Sorry - the last line should read (but cant edit):

ProductCatalog catalog = ProductCatalog.SingleOrDefault(x => x.Name == catalogContext.CurrentCatalogName && x.ProductCatalogGroup.Name == catalogGroup.Name);

-- above line catalog ends up null...

then i woud go on to getting the product etc..

 Category category = Category.SingleOrDefault(x => x.Name == catalogContext.CurrentCategoryName);

    string categoryUrl = urlService.GetUrl(catalog, category);

    Product product = Product.SingleOrDefault(x => x.Sku == catalogContext.CurrentProductSku && x.ParentProductId == null);

Sorry if ive rambled a bit... im new to uCommerce and this is my first store so just a bit confused as to the structure of things until i find my way around.

Hi Damian,

The reason it's bit confusing at the moment is that when we did the high level API for uCommerce the main way of creating Umbraco sites was using XSLT. We never did a set of high level APIs for Razor. Some of the XSLT is pretty usable if you go via the Library class, but it's not at the level of awesomeness we expect from uCommerce :)

The SiteContext and related CatalogContext and OrderContext are convenience APIs for figure out where you are on the site currently. They are, as you say, fed by strings from the query string by default so they require that you pass around catalog, category, and sku in the URLs for work. If you're using the default nice URLs the values will automatically be added to the URL at the end; in the form of ids instead of names.

You can override the behavior by registered your own context implementations in the /umbraco/ucommerce/configuration/components.config where you decide how the context should be populated.

You don't have to use the context though you can manage everything yourself and go straight to the Active Record API like you describe. Just go:

int productId = Convert.ToInt32(Request.QueryString["productid"]);
Product product = Product.Get(productId);

And you're good to go.

With Razor being the new and only model for doing site in Umbraco 5 we're investing in doing a simpler to understand high level API, which will incorporate all the lessons learned from previous site builds and feedback. Posts like your's will help do an even better job of getting it right, and I dare say that we've got a nice surprise on that front in stock for everybody at this year's Codegarden too :)

I highly recommend take a look at the XSLT extensions using a tool like dotPeek from Jetbrains. It'll allow you to see the uCommerce source code almost as we do and give you a great understanding on how everything works.

Hi Soren,

Thanks for the quick reply.

I understand what you are saying but still a little confused.  I also had a poke around in the source which helped a little too but i want to get a grip on the basics bfore i dive deep into the guts of the source! Ill do that when i get to extending! :)

In relation to your example - i dont understand how the following line woudl work when i font have productid in a query string? Its just the url and have no routedata like in mvc for example. 

int productId =Convert.ToInt32(Request.QueryString["productid"]); 

The url I am seeing is for example:  /shop/category-name/product-name/c-23/c-72/p-110

so how would the example work?

Do you have an example using razor to build a simple breadcrumb using the sitecontext when on a product page? That would probably help me most - or even just the code to get the current product, current category, current catalogue and current catalogue set. If i know how to get those i'll be able to work the rest out i think.  Just need to get my head round setting the current context of where i am in the site so i can use razor to build the pages.

Thanks again for the help!

Damian

I'll also post my script I wrote to squirt out debug to show the underlying data objects of the store.  

Its pretty basic and raw with very little formatting so apologies for that but its for debug reasons not prettyness!  It helped me no end in understanding catalogues, categories, groups etc. so if you are just getting started with razor, ucommerce or integrating your own store this script may just turn a few lighbulbs on for you!  Just paste it into a macroscript, create a macro and put that macro at the top of a product page.  It will then show whats behind the curtains! :)

Hope it helps someone anyway.  

Im still a little unsure about price groups and getting the price but i'll cross that bridge when i get to it!

@using UCommerce.Catalog;
@using UCommerce.Infrastructure;
@using UCommerce.EntitiesV2;
@using UCommerce.Runtime;

<h2>Catalogue Group</h2>
SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogGroupName = @SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogGroupName

<h2>Catalog Contexts</h2>   

<h3>Current Catalogue Set</h3>
SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogSet.Name = @SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogSet.Name
<br />
<ul>
  <li>SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogSet.Id = @SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogSet.Id</li>
  <li>SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogSet.ProductCatalogGroupId = @SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogSet.ProductCatalogGroupId</li>
  <li>SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogSet.Decription = @SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogSet.Description</li>
</ul>

<h3>Current Catalogue</h3>
SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogName = @SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogName
<br />

<h3>CurrentCategory</h3>

SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCategoryName = @SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCategoryName
<br />

<h3>Current Product</h3>
SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentProductSku = @SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentProductSku
<br />

<h2>Product Catalogues</h2>
SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogSet.ProductCatalogs List
<br />

@foreach (var pc in SiteContext.Current.CatalogContext.CurrentCatalogSet.ProductCatalogs)
{
       @:pc.Name = @pc.Name <br/>
       @:pc.Id = @pc.Id <br/>
       @:pc.ProductCatalogGroup.Name = @pc.ProductCatalogGroup.Name <br/>
       @:pc.ProductCatalogId = @pc.ProductCatalogId <br/>

 
       <h4>Catalogue Price Group</h4>   
    
       @:pc.PriceGroup.Name= @pc.PriceGroup.Name  <br />
       @:pc.PriceGroup.Id= @pc.PriceGroup.Id <br />
       @:pc.PriceGroup.VATRate = @pc.PriceGroup.VATRate <br />
       @:pc.PriceGroup.Currency.ISOCode = @pc.PriceGroup.Currency.ISOCode <br />
 
    <h3>Categories</h3>   
    
    foreach (var pcCategory in pc.Categories)
    {                    
        <p>
        pcCategory.Name = @pcCategory.Name <br />
        pcCategory.Id = @pcCategory.Id <br />
        pcCategory.ParentCategoryId = @pcCategory.ParentCategoryId <br />
        pcCategory.ProductCatalog.Name = @pcCategory.ProductCatalog.Name <br />
        pcCategory.ProductCatalog.ProductCatalogGroup.Name = @pcCategory.ProductCatalog.ProductCatalogGroup.Name <br />
        
        ===============================
        </p>        
    
        <h5>Products in cat (@pcCategory.Products.Count()):</h5>
   
        foreach (Product p in pcCategory.Products)
        {
            <h5>Product: @p.Name - Id = @p.Id</h5>     
                          
            <p>Product Variants (@p.Variants.Count)</p>
            
             foreach (var v in p.Variants)
             {
                <h6>Variant: @v.Name - Id = @v.Id</h6>   
                 <p>Parent productID = @v.ParentProductId</p>
                 <p>Price Group</p>
                 <h6>Price Group Prices</h6>
                    foreach (var pgp in v.PriceGroupPrices)
                    {
                        <p>Price group (@pgp.PriceGroup.Name) Price = @pgp.Price</p>
                    }
             }                         
        }
    }
}    

Thanks for taking the time to post this. I know the naming scheme is a little confusing. It's like that to keep it backwards compatible. It will change for uCommerce 3 to match reality better :)

No problem! :) Im enjoying building out this site and getting to know UCommerce! Sure it will get more interesting too once i start getting into the pipelines and checkout process as im just building macros, pages, menus and other navigation at the moment.  

One area I have found cumbersome is getting the price and price of variants and descriptions.  Im thinking of wrapping it with my own API know im getting to grips with it... but i'll hang on till the new version to save a re-write! :)

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