Patent Publication Number: US-7716347-B2

Title: Method for managing commerce contexts

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
   The present application is a continuation application of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10/732,751, which was filed on Dec. 10, 2003, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention, and now patented as U.S. Pat. No. 7,447,781. The present application claims priority benefits to U.S. Pat. No. 7,447,781. U.S. Pat. No. 7,447,781 claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119(a) to Canadian Patent Application No. 2,432,616 filed Jun. 17, 2003. 

   TECHNICAL FIELD 
   The present invention relates to data processing systems, and more particularly to a context switch and a process for managing commerce contexts in client sessions. 
   BACKGROUND INFORMATION 
   Modern Internet and web applications commonly require information about the user and user&#39;s activities to be maintained across multiple requests. For example, in a typical online store, the user is provided with a browseable catalog from which items can be selected and added to a shopping cart. Once the user has added all the desired items to the shopping cart, the user may proceed to the checkout where an order for the items contained in the shopping cart may be placed. To accomplish this process, multiple client requests are required and the information from each request must be maintained across requests. 
   A hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP) is used to access many resources on the Internet. However, HTTP is a stateless protocol that defines the format of requests and corresponding responses but does not currently define a mechanism for maintaining state information. In a typical request, an HTTP user or client opens a connection with a server and requests some information or a resource. The server responds with the requested resource, if available, or an HTTP error status page. After the server&#39;s response, the connection is closed and the server does not maintain any information about the client. Any subsequent request by the client is considered a fresh request with no relation to the previous request. 
   Several approaches have been developed to maintain user information across requests and responses. These approaches use the notions of sessions and states. A session is a series of HTTP requests originating from the same client in the same browser instance or “working session.” State refers to information relating to the previous requests and other business decisions that may be made in relation to these requests. Utilizing these approaches, an Internet or web application should be able to associate a state with each session. Two common methods of session management are cookies and Universal Resource Locator (URL) rewriting. Cookies and URL rewriting are known in the art. Other session management strategies are also known in the art. Generally, session management strategies use an associated session area to store information about the user session. 
   Many modern Internet and web applications are modular in design. Modularity allows different aspects of an application to be developed independently from one another. The Model-View-Controller (MVC) design pattern is a common design paradigm used in developing modular applications. The MVC design pattern is known in the art. 
   In many Internet and web applications, a user will typically have to navigate through a number of organizations. These organizations may be located in different domains. For example, in an electronic marketplace or e-marketplace environment, a buyer in a supply channel may move between a manufacturer or supplier and distributors or resellers. Each of these organizations is referred to as a store. Each store will typically have its own commerce context, for example, a store context. Thus, when navigating between stores, it is necessary to manage the switch between store contexts. A simple shopping flow illustrates this problem. 
   A typical shopping scenario for a supply channel may involve the following steps: 
   (1) A buyer visits the channel store main page; 
   (2) Browses through the catalog; 
   (3) Places an order for a product; 
   (4) Receives a confirmation for the order; 
   (5) Continues browsing for other products. 
   The process steps described above may be given the following names: 
   Step (1)—StoreFrontDisplay 
   Step (2)—ProductDisplay 
   Step (3)—OrderProcess 
   Step (4)—OrderDisplay 
   Step (5)—ProductDisplay 
