Configuring Siebel eBusiness Applications > Configuring Business Objects >

About Business Objects

A business object represents a major functional area of the enterprise. Examples of business objects are Opportunity, Account, and Contact. Business objects group business components into logical units. For example, the Opportunity business object groups together the Opportunity, Contact, and Product business components, as shown in Figure 46.

Figure 46.  The Opportunity Business Object and Its Business Components

Each business object has one business component that serves as the master or driving business component. In the example shown in Figure 46 it is Opportunity. Relationships with it and other child business components (such as Contact and Product) are defined using Links, allowing the business object to display products related to an opportunity or contacts associated with the opportunity.

Business objects provide the foundation for views and screens. Typically, all the views within a screen have the same driving data for the view based upon the same business component. For example, in the Opportunity screen, the views that make up the screen include the All Opportunity List view, Opportunity Detail - Contacts view, and Opportunity Detail - Products view. The data driving these views is based on the Opportunity business component. Therefore, all the views with Opportunity-driven data are grouped into the Opportunity screen. Because all views in a screen are usually based on the same business object, a screen is indirectly related to the business object.

Business components and links can appear in multiple business objects. For example, the same two business components may have a one-to-many relationship in one business object, and the opposite one-to-many relationship (or no relationship) in another business object. However, within the context of one business object, there is an unambiguous set of relationships between the business components in the grouping.

Every view has a business object assigned to it. A master-detail view can implement only a one-to-many relationship supported by its underlying business object. For example, the view in Figure 47 can display a one contact to many opportunities relationship because Contact and Opportunity have this kind of relationship in the Contact business object, and the view (Contact Detail - Opportunities View) uses the Contact business object.

Figure 47.  Master-Detail View

To implement a view displaying the reverse relationship (one Opportunity master record to many Contact detail records), the Opportunity (rather than Contact) business object would be required as the business object of the view.

Figure 48 displays the abstract relationships between the Business Object object type and Views and Screens.

Figure 48.  Relationship Between Business Object, Screen, and Views

Typically there is an 1:1 relationship between screens and business object. A business object is not assigned to a screen through a property setting the way a business object is assigned to a view. The relationship between a business object and a screen is an informal one dictated by good design practice, and it is not strictly enforced by the Siebel Tools software. In general, all of the views in a screen are associated with the same business object.

NOTE:  Not all business components included in a business object participate in master-detail relationships. Business components that are not part of the business model may also be incorporated in the business object. A Business Component object makes such a business component available for use in views based on the specified business object.