Thomas Register
Custom e-Catalog Specifications

Syntax

Local Syntax - Thomas Register-Hosted Catalogs

Custom e-Catalog calls can be coded into any static HTML catalog page. Local syntax calls are executed and displayed within the same file the call is authored in. Multiple calls can be coded into the same file. Each Custom e-Catalog call must be placed within comment tags on a separate line not flanked by other HTML tags, as follows,: 

<!-- SMARTCAT START

      SMARTCAT END -->

The arguments that determine what to display and the display format are coded within these tags on separate lines with one argument per line.

One 'TYPE=' specification per call is required to define what kind of display to render. Several types are available which allow you to do such things as display an explicitly coded list of products, display details for a specific product, display all the products for a particular product heading number, display all product headings for the supplier's company, or present the buyer with a keyword search interface. 

<!-- SMARTCAT START
      AZ=xxxxxxxx
      TYPE=xxx
      
      SMARTCAT END -->
Optional tags can be used in conjunction with this basic format to further enhance the appearance and functionality of the site. These optional tags can be used independently or in combination to produce a wide variety of results. The order in which they appear within a call is irrelevant. Refer to the menu selections at the top and bottom of this page and throughout these specifications for detailed information on the various display types and optional tags.

AZ Numbers

To ensure that the appropriate content is delivered by your Custom e-Catalog calls, you must include the supplier's 'AZ Number' in the string of attributes. The 'AZ Number' is a unique 8-digit number assigned to all Thomas Register accounts. You can search for a supplier's 'AZ Number' on ProofStat. 

<!-- SMARTCAT START
      AZ=xxxxxxxx

      SMARTCAT END -->

To provide additional design and navigational flexibility, you can utilize the portable syntax format in Thomas Register-hosted Custom e-Catalogs as follows:

< a href="smartcat.cgi?az=xxxxxxxx&type=xxx">

Portable Syntax - Remote Sites

The Portable Syntax of the Custom e-Catalog code is intended primarily to enable remotely-hosted (non Thomas-hosted) sites. It can also be used within Thomas-hosted Custom e-Catalogs to provide additional design and navigational flexibility.

Whereas local syntax calls are executed and displayed within the same file the call is authored in, portable syntax results in a link that, when selected by the user, executes the query. The results are displayed in the browser window, replacing the previous content (the screen the link originated from). For this reason it is highly recommended that templates be used in conjunction with portable syntax coding to provide navigation and a consistent appearance throughout the Custom e-Catalog.

The basic requirements that apply to the Local Syntax apply to the Portable Syntax as well. These include the presence of an 'AZ Number' and a single 'TYPE=' call. The basic format of the Portable Syntax is as follows:

< a href="http://www.thomasregister.com/smartcat.cgi?az=xxxxxxxx&type=xxx">

Append all attribute tags as 'attribute=value' after the question mark in the CGI reference. This is called the query string. Each 'attribute=value' in your code must be separated by an ampersand (&). For example, a simple list of products is coded as follows:

< a href="http://www.thomasregister.com/smartcat.cgi?az=xxxxxxxx&type=list&ptno=ABC+DEF+GHI">

Note: If your Custom e-Catalog remote syntax contains any non-alphanumeric characters, such as !, ", or $, refer to the special characters list.

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