   In this shopping scenario, the buyer moves back and forth between the channel and a supplier store. In step (1), the StoreFrontDisplay displays the main page of the channel store. In step (2), ProductDisplay involves retrieving the product(s) from the catalog of the channel store and rendering the product description(s). In step (3), OrderProcess involves placing the order in the supplier store. In step (4), OrderDisplay retrieves the order and displays the order. This step can be performed in the channel store or the supplier store. In step (5) ProductDisplay, the buyer is in channel store browsing products from the catalog. 
   To create a smooth shopping experience, there needs to be a way to manage the switch between these store contexts. Several methods of managing store contexts are known in the art. One method involves creating a store identifier or store ID for each store, and appending the store ID as a parameter in each of the URLs that are called. The URLs would look something like this for the process steps described above: 
   Step (1) . . . /StoreFrontDisplay?StoreID=c_store1 
   Step (2) . . . /ProductDisplay?StoreID=c_store1&amp;ProductID= . . . 
   Step (3) . . . /OrderProcess?StoreID=s_store2 . . . 
   Step (4) . . . /OrderDisplay?StoreID=s_store2 
   Step (5) . . . /ProductDisplay?StoreID=c_store1&amp;ProductID= . . . 
   where c_store1 is the store ID for the channel store and s_store2 is the store ID for the supplier store. 
   A disadvantage of this approach is that it requires web designers to hard code the store ID into URLs used in the Internet or web application. This additional complexity further complicates modular application design. For example, hard coding URLs in an MVC application may affect the design of each of the model, view, and controller components. 
   In view of these shortcomings, there exists a need for another method of managing commerce contexts. 
   SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
   The present invention provides a method for managing commerce contexts using direct and temporary commerce context parameters. 
   In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided for a data processing system, a method for managing commerce contexts, the data processing system being associated with a direct commerce context and a temporary commerce context, the data processing system being operatively coupled to memory having a session area, the method comprising the steps of receiving a client request associated with a commerce context parameter, and determining the commerce context associated with the commerce context parameter. 
   In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer program product having computer-readable medium tangibly embodying code for directing a data processing system to manage commerce contexts, the data processing system being associated with a direct commerce context and a temporary commerce context, the data processing system being operatively coupled to memory having a session area, the computer program product comprising code for receiving a client request associated with a commerce context parameter, and code for determining the commerce context associated with the commerce context parameter. 
   In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a data processing system for managing commerce contexts, the data processing system being associated with a direct commerce context and a temporary commerce context, the data processing system being operatively coupled to memory having a session area, the data processing system comprising means for receiving a client request associated with a commerce context parameter, and means for determining the commerce context associated with the commerce context parameter. 
   In accordance with yet a further aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave and having means in the computer data signal for directing a data processing system to manage commerce contexts, the data processing system being associated with a direct commerce context and a temporary commerce context, the data processing system being operatively coupled to memory having a session area, the computer data signal comprising a component in the computer data signal for receiving a client request associated with a commerce context parameter, and a component in the computer data signal for determining the commerce context associated with the commerce context parameter. 
   Other aspects and features of the present invention will become apparent to those ordinarily skilled in the art upon review of the following description of specific embodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanying figures. 

