5
Using Siebel Datatypes

This chapter provides information on Siebel datatypes. This chapter discusses the following topics:

• Siebel Interfaces

• Business Services

• Business Objects and Business Components

• Unformatted DTYPE_PHONE Values

Siebel Interfaces

Using Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect, you can browse and call Siebel Business Services (objects with methods) and Business Objects (data sets which you can query and update).

Under the hood, all Siebel applications use Business Objects and Business Services, the basic building blocks. Business Objects are representations of a set of one or more joined tables. They have certain table-like behaviors such as the ability to query a set of records. Business Services are effectively containers for code. Custom business services can be defined using the Siebel Tools, including defining a list of arguments and datatypes.

Business Services

Business Services are also called services in Siebel. The Siebel repository contains Business Service methods and typed method arguments. The Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for Siebel 2000 uses a query interface to find the repository objects for Business Services. All method arguments are passed into the Business Service through a single invocation API. Arguments of all Siebel Simple Business Service types are supported. Custom methods (function calls) can be defined using the Siebel Tools, including defining a list of arguments and datatypes.

Business services that have hierarchy of property set parameters are not currently supported.

Table 5-1 describes the list of basic types in Siebel Business Services and how they map to XML Schema types in Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect. The xsd prefix stands for the namespace http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema.

Table 5-1   Business Service Datatypes

Siebel	Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect	Description
String	xsd:string	An unbound string (not fixed length)
Number	xsd:string	A numeric string with a total length of 22. This total length includes any plus or minus sign, exponent symbols, decimal symbol, integer or decimal fraction digits.
Date	xsd:date	A date

Note: Limitation: Many business service method parameters are not strongly typed in Siebel meaning that when they are created you can choose to type a parameter as a string even though internally it is used as a Number or Date. If such a business service method is found, you can remedy this by changing the parameter type to match how the parameter is actually used. See your Siebel system administer or Siebel Tools expert for more information.

Business Objects and Business Components

Business Components are representations of a set of one or more joined tables. They have certain table-like behaviors such as the ability to retrieve a set of records. Business Objects are containers for Business Components.

For Business Components:

• Their datatypes are all complex.

• These complex datatypes are record sets.

Table 5-2 describes the list of basic types in Siebel Business Objects and how they map to XML Schema types in Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect. The xsd prefix stands for the namespace http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema.

Table 5-2   Business Component Datatypes

Siebel	Oracle Application Server ProcessConnect	Description
DTYPE_BOOL	xsd:boolean	Boolean
DTYPE_CURRENCY	xsd:string	A numeric string (has no currency symbols, but handles the locale-based decimal symbol, and +/- prefix/suffix.
DTYPE_DATE	xsd:date	Date
DTYPE_DATETIME	xsd:dateTime	Date and time
DTYPE_TIME	xsd:time	Time
DTYPE_INTEGER	xsd:int	A 32-bit integer
DTYPE_NOTE	xsd:string	An unbounded text field
DTYPE_NUMBER	xsd:string	Similar to DTYPE_CURRENCY but not used as currency in Siebel
DTYPE_PHONE	xsd:string	A string representing a phone number. It can be of two formats: + any string, or US area code and number: XXX-XXX-XXXX.
DTYPE_TEXT	xsd:string	Strings of fixed length. The exact length of a DTYPE_TEXT field is visible in the Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for Siebel 2000 browser.
DTYPE_UTCDATETIME	xsd:dateTime	Date and time. Siebel interprets the datetime in UTC.

Unformatted DTYPE_PHONE Values

All phone numbers should be submitted as unformatted. A formatted phone number looks like:

[phone] x909

An unformatted phone number looks like:

5143326430x909

A formatted value for a record field of type DTYPE_PHONE is a value whose format matches the locale for which the Siebel application server has been configured.

The Oracle Application Server Integration Adapter for Siebel 2000 expects unformatted phone number values for inserts and updates.

If you submit a formatted phone number value for any business component phone field (of type DTYPE_PHONE), the insert/update succeeds for the first record, but all subsequent queries to retrieve that record fail with a seemingly unrelated error message back from Siebel. If you insert multiple records in a single Insert call, the first record insertion succeeds and the rest fail.

The following is the log exception if formatted phone number values are submitted:

Exception occurred:

Source: Siebel
Error Code: 65538 (0x10002)
Cause: Siebel://exception=SBLException (Unique ID none)