This session creates, updates, and deletes Categories in bulk. The data for create and update is provided by the consumer via the form object. OsidForms are requested for each create or update and may not be reused.

Create and update operations differ in their usage. To create a Category, a CategoryForm is requested using getCategoryFormsForCreate() specifying the desired record Types or none if no record Types are needed. Each of the returned CategoryForms will indicate that it is to be used with a create operation and can be used to examine metdata or validate data prior to creation. Once a CategoryForm is submiited to a create operation, it cannot be reused with another create operation unless the first operation was unsuccessful. Each CategoryForm corresponds to an attempted transaction.

The CategoryForms returned from getCategoryFormsForCreate() may be linked to the originating request through the peer Ids of the CategoryForm. In the case where there may be duplicates, any CategoryForm of the same peer Ids may be used for a create operation.

Once a batch of CategoryForms are submitted for create, a CreateResponse is returned for each CategoryForm, although the ordering is not defined. Only errors that pertain to the entire create operation are returned from createCategories(), errors specific to an individual CategoryForm are indicated in the corresponding CreateResponse. CreateResponses may be linked to the originating CategoryForm through the CategoryForm Id .

For updates, CategoryForms are requested to the Category Id that is to be updated using getCategoryFormsForUpdate() where the reference Id in the CategoryForm may be used to link the request. Similarly, the CategoryForm has metadata about the data that can be updated and it can perform validation before submitting the update. The CategoryForm can only be used once for a successful update and cannot be reused.

Once a batch of CategoryForms are submitted for update, an UpdateResponse is returned for each CategoryForm, although the ordering is not defined. Only errors that pertain to the entire update operation are returned from updateCategories(), errors specific to an individual CategoryForm are indicated in the corresponding UpdateResponse. UpdateResponses may be linked to the originating CategoryForm through the CategoryForm Id.

The delete operations delete Categories in bulk. To unmap a Category from the current Business, the CategoryBusinessAssignmentSession should be used. These delete operations attempt to remove the Category itself thus removing it from all known Business catalogs. Bulk delete operations return the results in DeleteResponses.