Abstract: The present invention provides a method for converting a searchable electronic catalog of the type used in e-commerce and industrial materiel systems. Such catalogs are typically configured as databases but can be created from a variety of different source materials. The method includes identifying a set of items to be converted, identifying the characteristics for each item, accessing the characteristic values for each identified item, accessing mapping rules for each characteristic and each item, mapping the characteristic values for each item in the first catalog into the characteristic identified by the rule for the item in the second catalog, and compiling the mapped characteristic values for each item to form the second catalog.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for managing updates to a catalog based on a reference electronic catalog. The reference catalog has a reference format and a plurality of items, each with associated characteristics and the second catalog has a second format and a plurality of items, each with associated characteristics. The reference catalog is maintained with updates and revisions to the items and associated characteristics and the second catalog is maintained by repeating the mapping of at least a portion of the reference catalog into the second catalog after maintaining the reference catalog. Preferably, the maintenance times for both catalogs are recorded and the second catalog is maintained by comparing the recorded times and mapping only portions of the reference catalog that have been maintained into the second catalog.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and apparatus for managing updates to a catalog based on a reference electronic catalog. The reference catalog has a reference format and a plurality of items, each with associated characteristics and the second catalog has a second format and a plurality of items, each with associated characteristics. The reference catalog is maintained with updates and revisions to the items and associated characteristics and the second catalog is maintained by repeating the mapping of at least a portion of the reference catalog into the second catalog after maintaining the reference catalog. Preferably, the maintenance times for both catalogs are recorded and the second catalog is maintained by comparing the recorded times and mapping only portions of the reference catalog that have been maintained into the second catalog.

Abstract: The present invention allows one catalog to be managed using the content of another catalog. In one embodiment, the invention can include reading records from a plurality of different source databases, converting the records to an open format, comparing the converted records, correcting for differences in the converted records; converting the corrected records to the respective format of the corresponding source database, and writing the records back into the respective source databases. In another embodiment, the invention could include comparing the converted records to open format records from a reference database source and analyzing and correcting the converted records based on the comparison.

Abstract: An improvement for composing and cataloging item configuration data is disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes identifying a base item, identifying a part number for the base item, breaking the part number into sections, each section corresponding to an attribute of the base item, and determining which of the part number sections relate to configurable attributes of the base item. The embodiment further includes listing a plurality of selectable part number section values for the configurable attributes, listing descriptive information for each of the selectable part number section values, linking the descriptive information to the corresponding selectable part number section value, generating a part number formula to define the configurable sections and associate configurable sections to the corresponding list of values, and generating a description formula to define a configurable description and associate descriptive information with corresponding configurable selectable part number values.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for converting a searchable electronic catalog of the type used in e-commerce and industrial materiel systems. Such catalogs are typically configured as databases but can be created from a variety of different source materials. The method includes identifying a set of items to be converted, identifying the characteristics for each item, accessing the characteristic values for each identified item, accessing mapping rules for each characteristic and each item, mapping the characteristic values for each item in the first catalog into the characteristic identified by the rule for the item in the second catalog, and compiling the mapped characteristic values for each item to form the second catalog.

Abstract: An improvement for composing and cataloging item configuration data is disclosed. One embodiment of the invention includes identifying a base item, identifying a part number for the base item, breaking the part number into sections, each section corresponding to an attribute of the base item, and determining which of the part number sections relate to configurable attributes of the base item. The embodiment further includes listing a plurality of selectable part number section values for the configurable attributes, listing descriptive information for each of the selectable part number section values, linking the descriptive information to the corresponding selectable part number section value, generating a part number formula to define the configurable sections and associate configurable sections to the corresponding list of values, and generating a description formula to define a configurable description and associate descriptive information with corresponding configurable selectable part number values.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for converting a searchable electronic catalog of the type used in e-commerce and industrial materiel systems. Such catalogs are typically configured as databases but can be created from a variety of different source materials. The method includes identifying a set of items to be converted, identifying the characteristics for each item, accessing the characteristic values for each identified item, accessing mapping rules for each characteristic and each item, mapping the characteristic values for each item in the first catalog into the characteristic identified by the rule for the item in the second catalog, and compiling the mapped characteristic values for each item to form the second catalog.