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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 on. You are not required to use this format. The Siebel Web Engine recognizes and interprets the file correctly regardless of how you name it. It is recommended that you use swt for the file extension to help develop and maintain Siebel CRM. The swt extension allows you 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 a web template.

Guidelines for Using Modes with Web Templates

In many situations, it is not necessary to use Base mode forms that are read-only. You can use persistently editable forms because work often includes 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 modification, then Siebel CRM continues to display the applet in this mode after Siebel CRM writes the modifications 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 runs 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 use frames in a view web template only if Siebel CRM uses frames in the container page, and only if a separate frame exists in the container page for the view.
• If you place an applet in a frame, then you must make sure that Siebel CRM maps at least one swe:applet tag in the frame 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 on. This requirement 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.
• Configure color for images or background color.

You can configure Siebel web templates to use format tags, but 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.

Siebel CRM displays style information that it stores in a cascading style sheet slightly differently in different browsers, so you must test your configuration in all browsers that your users use.

Siebel CRM locates cascading style sheet files 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

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 that Siebel CRM runs. 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 modify 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 does 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.

It is strongly recommended that you do not define an Edit button for the predefined query feature. The Edit button must call the Refine method. A problem might occur if an Edit button exists in a multiview environment and Siebel CRM cannot determine the active view.