Blog posts by Michal Sitko

Blog posts by Michal Sitko2015-03-16T16:37:00.0000000Zhttps://world.optimizely.com/blogs/michal-sitko/ Optimizely World SHORT BRIEF ABOUT CUSTOM PROMOTIONS IN EPISERVER COMMERCE<span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Gotham Light"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">The post is intended for developers as a short introduction to custom promotions in EPiServer Commerce. This is not a tutorial or knowledge base – rather a short brief about thinks that each developers should know to start works with promotions</span><br /><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Gotham Light"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br /></span><br /><h2><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Gotham Light';"><span style="font-size: small;">Introduction</span></span></h2><div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Gotham Light"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US">What is this article about? About promotions in eCommerce, so </span><span lang="EN-GB">about trading in products or services using computer networks. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Gotham Light"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Each developer which have been worked on eCommerce projects for different Clients can say one thing: each eCommerce project is different and has a lot of specific rules that concerns promotions. Of course general rules very often are similar, but details are completely different. Each market has own rules. Each company as well. The most important is – many times things that looks very obvious and easy are very different to develop.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">EPiServer Commerce promotion engine gives a powerful mechanism to create a number of different promotions with different criteria just out of the box. But in real world even that very often is not enough. In that cases, to meet all Client’s requirements developer need to create own promotion. Fortunately, EPiServer Commerce is very flexible and gives many possibilities. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In this article we will focus on two examples of custom promotions, which were implemented in real world to meet Client’s requirements. Client’s requirements result from business rules and business assumptions. Client’s requirements are individual and very often have long term tradition. So this is crucial to meet all Client’s requirements.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">In whole article I will use two terms:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Client – this means Investor – Company which selling something in the Internet<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Customer – Investor’s Client – person which buying something in the Internet.<o:p></o:p></span></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;">So, lets start.</span></span></div><div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Gotham Light"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Gotham Light"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;"><br /></span></span></div><h2><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Gotham Light';"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-GB"><span style="font-size: small;">Combining promotions – coupon codes</span></span></span></span></h2><div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Gotham Light"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span lang="EN-US">First example concerns promotions with coupon codes. Coupon codes method is one of the most popular promotions method in field of online shopping. Each Customer who receive coupon code can type that code in the web form during order process and get special bonus - rewards for that. It can be:<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></div><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Gotham Light"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><ul><li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">         </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Discount for one or many items, or even shipping</span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">          </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Additional item for free</span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">          </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Other kind of bonus/rewards</span></li></ul><br /> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Coupon codes can be directed for all Customers, or can be individual. In first case - group of users can use the same coupon code to receive rewards. In second case – each customer has personal coupon code that can be use only once. This is of course more complicated scenario that the first one. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><h4>Case Study</h4><div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Customer can use coupon code that gives free gift and free shipping.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">This is quite clear scenario – Client want to give customers coupon code – one coupon code for whole group of users. Each user which use coupon code during checkout process will get free gift and – moreover – free shipping. So this is some kind of 2in1 promotion.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><h4><span lang="EN-US">Problem</span></h4></div><div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><span lang="EN-US">Epi Server Commerce has two promotions to handle that problem:</span></span></div><span lang="EN-US"><ul><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -18pt;">Order: Build your own discount</span></li><li><span style="font-size: 10pt; line-height: 107%; text-indent: -18pt;">Shipping: Build your own discount</span></li></ul><br /> <div class="MsoNormal"><i><span lang="EN-US">Order: Build your own discount</span></i><span lang="EN-US"> is typical parameterized promotion that affect on order. Example of that promotion is showed on image <i>Order promotion </i>image. There are the marked red sections:<o:p></o:p></span></div><ul><li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">          </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Type of the promotion (<i>Order: Build your own discount</i>)</span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">          </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Coupon code that customer can use – on the image code is <i>GETFREE</i>.