTIONS (CONFIGURATION AND GUIDED SELLING PROCESS)

The user interface allows:

• to apply actions corresponding to events that have been triggered and returned by the engine.
• to raise events that will be sent to the engine (Events triggered by end-user actions for example).

  Events triggered by the model

Events coming from the model are described in the “Define Event Logic” step of the Designer. The model can partially control the behavior of the user interface.

They allow for example to activate a FormProperty box as soon as a Form is completed, or create a new instance of a nested Configurable Product as soon as the first one is completed.

Events triggered by the user interface

The user interface can trigger and send predefined or custom actions using the element.

Predefined actions

APPLICABLE ON	ACTION NAME	DESCRIPTION
	PRINT (rmoUserType=rmoUT)	Launches the reporting engine using the XML export of the configuration as a data source and the RMO Report attached to the rootCP (and whose userType corresponds to the RMO usertype specified.) The generated PDF flow is returned to the web browser.
	OPEN_PAGE(pageName=searchPage) [/!\ Actions only available when the CP is launched from a Catalog] NB: for the comparePage, it is possible to have an additional parameter for the OPEN_PAGE action in order to show the number of products added to the comparator on the action button itself. OPEN_PAGE(pageName=comparePage showProductCount=on)[/!\ When pageName=needAnalysisPage or collectionPage It is possible to add an additional parameter allowing to open the NeedAnalysisPage/collectionP age of a specific collection. OPEN_PAGE(pageName=needAnalysisPage, pageExpression=CPE.rootCL.CL/myCollection)]	Allows to redirection to a specific page of the Catalog (searchPage, cartPage or comparePage) PageName can be one of the following: eCatalogUI.homePage, eCatalogUI.collectionPage, eCatalogUI.searchPage, eCatalogUI.productPage, eCatalogUI.comparePage, eCatalogUI.configurableProductPage, eCatalogUI.cartPage, eCatalogUI.needAnalysisPage.
	OTHER	Redirects to the specified URL (indicated in the ‘url’ attribute of the action)
Bundle Value Selector	SET	Valuates the FP with the currently selected element
	RESET	Resets the selected FP
	OPEN_INSIGHT(optimization=on/off,explanation=on/off,help=on/off)	Drives the visibility of the bundle value selector Insight button. If optimization = on, then the guidance part will be displayed in the insight flyer If explanation = on, then the explanation part will be displayed in the insight flyer If help = on, then the help part will be displayed in the insight flyer

ADD_TO_CART AND CLOSE ACTIONS IN PERFORMANCE QUOTING

Save and update a Configurable Product, add it to the Quote, or discard any change made are capabilities ruled by the "Add_To_Cart" and "Close" actions of the Configurator. This section aims at listing in details the different use cases covered by all those actions in the context of the Performance Quoting module.

Standard Behavior

The Add_To_Cart action covers two use cases:

• Save & Close (ADD_TO_CART(multiConfiguration=off)):
  • When starting a new Configuration Process, add a new Configurable Product in the Quote on Add_To_Cart action.
  • When opening an existing Configurable Product from the Quote, update the existing Configurable product in the Quote on Add_To_Cart action.
  • The end user exits the Configuration Process at the end of the action.
• Save & New (ADD_TO_CART(multiConfiguration=on)):
  • When starting a new Configuration Process, add a new Configurable/Configured Product in the Quote on Add_To_Cart action. The end user stays in the Configuration Process at the end of the action and has opportunity to modify the answers given in the Configuration Process and click on Add_To_Cart again to add a new Configurable Product to the Quote.
  • When opening an existing Configurable/Configured product, this action is unavailable. Only the Save & Close is available.
• The Close action discards any change since the last save - if any - and exits the Configuration Process.

Custom Behavior

The user interface can also call on demand actions specified in the model via the ‘Event Logic’ Steps.

In the Designer, these actions are created by defining an ‘onCustom’ event identified by its ‘eventName’. The user interface can call these actions by triggering on demand the event itself using a specific action type: SEND_CUSTOM_EVENT.

Summary of Behaviors in Performance Quoting

The behaviors of the Add_To_Cart and Close actions can be summarized as follows:

CATALOG ACTIONS

Events triggered by the user interface

The user interface can trigger and send predefined or custom actions using the <action> element.

APPLICABLE ON	ACTION NAME	DESCRIPTION
Any Catalog page / component	OPEN_PAGE(pageName=searchPage) [/!\When pageName=comparePage It is possible to have an additional parameter for the OPEN_PAGE action in order to show the number of products added to the comparator on the action button itself OPEN_PAGE(pageName=comparePage showProductCount=on)] [/!\When pageName=needAnalysisPage or collectionPage It is possible to add an additional parameter allowing to open the NeedAnalysisPage/collectionP age of a specific collection. OPEN_PAGE(pageName=needAnalysisPage,pageExpression=CPE.rootCL.CL/myCollection)]	Allows to redirection to a specific page of the Catalog (searchPage, collectionPage, cartPage or comparePage)
	CLOSE CLOSE(goTo=cart) [/!\ Action only available when the CP is launched in a Quote context] goTo= cart / cartPage / cart.CPQStepName (e.g. Cart.ReportPage to redirect to the ReportPage of Quote)	Closes the current Catalog session (and goes back to the quote in case of a Quote integration)
	BACK	Goes back to the previously accessed page

