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Customizing the User Interface Using XML Message Files

This section explains how to customize text elements in message files to manage the default appearance and behavior of the Siebel Analytics Web user interface using XML strings.

NOTE:  The intent of this section is to allow organizations that have XML expertise to perform additional customization. If you do not have this expertise, contact Siebel Systems' Services organization, or enlist the assistance of a third party, to help you with customization.

About the User Interface XML Message Files

You can customize many of the text elements that appear in Siebel Answers, Siebel Delivers, and on dashboard pages. Examples of text elements include the content of text strings, the text for prompts such as the names of links and buttons, and the text of error and informational messages that are displayed to users as the result of an action.

These text elements are contained in external message files that are distributed with Siebel Analytics Web. The message files are in XML format. Language-specific messages are located in the folder Web\App\Res\l_xx\Messages in the Siebel Analytics Web installation directory, where xx is the language identifier of the selected locale (for example, for english-usa, the identifier is en). Language-independent messages are located in the folder Web\App\Res\Messages in the Siebel Analytics Web installation directory.

You should not edit the message files directly because any changes would not be retained when you install newer versions or service releases. For more information, see Customizing Messages.

How Message Files Are Structured

The name of a particular message file indicates the kind of content that it holds. For example, messages in the file LogonMessages.xml hold message content related to the act of logging on and off the system. Within each XML file, the WebMessage name= tags define the names of the messages. These tags are called message identifiers.

A particular message may also reference the content of another message by using a MessageRef tag. For example, the following message in the file LogonMessages.xml references the value of another message:

<WebMessage name="kmsgAuthenticateNotLoggedOnToLogOnClickHere">

 <HTML>

  You are not currently logged in to the

  <MessageRef name="kmsgProductServer" />

The entry <MessageRef name="kmsgProductServer" /> in the previous message indicates that the name of the server is taken from the value of the kmsgProductServer message identifier. This message is located in the file ProductMessages.xml, and its value is Siebel Analytic Server:

<WebMessage name="kmsgProductServer" CRC="nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn">

 <TEXT>Siebel Analytic Server</TEXT>

Some messages, such as those that contain copyright information and product names, are protected and cannot be changed. If you look in the file ProductMessages.xml, you will see text above the WebMessage tags that indicate that the associated names cannot be changed.

Customizing Messages

This section explains how to change the content of unprotected messages and provides several examples. The intent is to show you how to alter the text of messages, and not to teach you XML.

To customize messages

  1. For the messages you want to customize, create like-named message identifiers and customize their text.
  2. Create a custom messages folder named CustomMessages.

    3. NOTE:  Organizations that have Siebel Analytics applications may already have a file present in this folder. This file enables Analytics support for Siebel Analytics applications, and should not be modified, moved, or deleted.

  3. Place the messages in one or more XML files in the CustomMessages folder, and then place the CustomMessages folder in this location:

    4. \SiebelAnalyticsData\Web\analyticsRes\l_xx

    where SiebelAnalyticsData is the name of the data folder created during the installation process, and xx is the language identifier of the selected locale (for example, for english-usa, the identifier is en).

    If you are not concerned with multiple languages, place the folder in the l_en folder. Messages will default to l_en if a language-specific version is not found. You will need to create the l_xx folder in the analyticsRes folder.

  4. Restart Siebel Analytics Server.

You can create as many XML files in the CustomMessages folder as you like, or you can create just one XML file that holds customized messages, for example, CustomMessages.xml.

NOTE:  If you plan to support multiple languages, it is recommended that you place control messages, which are messages that are not translated, into one file named CustomControlMessages.xml. Place messages that are translated into another file named, for example, CustomUIMessages.xml. This allows you to place localized versions of the CustomUIMessages.xml file in each language folder as appropriate, such as \SiebelAnalyticsData\Web\analyticsRes\l_de\CustomMessages, \SiebelAnalyticsData\Web\analyticsRes\l_fr\CustomMessages, and so on.

Resolution of Siebel Analytics WebMessage Name Tags

During initialization, the Siebel Analytics Web server replaces the WebMessage name default text with those that have been customized, based on the following precedence order, from highest to lowest:

Sample XML Template

The following is a template for a CustomMessages.xml file in the folder \SiebelAnalyticsData\Web\analyticsRes\l_xx\CustomMessages. An example follows the template.

You can copy this template from the readme file on the installation CD-ROM, paste it into a text editor, name it CustomMessages.xml (or any name you choose), and place it into the CustomMessages folder you have created in the appropriate \SiebelAnalyticsData\Web\analyticsRes\l_xx folder.

Every message begins with a <WebMessage name=> tag and ends with a
</WebMessage> tag. The message text that you can customize is contained between <TEXT> tags or <HTML> tags. To suppress the display, delete the text between the tags.

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

    <WebMessageTables>

         <WebMessageTable system="Custom Messages">

         <!-- The name of a message must match the name of the message you are overriding. -->

         <WebMessage name="kmsgExampleOverrideMessage">

         <!-- A message can have TEXT and/or HTML versions of it. It is not necessary to have both. (TEXT will be automatically converted to HTML when necessary). -->

         <TEXT>Example message.</TEXT> <!-- Format used in a text only output -->

         <HTML><b>Example message with bold HTML tags.</b></HTML> <!-- Format used in an HTML output -->

    </WebMessage>

</WebMessageTable>

</WebMessageTables>

Sample CustomMessages.xml File

The following example shows four customized messages placed in the CustomMessages.xml file.

    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

    <WebMessageTables>

   <WebMessageTable system="Custom Messages">

    <!-- First message -->

         <WebMessage name="kmsgAuthenticateRemembermyIDandpassword">

         <TEXT>Remember my signon name and password.</TEXT>

    </WebMessage>

    <!-- Second message -->

         <WebMessage name="kkmsgPrivilegeDisplayerAccountUnknown">

         <TEXT>Unknown Account (<Param insert="1"/>). Call the Help Desk at extension 9999 to set up a new account.</TEXT>

    </WebMessage>

    <!-- Third message --

         <WebMessage name="kmsgWelcomeFrameCreateNewRequest">

         <HTML>Create a <b>new request</b> by clicking on a Subject Area below. After creating the request, click on the <b>Done</b> button at the bottom of the page.</HTML>

    </WebMessage>

    <!-- Fourth message -->

         <WebMessage name="kmsgUIAdmin">

         <HTML></HTML>

    </WebMessage>

</WebMessageTable>

</WebMessageTables>


 Siebel Analytics Web Administration Guide 
 Published: 18 April 2003