</span></li><li><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">          </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt; text-indent: -18pt;">Rewards – bonus that will be given in exchange for coupon code.</span></li></ul><br /> <div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">So after applying that promotion each customer which will use promotion code <i>GETFREE</i> during checkout process will receive free gift.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">EPiServer Commerce Promotions Engine defines very similar promotion that affect on shipping - <i>Shipping: Build your own discount</i> – this kind of promotion presents image <i>Shipping promotion</i>. Idea of that promotion is quite the same like the previous one – but of course concerns shipping. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Let’s back to Client’s requirements. The easiest way to Client’s requirements – One coupon code for free gift and free shipping – might be combining of that two promotions. Developer could configure <i>Order: Build your own discount</i> with coupon code and then configure <i>Shipping: Build your own discount</i> with the same coupon code. Unfortunately it is not possible. EPiServer Commerce Promotions Engine not allow to use the same coupon code for more than one promotion. Developer is not able to save <i>Shipping: Build your own discount</i> with the same coupon code that was used in <i>Order: Build your own discount</i>, because coupon code already exist.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f903QRVGPUI/VQbtbNlzC2I/AAAAAAAAAf4/FmJDzejVGH8/s1600/prom01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-f903QRVGPUI/VQbtbNlzC2I/AAAAAAAAAf4/FmJDzejVGH8/s1600/prom01.png" height="466" width="640" /></a></div><br /> <br /><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><em><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Gotham Light";">Order promotion</span></em></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><em><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6n7BuEy5pa4/VQbrobXM-ZI/AAAAAAAAAfk/uwtnng8XdPo/s1600/prom02.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6n7BuEy5pa4/VQbrobXM-ZI/AAAAAAAAAfk/uwtnng8XdPo/s1600/prom02.png" height="499" width="640" /></a></em></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"> </div><div align="center" class="MsoCaption" style="text-align: center;"><em><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Gotham Light"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Shipping promotion</span></em></div><div class="MsoCaption" style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><h3 class="MsoCaption" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Gotham Light"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 10pt;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 10pt;"><h4><span lang="EN-US">Solution</span></h4></span></span></span></h3><br /> <br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">To meet Client’s requirements developer needs to be smarter that promotions engine and makes an easy trick.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">It is worth to remember that shipping promotion gives possibility to use <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">OrderForm metafields</i> as a criteria for the promotion. What does it mean? It means developer can add various metafields to OrderForm, create a piece of code to store some interesting information in that fields, and then – use them as a criteria of the promotion. Looks easy – and it is indeed.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>Creating metafield</b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In Commerce->Administration->Meta Classes -> Order Form new metafield should be created.</span></div><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Gotham Light"; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Configuration should be as on the image: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Coupon Code metafield</i>.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /><h3 class="MsoCaption" style="text-align: left;"><em><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: "Gotham Light"; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></em></h3><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oQzu1PnwypI/VQbtfykvYJI/AAAAAAAAAgA/16fSZFnfZGI/s1600/prom03.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oQzu1PnwypI/VQbtfykvYJI/AAAAAAAAAgA/16fSZFnfZGI/s1600/prom03.png" height="444" width="640" /></a></div><h4 class="MsoCaption" style="text-align: left;"><br /></h4><h4 class="MsoCaption" style="text-align: left;"> <div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">After that step metafield CouponCode will be created on the OrderForm. In this field developer can store a coupon code that customer used. Of course it is not stored automatically. Developer need to create a piece of code to assign coupon code value to that metafield, and then can use that metafield as a criteria to evaluate if promotion should be applied.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>Shipping promotion configuration</b><br />Proper configuration of shipping promotion is presented on the image Shiping promotion with metafield.</span></span></h4><h4 class="MsoCaption" style="text-align: left;"><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MycBKFaNPJY/VQbu0fpUP8I/AAAAAAAAAgM/TEy4iTpGy3Y/s1600/prom04.