I have done a search for what categories are available under "Computers".
http://api.remix.bestbuy.com/v1/categories(name='Computer*')?format=json&apiKey=
There are 2 categories "Computers" with same spelling, but different IDs: abcat0500000 and cat01000.
My first thought was that one of them was no longer available, since in the "Path", the first begins with "Best Buy" and the second one begins directly with "Computers". Besides, the first one has many subcategories and the second one has only 2.
To confirm this, I went to Best Buy website and did a search for Computers to verify if all the subcategories of the first set of were there. The resulting URL is http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Electronics/Computers-PCs/abcat0500000.c?id=abcat0500000&searchterm=computers&searchresults=1
So this confirms that the first ID is valid, since it appears in the URL.
Besides the the subcategories, there are others links that are related to computers, but they are not under "Computers", like Geek Squad.
One specific link caught my attention, because it is not a subcategory of the valid "Computers" ID, but it is a subcategory from the second ID. The link is High-Speed Internet, URL: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Computers-PCs/High-Speed-Internet/abcat0514000.c?id=abcat0514000
According to the URL above, the ID of the High-Speed Internet is "abcat0514000", but according to the API result is "cat01150". The second strange thing is that the path indicated by Best Buy web site is: Best Buy > Computers > High-Speed Internet , but there is no High-Speed Internet subcategory in the valid ID.
Trying to understand this, I requested the products with both ID:
http://api.remix.bestbuy.com/v1/products(categoryPath.id=abcat0514000)?format=json&apiKey=
http://api.remix.bestbuy.com/v1/products(categoryPath.id=cat01150)?format=json&apiKey=
Surprisingly, the first request, that uses the web site ID returned no results (no error, just no results) and the second one, apparently from a non-valid category, returned 2 results.
Can someone explain what's happening and what is valid and what is not in the categories' responses?
We should not be displaying categories that have all inactive products in them (like the examples you gave). If you add active=false to your query products will show.
I've added this as a bug, and I'll keep you up to date on what the status is on it.
I have added the active parameter to my query and that are active products in there. What I don't understand is why their path doesn't begin with Best Buy. It seems that the category is inactive, but there are still active products there, even if Best Buy's search doesn't take it into account.
Is the category cat01000 valid, even if it doesn't come from Best Buy node?
In terms of that specific category, I only see 3 active products. One of which shouldn't be in there for sure (the macbook). I'm working on our end to see how to solve this.
What exactly are you trying to do for your site/application? Some of those high level categories (like cat01000) just end up on a 'landing page' on dotcom with no products displayed. It might be better to look for products by sub category.
The problem is not the category or subcategory.
The subcategories of cat01000 also end up on "landing pages", as you said. I am trying to understand the database structure, but it seems to me that you have "floating" categories, like those ones I am pointing out. This may be a bug in your system. I'm saying "floating", because they are not attached to the main node "Best Buy".
You're seeing some of the leftovers from previous versions of the BestBuy.com site hierarchy. This really deserves a longer answer, which I should write up as a blog post, but the basics are that you'll see several variants of category IDs:
catXXXXX - created for the initial launch, most retired with move to attribute-based navigation
abcatXXXXXXXX - created for the move to attribute-based navigation
pcmcatXXXXXXX - created post-launch using internal tools (a system called PCMS)
pcatXXXXX - "page categories" such as Cart, Checkout, etc
I will for sure, if you are into RSS it will show up there (remixblog.info). Or if you follow us on twitter @bestbuyremix I put blog post links there too.
I have done a search for what categories are available under "Computers".
http://api.remix.bestbuy.com/v1/categories(name='Computer*')?format=json&apiKey=
There are 2 categories "Computers" with same spelling, but different IDs: abcat0500000 and cat01000.
My first thought was that one of them was no longer available, since in the "Path", the first begins with "Best Buy" and the second one begins directly with "Computers". Besides, the first one has many subcategories and the second one has only 2.
To confirm this, I went to Best Buy website and did a search for Computers to verify if all the subcategories of the first set of were there. The resulting URL is http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Electronics/Computers-PCs/abcat0500000.c?id=abcat0500000&searchterm=computers&searchresults=1
So this confirms that the first ID is valid, since it appears in the URL.
Besides the the subcategories, there are others links that are related to computers, but they are not under "Computers", like Geek Squad.
One specific link caught my attention, because it is not a subcategory of the valid "Computers" ID, but it is a subcategory from the second ID. The link is High-Speed Internet, URL: http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Computers-PCs/High-Speed-Internet/abcat0514000.c?id=abcat0514000
According to the URL above, the ID of the High-Speed Internet is "abcat0514000", but according to the API result is "cat01150". The second strange thing is that the path indicated by Best Buy web site is: Best Buy > Computers > High-Speed Internet , but there is no High-Speed Internet subcategory in the valid ID.
Trying to understand this, I requested the products with both ID:
http://api.remix.bestbuy.com/v1/products(categoryPath.id=abcat0514000)?format=json&apiKey=
http://api.remix.bestbuy.com/v1/products(categoryPath.id=cat01150)?format=json&apiKey=
Surprisingly, the first request, that uses the web site ID returned no results (no error, just no results) and the second one, apparently from a non-valid category, returned 2 results.
Can someone explain what's happening and what is valid and what is not in the categories' responses?
Thanks
Eduardo
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Joe Zwack - Remix Team – 1 month ago
We should not be displaying categories that have all inactive products in them (like the examples you gave). If you add active=false to your query products will show.
I've added this as a bug, and I'll keep you up to date on what the status is on it.
EduardoK lein – 1 month ago
I have added the active parameter to my query and that are active products in there. What I don't understand is why their path doesn't begin with Best Buy. It seems that the category is inactive, but there are still active products there, even if Best Buy's search doesn't take it into account.
Is the category cat01000 valid, even if it doesn't come from Best Buy node?
Joe Zwack - Remix Team – 1 month ago
In terms of that specific category, I only see 3 active products. One of which shouldn't be in there for sure (the macbook). I'm working on our end to see how to solve this.
What exactly are you trying to do for your site/application? Some of those high level categories (like cat01000) just end up on a 'landing page' on dotcom with no products displayed. It might be better to look for products by sub category.
EduardoK lein – 1 month ago
The problem is not the category or subcategory.
The subcategories of cat01000 also end up on "landing pages", as you said. I am trying to understand the database structure, but it seems to me that you have "floating" categories, like those ones I am pointing out. This may be a bug in your system. I'm saying "floating", because they are not attached to the main node "Best Buy".
Kevin Matheny - Remix Team – 1 month ago
You're seeing some of the leftovers from previous versions of the BestBuy.com site hierarchy. This really deserves a longer answer, which I should write up as a blog post, but the basics are that you'll see several variants of category IDs:
catXXXXX - created for the initial launch, most retired with move to attribute-based navigation
abcatXXXXXXXX - created for the move to attribute-based navigation
pcmcatXXXXXXX - created post-launch using internal tools (a system called PCMS)
pcatXXXXX - "page categories" such as Cart, Checkout, etc
EduardoK lein – 1 month ago
Thanks Kevin.
This is useful information.
If you write a blog post, leave a comment here please.
Joe Zwack - Remix Team – 1 month ago
I will for sure, if you are into RSS it will show up there (remixblog.info). Or if you follow us on twitter @bestbuyremix I put blog post links there too.
Art – 1 month ago
Kevin & Joe,
Thanks very much for the category history as I have been wondering abut this for some time.
Keep up the good work! Art