Commodity

Introduction

The Commodity entity represents individual freight items, packages, or cargo pieces in the TMS. As an aggregate root, Commodity supports sophisticated features including hierarchical container structures (commodities containing other commodities), multiple tracking numbers, warehouse location tracking, and automatic charge recalculation triggers.

Commodities are highly flexible, supporting various measurement systems (imperial/metric), package types, inventory integration, and custom values for extensibility. The entity automatically maintains calculated totals for weight, volume, and value, cascading changes to parent containers when nested items are modified.

Entity Structure

Properties

Property Name	Type	Required	Description
CommodityId	int	Yes	Unique identifier for the commodity (primary key)
OrganizationId	int	Yes	Organization owning this commodity (multi-tenancy)
Description	string	Yes	Commodity description/name
Pieces	int	Yes	Number of pieces/packages
CommodityTypeId	int?	No	Type classification (e.g., Electronics, Textiles)
CommodityType	CommodityType	No	Navigation to type definition
CommodityStatusId	int?	No	Current status (e.g., In Warehouse, Shipped)
CommodityStatus	CommodityStatus	No	Navigation to status definition
PackageTypeId	int?	No	Package type (carton, pallet, crate, etc.)
PackageType	PackageType	No	Navigation to package type
ContainerCommodityId	int?	No	Parent container ID for hierarchical nesting
ContainerCommodity	Commodity	No	Parent container (self-reference)
ContainerCommodities	`ICollection<Commodity>`	No	Child commodities in this container
Length	decimal?	No	Length dimension
Width	decimal?	No	Width dimension
Height	decimal?	No	Height dimension
DimensionsUnit	DimensionsUnit	Yes	Unit for dimensions (Inch, Centimeter, Meter)
Weight	decimal?	No	Weight per piece (or total if WeightByTotal=true)
WeightTotal	decimal?	No	Total weight (auto-calculated: Weight × Pieces)
WeightByTotal	bool	Yes	If true, Weight field is total (not per piece)
WeightUnit	WeightUnit	Yes	Unit for weight (Pound, Kilogram, Ton)
VolumePiece	decimal?	No	Volume per piece (auto-calculated from dimensions)
VolumeTotal	decimal?	No	Total volume (auto-calculated: VolumePiece × Pieces)
VolumeUnit	VolumeUnit	Yes	Unit for volume (CubicFoot, CubicMeter, Liter)
Quantity	int?	No	Quantity (distinct from Pieces - e.g., units within packages)
Unit	string?	No	Unit of measure for Quantity (e.g., "EA", "BOX")
UnitaryValue	decimal?	No	Value per unit
UnitaryValueTotal	decimal?	No	Total value (auto-calculated)
ValueByTotal	bool	Yes	If true, UnitaryValue is total value
BillToContactId	int?	No	Contact to bill for this commodity (charge filtering)
BillToContact	Contact	No	Navigation to billing contact
WarehouseLocationId	int?	No	Current warehouse location
WarehouseLocation	WarehouseLocation	No	Navigation to warehouse location
JobId	Guid?	No	Associated job
Job	Job	No	Navigation to job
InventoryItemId	int?	No	Linked inventory/SKU item
InventoryItem	InventoryItem	No	Navigation to inventory item
SerialNumber	string?	No	Serial number for the commodity
Note	string?	No	Additional notes/comments
IsDeleted	bool?	No	Soft delete flag (default: false)
CustomValues	`Dictionary<string, object?>`	No	Extensible custom properties dictionary
SearchVector	NpgsqlTsVector	No	Full-text search vector (PostgreSQL)
Created	DateTime	Yes	Creation timestamp (inherited from AuditableEntity)
CreatedBy	string	Yes	User ID who created (inherited)
LastModified	DateTime	Yes	Last modification timestamp (inherited)
LastModifiedBy	string	Yes	User ID who last modified (inherited)

Relationship	Type	Description
OrderCommodities	`ICollection<OrderCommodity>`	Junction to orders containing this commodity
CommodityTrackingNumbers	`ICollection<CommodityTrackingNumber>`	Multiple tracking numbers
CommodityTags	`ICollection<CommodityTag>`	Tags assigned to this commodity
AllTags	`ICollection<CommodityAllTagsView>`	View of all tags (flattened)
ContainerCommodity	Commodity	Parent container (self-reference)
ContainerCommodities	`ICollection<Commodity>`	Child commodities in this container
Organization	Organization	Parent organization
CommodityType	CommodityType	Type classification
CommodityStatus	CommodityStatus	Current status
PackageType	PackageType	Package classification
WarehouseLocation	WarehouseLocation	Current warehouse location
Job	Job	Associated job
InventoryItem	InventoryItem	Linked inventory SKU
BillToContact	Contact	Billing contact for charge filtering

