SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR UPLOADING PRODUCT DATA TO A COMMODITY EXCHANGE SERVER

摘要

A client/server system and method for uploading product data specifications from a plurality of client computers to an on-line commodity exchange server is provided. The system provides a scalable client/server architecture in which a downloadable interactive uploader applet is transferred to each client computer, which cooperates with an instance of an uploader servelet operating at the server. The downloadable interactive uploader applet is utilized by each client to interactively map the client's product attributes to a set of common product attributes associated with the products capable of being sold via the on-line commodity exchange system. As a client interactively maps their client product attributes to the common format, the applet generates an adaptive mapping file for the particular type of product, which is then saved for use in subsequent uploads of the same type of product data so that the client need not repeat the mapping steps. The applet also provides for adaptive data-type mapping in which the client adaptively maps their data types for a particular product attribute to the data types common to the on-line system. The adaptive data-type mapping is also saved in the adaptive mapping files.