   
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
     Reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of example, embodiments of the present invention, and in which: 
       FIG. 1  is a schematic diagram of a computer system suitable for practicing the invention; 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic diagram of a server for the computer system of  FIG. 1  and which is connected to the computer system; 
       FIG. 3  is a block diagram of a data processing for the computer system of  FIG. 1 ; 
       FIG. 4  is a block diagram of one embodiment of a commerce context switch implemented according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 5  is a schematic diagram of an electronic marketplace in which the present invention may be implemented; 
       FIG. 6  is a schematic diagram of one embodiment of a commerce context switch implemented according to the present invention; 
       FIG. 7  is a flowchart showing the steps in the operation of the commerce context switch of  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 8  is a flowchart showing a process for handling commerce context parameters by the commerce context switch of  FIG. 6 ; 
       FIG. 9  is a flowchart of the procedure for determining the commerce context at the end of a client request; 
       FIG. 10  is a flowchart of the procedure for determining the commerce context in the session area at the end of a client request; and 
       FIG. 11  is a flowchart of a shopping scenario. 
   

   DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS 
   The following detailed description of specific embodiments of the present invention does not limit the implementation of the invention to any particular computer programming language. The present invention may be implemented in any computer programming language provided that the operating system provides the facilities to support the requirements of the present invention. In one embodiment, the present invention is implemented, at least partly, in the Java computer programming language. Any limitations presented herein as a result of a particular type of operating system or computer programming language are not intended as limitations of the present invention. 
   Reference is first made to  FIG. 1 , which shows a computer system  20  upon which the present invention is implemented. The computer system  20  includes a server  22  and clients  24  which are interconnected by a network  30 . The server  22  may be modeled as a number of server components including an application or business logic server, web server, graphical user interface server, and a database server or resource manager. The clients  24  include computers, data processing systems, handheld portable devices, or computer networks. The clients  24  may be the same or different. In one embodiment, the network  30  is the Internet or World Wide Web (WWW). In such cases, the client devices are equipped with appropriate web browser software such as Internet Explorer™ from Microsoft Corporation or Netscape&#39;s Navigator™, and the application servers are equipped with appropriate HTTP server software, such as the WebSphere™ product from IBM. 
   The computer system  20  further includes resources  32  connected to the network  30 . The resources  32  include storage media, databases, for example, a relational database such as the DB2™ product from IBM, a set of XML (eXtensible Markup Language) documents, a directory service such as a LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) server, and backend systems. The interface between the server  22  and the resources  32  comprises a local area network, Internet, or a proprietary interface. The resources  32  are accessed by the server  22  and the clients  24 . Any of the server  22 , the clients  24 , and the resources  32  may be located remotely from one another or may share a location. The configuration of the computer system  20  is not intended as a limitation of the present invention, as will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from a review of the following detailed description. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 2 , a server in the computer system  20  will be described in more detail. The server  23  comprises a web application server compliant with the Java Version 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE) platform such as the WebSphere™ product from IBM. A client  25  connects to the server  23  via the Internet or WWW. A user interface  26  is presented to the client  25 , using JavaServer Pages (JSPs) and servlets. Using JSP technology makes its easy for user interface developers to present dynamically generated pages to any client equipped with an Internet browser. Servlets give more sophisticated developers of Java-based applications the ability to implement dynamic presentations completely in the Java programming language. A business logic module  28  is implemented on the server  23  using Enterprise JavaBean components (EJB) for the object layer. WebSphere™ and other J2EE-compliant application servers provide an organization that allows user interface functions to be separated from the business logic module  28  on the application server  23 . Those skilled in the art will recognize that many computing platforms, operating systems, and enterprise application server suites may be used with the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. 
   Referring now to  FIG. 3 , a data processing system  50  in the computer system  20  is now described in more detail. The data processing system  50  includes a processor  52 , a memory  54 , a display  56 , and user input devices  58  such as a keyboard and a pointing device (e.g. mouse), and a communication interface (not shown) for communicating with the network  30  ( FIG. 2 ). An operating system  60  and application programs  62 ,  64  run on the processor  52 . The memory  54  includes random access memory (“RAM”)  66 , read only memory (“ROM”)  68 , and hard disk  70 . The data processing system  50  may be a client or a server. 