Enumerations

DimensionsUnit:

Inch (0)
Centimeter (1)
Meter (2)

WeightUnit:

Pound (0)
Kilogram (1)
Ton (2)

VolumeUnit:

CubicFoot (0)
CubicMeter (1)
Liter (2)

Key Concepts

1. Hierarchical Container System

Commodities can contain other commodities through the ContainerCommodityId relationship:

Container Commodity (ContainerCommodityId = null)
├── Commodity 1 (ContainerCommodityId = Container.CommodityId)
├── Commodity 2 (ContainerCommodityId = Container.CommodityId)
└── Commodity 3 (ContainerCommodityId = Container.CommodityId)

Use Cases:

Palletized shipments (pallet contains cartons)
Containerized cargo (container contains packages)
Consolidated shipments (master package contains individual items)

2. Automatic Totals Calculation

The entity automatically calculates and maintains totals:

VolumeTotal = VolumePiece × Pieces
WeightTotal = Weight × Pieces (unless WeightByTotal=true)
UnitaryValueTotal = UnitaryValue × Pieces/Quantity (unless ValueByTotal=true)

Totals are refreshed automatically when dimensions, weight, pieces, or container contents change.

3. Charge Recalculation Tracking

An internal flag (_requireChargeRecalculation) tracks when properties affecting charges change:

Weight, dimensions, pieces, quantity
Package type, commodity type
BillToContactId (charge filtering)

Use RequiresChargeRecalculation() to check the flag and ResetChargeRecalculationFlag() after recalculating.

4. Warehouse Location Cascading

When a container's warehouse location changes, the change automatically cascades to all nested commodities:

Container.ChangeWarehouseLocationId(newLocationId);
// All ContainerCommodities automatically updated to same location

YAML Configuration

Creating a Simple Commodity

# Create individual commodity
- task: Commodity/Create@1
  name: createElectronicsCommodity
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    commodity:
      description: "Electronic Components - PCB Boards"
      pieces: 10
      length: 24
      width: 18
      height: 6
      dimensionsUnit: Inch
      weight: 15.5
      weightByTotal: false  # 15.5 lbs per piece
      weightUnit: Pound
      volumeUnit: CubicFoot
      packageTypeId: ${cartonTypeId}
      commodityTypeId: ${electronicsTypeId}
      commodityStatusId: ${inStockStatusId}
      quantity: 100
      unit: "EA"
      unitaryValue: 250
      valueByTotal: false  # $250 per piece
      customValues:
        sku: "PCB-2025-A1"
        lotNumber: "LOT-001"
        expiryDate: "2027-12-31"
        hazmat: false
  outputs:
    - commodity: commodity

Creating a Container with Nested Items

# Step 1: Create container commodity (pallet)
- task: Commodity/Create@1
  name: createPalletContainer
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    commodity:
      description: "Pallet of Electronics"
      pieces: 1
      length: 48
      width: 40
      height: 60
      dimensionsUnit: Inch
      weight: 0  # Will auto-calculate from contents
      weightByTotal: true
      weightUnit: Pound
      volumeUnit: CubicFoot
      packageTypeId: ${palletTypeId}
      warehouseLocationId: ${warehouseLocId}
  outputs:
    - commodity: pallet

# Step 2: Create items and add to container
- task: Commodity/Create@1
  name: createCarton1
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    commodity:
      description: "Carton 1 - Laptops"
      pieces: 5
      weight: 8.5
      weightByTotal: false
      dimensionsUnit: Inch
      weightUnit: Pound
      volumeUnit: CubicFoot
      parentCommodityId: ${pallet.commodityId}
  outputs:
    - commodity: carton1

- task: Commodity/Create@1
  name: createCarton2
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    commodity:
      description: "Carton 2 - Monitors"
      pieces: 3
      weight: 12.0
      weightByTotal: false
      dimensionsUnit: Inch
      weightUnit: Pound
      volumeUnit: CubicFoot
      parentCommodityId: ${pallet.commodityId}
  outputs:
    - commodity: carton2

# Pallet's weight and volume now auto-calculated from contents

Adding Tracking Numbers

# Add multiple tracking numbers to commodity
- task: CommodityTrackingNumber/Create@1
  name: addUPSTracking
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    trackingNumber:
      commodityId: ${commodityId}
      trackingNumber: "1Z999AA10123456784"
      trackingNumberType: "UPS"
      isPrimary: true