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MycBKFaNPJY/VQbu0fpUP8I/AAAAAAAAAgM/TEy4iTpGy3Y/s1600/prom04.png" height="532" width="640" /></a> </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">On the image coupon code field is empty – so developer will avoid an error while saving. Coupon code metafield was added in the Purchase Condition section, and in that field is the expected value of coupon code (ex. GETFREE). So it is almost done.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Making things work</b><br />Now shipping promotion use metafield with coupon code. But this metafield will be completely empty.<br />Customer can type his coupon code on the form. First promotion (Order promotion) will be evaluated correctly. But the second on (Shipping promotion) – not. To resolve that developer need to set coupon code metafield with value customer passed.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T2eoeGb3fWs/VQbvvsTWawI/AAAAAAAAAgU/CyDUmsyOzjM/s1600/prom05.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-T2eoeGb3fWs/VQbvvsTWawI/AAAAAAAAAgU/CyDUmsyOzjM/s1600/prom05.png" height="356" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Image Storing coupon code value to the coupon code metafield presents a few lines of code to achieve intended goal.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></h4><h3><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Conclusion</span></b></h3><h3></h3><h4 class="MsoCaption" style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Adding metafields and small pieces of code allow developers to extend possibilities of EPiServer Commerce promotion engine to combine two type of promotions with the same coupon code. This method allow to create promotion 2in1 – one coupon code for free gift and free shipping – and meet Client’s requirement. It’s allow also to create other combination of promotions. Metafields system is powerful mechanism to provide many information into promotions engine and use them as a promotions criteria. So this example is not only a solution of one particular problem – but rather a universal pattern for the group of problems.<br /> </span></div></h4><h3><span style="font-weight: normal;">References</span></h3><h4></h4><h4 class="MsoCaption" style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">http://wrzyciel.pl/configuring-coupon-promotions-to-give-you-two-types-of-rewards/</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></h4><h2 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Custom promotions</span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">As I mentioned earlier Client’s requirements result from business rules and business assumptions. Some promotions can be very easy – and some – extremely complicated with a lot of conditions. Sometimes promotion is easy to describe but very difficult to develop.<br />EPiServer Commerce Promotions Engine provides a lot of standard promotions, but experience has shown that each Client has promotion which is not given out of the box... Example of such promotion can be following scenario: Use Promotion Code, Get Discounted Items from a Collection. So again – customer has coupon code and can use that. In that case Client provides a number of products, and from that group of products Customer can select one free gift. EPiServer Commerce Promotions Engine doesn’t provide promotion like that. There is no easy work around to meet that criteria. Commerce defines scenarios like: buy product x, and then get gift or use coupon code and get gift. But in mentioned scenario we have a gift that can be selected from list. In such cases there is possibility to create own promotion.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><h4 class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Developing custom promotions</span></b></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Creating custom promotion consist of two steps:<br />1.    Creating configuration control <br />2.    Creating configuration file<br />Configuration control is responsible for creating and configuring promotion. Configuration file is recipe that describe how promotion works.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Configuration control</b><br />Configuration control allow Commerce administrator to create unique instance of the promotion. In other words configuration control is the part of the page – a form – where administrator can set variables that describe specific instance of promotion. This is showed on the image Setting up promotion’s variables. Most of the form presented on image is common for all types of promotions. Red section is specific for specific type of promotion, and that red section is defined in configuration control.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uNqIFME8BnM/VQb3FZTeVSI/AAAAAAAAAgk/k_3dKel99xI/s1600/prom06.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uNqIFME8BnM/VQb3FZTeVSI/AAAAAAAAAgk/k_3dKel99xI/s1600/prom06.png" height="530" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Such configuration control should be named ConfigurationControl.ascx, and be placed in commerce framework project in /Apps/Marketing/Promotions/[CustomPromotionName], and then control need to inherit from Mediachase.Web.Console.BaseClasses.PromotionBaseUserControl.<br /><br />An example of ascx control and code behind file is shown on image Configuration control – ascx. This is typical ascx control, and corresponds with form presented on Setting up promotion’s variables image.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aQ2EW5CHgDM/VQb3SlpuyqI/AAAAAAAAAgs/hlNgKyaq-2g/s1600/prom07.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aQ2EW5CHgDM/VQb3SlpuyqI/AAAAAAAAAgs/hlNgKyaq-2g/s1600/prom07.png" height="392" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><b>Configuration file</b><br />Configuration file describes haw promotion works. It is just a XML file with following structure:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UtOIUk5F_Pc/VQb3hHv0VGI/AAAAAAAAAg0/CqyRs2n8FP4/s1600/prom09.