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Substitution Fields in Templates

Field values from Siebel database records can be substituted into the structure of the template for each recipient of a communication that uses the template. Field substitution can apply to text entered directly into the template, to text in the subject line, and to literature items and files.

Available fields for substitution correspond to the fields that apply to the recipient group or business object for the template as follows:

• For simple templates, which you use with Siebel Email Response replies or Send commands, you can specify a business object that has a primary business component, for example, Account.
• For advanced templates, which you use with outbound communication requests, you can specify a predefined recipient group that corresponds to one of the recipient groups you can specify for requests, for example, Account Team Members.

You can insert fields from the Account business component into template text (for simple or advanced templates) or into template items (for only advanced templates).

For a template item, you can use advanced field substitution, where you specify an iteration child business component from which to substitute field values for a template item. Each template item repeats, in iterative fashion, for every applicable child record.

For example, assume that the recipient group is Account Team Members and the Iteration Child Business Component field for the template item is Opportunity. In the outgoing message, the content of the template item is repeated once for each opportunity (child business component) that is associated with the account (parent business component).

Field substitution is supported in plain-text or HTML templates or in template items. (Template items that specify files in other formats, such as RTF or Microsoft Word, do not support field substitution.)

In an HTML template or a template item, for example, you can specify a row containing substitution fields in a single-row HTML table to align field data. If you specify an iteration child business component, then the tables repeat, and you can align field data from multiple records.

Field substitution functions correctly for an outbound communication request if the request specifies the same recipient group that the template specifies. If the recipient groups are different, then the field names (with enclosing brackets) might appear in each message as literal character strings without substitution. Substitution still occurs for fields that are applicable to the recipient group of the request.

Siebel Repository Requirement for Using Substitution Fields

The Siebel repository applicable to where you create templates must be consistent with the repository applicable to where you use the templates. Otherwise, field substitution behavior might not occur as expected.

For example, if you use the Siebel Mobile Web Client (connected to a local database), then create templates only if the applicable business objects and business components (and substitution fields) in that environment are consistent with those in the enterprise repository.