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Overview of the Business Object Layer

The business object layer includes objects that define business logic and organize data from underlying tables into logical units. This topic describes the more common objects that exist in the business object layer. For more information, see Siebel Object Types Reference.

Business Component

A business component is an object that associates columns from one or more tables into a single structure. A business component provides a layer of wrapping over tables. This wrapping allows an applet to reference a business component rather than the underlying table. For more information, see About Business Components.

Business Component Field

A business component field is a child object of a business component that provides data for controls and list columns in an applet. It typically associates a column to a business component. Siebel CRM can calculate a field from the values in other fields in the business component. A field supplies data to a control or list column in the Web interface. For more information, see About Business Component Fields.

Join

A join is an object that create a relationship between a business component and a table that is not the base table of the business component. A join allows the business component to use fields by using columns from the joined table. To get rows on a one-to-one basis from the joined table, the join uses a foreign key in the business component even though a one-to-one relationship between the two is not required. For more information, see About Joins.

Join Specification

A join specification is an object that provides details about how Siebel CRM defines the join in the business component. It is a child of a join. For more information, see How Siebel CRM Uses the Join Specification.

Business Object

A business object is an object that groups related business components together. It allows you to create a relationship among the business components that Siebel CRM uses in the context of a business object. For more information, see About Business Objects.

Business Object Component

A business object component is an object that references a business component and typically a link in the parent business object. The link specifies how Siebel CRM relates the business component to another business component in the context of the business object. For more information, see About Business Objects.

Link

A link is an object that defines a one-to-many relationship that exists between two business components. It makes master-detail views possible. A master-detail view is a type of view that displays one record of the parent business component with many records of the child business component that correspond to the parent. For example, many contacts for a single account. You can use a pair of links to create a many-to-many relationship. For more information, see About Links.

Multi-Value Group, Multi-Value Link, and Multi-Value Group Applet

A multi-value group is a set of child records that Siebel CRM associates with a parent record. A multi-value link is an object that allows you to create a multi-value group. A multi-value group applet is a dialog box that displays the records that constitute a multi-value group. If the user opens the applet from a parent record in a list or form applet, then Siebel CRM uses a multi-value link to build, and then display a multi-value group in the multi-value group applet. For more information, see the following topics:

• Viewing an Example of a Multi-Value Group Applet
• About Multi-Value Links
• How Siebel CRM Creates a Multi-Value Group

User Property

A user property is an object that allows you to configure behavior that goes beyond the configuration that exists in the properties of the parent object. At the business object layer, a user property exists as a child object of a business component, business service, integration component, integration object, or virtual business component. For more information, see Siebel Developer's Reference.

Business Service

A business service is an object that contains a set of methods. It allows you to call C++ or scripted methods of the business service from a script that you create, or in the object interface logic, through the mechanism that Siebel CRM uses to call the method. For more information, see Integration Platform Technologies: Siebel Enterprise Application Integration.