- task: CommodityTrackingNumber/Create@1
  name: addFedExTracking
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    trackingNumber:
      commodityId: ${commodityId}
      trackingNumber: "FEDEX-987654321"
      trackingNumberType: "FedEx"
      isPrimary: false

Updating Commodity Dimensions (Triggers Charge Recalculation)

# Update dimensions - automatically recalculates volume and flags for charge recalc
- task: Commodity/Update@1
  name: updateCommodityDimensions
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    commodityId: ${commodityId}
    commodity:
      length: 30
      width: 20
      height: 8
  # Domain logic automatically:
  # - Recalculates volume from new dimensions
  # - Sets requiresChargeRecalculation flag
  # - Triggers CommodityDimensionsChangedEvent

Moving Commodity to Different Container

# Move commodity from one container to another
- task: Commodity/Update@1
  name: moveCommodityToNewContainer
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    commodityId: ${itemId}
    commodity:
      parentCommodityId: ${newContainerId}

# Alternatively, remove from container (set parent to null)
- task: Commodity/Update@1
  name: removeFromContainer
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    commodityId: ${itemId}
    commodity:
      parentCommodityId: null

Querying Commodity with Relationships

# Query commodity with all nested data using GraphQL
- task: Query/GraphQL
  name: getCommodityWithRelationships
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    query: |
      query GetCommodity($commodityId: ID!) {
        commodity(id: $commodityId) {
          commodityId
          description
          pieces
          length
          width
          height
          weight
          volume
          containerCommodities {
            commodityId
            description
            commodityType { name }
            commodityStatus { statusName }
            commodityTrackingNumbers { trackingNumber trackingNumberType }
          }
          commodityTrackingNumbers { trackingNumber trackingNumberType isPrimary }
          commodityTags { tag { name color } }
          orderCommodities { order { orderNumber } }
          packageType { name }
          commodityType { name }
          commodityStatus { statusName }
          warehouseLocation { locationName warehouseZone { zoneName } }
          inventoryItem { sku }
          job { jobNumber }
          billToContact { name }
        }
      }
    variables:
      commodityId: ${commodityId}
  outputs:
    - response.commodity: fullCommodity

Warehouse Location Management

# Assign commodity to warehouse location (cascades to nested items)
- task: Commodity/Update@1
  name: assignWarehouseLocation
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    commodityId: ${containerCommodityId}
    commodity:
      warehouseLocationId: ${newLocationId}
  # Domain logic automatically updates all nested ContainerCommodities to same location

Key Methods

The Commodity entity provides rich business logic:

Container Management

AddItemToContainer(params Commodity[]) - Add items to container, updates container totals
RemoveItemFromContainer(Commodity) - Remove item from container, updates container totals
MoveToContainer(Commodity) - Move this commodity to different container
ChangeContainerCommodityId(int?) - Set/change parent container

Tracking Numbers

AddCommodityTrackingNumber(string, string?, bool) - Add tracking number with type and primary flag
ChangeCommodityTrackingNumbers(IEnumerable<CommodityTrackingNumber>) - Replace tracking number list

Dimension & Weight Management

ChangeLength(decimal?) - Update length, recalculates volume, flags charge recalc
ChangeWidth(decimal?) - Update width, recalculates volume, flags charge recalc
ChangeHeight(decimal?) - Update height, recalculates volume, flags charge recalc
ChangeDimensionsUnit(DimensionsUnit) - Change measurement system
ChangeWeight(decimal?) - Update weight, recalculates total, flags charge recalc
ChangeWeightUnit(WeightUnit) - Change weight measurement system
ChangePieces(int) - Update pieces, recalculates all totals, flags charge recalc

Totals Calculation

RefreshVolumeTotal() - Recalculate volume from dimensions/pieces or container contents
RefreshWeightTotal() - Recalculate total weight from pieces or container contents
RefreshValueTotal() - Recalculate total value
RefreshValues() - Recalculate all totals

Charge Recalculation

RequiresChargeRecalculation() - Check if changes require charge recalculation
ResetChargeRecalculationFlag() - Reset flag after recalculating charges

Status & Type Management

ChangeCommodityStatusId(int?) - Update status (cascades to container items)
ChangeCommodityStatus(CommodityStatus) - Update status by entity
ChangeCommodityTypeId(int?) - Change type, flags charge recalc
ChangePackageTypeId(int?) - Change package type, flags charge recalc

