Reusing products and configurations

In the product tree, everything you create under a product configuration is another configuration or a product. Configurations and products might represent parts or components or sub-components, but these are called configurations or products, and they can be reused.

You can quickly create a configuration or a product by reusing an existing configuration or product.

The following two scenarios give examples of product reuse.

A configuration that is called Bicycle contains four products: Frame, Handlebars, Seat, and Wheel. The bicycle requires two wheels, so the Wheel product is reused.

The following product tree shows the Bicycle configuration, showing the reused Wheel product.

Image shows the "Bicycle" configuration in the product tree, showing the reused "Wheel" product.

A configuration that is called Car (model=luxury) contains a product that is called Body. Body contains a product that is called mirror. A new SmartCar configuration is able to reuse the same Body product. Reusing the Body product allows both configurations to control the version of mirror without changing Body.

The following product tree shows the Car (model=luxury) and SmartCar configurations, showing the reused Body product.

Image shows two configurations in the product tree, showing the reused "Body" product.

The following scenario gives an example of configuration reuse.

Product configurations can contain other configurations. A configuration that is called Car (model=luxury) contains a configuration that is called Drivetrain (model=hybrid). Drivetrain (model=hybrid) contains two products: axle and engine. A new SuperCar (model=sport) configuration is able to reuse the Drivetrain (model=hybrid) configuration. (Both cars will use hybrid technology.) Reusing the Drivetrain (model=hybrid) configuration is more flexible for teams supporting component-based projects, such as cars and mobile phones.

The following product tree shows the Car (model=luxury) and SuperCar (model=sport) configurations, showing the reused Drivetrain (model=hybrid) configuration.

Image shows two configurations in the product tree, showing the reused "Body" product.

The terms child configuration and child product refer to a configuration or product that is used by another configuration or product.

When you reuse a configuration or product (and any child configurations or products) elsewhere in the product tree, a reference is used. Each product has only one instance in the list of products in the tree. You can reference the product in one or more locations. If you want a copy, you must create a configuration or product. You can also reuse child configurations and products.

The advantage of reuse is that if you must change a child configuration or product, you need to do so only once and the change is propagated to all the reused child configurations and products. If you must change a child configuration or product and want to see how many other configurations and products use the child, right-click over the child configuration or product and choose Find Use.

Procedure

  1. In the Browse Products page, right-click the child configuration or product that you want to reuse and select Reuse.
  2. Right-click over the configuration or product you want to place the child product in and click Place. You can place a child configuration or product in any configuration or product, even the same one that the child is already in. For example, looking at the image of Bicycle, you could place Wheel in the Bicycle configuration as many times as you want.

What to do next


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