   Reference is now made to  FIG. 4 , which shows in a block diagram form an implementation for a commerce context switch  100  according to the present invention. The commerce context switch  100  is implemented in functional modules in the form of computer software or a computer program product and executed by the processor  52  ( FIG. 3 ) during operation of the computer program product. The commerce context switch  100  is implemented in an application  101  and comprises a controller module  102 , a model module  104 , and a view module  106 . A user interface  105  allows a user to communicate with the controller module  102 . The model module  104  is implemented using a Command pattern  103  that operates on Enterprise Java Beans. 
   The application  101  uses the MVC (Module-View-Controller) design pattern to handle client requests and responses. The controller module  102  determines which operation to perform and the proper execution context for each request based on the request parameters and session information and data. This execution context is referred to as a command context. The command context is passed to the model  104  and the view  106  modules. 
   Referring still to  FIG. 4 , the controller module  102  communicates with the user interface  105  by interpreting requests and handling responses. The model module  104  contains business logic operations and commands, and accesses data and other resources. The view module  106  handles the presentation of information and data. In the operation of a web application, the controller module  102  interprets incoming HTTP requests and invokes the requested business logic operation or command in the model module  104 . Upon completion of the business logic operation, the controller module  102  updates the view module  106 . The controller module  102  selects the next view to display based on the present data and result of the operation of the business logic  28  ( FIG. 2 ). The controller module  102  then transmits the view to the user interface  105 . 
   Some embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in a different application framework from that described below. The application framework defines, at least in part, the order of events and operations performed by the application. In one embodiment, the application framework may allow the client request to contain information regarding the view to be invoked following the execution of a command or business logic operation. In this case, following the execution of the command, the controller module  102  invokes the next view to be displayed based on the information in the client request. 
   Reference is now made to  FIG. 5 , which shows an implementation of an electronic marketplace in which the present invention is operated. An e-marketplace place is an electronic forum that brings multiple buyers and sellers together in a way that provides efficient electronic trading of goods and services. An electronic marketplace or e-marketplace  201  is implemented on a server  202 . The e-marketplace environment may be provided by a web application such as the WebSphere™ Commerce product from IBM. The e-marketplace  201  includes a direct store  203  having a catalog  204  and hosted supplier stores  206 , indicated individually by references  206   a ,  206   b , . . .  206   n . Stores hosted in this manner typically have a hosted storefront served using the IT infrastructure of the direct or channel store  203  in the e-marketplace  201 . The e-marketplace  201  may also be operably connected to a remote supplier store proxy server  208 . The proxy server  208  is implemented on a separate server or on the server  202 . A user interface  210  permits a client to connect with the server  202  and the e-marketplace  201 . The user interface  210  provides an Internet or web browser with which a client can navigate the e-marketplace  201 . Non-hosted remote supplier stores  212 , indicated individually by references  212   a ,  212   b , . . .  212   n , may connect to the e-marketplace  201  and the server  202  over the Internet  213  via the proxy server  208 . Typically, the hosted stores  206  are in the same domain as the channel store  203  and the non-hosted stores  212  are in a different domain. 
   Reference is now made to  FIG. 6 , which shows a system implementation of a commerce context switch according to the present invention. A web browser  240  is used by a client in the e-marketplace  201  ( FIG. 5 ). The browser  240  may be used to display a web page  242  in the e-marketplace  201  ( FIG. 5 ) including buttons  244 . The client may invoke an HTTP request using a command line invocation (not shown) in the browser  240  or by clicking on one of the buttons  244  using a mouse or similar pointing device. A typical HTTP request may take the form: 
   http://&lt;path&gt;/&lt;requestname&gt;?&lt;querystring&gt; 
   where &lt;path&gt; is the URL, &lt;requestname&gt; are names which may identify, for example, a business logic object or command to be performed in respect of the request, and &lt;querystring&gt; is query script in which query parameters are typically separated by an “&amp;”. 
   Referring back to  FIG. 5 , in the e-marketplace  201 , a buyer may navigate through a number of organizations or stores during a shopping flow. For example, the buyer may visit a direct or channel store  203  integrating a plurality of the supplier stores  206  and  212 . The catalog  204  may be an aggregation of the product offerings of the hosted stores  206  and the remote stores  212 . In this arrangement, some of supplier stores coupled to the direct store  203  may be hosted while other stores may be remotely located. Similarly, some of the supplier stores may be in a different domain from the channel store  203 . Typically, each store will have its own commerce context, for example, a store context. A store may have its own business logic and its own operational data. Similarly, the user experience or “look and feel” of a store may be unique. For some stores, these and/or other aspects may be shared. A store context can contain information such as the store supported language, currency, directory for web assets such as store pages, and various store policies. 
