Validation Rules

The validation is carried out after the cleansing. This means that the cleansed values of the iPIM Supply attributes are checked.

A distinction is made between rules at item level and rules at attribute level. Rules at item level can cover several attributes, rules at attribute level always refer to a specific attribute.

3. Enter a name for the validation rule in the field “Title” field .
4. Optional: Enter a short rule description in the “Description” field .
5. From the “Attribute” menu , select the attribute whose attribute values are to be validated.
6. Activate respectively deactivate the validation rule:
   • In order to activate the rule, tick the “Activate rule” checkbox (default setting).
   • In order to deactivate the rule, untick the “Activate rule” checkbox.

• In order to finish the process, click on the button. If the process was successful, a corresponding message will appear. The new validation rule is now created and it appears in the validation rule table.
• In order to cancel the process, click on the button.

Click here for an overview of all the availabe rule types.

Activate/deactivate validation rules

Via the corresponding checkbox you can activate respectively deactivate individual validation rules.

• In order to activate a validation rule, tick the checkbox in the “Active” column.
• In order to deactivate a validation rule, untick the checkbox in the “Active” column.

Edit validation rules

In order to edit a validation rule, proceed as follows:

1. In the table row of the validation rule, click on the button to call up the corresponding dialog box.
2. Make the desired changes.

• In order to to finish the process , click on the button. If the process was successful, a corresponding message will appear. The validation rule is now edited.
• In order to cancel the process, click on the button.

Remove validation rules

In order to remove an existing validation rule, proceed as follows:

1. Choose the validation rule from the list of validation rules.
2. In the table row of the validation rule, click on the  button. Following this, the validation rule vanishes from the list.

• In order to confirm the removing of the validation rule, click on the button.
• In order to revoke the removing of the validation rule, click on the button.

Export validation rules

In order to export a validation rules as a .json file, proceed as follows:

• In the table row of the validation rule, click on the button. Following this, the validation rule is exported as a .json file. The file can usually be found in your local download folder.

For example, you can import the .json file that contains the validation rule into another catalog to apply it there.

Copy to a profile

You can add a validation rule to a cleansing and validation profile. Then you can use it for other catalogs without having to define it anew. In order to add a validation rule to a cleansing and validation profile, proceed as follows:

1. In the table row of the validation rule, click on the button to call up the corresponding dialog box.
2. From the menu, select a cleansing and validation profile.

• In order to finish the process, click on the button. If the process was successful, a corresponding message will appear.
• In order to cancel the process, click on the button.

2. Drag the .json file over the drop area and drop it there. Or click on the button to call up the file via the file manager.The file is loaded into the cache and the file name is shown below the drop area.
3. Optional: Tick the “Overwrite existing rule” checkbox to specify that a corresponding already existing rule is overwritten with the imported validation rule.

Use cases

Check imported item numbers for duplicates

This section uses an example to explain how to set up a validation rule that checks whether the system already contains items from the same supplier that have the same supplier item number as the newly imported items:

1. Select the option “iPIM Duplicate check” from the “Choose rule type” menu .
2. Click on the button  to call up the corresponding dialog box.

3. Enter a name for the validation rule in the “Title” field .
4. Tick the "Activate rule" checkbox to activate the validation rule.
5. From the “Attribute” menu , select the imported IPIM-Supply attribute that you want to compare with an attribute in the iPIM system.
6. From the “Search Attribute” menu , select the iPIM attribute to which the imported iPIM-Supply attribute should be compared. In this example, it is the same attribute that represents the supplier item number.

7. Determine the action to take in the event of a validation failure. To do so, select the appropriate option from the “Result of validation rule hits” menu.
8. Select the "Only look for duplicates for the same supplier" checkbox to specify that the imported item numbers should be matched only with item numbers from the same supplier.
9. Click on the button to finalise the setup of the validation rule. The dialog box closes, and the newly configured validation rule appears in the validation rules table.

• The validation rule only considers items which were synchronized with iPIM and exist there in the form of products.
• In the process of a transformation, the validation rule is applied to the transformed iPIM Supply attributes.

FAQ

Basics

What are validation rules and what are they used for?

Validation rules can be used to define automated validity checks for the imported item data of a catalog. The validation based on the defined rules is carried out in the course of the transformation and applied to the individual items of a catalog to check the technical and content data quality of the items.

In what order are cleansing and validation carried out in the transformation process?

The validation is carried out after the cleansing. This means that the cleansed values of the iPIM Supply attributes are checked, so the cleansing precedes the validation in terms of content.

What is the difference between rules at item level and rules at attribute level?

Rules at item level can cover several attributes, while rules at attribute level always refer to a specific attribute. This distinction should be considered when choosing the appropriate rule type.

Set up a validation rule

What is an internal rule for validation rules?

If the “Internal rule” checkbox is ticked, the validation rule is defined as an internal rule. An internal rule can be used as a subordinate rule of validation rules of particular rule types.

What does defining a validation rule as an external rule do?

If the “External rule” checkbox is ticked, the rule is defined as an external rule. This makes the validation result also visible in iPIM SSP.

Which response options are available if an attribute value does not comply with a validity condition?

You can choose between the options “Error”, where the corresponding items are marked as invalid, and “Warning”, where the items are merely flagged with a warning. Alternatively, the “Internal Rule” option can be selected, which carries out a subordinate rule; this option is available since version 5.4.2.

Export and import validation rules

What can I use an exported validation rule for?

You can, for example, import the exported .json file that contains the validation rule into another catalog to apply it there. This avoids having to manually set up the same rule again.

What does the “Overwrite existing rule” checkbox do during import?

If this checkbox is ticked during import, a corresponding already existing rule is overwritten with the imported validation rule. Once the import is done, the dialog box closes and the imported rule appears in the table.

Copy a validation rule to a profile

What is the purpose of copying a validation rule to a profile?

You can add a validation rule to a cleansing and validation profile. Then you can use it for other catalogs without having to define it anew.