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Converting Symbolic Strings

This topic describes how to convert symbolic strings. It includes the following information:

You can use Siebel Tools to convert a translatable string to a symbolic string. Siebel CRM stores this translatable string as a child locale record of a top-level object type. It stores symbolic strings in a single table. Converting a translatable string might be useful in the following situations:

  • You upgrade to a new Siebel CRM version and you must convert custom translatable strings to symbolic strings.
  • You use string overrides to store text strings and periodically must convert them to symbolic strings.

Converting to symbolic strings reduces the size of the repository, simplifies translations, and helps to make sure that the text that Siebel CRM displays in the Siebel client is consistent. It also requires that development work is finished.

To convert symbolic strings

  1. Review the caution information described in Caution About Converting and Consolidating Symbolic Strings.
  2. Prepare to do the conversion:
    1. Back up the Siebel database and repository.
    2. Verify the Siebel Tools configuration file:
      • Make sure the DataSource parameter references the correct Siebel database. The conversion utility uses this Siebel database.
      • Make sure the EnableToolsConstrain parameter is set to FALSE and that the SymStrPrefix parameter is set to the desired prefix.

        For more information, see Modifying the Configuration File to Support Symbolic Strings.

    3. Make sure all projects are unlocked.
    4. Inform other developers not to log on to the development environment while the conversion runs.
  3. Log in to Siebel Tools and display the Attribute object type.

    For more information, see Displaying Object Types in the Object Explorer.

  4. Identify the object types you must convert:
    1. In the Object Explorer, click the Flat Tab, and then click Attribute.
    2. In the Attributes list, query the Name property for the following string:

    *String Reference*

    The Parent Type property displays the complete set of object types that you must convert. If an object type includes more than one property that references a symbolic string, then you can run the conversion for this object type only one time.

  5. Convert locale strings to symbolic strings. You must convert the locale strings for the object types you identify in Step 4. You can use the conversion utility to do this conversion:
    1. Open a command line.
    2. Navigate to the following directory:

    SIEBEL_TOOLS_ROOT\BIN

    1. Enter the following command:

    consoleapp config_file app_lang user_Id password "business_service" "business_service_method: parameters"

    Use values from the following table. For more information, see Running the Console Application Executable.

    Parameter
    Description

    config_file

    Specify the Siebel Tools configuration file, such as tools.cfg. Use the default data source. For more information see About the Configuration Files and Modifying the Configuration File to Support Symbolic Strings.

    app_lang

    Specify the application language, such as ENU.

    user_Id

    Specify the user Id.

    password

    Specify the password.

    business_service

    Specify the String Conversion business service.

    business_service_method

    Specify the name of the business service method.

    parameters

    Specify the input parameters to the business service method. For more information, see Separating Conversion Files into Smaller Files.

  6. Export candidates for one of the object types you identified in Step 4. Enter the following command:

    consoleapp "ConversionExport: Filename=name.txt,Repository=repository_name, Object=object_type,LogFile=object_typeExport.log,Language=language_code,MatchMin=an_ineger"

    For example, the following command exports the control object type:

    consoleapp "ConversionExport: Filename=Control.txt,Repository=Siebel Repository, Object=Control,LogFile=ControlExport.log,Language=ENU,MatchMin=1"

    For information about setting parameters in this command, see Parameters You Use with the Conversion Export Utility.

    For more information, see How the Conversion Export Utility Converts Strings.

  7. Repeat Step 6 for each object type that you identified in Step 4.
  8. Import the symbolic strings that you converted in Step 6. Enter the following command:

    consoleapp "ConversionImport: Filename=name.txt,Repository=repository_name, LogFile=name.log,UnlockProjects=false,SkipParentUpdates=true,Project=Symbolic Strings"

    For example:

    consoleapp "ConversionImport: Filename=Control.txt,Repository=Siebel Repository,LogFile=ConversionImport.log,UnlockProjects=false,SkipParentUpdates=true, Project=Symbolic Strings"

    For information about setting parameters in this command, see Parameters You Use with the Conversion Import Utility.

    For more information, see How the Conversion Import Utility Converts Strings.

  9. Consolidate strings.

    For more information, see Consolidating Symbolic Strings.

