Cascading Attributes Rules Example

Administration > Working with the Type and Attribute Management Utility > Managing Types > Type Information Page > Cascading Attributes Tab > Cascading Attributes Rules Example

The following example uses a simple attribute data set with limited values.

Create all cascading attribute rules for a scenario before using them.

Assume that you have three attributes on the Product/Apparel type: Class, Sub-Class, and Item Type. You want to create a set of cascading attribute rules so that the values of the Class attribute to drive the available values for the Sub-Class attribute, and the values of the Sub-Class attribute drive the available values for the Item Type attribute, as shown in the following table:

Class	Sub-Class	Item Type
Bottoms	Skirts	Pleated
		Pencil
	Jeans	Cargo
		Five Pocket
		Pencil
One Piece	Dresses	Wraps
		Gowns
Outerwear	Coats	Midweight Jackets
		Trenches
		Lightweight Jackets

Assume the following:

• The Class, Sub-Class, and Item Type attributes exist on the Product/Apparel type.

• Global enumerations have been created with the desired values for each of the attributes.

• A single, enabled enumerated value list constraint has been created for each of the attributes, using the existing global enumerations.

For more information, see Enumerations and Cascading Attribute Rules.

First, create cascading attribute rules one level down the cascading attributes tree (from Class to Sub-Class):

• If Class = Bottoms, then Sub-Class = Skirts, Jeans

• If Class = One Piece, then Sub-Class = Dresses

• If Class = Outerwear, then Sub-Class = Coats

Then create rules that represent two levels down the cascading attributes tree (Class to Sub-Class to Item Type):

• If Class = Bottoms, and if Sub-Class = Skirts, then Item Type = Pleated, Pencil

• If Class = Bottoms, and if Sub-Class = Jeans, then Item Type = Cargo, Five Pocket, Pencil

• If Class = One Piece and if Sub-Class = Dresses, then Item Type = Wraps, Gowns

• If Class = Outerwear and if Sub-Class = Coats, then Item Type = Midweight Jackets, Trenches, Lightweight Jacket

You must create rules that represent one level down the tree, because the Attribute Set Report is generated by looking at the intersection of all cascading attribute rules and constraints defined on the attributes involved in the attribute set. If these rules are not created, the report does not understand that certain values for Sub-Class are constrained by certain values of Class.

For example: If the rule "If Class = Bottoms, then Sub-Class = Skirts, Jeans" is not created, the system thinks that all values of Sub-Class are valid for all values of Class. This is true even though we have the rule: "If Class = Bottoms, and if Sub-Class = Skirts, then Item Type = Pleated, Pencil" because this rule only specifies when the Item Type values of "Pleated" and "Pencil" are selectable. This rule does not specify when the "Skirts" value for Sub-Class is selectable.

For more information, see Attribute Set Report.