Updating a Configuration

This chapter discusses

• Updating a configuration.

• Elements and attributes

• Choices

• Choices and Response

See Also

Retrieving Model Information

Retrieving Configuration Information

Updating a Configuration

The Configurator XML interface lets you update a configuration by making choices—that is, by selecting a domain member for a single-select decision point, or one or more domain members for a multi-select decision point, or entering one or more values for an external variable.

To select a domain member using COP XML, the request must include:

• A CHOICES element.

• The child element CH for each domain member that you want to select.

• These attributes of the child element CH:

  • DP—The name of the decision point for the domain member you want.

  • DM—The name of the domain member you want.

  • BY—Indicates that the choice is made by the user (U).

  • QTY—The number of copies of the domain member you want.

To enter values for external variables using COP XML, the request must include:

• A CHOICES element.

• The child element EVCH for each external variable that you want to enter a value(s) for.

• These attributes of the child element EVCH:

  • DP—the name of the decision point for the external variable you want.

  • VAL—the value you want to set on the external variable.

    Note. You must enter a separate VAL attribute for each of the values you want to set on the external variable.

Note. The Configurator is stateless. Each request must include all user choices.

Elements and Attributes

The COP XML request may include these elements and attributes to update a configuration.

CONFIGURATION MODEL_ID LOCALE MODEL_VERSION COMPILE_VERSION TOTAL_PRICE 
	CHOICES RET 
		CH DP DM BY QTY 
		EVCH DP VAL

The COP XML response may include these elements and attributes to return information about a configuration.

CONFIGURATION MODEL_ID LOCALE MODEL_VERSION COMPILE_VERSION TOTAL_PRICE 
	CHOICES 
		CH DP DM BY ST SL EL QTY 
		EVCH DP VAL TY

Choices

The RET attribute of the CHOICES element lets you control whether the COP returns a response when you choose one or more domain members.

By default, including in the REQUEST the CHOICES element also includes the element’s RET attribute with its value set to “false".

As mentioned above, a CHOICES request to update the configuration must also include, as a child element of the CHOICES element, EITHER the CH element with valid values for:

• The DP attribute

• The DM attribute

• The BY attribute

• The QTY attribute

OR the EVCH element with valid values for:

• The DP attribute

• The VAL attribute(s)

For example, these requests are, in effect, the same:

REQUEST 1 (RET not set):

<CONFIGURATION MODEL_ID="Sample" MODEL_VERSION=""> 
	<CHOICES> 
		<CH DP="PrintersSelection" DM="HP Laserjet" BY="U"
QTY="1"/> 
	</CHOICES> 
</CONFIGURATION>

REQUEST 2 (RET set to an empty string):

<CONFIGURATION MODEL_ID="Sample" MODEL_VERSION=""> 
	<CHOICES RET=""> 
		<CH DP="PrintersSelection" DM="HP Laserjet" BY="U"
QTY="1"/> 
	</CHOICES> 
</CONFIGURATION>

REQUEST 3 (RET set to “false")

<CONFIGURATION MODEL_ID="Sample" MODEL_VERSION=""> 
	<CHOICES RET="false"> 
		<CH DP="PrintersSelection" DM="HP Laserjet" BY="U"
QTY="1"/> 
	</CHOICES> 
</CONFIGURATION>

Each of these requests—REQUEST 1, 2, and 3—updates the configuration by making a user choice of one copy of the HP Laserjet for the printer’s decision point. None of the requests cause the COP to return a RESPONSE.

Note. The Configurator is stateless. Each request must include all user choices.

Choices and Response

Including in the REQUEST the CHOICES element with the RET attribute set to “true” causes the COP to return in the RESPONSE:

• Every non-null attribute-value pair for every choice (pick) of a domain member in the configuration. The attributes of a domain member (DM) that may be returned are:

  • DP

  • DM

  • BY

  • QTY

  • ST

  • SL

  • EL

  • TY

• Every non-null, attribute-value pair for every external variable in the configuration.

The attributes of an external variable that may be returned are:

• DP

• VAL

• TY

For example:

<CONFIGURATION MODEL_ID=
"Sample" MODEL_⇒VERSION=""><CHOICES RET="true"/> 
</CONFIGURATION>

<CONFIGURATION MODEL_ID="Sample" MODEL_VERSION="1-0-0" COMPILE_VERSION="20001128-143111-404">
	<CHOICES>
		<CH DP="HardDrivesSelection" DM="4.3 GB BATRA-33" BY="D" ST="34"/> 
		<CH DP="ChassisSelection" DM="Mini Tower" BY="C" ST="18"/> 
	</CHOICES>
</CONFIGURATION>

<CONFIGURATION MODEL_ID=
"Sample" MODEL_⇒VERSION=""><CHOICES RET="true"> 
		<CH DP="PrintersSelection" DM="HP Laserjet" BY="U" QTY="1"/> 
	</CHOICES> 
</CONFIGURATION>

<CONFIGURATION MODEL_ID="Sample" MODEL_VERSION="1-0-0" COMPILE_VERSION="20001030-102408-606"> 
	<CHOICES>
		<CH DP="PrintersSelection" DM="HP Laserjet" BY="U" 	ST="66"/>
	</CHOICES>
</CONFIGURATION>

<CONFIGURATION MODEL_ID=
"Sample" MODEL_⇒VERSION=""><CHOICES RET="true">
		<CH DP="BaseSelection" BY="U" QTY="1" DM="Prima Base Celeron 433Mhz MiniTower"/>
	</CHOICES>
</CONFIGURATION>

<CONFIGURATION MODEL_ID="Sample" MODEL_VERSION="1-0-0" COMPILE_VERSION="20001030-102408-606">
	<CHOICES>
		<CH DP="BaseSelection" DM="Prima Base Celeron 433Mhz MiniTower" BY="U" ST="66"/>
		<CH DP="HardDrivesSelection" DM="4.3 GB BATRA-33" BY="D" ST="34"/>
		<CH DP="MonitorsSelection" DM="15 Inch Monitor" BY="D" ST="34"/>
		<CH DP="ChassisSelection" DM="Mini Tower" BY="C" ST="18"/>
		<CH DP="PowerCordSelection" DM="10 Foot PC Power Cord" BY="C" ST="18"/>
		<CH DP="AdditionalSoftwareSelection" DM="ISP Direct Connect" BY="C" ST="18"/>
		<CH DP="TravelSelection" DM="No" BY="C" ST="18"/>
		<CH DP="ModemSelection" DM="Internal 56K" BY="D" ST="34"/>
	</CHOICES>
</CONFIGURATION>

Note. The Configurator is stateless. Each request must include all user choices.