Caution About Converting and Consolidating Symbolic Strings

Converting or consolidating symbolic strings might consume computer processing resources.

CAUTION:  Converting or consolidating symbolic strings might consume a significant amount of computer processing resources. For information about the requirements for computer processing speed, see Siebel System Requirements and Supported Platforms on Oracle Technology Network.

File and Object command-line parameters are case sensitive.

CAUTION:  File and Object command-line parameters that you use when you convert or consolidate a symbolic string are case sensitive. Other command-line parameters are not case sensitive.

Running the Console Application Executable

You can use consoleapp.exe (console application executable) to run various utilities that you use to manage symbolic strings.

To run the console application executable

  1. On the computer where you installed Siebel Tools, navigate to the directory:

    SIEBEL_TOOLS_ROOT\BIN

  2. Enter the following command:

    consoleapp parameter_1 parameter_n

    This command runs the console application executable.

Separating Conversion Files into Smaller Files

The command that this topic describes separates an export file that the conversion utility creates into smaller, more manageable files according to object type. For example, an SRF might include up to 130,000 controls. To improve performance, you can simultaneously import multiple consolidation files of the same object type or of different object types. An average desktop PC can typically run only 10 simultaneous conversion import processes.

To separate conversion files into smaller files

  • Add the following parameter to the command you use in Step 5:

    "SplitFile: Filename=Control.txt,Lines=2000"

    Use values from the following table:

    Parameter
    Description

    Filename

    Name of the export file.

    Lines

    Approximate number of lines in each file. The conversion utility does not separate a set of symbolic strings, so the number of lines might not equal the value you set in this parameter.

How the Conversion Export Utility Converts Strings

The Conversion Export utility can convert any object that can include a translatable string. For example, a control, list column, or applet. The export utility does the following work:

  1. Creates a sorted list of English (ENU) child records for each translatable string that exists in an object.
  2. Sequentially processes each object that includes multiple translatable strings. For example, a list column that includes a display name and prompt text includes multiple translatable strings.
  3. Uses the list it creates in Step 1 to create information about any new symbolic strings.
  4. For records that include identical ENU translations, it compares the non-ENU records and reuses the same symbolic string for subsequent records, if possible.
  5. Repeats Step 1 through Step 4 for the next object type.
  6. Produces an output file that includes information about the new symbolic strings, including information about each language translation and replacement strings. This file is for information purposes. It is not a log file. It is not necessary to review the contents of this file.

How the Conversion Import Utility Converts Strings

To convert the records that use the new symbolic strings, you can use a utility that performs inserts, updates, and deletes on the Siebel database. For input, this utility uses the output file that the conversion export creates. This utility does the following:

  1. Creates a new symbolic string record and child symbolic string locale records for each string according to the string values in the target objects. The export file includes information about each string, including a unique name and information about each child locale object.
  2. Adds a reference to the new symbolic string in the relevant property of each original object. For example, assume 10 applets exist and that the title for each of these applets is My Big Service Requests. Assume that the non-ENU values for these titles all use the same value. In this situation, the export file includes information about one new symbolic string and instructions for each of the 10 applets to use this new symbolic string as the title. The conversion import does the following:
    • Creates a symbolic string with an ENU value of My Big Service Requests.
    • Sets the Title - String Reference property for each of the 10 applets to the name of this new symbolic string.
    • Clears redundant values for child locale objects. Each of the 10 applets now include a value in the String Reference property and a value in the String Override property. The value in the String Override property is redundant and the conversion import clears this value for each child locale object.
  3. Deletes any records that the object locale records no longer reference.

For more information, see Converting Symbolic Strings.

How Siebel CRM References Symbolic Strings at Run Time

Siebel CRM uses the same repository before and after a conversion. For example, assume an applet gets the value for the Title property from a child applet locale record. During conversion, Siebel Tools does the following:

  1. Creates a symbolic string.
  2. Places the reference for this symbolic string in the Title - String Reference property of the applet.
  3. Removes the applet locale record.

After Siebel Tools finishes conversion it gets the applet title from the symbolic string. The display value for the title that it compiles is the same value that this title contained before the conversion. Siebel Tools compiles strings into object definitions in the repository. Siebel CRM reads symbolic strings from these object definitions. It does not read them from the S_SYM_STR table at run time.

    
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