3 Building the E-Catalog database using AnyFront

As distributed the AnyFront utility consists of the following files:

• anyfront.mde the main Access file for the utility.
• ecatddl.ssql SQL Server DDL statements used to create the E-Catalog.

You will also need the sample data file.

The AnyFront utility uses the XASP Perl COM DLLs and these must be installed before you can logon to the E-Catalog, but are not required for first use.

You'll probably want to setup multiple directories containing the utility and possibly the data paths as well. At a minimum, I suggest you have a ``backup'' directory with your last good state of the MDE file.

The utility is meant to be self-documenting to a large extent and this chapter is not meant to be a replacement for that. The intent here is to provide instructions for building the sample site, give an overview and put things in context, and also supply some info that doesn't fit in the context of specific screens of the app.

 
Figure 3.1: AnyFront Main Menu

• 3.1 Defining the Outer Structures and Raw Data Paths
• 3.2 Performing Initial Data Collection
  • 3.2.1 Using the Data Collector
  • 3.2.2 The Table Prep Worksheet
  • 3.2.3 The XASP Batcher
  • 3.2.4 The Batch Transmitter
• 3.3 Initializing the E-Catalog Kernel
  • 3.3.1 Logging onto the E-Catalog
  • 3.3.2 Initializing the Kernel
• 3.4 Creating the Core Hierarchy - Sending Product Groups to the Catalog
• 3.5 Batching - Processing Content into the Defined Hierarchy
• 3.6 Mapping General Attributes - Prices and Images