   When navigating between stores, it is necessary to manage the switch between store contexts. Typically, the client will switch between a direct or channel store context and supplier store contexts, for example the direct store  203  and a supplier store  206  ( FIG. 5 ). Usually, the client will return to the channel store after a transaction or event in a supplier store has been completed. For convenience, the channel store context is sometimes referred to as the direct store context, and the supplier store context is sometimes referred to as the temporary store context. Store context parameters are used to manage the switch between store contexts. Parameters StoreID and ForStoreID are used to identify the channel store context and supplier store context respectively. The channel store context saved in the session is the Session StoreID. 
   In a typical scenario, a client visits a channel store  203 . The StoreID parameter is initially provided as a request parameter and stored in the session as the Session StoreID on return. The client then browses through other pages in the channel store  203  without specifying any StoreID parameters on the subsequent requests. The client may then visit a remote supplier store  212  in which case a ForStoreID parameter is used. When the client returns to the channel store  203  its StoreID is retrieved from the session and the proper store context is constructed. The command is aware of the StoreID but not its origin, e.g. whether the StoreID is derived from the request or the session area, or whether the StoreID refers to a direct store  203  or supplier store  206 ,  212 . Similarly, the command does not know if a supplier store is a hosted store  206  or a non-hosted remote store  212 , e.g. in a different domain than the channel store  203 . This information is handled by the business logic  28  of the command using the StoreID. 
   Referring again to  FIG. 6  and also the flowchart depicted in  FIG. 7 , the store context parameters are explained in more detail. When a client makes an HTTP request in the browser  240 , the controller module  102  receives the request (step  302  in  FIG. 7 ) and retrieves any request parameters and session information and data (step  304  in  FIG. 7 ). The controller module  102  creates a command context  246  associated with the request (step  306  in  FIG. 7 ). The command context  246  is created fresh for each request and does not maintain information across requests. In this manner, the command context  246  is stateless. A command  248  is associated with the client request and the command context  246 . The command  248  represents the client request, for example, the requested business logic operation. The command context  246  contains the information required to execute the command  248  such as the StoreID. By way of example, a client may make the following HTTP request: 
   http://www.shoe.com/ProductDisplay?StoreID=203&amp;ProductID=ABC 
   where “StoreID” and “ProductID” are request parameters and “ProductDisplay” represents the business logic command that is called by the request. 
   The client request may contain one or more store context parameters, or no store context parameters. Table 1 shown below summarizes the combinations of store context parameters that may be included in the request. Using the request parameters and session information and data, the value of the StoreID to be stored in the command context  246  is determined (step  308  in  FIG. 7 ). 
   A session area  250  provides a store for session data and information including store context information and the Session StoreID. The session area  250  persists across client requests. Session management is performed using cookies, however other session management strategies such as URL rewriting may be used so long as the implemented solution provides a session area  250 . Depending on the session management solution adopted, the session area  250  may be located on the client device or the server. 
   The controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) will construct a store context with the StoreID in the command context  246  (step  310  in  FIG. 7 ). Typically, the command context  246  will also contain some user information such as preferences. Commands are used to implement business logic. The controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) determines the command to execute based on the request name. Optionally, it can be based on the StoreID in the command context because we can have different business policies for different store. Next the command  248  will execute using the command context and the associated store context (step  312  in  FIG. 7 ). Using the command result, a response is sent to the web browser  240  by the controller module  102  (step  314  in  FIG. 7 ). In the case where the ForStoreID request parameter is present, following execution of the command, the application  101  has the option of passing the command context  246  to the view module  106  in its present state or changing the StoreID to the new session StoreID before passing it to the view. In the first case, the view will be displayed in the context of the ForStoreID of the supplier store. In the second case, the view will be presented in the context of the channel store. It should be noted that the framework of the present embodiment requires a store context parameter to be included in either the client request or the session area  250 . If the session area  250  does not contain a Session StoreID and the client request does not include a StoreID or ForStoreID, the client request will fail and the client will be sent an HTTP error status page. 
   
