IOF 3.0-new version of format for sharing offer for integration supporting differential files, sets and collections along with their components
Internet Offer Format (IOF) is a standard for the exchange of information about products in XML format, developed by IAI S.A., which is the original format of the product offer description in e-commerce. Experience acquired since the IOF 2.6, which was introduced in September 2016 and the resulting work on the module for web import, update, and restore items from a backup, IAI Downloader, and with partners, i.e. ABC Data showed us how increments are important, that is, adding the logic for determining changes in the offer generator, which makes it easier to see what has changed, than by using scripts processing it.
As a result, we have created the recommendation of the sixth version of the open standard for sharing offers for integrations: Internet Offer Format (IOF) 3.0.
New features of IOF 3.0
IOF 3.0 features mainly:
- support for differential files full_changeYYYY-MM-DDThh-mm-ss.xml for the main source of product information - full.xml file, including information on main product nodes which have changed in the last 30 minutes,
<provider_description file_format="IOF" version="3.0" generated="2018-04-12 12:00:00" generated_by="IdoSell Shop">
<meta>
<long_name><![CDATA[My IdoSell Shop]]></long_name>
<short_name><![CDATA[IdoSell Shop]]></short_name>
<showcase_image url="http://iai-shop.com/gfx/iai_logo.png"/>
<email><![CDATA[office@iai-sa.com]]></email>
<tel><![CDATA[+442071931010]]></tel>
<fax><![CDATA[+48914436601]]></fax>
<www><![CDATA[hhtps://www.idosell.com]]></www>
<address>
<street><![CDATA[Aleja Piastów 30]]></street>
<zipcode><![CDATA[71-064]]></zipcode>
<city><![CDATA[Szczecin]]></city>
<country><![CDATA[Polska]]></country>
<province><![CDATA[Zachodniopomorskie]]></province>
</address>
<time>
<offer created="2018-04-12 12:00:00"/>
<offer expires="2018-04-19 12:00:00"/>
</time>
</meta>
<full url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=test&language=eng&token=44b59f94b5a18473a5f7a57&shop=1&type=full&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="b8396d5dcc80a83580088e342515dc0f" changed="2018-04-12 12:00:00">
<changes>
<change url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=test&language=eng&token=44b59f94b5a18473a5f7a57&shop=1&type=full_change2018-04-23T10-00-00&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="76f66fabc375c374a2094c60792f0462" changed="2018-04-12 10:00:00" />
<change url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=test&language=eng&token=44b59f94b5a18473a5f7a57&shop=1&type=full_change2018-04-23T10-30-00&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="76f66fabc375c374a2094c60792f0462" changed="2018-04-12 10:30:00" />
<change url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=test&language=eng&token=44b59f94b5a18473a5f7a57&shop=1&type=full_change2018-04-23T11-00-00&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="76f66fabc375c374a2094c60792f0462" changed="2018-04-12 11:00:00" />
<change url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=test&language=eng&token=44b59f94b5a18473a5f7a57&shop=1&type=full_change2018-04-23T11-30-00&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="76f66fabc375c374a2094c60792f0462" changed="2018-04-12 11:30:00" />
<change url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=test&language=eng&token=44b59f94b5a18473a5f7a57&shop=1&type=full_change2018-04-23T12-00-00&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="76f66fabc375c374a2094c60792f0462" changed="2018-04-12 12:00:00" />
</changes>
</full>
<light url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=example&language=eng&token=c28ed37e15f9ce0cefed793&shop=1&type=light&format=xml&iof_3_0"/>
<categories url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=example&language=eng&token=e70352d9aebb98139980f64&shop=1&type=categories&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="0b90eec715995728ef7508a0f17525d9" changed="2018-04-12 10:00:00"/>
<sizes url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=example&language=eng&token=66d7e210df197f54bdf9e4d&shop=1&type=sizes&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="cf13fdf0ea0697d5dfb94d390d5ca887" changed="2018-04-12 10:00:00"/>
<producers url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=example&language=eng&token=c92abb6a1ceab3195cb5c39&shop=1&type=producers&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="2f63bbd18e8cec6e504629893946d93e" changed="2018-04-12 10:00:00"/>
<units url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=example&language=eng&token=995759017618853c77383e2&shop=1&type=units&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="1ce286d71bb9940820bff62e48ce498b" changed="2018-04-12 10:00:00"/>
<parameters url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=example&language=eng&token=6d052042188a0c47ba2ea15&shop=1&type=parameters&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="46808b604e8c6ac59c0e10f3b30bb863" changed="2018-04-12 10:00:00"/>
<stocks url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=example&language=eng&token=d03ed218361de24b1714f11&shop=1&type=stocks&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="166220b84e7eeb4ec6bd18a86b2492d1" changed="2018-04-12 10:00:00"/>
<series url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=example&language=eng&token=874294aee5c450d2bbef4c2&shop=1&type=series&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="50dd0d074dc1f063db9fb28462768e66" changed="2018-04-12 10:00:00"/>
<warranties url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=example&language=eng&token=56b4b60f4f22bc15846c6e6&shop=1&type=warranties&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="adffba8f9c015d61d17f8c2b33dbaeca" changed="2018-04-12 10:00:00"/>
<preset url="http://example.iai-shop.com/edi/export-offer.php?client=example&language=eng&token=56b4b60f4f22bc15846c6e6&shop=1&type=preset&format=xml&iof_3_0" hash="75e76977a7890ac172c024c6675e11c7" changed="2018-04-12 10:00:00"/>
</provider_description>
- handling sets and collections with their components (product/bundled and product/bundled/product),
Moreover, the IOF 3.0 version introduces:
- handling strikethrough wholesale price for a product and its individual sizes (SWP) ( product/strikethrough_wholesale_price and product/sizes/size/strikethrough_wholesale_price)
- handling location of products in warehouse ( product/sizes/size/stock@location_id and product/sizes/size/stock@location_text_id)
- handling additional options of parameters like distinction, group_distinction, hide, auction_template_hide (product/parameters/parameter@distinction, product/parameters/parameter@group_distinction, product/parameters/parameter@hide, product/parameters/parameter@auction_template_hide),
- handling types of warranty and number of months assigned to it
How can you generate and upload an offer in the IOF 3.0 version from the IdoSell Shop administration panel
You can generate an IOF offer in version 3.0 from the facilitated Offer sharing module.
Note:Current versionsIAI Downloader 1.X will not be adapted to work with this version of the format, so we encourage you to follow-up further information on the introduction of IdoSell Shop Downloader 2 with IOF 3.0 support which premiere will take place soon.
At the same time, we encourage you to use the alternative tool of web import, update and restore thanks to which offer in the IOF 3.0 format can be synchronized with the panel.
The web tool is dedicated to advanced users, developers and partners. If you are a beginner, we recommend using our professional services, thanks to which it will be guaranteed that the entire process will run smoothly and the final effect will meet your expectations.
The latest specification of the format has been placed on our company website and you will find it in Department for Developers - Internet Offer Format (IOF 3.0). Currently, the IOF 3.0 format is generated along with IOF 2.6 and IOF 2.5.
According to the policy of backward compatibility, we guarantee you support of the current 2.6 version for at least 2 next years. Please, however, make all new projects and important updates of previous ones based on the 3.0 version.
At the same time, we would like to inform you that this is not the end of changes related to IOF 3.0. In the near future, we will focus on creating a single common source of data in the new version of the format for price comparison sites, internet shopping malls, marketplaces or offers shared for integration and back-up of products. Ultimately, IOF 3.0 will become the default format used in the entire IdoSell Shop administration panel.