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Adding Web Browser Capabilities

Siebel applications come with a number of browsers configured for use. Generally, you do not need to make changes to the Web browser settings. However, if you need to add a capability to a browser, you can do so through the Web Browser Administration screen.

Web browser capabilities identify what an end user's browser can and cannot do. They support the Siebel Web Engine's ability to provide different HTML tags and other markup tags to different browsers, based on what each particular browser is capable of rendering. This can also allow an administrator or developer to specify what looks best in a particular browser.

When a user logs into a Siebel Web application, the Siebel Web Engine reads information encapsulated in the requests coming from the user's browser to determine the browser's version and make. It then correlates that information with the data contained in the Web Browser Administration views to determine the browser's capabilities.

One of the primary ways this information is applied is through conditional tags in Web templates. For example, if some of your users use an older browser that does not support frames, your template might include a conditional tag that prevents these users from receiving pages with frames. Conditional Web engine tags that evaluate browser capabilities can be used in all Siebel Web templates and Web applications, but are used most prominently in those that support wireless devices. For example, the SWLSStart.swt template includes the following conditional tag:

<swe:switch>

<swe:case condition="Web Engine User Agent, TestCapability, 'DefaultMarkup:XML'">

<swe:pageitem id="3" property="FormattedHtml" />

</swe:case>

By the time that the Web Engine interprets the swe:case tag, it has already determined what type of browser the user has. The usage of the tag causes the Web Engine to call the TestCapability method on the Web Engine User Agent business service. The TestCapability method returns TRUE if the user's browser has a Capability called DefaultMarkup with a value of XML. When the condition is met (that is, the method returns TRUE) the tags between <swe:case> and </swe:case> are processed. For more information about the syntax of conditional tags, see Configuring Siebel eBusiness Applications.

Adding Additional Capabilities

Siebel applications come with a number of predefined capabilities. These capabilities can be added to any browser. Some examples include:

• FrameSupport. Indicates whether the browser can render frame tags (for example, <swe:frameset>).
• CookiesAllowed. Indicates whether the browser supports cookies.
• HighInteract. Indicates whether the browser is among those supported for Siebel's High Interactivity Web applications (such as Internet Explorer 5.5).
• ActiveX. Indicates whether the browser can support ActiveX controls.

You can also add other capabilities that are not included in the standard Siebel application. For example, you could add a capability named SupportsWingDingFont. New capabilities then become available for use in any browser definition.

To add a capability

1. Navigate to Administration - Web Browser screen > Capabilities view.
2. In the Capabilities list, create a new record.
3. Complete a name and description for the new capability.