How to Add a Property to a Profile Definition
For the latest version of Commerce Server 2007 Help, see the Microsoft Web site.
You use the Profiles Schema Manager to add properties to a profile definition. Properties determine the data that is collected with the profile definition. For example, if you create an Address profile definition, you could add a property named "City" to the profile definition.
To add a property to a profile definition
Expand Commerce Server Manager, expand Global Resources, expand Profiles, expand Profile Catalog, expand Profile Definitions, and then click the profile definition to which you want to add a property.
In the Commerce Server Manager, in the right pane, in the Properties list, select the property group to which you want to associate the property you are adding, and then click Add.
In the Add dialog box, select Add a new property, and then click OK.
In the Commerce Server Manager, in the right pane, in the Attributes section, do the following:
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Name
Type the programmatic name of the property. The name can contain a maximum of 127 alphanumeric characters and the underscore (_) symbol. The name cannot contain spaces.
Display Name
Type a display name that contains a maximum of 127 Unicode characters.
Description
Type a description for the property. The description can contain a maximum of 127 Unicode characters.
Type
Select the property type from the drop-down list. The default property type is string.
Type Reference
Required for site term and profile types. Click the ellipsis button [...] to select the site term or profile you are adding to the property definition. This feature is available only if you have selected the site term or profile for the property type.
In the Commerce Server Manager, in the right pane, in the Advanced Attributes section, click Active.
In the Map to Data box, click the ellipsis button [...] to open the Data Source Picker dialog box.
In the Data Source Picker dialog box, expand the data source that contains the data object that contains the data member with which you want to map the property.
Expand the data object that contains the data member with which you want to map the property, select the data member, and then click OK.
In the Commerce Server Manager, in the right pane, in the Advanced Attributes section, do the following:
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Key Type
Select a key type from the drop-down list. Each profile definition requires a property that is a primary key and a property that is a join key, or a property that is a dual key (both primary and join).
Required
Specifies that this property is required on the Web site. However, the Profiles Schema Manager does not enforce this attribute. This attribute is read-only if you have selected a key type.
Exported
Select this option to specify that Commerce Server will import this property into the Commerce Server Data Warehouse. You can export only mapped properties.
You cannot export properties that are multivalued and are of the type Boolean or properties of type binary, long string, or password.
Defer Cache
Select this option to specify that Commerce Server will not load the property the first time that the profile is retrieved, but will load it when the property is accessed. Each deferred cache property is retrieved individually from the OLE DB provider when it is accessed.
Multi-valued
Select this option to enable the collection of multiple values that are associated with this property. This value is unavailable if you have selected a key type for the property.
Searchable
Select this option to specify that this property is indexed in the underlying data store and is available for searching by using the Find By function.
RDN
Type the relative distinguished name (also known as RDN) for a directory store. Set this value if this property maps to a RDN attribute of an LDAP class in the underlying store.
Hashing Key
Select this option to indicate that you want to use this property to distribute profile instances across multiple data source partitions.
This property is read-only for non-partitioned data sources. You must query on this key to retrieve profiles.
Click Apply.
To save the profile definition, click the Save icon on the toolbar.
The profile definition is saved with the new property.