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How Siebel CRM Constructs a Direct Multi-Value Link

Figure 18 illustrates how Siebel CRM constructs a direct multi-value link.

Figure 18. How Siebel CRM Constructs a Direct Multi-Value Link

Siebel CRM uses the following objects to construct a direct multi-value link:

1. Parent business component. The parent in the parent-child relationship that is defined in the link. Siebel CRM displays fields from this business component in the applet from which the user opens the multi-value group applet. In Viewing an Example of a Multi-Value Group Applet, the Account business component is the parent from which Siebel CRM opens the Account Address Mvg Applet.
2. Multi-value fields. For more information, see About the Multi-Value Field.
3. Source field. Defines the primary key in the parent business component that uniquely identifies records in the business component. It typically represents the ROW_ID column from the base table of the business component, and fulfills the role of the primary key field. If the Source Field property is empty, then the source field references the ROW_ID column.
4. Multi-value link. Defines the relationship between the link and fields in the parent business component.
5. Link. Defines a parent-child relationship between the parent business component and the child business component. You can use the link in multiple ways, such as with a master-detail view or another multi-value link. In Viewing an Example of a Multi-Value Group Applet, the name of the link is Account/Business Address.
6. Child business component. Supplies the child records in the parent-child relationship. It is the business component that contains the records that constitute a multi-value group. In Viewing an Example of a Multi-Value Group Applet, this is the Business Address business component.

   NOTE:  Do not use the Calendar business component as the parent or child business component in a link.

7. Destination field. Contains row ID values that reference back to records in the parent business component and uniquely identify the parent for each child business component record. The link identifies the foreign key field in the Destination Field property. In Viewing an Example of a Multi-Value Group Applet, the foreign key field is Account Id. For more information, see About the Destination Field.

   NOTE:  No foreign key field is defined in a link that references an intersection table.

8. Primary ID Field. Identifies the foreign key field in the parent business component. For more information, see About the Primary ID Field.
9. Destination Link. Identifies the link that defines the parent-child relationship between the parent business component and the child business component.

About the Destination Field

The Destination Field is a foreign key that references back to the parent business component. It identifies the field in the child business component that contains the data that constitutes the multi-value group. This field identifies the master record for each detail record. A foreign key field represents a foreign key column from the base table of the child business component. Account Id and Opportunity Id are typical foreign key fields.

The Destination Field property must contain the name of a field in the base table of the business component that does not reference a join, and this field must be updated. The exception to this requirement occurs if a link references an intersection table, which is indicated if the Inter Table, Inter Parent Column, and Inter Child Column properties are not empty. In this situation, the Source Field and Destination Field properties are not defined.

If you add a record to the child business component in a link, then Siebel CRM automatically initializes a link destination field. You can create a source field for a many-to-many link. The destination always defaults to Id, even if you create another value.

About the Primary ID Field

The Primary ID Field is a field in the parent business component that includes the following:

• Contains the row ID value of the primary record for each record of the multi-value group in the child business component.
• Identifies the field in the child business component that designates which record is the primary.
• Identifies the foreign key field in the parent business component.
• Is identified in the Primary Id Field property of the multi-value link.

For more information, see Improving Performance by Defining the Primary ID Field of a Multi-Value Link and Determining If You Can Reuse a Predefined Business Component Field.

About the Multi-Value Field

The multi-value field is a business component field that contains the name of the multi-value link in the Multi Value Link property and a check mark in the Multi Valued property. All other business component fields are single-value fields. A multi-value field contains data from a record in the child business component because of the multi-value link.

NOTE:  If you must query the parent applet for all parent records that contain a child record that holds a specific field value, then you must use a multi-value field.

Table 15 describes the important properties of the multi-value field.

In Viewing an Example of a Multi-Value Group Applet, the Street Address multi-value field in the Account parent business component contains data from the primary record of the multi-value field in the child business component.

For more information, see How Siebel CRM Sorts a Multi-Value Field and Activating a Multi-Value Field.