Rules for actions associated to products

(i.e. ACTIVATE_CURRENT, CONFIGURE, ADD_TO_CART, CONFIGURE_AND_ADD):

A cell or an actionBox can contain the ADD_TO_CART and/or CONFIGURE and/or CONFIGURE_AND_ADD actions. The availability of these actions depends:

• on the fact that they are present in the layout file
• AND on the CURRENT_ITEM type:
• ADD_TO_CART action will be available if the Product is a SI or a SP both eligible and contained in at least 1 collection of the current Catalog
• CONFIGURE action will be available if the product is
• either a CP both eligible and contained in at least 1 collection of the current Catalog
• Or a SI eligible, contained in at least 1 collection of the current Catalog AND linked to a CP with a ‘configurationLink’
• CONFIGURE_AND_ADD action will be available if the product is a SI eligible, attached to a collection AND linked to a CP with a ‘computationLink’.
  Note: By default, a product is considered as eligible. However, an Eligibility BRC can be implemented on the item to prevent the user from adding the item to the quote depending on a given context. The Product is still visible and accessible in the Catalog, but the actions are de-activated. If the Eligibility BRC raises a Business Explanation, this message will be displayed as a tooltip on the ressourceOff button.
  
  
  
  Warning: Beware that you can link a standard item to only 1 configurationLink and/or computationLink.

  Note: A Standard Item linked to a Configuration Process via a ‘computationLink’ or ‘configurationLink’ is considered as a Configurable Product by CPQ User Interface.

  It means that these products are eligible to the CONFIGURE/CONFIGURE_AND_ADD actions and not to a standard ADD_TO_CART.

  When launching the configuration engine via these actions, the CPQ UI passes the identifier of the contextual standard item as a setting of the configuration session:

<cam:Param cpe="CPE.Settings.Session.RefSI" value="workspace/SI/mySelectedSI"/>

HOW TO CALL AN ACTION FROM THE USER INTERFACE?

An action can be called:

either from inside an actionBox

The action box is a reserved area that can be inserted in the most of the predefined CPQ UI boxes. It is possible to add several actions in each actionBox.

An action is associated to a translationName and/or a resourceName.

• If the translationName only is present, it is used as a clickable link or as the title of the button.
• If both translationName and resourceName are present, the translationName is used as a tooltip of the clickable resource.

  or from a linkedAction

The linkedAction allows to control which kind of action is launched when the end-user clicks on some dynamic elements of the component.

E.g. if a linkedAction is embedded in an itemSheet, the Name and Description of the displayed item becomes clickable and the corresponding linkedaction is launched.

Moreover if the linkedAction is associated to a resource, this resource is inserted into the component and is clickable (the translationName is used as a tooltip).

Predefined action

In this example, we want to add in the user interface a button in order to SAVE the configuration.

1. Declare in an actionBox (or an actionFlyer) in the Layout XML file an <action> element.
2. Associate to this element the name of the predefined action it will launch (as well as its associated graphical resources).

   Example for a SAVE action.

   <action actionName="SAVE”… />

3. A click on this new button will call the action.

   Custom action

In this example, we want to add in the user interface a button in order to activate a given Form Property.

1. [Prerequisite – In the Designer]

In you model, create an onCustom Event.

1. [Prerequisite – In the Designer]

This event named ‘myEvent_FPActivation’ triggers an action ‘Activate’ on the FP you want to be redirected.

1. Declare in an actionBox (or an actionFlyer) in the Layout XML file an <action> element corresponding to the button we want to add in the interface.
2. Associate to this element the modeled action it will launch (as well as its associated graphical resources and parameters) via the SEND_CUSTOM_EVENT action

   <action actionName="SEND_CUSTOM_EVENT(eventName= myEvent_FPActivation)”… />

3. A click on this new button will run all the actions triggered by the model custom event ‘myEvent_FPActivation’. The custom event corresponds to the FP activation in our example.

HOW TO USE FLYERS?

All flyers (action, RMO, product, compare, form, external) are parameterized inside their parent page (Home, Configuration and/or Summary pages). However, they are called on demand, if triggered by some user actions.

1. Declare a flyer in the XML file (in Home, Configuration or Summary Page)
2. Position the action triggering the flyer:

The Flyers can be called by the use of a specific action called ‘OPEN_FLYER’.

<action actionName="OPEN_FLYER(flyerName=myFlyer)"… >

This OpenFlyer action uses a parameter that is the name of the flyer that must be opened

1. The information displayed in the flyer depends on the type of flyer and its calling context:

The action is de-activated (resourceOffName can be used)<

As the OPEN_FLYER action can call all kind of flyers, the names of these flyers have to be unique in the XML file.

By choosing the ‘auto’ value for the parameters vtPosition and/or hzPosition, the flyers are positioned automatically and relatively to the user mouse pointer.

The following translations are associated to the component:

<translation name="flyer.close"></translation>

allows to modify the label of the flyer close button

For more details please refer to the General Settings section