Within this section of the manual, the data upload format and process supported by our eCommerce platform is described in depth. Currently the
only way to create or edit your data within our system is by uploading a file - which is typically a "zip" archive containing a set of
product images, along with an excel spreadsheet (xls) which acts as the data file. It is also possible to upload the xls independantly when no
images are being added or changed.
This was chosen as the default data management method as excel is a widely available, well understood and mature product, and because a grid
based view provides a neat, concise snapshot of the data required to drive our eCommerce solution. In the future we plan to add online editing
capabilities, as and when our clients require them, however it is our belief that for bulk publication of fresh data, an upload file is easier to
manage and will require significantly less time to update than series of online forms.
A simplified example of the data upload format can be seen by downloading the sample eCommerce data spreadsheet.
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An introduction to the Mattched IT eCommerce Solution
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Product Search integration