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UtOIUk5F_Pc/VQb3hHv0VGI/AAAAAAAAAg0/CqyRs2n8FP4/s1600/prom09.png" height="138" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The first five nodes are quite clear and describes:<br />•    Unique type – let say a class of the promotion<br />•    Name of the promotion that is displayed for the commerce administrator<br />•    Group that promotion belongs to – shipping, entry, or order<br />•    Relative path to the configuration control that was described in previous paragraph<br />  <br />So configuration files could looks like:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e7q1FZKU93Q/VQb3pv-IoVI/AAAAAAAAAg8/MzbwEZSzu0g/s1600/prom10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-e7q1FZKU93Q/VQb3pv-IoVI/AAAAAAAAAg8/MzbwEZSzu0g/s1600/prom10.png" height="154" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The most of configuration files is expression node. Expression is long XAML statement.<br />Expression can be edited directly but it seems to be very difficult, so developer can use external tool called Expression Editor. Expression Editor is available at: <a href="https://github.com/episerver/commerce-expression-editor">https://github.com/episerver/commerce-expression-editor</a>. Each developer can clone git source and build it.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NCTXglm7Xyc/VQb34DvnftI/AAAAAAAAAhE/sNKD1OBROW4/s1600/prom11.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NCTXglm7Xyc/VQb34DvnftI/AAAAAAAAAhE/sNKD1OBROW4/s1600/prom11.png" height="338" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n131dc2HPs4/VQb34I10a4I/AAAAAAAAAhI/7oHrbgEASBc/s1600/prom12.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n131dc2HPs4/VQb34I10a4I/AAAAAAAAAhI/7oHrbgEASBc/s1600/prom12.png" height="333" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Expression contain just piece of code that defines how promotion works. This piece of code consist of statements, sometimes called rules. Each statement or rule is <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">if-then-else</i> statement. So in case of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">always true condition</i> and empty else section developer can achieve just unconditional statement. Developer can use <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">HALT</i> keyword to stops evaluation of whole expression (similar as <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">break</i></b> in <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">for</i></b> statement). There is no reason to use semicolon at the end of the code line – just carriage return is enough. In each statement developer can use <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">this</i></b> – and it means <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Mediachase.Commerce.Marketing.Validators.RulesContext</i></b>. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Moreover in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Expression editor</i> <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Intellisence</i></b>works!</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Usually expression is built in tree steps.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In first step</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> developer should assign variables with values that commerce administrator have set in configuration control. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In second step</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> developer need to check promotion’s conditions to verify if promotion should be applied.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In the last step</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"> developer need to create <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">PromotionItemRecord</i>.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Example of expression is shown on </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB">Expression for “Use Promotion Code, Get Discounted Items from a Collection” promotion</span></i><span lang="EN-GB"> image. In this example each rule corresponds with one step. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">The rules are executed in order, from highest priority (largest number) to lowest.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sw_SJZd-ppw/VQb4L0EjeDI/AAAAAAAAAhU/K12eXFMNtKY/s1600/prom13.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sw_SJZd-ppw/VQb4L0EjeDI/AAAAAAAAAhU/K12eXFMNtKY/s1600/prom13.png" height="582" width="640" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><br /> <br /><h4><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Conclusion</span></b></h4><h4></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">EPiServer Commerce Promotion Engine provides mechanism to creating own custom promotions. To create new type of promotion developer need to create custom control to gives commerce administrator possibility to set variables, and configuration file to describe promotion’s logic. To avoid creating long and complicated xaml expressions developer can use an Expression Editor to define promotion logic. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">The most important thing is that – EpiServe Commerce Promotion Engine is very flexible and gives a lot of possibilities to customize existing promotions or creating new one. This is crucial – because in real world promotions are extremely complicated and cannot be applied just out of the box.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><h4><span lang="EN-GB">References</span></h4><h3></h3><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-GB">http://world.episerver.com/documentation/Items/Developers-Guide/EPiServer-Commerce/8/Marketing/Custom-promotion-development/<br />https://github.com/episerver/commerce-expression-editor </span></div><br /><br /> <br /> </div></span></div></span></span></span></div>2015-03-16T16:37:00.0000000Z

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