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About Siebel Configurator UI Controls

A user interface control determines how an object is displayed for selection. For example, a radio button control, displays a list of items with a button for each one. You choose a control as part of adding an item to a group in the User Interface view.

The User Interface view provides several types of UI controls:

• Combo Box. A combo box is a drop-down menu. Items are hidden from view until you click the down-arrow to open the menu and make selections. There are two types of combo box:
  • Single selection. The user can select only one value from the drop-down menu.
  • Multiple selection. The user can select multiple values from the drop-down menu using an Add Item button.
• Check Box. Items display as a list. Each item has a check box next to it. When you select an item, a check mark appears in the check box. You can select more than one item.
• Radio Button. Items display as a list. Each item has a button next to it. When you select an item, a dot appears in the button. You can select only one item. If you select another item, the previous item's button clears, and the current item displays a dot in the button.
• Quantity Box. A box displays next to the item in which the user enters or edits the quantity. The user then clicks elsewhere in the page to update the quantity.
• Text Box. A read-only box displays next to the item. The box contains the value of the displayed item. Use this UI control to display the current value of resources or linked items.
• Edit Box. A text box displays next to the item. The text box contains the value of the displayed item. You can edit the value. Use this control when you want users to be able to manually enter or edit attribute values.

Keep in mind the following factors when choosing a user interface control:

• For items added from a relationship, what are the cardinalities? If the minimum and maximum cardinality for the relationship is 1, this means only one item can be selected. The radio button or single-selection combo box can be used because it allows only one selection. If the relationship cardinality allows more than one selection, you must choose a UI control that allows multiple selections such as a check box or multiple-selection combo box.
• For attribute items, select a UI control that matches the attribute type. For LOV attributes use a combo box. For a range of values attribute or a single-value attribute, use a quantity box or text box.
• For resource items and for linked items, use a text box.

Table 13 describes the specific UI controls available in the User Interface view. In the Multiple Items column, Yes means that the UI control allows selection of more than one item from a list. No means you can select only one item.

For all controls, excluded items display unavailable. For example, if you assign a radio button control to a relationship, excluded items display with the radio button grayed out so that it cannot be selected.

You can revise this so that excluded items do not display at all. You do this by assigning the predefined Excluded UI property to an item. You assign the Excluded UI property in the Properties view.