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Guidelines for Configuring Siebel Web Templates and Siebel Tags


This topic describes guidelines for configuring Siebel web templates and Siebel tags.

Guidelines for Naming a Siebel Web Template

The file name of a Siebel Web template uses the SWT extension. For example, CCPageContainer.swt, CCHomePageView.swt, and so forth. You are not required to use this format. The Siebel Web Engine recognizes and interprets the file correctly regardless of how you name it. However, it is recommended that you use swt for the file extension to help develop and maintain Siebel CRM. The swt extension provides you with a way to immediately recognize how Siebel CRM uses the file.

Siebel CRM typically stores Siebel Web template files in the Web Template directory in your Tools installation directory. The Filename property references the Web Template object type.

Guidelines for Using Modes with Web Templates

In many situations, it is not necessary to use Base mode forms, which are read-only. You can use persistently editable forms because tasks often include data editing and input. This type of form improves usability because the user can enter data without having to click an edit button, and then wait for Siebel CRM to display the form in edit mode.

If an applet is in Edit mode in a view, as defined by the applet mode property of the view web template item, then Siebel CRM never displays this applet in Base mode. If the user updates the field values in this applet and then commits the change, then Siebel CRM continues to display the applet in this mode after Siebel CRM writes the changes to the Siebel database.

To display an applet in Query or New mode, you can call a method, such as NewQuery or NewRecord, on an applet that Siebel CRM displays in Edit mode. After Siebel CRM executes the query or writes the new record, Siebel CRM displays the applet in Edit mode.

For more information, see Options to Control How the User Creates, Edits, Queries, and Deletes CRM Data.

Guidelines for Using HTML Frames in a View Web Template

If you use HTML frames in a view web template, then use the following guidelines:

  • You can only use frames in a view web template if Siebel CRM uses frames in the container page, and if there is a separate frame in the container page for the view.
  • If you place an applet in a frame, then make sure that at least one swe:applet tag in the frame is mapped to an applet in the Siebel repository. Otherwise, empty frames will occur.
  • If a swe:frame block contains a swe:applet tag, then set the type attribute of the tag to Applet.
  • Do not group applets into separate frames in a view web template unless you require independent refresh or independent scrolling.

Guidelines for Creating HTML Frames in a Container Page

Siebel CRM uses the container page template to create the frame definition document for the Siebel application. If you define HTML frames in a container page, then use the following guidelines:

  • Use the swe:include tag to define the contents of a frame. You can place the contents directly into the body of the swe:frame tag.
  • Make sure the contents of the swe:frame tag constitutes a complete HTML document. The contents must contain the required HTML document structure tags, such as html, head, body, and so forth. This requirement also applies to view web templates.
  • If the type is view, then make sure the contents of the swe:frame tag contains only the swe:current-view/ tag.

Guidelines for Using Cascading Style Sheets

A cascading style defines qualities of user interface elements, such as color schemes and fonts. The following examples describe how you can use a cascading style sheet to modify the look and feel of the Siebel client:

  • Display text in the font of your choice.
  • Define the size of text in points, pixels, and other units.
  • Customize color for images or background color.

Although you can configure Siebel web templates to use format tags, if you store style information in cascading style sheets rather than in Siebel web templates, then you can realize the following benefits:

  • Increase the modularity of a Siebel application.
  • Increase consistency of a Siebel application.
  • Simplify modification and reuse of Siebel web templates.

Because Siebel CRM renders style information that is stored in a cascading style sheet slightly differently in different browsers, you must test your configuration in all browsers that your users use.

Cascading style sheet files are located in the following directories:

  • The Siebel Server installation directory:

    ORACLE_HOME\WEBMASTER\files\language_code

  • The Siebel client installation directory:

    ORACLE_HOME\PUBLIC\language_code\FILES

  • The Siebel Tools installation directory:

    ORACLE_HOME\PUBLIC\language_code\FILES

NOTE:  If you apply a patch, then Siebel CRM might overwrite the CSS files. If this happens, then you must manually reenter the modifications you made to the cascading style sheets.

For more information, see Cascading Style Sheet and Siebel Developer's Reference.

Guidelines for Modifying a Predefined Query

If you modify a predefined query, then use the following guidelines:

  • The swe:PDQbar tag defines the predefined query bar. It includes no parameters and can be located anywhere in Siebel CRM. The user chooses the query to be executed. You must explicitly define the following:
    • The swe:PDQBar tag
    • The Favorites label that Siebel CRM displays to the left of the swe:PDQBar tag.
  • To allow translation in a localized or multilingual deployment, it is recommend that you define the favorites label as a control and not as HTML text.
  • If Siebel CRM does not use HTML frames, then it is not necessary to place the swe:pdqbar tag in the view frame.
  • If Siebel CRM uses HTML frames, then you must place the swe:pdqbar tag in the view frame or the view bar frame.

Consider the following requirements for standard interactivity and high interactivity:

  • You can use a Siebel Web Engine tag to change the position of the predefined query bar in standard interactivity.
  • You cannot place the predefined query bar in the view frame in high interactivity.
  • You can align the predefined query bar in high interactivity.

For more information, see About Standard Interactivity and High Interactivity.

Query Management Commands

A user can add a named query in the combo box. Siebel CRM accomplishes this through the query management commands that are available as invoke method calls through the class of the base applet. Siebel CRM makes these queries available to the user as menu items or toolbar buttons. Siebel CRM supports the following commands:

  • New. SWEMthdNewQueryE. Places the applet in new query mode.
  • Refine. SWEMthdRefineQueryE. Places the applet in query refinement mode.
  • Save. SWEMthdSaveQueryE. Uses the current name of the query to save the current query.
  • Save As. SWEMthdSaveQueryAsE. Displays a dialog box that allows the user to save the current query that uses a name that the user defines.
  • Delete. SWEMthdDeleteQueryE. Displays a dialog box that allows the user to delete one of the queries.

NOTE:  It is strongly recommended that you do not define an Edit button for the predefined query feature. Because the Edit button must call the Refine method, problems can arise if an Edit button exists in a multiview environment and there is no way to determine the active view.

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