     
       
         
             
           
             
               TABLE 1 
             
           
          
             
                 
             
             
               Store Context Construction 
             
          
         
         
             
             
             
             
             
          
             
               ForStoreID 
               StoreID 
               StoreID 
               Store context 
               Session StoreID 
             
             
               parameter in 
               parameter 
               in 
               used in the 
               at the end of the 
             
             
               request 
               in request 
               Session 
               command context 
               request 
             
             
                 
             
             
               X 
                 
                 
               ForStoreID 
                 
             
             
               X 
               X 
                 
               ForStoreID 
               StoreID 
             
             
                 
               X 
                 
               StoreID 
               StoreID 
             
             
                 
               X 
               X 
               StoreID 
               StoreID 
             
             
                 
                 
               X 
               Session StoreID 
               Session StoreID 
             
             
               X 
                 
               X 
               ForStoreID 
               Session StoreID 
             
             
               X 
               X 
               X 
               ForStoreID 
               StoreID 
             
             
                 
             
          
         
       
     
   
   Referring now to  FIG. 8 , a process  319  for handling of the store context parameters is described in more detail. In a first step  320 , the controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) receives an HTTP request. The controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) operates using Java servlets. The controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) then retrieves the request parameters and session data (step  322 ). If the request contains a ForStoreID parameter (decision block  324 ), the controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) stores the ForStoreID parameter as the StoreID in the command context  246  ( FIG. 6 ) (step  326 ). If a StoreID parameter is also present (decision block  327 ), the Session StoreID will be set to the StoreID in the request (step  328 ). If no StoreID parameter is present, the Session StoreID will remain unchanged. 
   If no ForStoreID is present (decision block  324 ), the controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) determines if a StoreID is present (decision block  330 ). If a StoreID parameter is present, the controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) stores the StoreID in the request as the StoreID in the command context  246  (step  332 ). Next, the controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) stores the StoreID as the Session StoreID in the session area  250  (step  334 ). 
   If no StoreID is present (decision block  330 ), the controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) stores the Session StoreID as the StoreID in the command context  246  (step  336 ). If no Session StoreID is present (decision block  335 ), this will be an error situation and the client will be sent an HTTP error status page (step  337 ). 
   Referring now to  FIG. 9 , a procedure  340  for determining the store context for the command context  246  is described in more detail. If the client request contains a ForStoreID parameter (decision block  342 ), the controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) stores the ForStoreID parameter as the StoreID in the command context  246  (step  344 ). In this case, the store context constructed is that of a supplier store. 
   If no ForStoreID is present (decision block  342 ), the controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) then determines if a StoreID is present (decision block  346 ). If a StoreID parameter is present, the controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) stores the StoreID in the request in the command context  246  (step  348 ). The store context is constructed based on the StoreID request parameter. If no StoreID parameter is present (decision block  346 ) but a Session StoreID is present, the controller modules  102  ( FIG. 4 ) stores the Session StoreID in the command context  246  (step  349 ) and the store context is constructed based on the Session StoreID. If no Session StoreID is present (decision block  345 ), this will be an error situation and the client will be sent an HTTP error status page (step  347 ). 
   Referring now to  FIG. 10 , a procedure  359  for determining the store context in the session area  250  at the end of the request will be explained in more detail. If a StoreID parameter is present in the client request (decision block  360 ), the Session StoreID will be changed to the StoreID at the end of the request processing (step  362 ). If no StoreID is present in the request, the Session StoreID at the end of the request processing will be the Session StoreID currently in the session area  250 . 