Billing & Charge Filtering

ChangeBillToContactId(int?) - Set billing contact, flags charge recalc
ChangeBillToContact(Contact?) - Set billing contact by entity

Other Property Updates

ChangeDescription(string) - Update description
ChangeWarehouseLocationId(int?) - Update location (cascades to container items)
ChangeInventoryItemId(int?) - Link to inventory SKU
ChangeJobId(Guid?) - Associate with job
ChangeCustomValues(Dictionary<string, object?>) - Update custom values
ChangeIsDeleted(bool?) - Soft delete

Utility Methods

Copy() - Create deep copy including container contents
CopyChanges(Commodity) - Copy properties from another commodity

Domain Events

The Commodity entity publishes domain events:

CommodityStatusChangedByNameEvent

Published when commodity status is changed.

Use Cases:

Trigger workflows on status changes (e.g., "Shipped" → send notification)
Update external warehouse systems
Cascade status to related entities

CommodityTrackingNumbersChangedEvent

Published when tracking numbers are added, removed, or modified.

Use Cases:

Sync tracking numbers to carrier systems
Notify customers of tracking availability
Update order tracking information

Aggregate Boundary

As an aggregate root, Commodity controls:

Direct Children:

CommodityTrackingNumber - Managed through commodity methods
CommodityTag - Tag assignments
ContainerCommodities - Nested items (hierarchical self-reference)

External References:

OrderCommodity - Junction to orders (Order is separate aggregate)
CommodityType, CommodityStatus, PackageType - Reference data
WarehouseLocation - Reference to location
InventoryItem - Reference to inventory SKU
Job - Reference to job aggregate
BillToContact - Reference to contact

Consistency Rules:

Always add/remove container items through AddItemToContainer() / RemoveItemFromContainer()
Totals are automatically maintained - don't set directly
Status changes cascade to nested container items
Warehouse location changes cascade to nested items
Charge recalculation flag tracks relevant changes

Use Cases

1. Palletized Shipment

# Create pallet container
- task: Commodity/Create@1
  name: createPallet
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    commodity:
      description: "Pallet #1"
      pieces: 1
      packageTypeId: ${palletTypeId}
      weightByTotal: true
      dimensionsUnit: Inch
      weightUnit: Pound
      volumeUnit: CubicFoot
  outputs:
    - commodity: pallet

# Add cartons to pallet by setting their parent
- task: Loops/ForEach
  name: addCartonsToPallet
  inputs:
    items: ${cartonList}
    actions:
      - task: Commodity/Update@1
        name: addCartonToContainer
        inputs:
          organizationId: ${organizationId}
          commodityId: ${item.commodityId}
          commodity:
            parentCommodityId: ${pallet.commodityId}

# Pallet weight/volume auto-calculated from cartons

2. Inventory Item Tracking

# Create commodity linked to inventory SKU
- task: Commodity/Create@1
  name: createInventoryCommodity
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    commodity:
      description: "Widget Model A"
      inventoryItemId: ${widgetSkuId}
      pieces: 50
      warehouseLocationId: ${binLocationId}
      commodityStatusId: ${inStockStatusId}
      customValues:
        batchNumber: "BATCH-2025-01"
        receivedDate: ${today}
  outputs:
    - commodity: inventoryCommodity

3. Multi-Customer Consolidation with Charge Filtering

# Container with items for different customers
- task: Commodity/Create@1
  name: createConsolidatedContainer
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    commodity:
      description: "Consolidated Container"
      pieces: 1
  outputs:
    - commodity: container

# Customer A's items (BillToContactId set)
- task: Commodity/Create@1
  name: createCustomerAItems
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    commodity:
      description: "Customer A Items"
      pieces: 10
      billToContactId: ${customerAId}
      parentCommodityId: ${container.commodityId}
  outputs:
    - commodity: customerAItems

# Customer B's items
- task: Commodity/Create@1
  name: createCustomerBItems
  inputs:
    organizationId: ${organizationId}
    commodity:
      description: "Customer B Items"
      pieces: 5
      billToContactId: ${customerBId}
      parentCommodityId: ${container.commodityId}
  outputs:
    - commodity: customerBItems

# Charges with ApplyToContactId will only count matching commodities

Best Practices

1. Container Hierarchy

Use containers for pallets, master cartons, or consolidations
Always use AddItemToContainer() / RemoveItemFromContainer() methods
Don't set ContainerCommodityId directly
Container totals auto-calculate from contents

2. Measurement Units

Be consistent with units within an organization
Use DimensionsUnit, WeightUnit, VolumeUnit enums
System handles conversions internally

