Developing and Deploying Siebel eBusiness Applications > Getting Started at the User Interface Layer >

Inactivating Screens

NREC's implementation of the Siebel Partner Portal application does not include all the screens that come with the product, such as Service, Solutions, and Campaigns. These screens are not part of the system design and NREC does not plan to use them in the future. Therefore, NREC has decided to remove the screens from the user interface.

NREC has chosen to remove the screens by inactivating objects in the repository. Screens appear in the user interface as first-level navigation tabs and as links on the Site Map, as shown in Figure 12. These links are controlled by two child objects of the Application object, Page Tabs and Screen Menu Items. You can remove these links by making the object types inactive.

Figure 12. Page Tabs and Screen Menu Items

Click for full size image

An alternative approach would be to create a responsibility that does not include any of the views within the screen and assign users to that responsibility. This would remove the screens from the user interface, but would leave the screen objects active in the repository. This approach allows you to add the screens back in the user interface without having to recompile the repository file. However, because these screens are not part of the design, assume NREC has chosen to inactivate the Screen Page Tab and Screen Menu Items in the repository.

To inactivate screen page tabs and screen menu items

  1. In the Object Explorer, expand the Application object type.
  2. In the Object List Editor, find and select the Siebel eChannel Application.

    3. NOTE:  The application object named Siebel eChannel is the application called Partner Portal. The employee application is Siebel Partner Manager.

  3. Lock the project locally by choosing Tools > Lock Project.

    4. The project to which the application belongs (Siebel eChannel) is locked and a Pencil Icon appears in the W column indicating that you can modify the record.

  4. Change the value for the Project property from Siebel eChannel to NREC Configuration.

    5. This will move the application object to the NREC project making it easier for you to track changes.

  5. In the Object Explorer, select the Page Tab object type (child of Application).

    6. The Page Tabs window appears in the Object List Editor.

  6. Inactivate unnecessary screens listed in the Page Tabs window by selecting the check box in the Inactive field for each record.

    7. Inactivate all Page Tab records except the following:

  7. In the Object Explorer, select the Screen Menu Item object type (child of Application).

    8. The Screen Menu Items window appears.

  8. Inactivate the unnecessary screens listed under Step 6 in the Screen Menu Item window by selecting the Inactive field for each record.

    9. Inactive Screen Menu Items do not appear on the Site Map at run time.

  9. Compile and test your changes.
    1. Choose Tools > Compile Projects.
    2. In the Object Compiler dialog box, select the Selected Projects or Lock Projects radio button and then define the path to the Siebel repository file (.srf) to which you are compiling your changes.

      3. Typically, this is the .srf file used by the Mobile Web client installed on your machine for testing.

      For example, D:\sea702\client\OBJECTS\ENU\siebel.srf

      NOTE:  Be sure to make a back up of the siebel.srf file before you compile any changes.

    3. Click Compile.

      4. Siebel Tools compiles the object definitions for the locked project to the repository file.

      See Compiling Projects for more information about compiling.

    4. Open the Partner Portal application.

      5. The results of your changes appear when you start the Partner Portal application. Notice that there are now only five tabs and five links in the Site Map.

      Click for full size image


 Developing and Deploying Siebel eBusiness Applications 
 Published: 18 April 2003