   Reference is next made to  FIG. 11 , which illustrates the steps for an exemplary shopping scenario in the e-marketplace  201  in accordance with the present invention. As in many online stores, clients are provided with a browseable product catalog  204  ( FIG. 5 ) from which items can be viewed. In this example, the client has opened a new session in the web browser  240  ( FIG. 6 ). In a first step  402 , the buyer visits the main page of a channel store  203  integrating a plurality of supplier stores which may be located locally or remotely. The URL for this action may appear as follows: 
   http://www.onlinestores.com/StoreFrontDisplay?StoreID=203 
   Because this is a new session, there is no StoreID in the session area  250  ( FIG. 6 ). The controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) retrieves the StoreID parameter from the request and stores it in the command context  246  ( FIG. 6 ). The store context is then constructed based on the StoreID and the StoreFrontDisplay command is executed. The resultant storefront view is generated and sent to the web browser  240  ( FIG. 6 ). The Session StoreID is then set to the StoreID. The Session StoreID is now a persistent global variable available in the session. 
   The buyer may then browse the catalog  204  ( FIG. 5 ) for products to order. Next in step  404 , the buyer selects a product to be displayed. The URL for this action may appear as follows: 
   http://www.onlinestores.com/ProductDisplay?ProductID=ABC1 
   where ProductID is a parameter identifying a product. The controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) retrieves the ProductID parameter from the request. The client request does not include a StoreID so the controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) retrieves the Session StoreID from the session area  250  ( FIG. 6 ) and stores it as the StoreID in the command context  246  ( FIG. 6 ). The store context is then constructed using the StoreID and the ProductDisplay command is executed. The resultant product display view is then generated and sent to the web browser  240  ( FIG. 6 ). 
   Next in step  406 , the buyer chooses to order the product “ABC1”. This product belongs to supplier store “20”. The URL for this action may appear as follows: 
   http://www.onlinestores.com/OrderProcess?ForStoreID=20&amp;ProductID=ABC1 
   In this case, a ForStoreID is present so the OrderProcess command will be executed in a supplier store context rather than the channel store context. The controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) retrieves the ForStoreID parameter from the request and stores it as the StoreID in the command context  246  ( FIG. 6 ). The store context is then constructed using the StoreID and the OrderProcess command is executed. The resultant view is then generated and sent to the web browser  240  ( FIG. 6 ). 
   Next in step  408 , an order confirmation is displayed. The URL for this action may appear as follows: 
   http://www.onlinestores.com/OrderDisplay?ForStoreID=20&amp;ProductID=ABC1 
   The controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) retrieves the ForStoreID parameter from the request and stores it as the StoreID in the command context  246  ( FIG. 6 ). The store context is then constructed using the StoreID and the OrderDisplay command is executed. The resultant view is then generated and sent to the web browser  240  ( FIG. 6 ). 
   Next in step  410 , the buyer is returned to browsing in the catalog  204  ( FIG. 5 ). The URL for this action may appear as follows: 
   http://www.onlinestores.com/ProductDisplay?ProductID=ABC1 
   The controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) retrieves the ProductID parameter from the request. Because there is no store context parameter specified in the request, the controller module  102  ( FIG. 4 ) retrieves the Session StoreID from the session area  250  ( FIG. 6 ) and stores it as the StoreID in the command context  246  ( FIG. 6 ). The store context is then constructed using the Session StoreID and the ProductDisplay command is executed. The resultant product display view is then generated and sent to the web browser  240  ( FIG. 6 ). 
   It will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that application frameworks different from that described above may be used without departing from the scope of the present invention. For example, in another framework, a login operation may be performed prior to the StoreFrontDisplay operation. This login operation may store the StoreID parameter in the session area  250  prior to the step of displaying the requested storefront. Allowance for variation in the framework permits more customizable application design. For example, after the completion of an event, designers may choose to display an order confirmation which, may be performed in the supplier store or channel store, or the client may be returned to browsing the catalog in the channel store. Also, depending on the application framework implemented, some command parameters, for example the view parameters, may be included in the HTTP request or hard coded into the business logic of the command. It will also be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art that the method of managing store contexts provided by the present invention may be used for other e-marketplace operations, for example, a request for quotations (RFQ). Further, the present invention may be used to manage other commerce information that requires a temporary switch such as locale, language or currency information. 
   The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Certain adaptations and modifications of the invention will be obvious to those skilled in the art. Therefore, the presently discussed embodiments are considered to be illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.