3. Charge Recalculation

Check RequiresChargeRecalculation() before recalculating charges
Reset flag with ResetChargeRecalculationFlag() after recalculation
Prevents unnecessary recalculations

4. Tracking Numbers

Use CommodityTrackingNumber for house bills, parcel tracking
Set isPrimary: true for main tracking number
Support multiple tracking numbers per commodity

5. Warehouse Integration

Link to WarehouseLocation for location tracking
Changes cascade to nested items automatically
Use InventoryItemId for SKU linkage

6. Bill To Contact Filtering

Set BillToContactId when commodity belongs to specific customer in consolidation
Null BillToContactId means commodity counts for all customers
Affects charge calculations (only counts for matching ApplyToContactId)

7. Custom Values Usage

Store SKU, lot numbers, batch codes in custom values
Use for flexible properties varying by commodity type
Good for: serial numbers, expiry dates, hazmat flags, manufacturer info

8. Status Cascading

Status changes automatically cascade to nested container items
Use for bulk status updates (e.g., marking entire pallet as "Shipped")
CommodityStatusChangedByNameEvent published for each change

9. Soft Delete

Use IsDeleted flag instead of hard deletes
Maintains referential integrity
Allows historical reporting

10. Performance

Load ContainerCommodities selectively (can be deeply nested)
Use specific includes for needed relationships only
Consider pagination for large commodity lists

CommodityType Entity - Commodity classifications
CommodityStatus Entity - Status definitions and lifecycle
CommodityTrackingNumber Entity - Tracking number management
CommodityTag Entity - Tagging system
OrderCommodity Entity - Junction to orders
PackageType Entity - Package classifications
WarehouseLocation Entity - Location tracking
InventoryItem Entity - Inventory/SKU integration
Order Entity - Orders containing commodities
Job Entity - Job aggregation
Contact Entity - Billing contacts
Entity System Overview - Aggregate patterns and architecture

Introduction​

Entity Structure​

Properties​

Relationships (Navigation Properties)​

Enumerations​

Key Concepts​

1. Hierarchical Container System​

2. Automatic Totals Calculation​

3. Charge Recalculation Tracking​

4. Warehouse Location Cascading​

YAML Configuration​

Creating a Simple Commodity​

Creating a Container with Nested Items​

Adding Tracking Numbers​

Updating Commodity Dimensions (Triggers Charge Recalculation)​

Moving Commodity to Different Container​

Querying Commodity with Relationships​

Warehouse Location Management​

Key Methods​

Container Management​

Tracking Numbers​

Dimension & Weight Management​

Totals Calculation​

Charge Recalculation​

Status & Type Management​

Billing & Charge Filtering​

Other Property Updates​

Utility Methods​

Domain Events​

CommodityStatusChangedByNameEvent​

CommodityTrackingNumbersChangedEvent​

Aggregate Boundary​

Use Cases​

1. Palletized Shipment​

2. Inventory Item Tracking​

3. Multi-Customer Consolidation with Charge Filtering​

Best Practices​

1. Container Hierarchy​

2. Measurement Units​

3. Charge Recalculation​

4. Tracking Numbers​

5. Warehouse Integration​

6. Bill To Contact Filtering​

7. Custom Values Usage​

8. Status Cascading​

9. Soft Delete​

10. Performance​

Related Topics​

Introduction

Entity Structure

Properties

Relationships (Navigation Properties)

Enumerations

Key Concepts

1. Hierarchical Container System

2. Automatic Totals Calculation

3. Charge Recalculation Tracking

4. Warehouse Location Cascading

YAML Configuration

Creating a Simple Commodity

Creating a Container with Nested Items

Adding Tracking Numbers

Updating Commodity Dimensions (Triggers Charge Recalculation)

Moving Commodity to Different Container

Querying Commodity with Relationships

Warehouse Location Management

Key Methods

Container Management

Tracking Numbers

Dimension & Weight Management

Totals Calculation

Charge Recalculation

Status & Type Management

Billing & Charge Filtering

Other Property Updates

Utility Methods

Domain Events

CommodityStatusChangedByNameEvent

CommodityTrackingNumbersChangedEvent

Aggregate Boundary

Use Cases

1. Palletized Shipment

2. Inventory Item Tracking

3. Multi-Customer Consolidation with Charge Filtering

Best Practices

1. Container Hierarchy

2. Measurement Units

3. Charge Recalculation

4. Tracking Numbers

5. Warehouse Integration

6. Bill To Contact Filtering

7. Custom Values Usage

8. Status Cascading

9. Soft Delete

10. Performance

Related Topics