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About Business Objects
A business object implements a business model (as represented in a logical database diagram), tying together a set of interrelated business components using links. The links provide the one-to-many relationships that govern how the business components interrelate in the context of this business object.
The set of relationships established in a business object provides the foundation for views and screens. For example, Figure 113 shows the Contact Detail - Opportunities View, a view that operates based on a one-to-many relationship defined in the Contact business object.
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 113 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. In order 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 114 displays the abstract relationships between the Business Object object type and two user interface object types, View and Screen.
Many views are built based on the same business object. Typically only one screen is associated with one 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 implementations of the same business object.
The logical database diagram in Figure 115 illustrates the complete set of one-to-many relationships between business components in a single business object. In this case, it is the Account business object.
The boxes represent business components, and the three-way connectors represent one-to-many relationships. A one-to-many relationship is implemented with a business object component and a link, as is explained in How a Business Object Is Constructed.
The business object collects a logical grouping of business components and a set of links that associate them. Some of the same business components and links may appear in other business objects. 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. When a particular business object is active because a view that uses it is active, the population of data records in business components in the business object is based on the relationships in the business object.
The benefit of business objects is reusability. The same business component can be used in various different sets of relationships by including it in multiple business objects.
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.
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Siebel Tools Reference Published: 20 October 2003 |
