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Displaying HTML Content in an Applet


An HTML content control is a type of control that allows you to display HTML content in an applet in the Siebel client. HTML content can be static HTML or HTML that is derived from an external content source.

To display HTML content in a field

  1. in Siebel Tools, expand the Applet tree, and then click Control in the Object Explorer.
  2. In the Controls list, locate the control you must modify.
  3. Set properties for the control.

    For more information, see Properties of a Control That Displays HTML Content.

  4. Compile your changes.
  5. Open the Siebel client.
  6. Administer host information:
    1. Navigate to the Administration - Integration screen, and then click the WI - Symbolic URL List link.
    2. Make sure the Host Administration visibility filter is chosen.
    3. Enter the name of the HTTP host in the Name field.
    4. Enter the virtual name and authentication parameters, as required for your configuration.

      For more information, see Using the Host Administration View.

  7. (Optional) Administer fixup information:
    1. Navigate to the Administration - Integration screen, and then click the WI - Symbolic URL List link.
    2. Choose Fixup Administration from the visibility filter.
    3. Specify how to control the behavior of links that are embedded in external content.

      For more information, see Using the Fixup Administration View.

  8. (Optional) Administer symbolic URL information:
    1. Navigate to the Administration - Integration screen, and then click the WI - Symbolic URL List link.
    2. Choose Symbolic URL Administration from the visibility filter.
    3. Define the content agent for the external host. Include the URL, host name, fixup name, and arguments.
  9. (Optional) Administer content sets information:
    1. Navigate to the Administration - Content Center screen, and then click the Content Sets link.
    2. Upload and manage Web content that Siebel CRM renders.

For more information about content agents and symbolic URLs, see Siebel Portal Framework Guide.

Properties of a Control That Displays HTML Content

Table 40 describes the properties of a control that you must set to display HTML content.

Table 40. Properties of a Control That Displays HTML Content
Property
Description

ContentFixupName

Determines how to correct links after processing. You enter the name of a Fixup as displayed in the Fixup Administration View. Any value you enter does not work if the Field Retrieval Type property is HTML Attachment or Service.

Field Retrieval Type

Determines the type of HTML that Siebel CRM displays in the field. You can choose one of the following values:

  • Field Data. Stores the HTML content as data.
  • HTML Attachment. Displays an HTML attachment. The control renders the HTML Attachment that the field identifies.
  • Service. For more information, see Setting the Field Retrieval Type Property to Service.
  • Symbolic URL. Siebel CRM derives content from an external host that references a symbolic URL. You must define the necessary information that Siebel CRM requires to access the external source. This includes the format for the request, the host name, necessary arguments, and so forth. For more information, see Siebel Portal Framework Guide.
  • URL. Siebel CRM derives content from an external source. This source references the simple URL that is defined in the underlying field.

HTML Display Mode

Set the HTML Display Mode so that the HTML content renders properly in the browser. You can choose one of the following values:

  • DontEncodeData. Use this value if the field contains actual HTML text and you require Siebel CRM to display the content as HTML text.
  • EncodeData. Use this value if the field contains reserved characters. If the field contains HTML reserved characters, then Siebel CRM encodes these characters before it displays them. This way, Siebel CRM displays them correctly in the browser. Example reserved characters include angle brackets (< >), ampersand (&), and so forth.
Setting the Field Retrieval Type Property to Service

If you set the Field Retrieval Type property to Service, then Siebel CRM uses a business service to render the field. If you set the Field Retrieval Type property to Service, then you must do the following:

  • Add a child control user prop to the control.
  • Set the Name property of the control user prop to Field Retrieval Service.
  • Enter the name of the business service into the Value property of the control user prop.

For example, to define a control to display a Content Center asset, you do the following:

  • Set the Field Retrieval Type to Service.
  • Add a Control User Property child object with the Name property set to Field Retrieval Service and the Value property set to ContentBase - Asset Publish Service.

For more information about Content Center Assets, see Siebel Applications Administration Guide.

Using the Host Administration View

You use the Host Administration view to specify a host. Specifying a host allows you to do the following:

  • Obscure the true server name in the generated HTML.
  • Specify a set of NCSA Basic Authentication credentials for a content host that requires authentication.
  • Control fixup at the host level.

For each host, you must define an external content host server. You can only fix up links that are associated with a defined host.

To view the Host Administration list, navigate to the Administration - Integration screen, choose the WI - Symbolic URL List link, and then make sure the Host Administration visibility filter is chosen.

Using the Fixup Administration View

A fixup is a technique that you use to control the behavior of links that are embedded in external content. A fixup includes a Link Context that corresponds to the fixup type. You can use the Fixup Administration view to administer a fixup. The following types of fixups are available:

  • Do Nothing. Does not affect any of the links. The links remain as they are with the content that is passed back in the original form. This principle applies to relative and absolute links.
  • Outside Application. Uses the host and path of the parent URL to convert the relative links to absolute links. Siebel CRM does not proxy any links.
  • Inside Application or Inside Applet. Does the following:
    • Converts each relative link to an absolute URL link.
    • To maintain the Siebel Web Engine context, proxies any links that use a host that is specified in the Host Administration view. For more information, see Using the Host Administration View.

NOTE:  Fixup is required for links in a Siebel application that uses high interactivity. For more information, see About Standard Interactivity and High Interactivity.

Default Link Targets

There are no default link targets applied to a fixup. However, you can add a link target to a fixup.

Example of Rendering Fields as HTML Content

This topic describes one example of rendering fields as HTML content. You might use this feature differently, depending on your business model.

Any business component can use the Web Content Assets feature to add fields that Siebel CRM renders as HTML content. For example, you can do the following:

  • Display a static HTML message in the Partner Relationship Manager application.
  • Represent a product description as HTML content.

This topic uses the Partner Message business component as an example of how to configure the Web Content Assets feature.

To render fields as HTML content

  1. In Siebel Tools, make sure the Control User Prop object type is displayed.

    For more information, see Displaying Object Types You Use to Configure Siebel CRM.

  2. In the Object Explorer, click Business Component.
  3. In the Business Components list, locate the Partner Message business component.
  4. In the Object Explorer, expand the Business Component tree, and then click Field.
  5. In the Fields list, locate the Message field, and then set properties for the field using values from the following table.
    Property
    Value

    Pick List

    ContentBase Asset Hierarchical PickList

  6. In the Object Explorer, click Applet.
  7. In the Applets list, locate the Partner Message List Applet.
  8. In the Object Explorer, expand the Applet tree, expand the List tree, and then click List Column.
  9. In the List Columns list, locate the Message Body list column, and then set properties for the column using values from the following table.
    Property
    Value

    Pick Applet

    ContentBase Asset Hierarchical PickList

  10. In the Object Explorer, click Applet.
  11. In the Applets list, locate the Partner Message Entry Form Applet.
  12. In the Object Explorer, click Control in the Applet tree.
  13. In the Controls list, locate the Message Body Preview control.

    If necessary, add a new control with the Name property set to Message Body Preview.

  14. Set properties for the control using values from the following table.
    Property
    Value

    Field Retrieval Type

    Service

  15. In the Object Explorer, expand the Control tree, and then click Control User Prop.
  16. In the Control User Props list, add a new record using values from the following table.
    Property
    Value

    Name

    Field Retrieval Service

    Value

    ContentBase - Asset Publish Service

  17. Repeat Step 6 through Step 16, except this time do the following:
    1. Modify the properties for the MessageBody control of the Partner Message Form Applet (SCW) applet.
    2. Add the control user prop to the MessageBody control.
  18. Compile and test your changes.

    For more information, see Using Siebel Tools.

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