Managing Tab Layouts Through Responsibilities

Siebel Business Applications administrators can manage default screen and view tab layouts that are specific to job functions. Tab layouts are managed through responsibilities.

Administrators can use the Responsibilities view (Responsibility Detail - Tab Layout View) in the Administration - Application screen to define a default tab layout for each responsibility. Administrators can administer both view access and default tab layout from this view.

To ease the administrative burden of setting up default tab layouts and associating them with responsibilities, Siebel Business Applications ship with many predefined responsibilities that are preconfigured with default tab layouts.

For example, the Universal Agent responsibility for Siebel Call Center has associated with it both screen and view access as well as a default tab layout. These are the views required most often for users holding that job function. Each time a user with this responsibility logs in, this user has access to all screens and views for that responsibility, and for all other responsibilities the user is associated with.

However, the user sees in the application user interface only the simplified default screen and view tab layout associated with the user's primary responsibility, for example, the layout associated with the Universal Agent responsibility, if this is the user's primary responsibility.

Each user can modify personal tab layout settings by using the Tab Layout view in the User Preferences screen (Tools, and then User Preferences). Once the user has modified the tab layout, these settings will always override the default tab layout associated with the user's primary responsibility. For more information, see Siebel Fundamentals.

If a user selects a screen from the Site Map that is not part of his or her tab layout, a screen tab is created for that screen which is only available for that session.

The following topics provide additional information on managing tab layouts through responsibilities:

"Specifying Tab Layouts for Responsibilities"
"Assigning a Primary Responsibility"
"Exporting and Importing Tab Layouts"

Specifying Tab Layouts for Responsibilities

This topic describes how to specify the tab layout for a responsibility.

The Tab Layout view (Responsibility Detail - Tab Layout View) is used for basic tab layout management tasks such as reordering or hiding screen and view tabs for different responsibilities, as well as for exporting and importing tab layouts. To let you manage screens and views for multiple applications, tab layout administration uses four lists:

Responsibilities list. Includes all the responsibilities in the repository.
Applications list. Includes all the Siebel Business Applications in the repository, and specifies for which application you are managing tab layouts.
Screen Tab Layout list. Specifies which screens are displayed for each application.
View Tab Layout list. Specifies which views are displayed for each screen.

You must select an application because you might be administering responsibilities for a different application than the one you are logged into as an administrator. For example, you use Siebel Partner Manager to administer responsibilities for partners who will use Siebel Partner Portal.

To specify the tab layout for a responsibility

Log in as an administrator.
Navigate to the Administration - Application screen, then the Responsibilities view.
In the Responsibilities list, select the responsibility you want to associate tab layouts with.
Click the Tab Layout view tab.
In the Tab Layout list, select an application associated with the responsibility.
The Screen Tab Layout list displays all the screens used by the selected application:
1. Select the Hide check box for any screens whose screen tabs will not be displayed.
2. Change the numbers in the Order field to change the sequence in which the screen tabs are displayed.
Select each record in the Screen Tab Layout list, and the View Tab Layout list displays all the views for that screen:
1. Select the Hide check box for any views whose view tabs will not be displayed.
2. Change the numbers in the Order field to change the sequence in which the screen tabs are displayed.

Assigning a Primary Responsibility

Each user can have multiple responsibilities assigned, in order to provide access to all necessary views. One responsibility is defined as the primary responsibility. The user sees the tab layout associated with his or her primary responsibility. The Site Map provides this user with access to the superset of screens and views defined in the responsibilities with which the user is associated.

To assign a primary responsibility to a user, perform the following procedure.

To assign a primary responsibility to a user

Navigate to the Administration - User screen, then the Users view.
Select a User record.
In the form, click the select button on the Responsibility field.

A list of the responsibilities assigned to the User appears.
In the Responsibilities dialog box, set the primary responsibility for the user by checking the Primary flag of one of the selected responsibilities.

Note:

By default, the first responsibility assigned to a user (based on timestamp) becomes the primary responsibility. Particularly for customers who are upgrading, verify that the correct primary responsibility is assigned to each user, or specify the desired primary responsibility.

Exporting and Importing Tab Layouts

To copy a tab layout from one responsibility to another, you can export and import tab layouts. For example, if you have a tab layout associated with one responsibility and you want to apply it to another responsibility, you can first export the desired tab layout settings to an XML file, optionally modify the file, and then import it to the target responsibility.

Note:

Tab layouts associated with responsibilities are stored in the Siebel File System as attachments. These files are automatically routed to mobile users.

Exporting Tab Layouts

This topic provides the procedure for exporting tab layouts to an XML file.

To export tab layouts

Navigate to the Administration - Application screen, then the Responsibilities view.
In the Responsibilities list, click the Tab Layout view tab.
Select the responsibility that has the desired tab layout.
Select a record in the Applications list.

You can select multiple applications and export the tab layouts for a responsibility for one or more associated applications. The XML file will contain screen tab and view tab settings for the selected applications. When you later import the XML file, tags in the file specify the applications that are affected if tab layouts are subsequently imported from this file.
Click the menu button in the Responsibilities list and select Export Tab Layout.

Save the XML file.

For example, to save tab layout settings for a responsibility designed for field engineers who use Siebel Field Service, you might export a file such as Siebel Field Service@Field Engineer.xml.

Note:

When you export the tab layout for a responsibility, only the differences between the current tab layout settings and the default tab layout settings are exported. If you want to migrate the tab layout for a responsibility from one Siebel environment to another, rather than just from one responsibility to another, then the XML file you import must include all the tab layout settings for the responsibility, not just the differences. In this case, you must edit the XML file and manually add the tab layout information for any views not already included.

Importing Tab Layouts

This topic provides the procedure for importing tab layouts from an XML file you previously exported to.

To import tab layout to a target responsibility

From the application level-menu, navigate to the Administration - Application screen, then the Responsibilities view.
Click the Tab Layout view tab and select the target responsibility in the Responsibilities list.
Click the menu button in the Responsibilities list and select Import Tab Layout.
In the import dialog box, choose the XML file for the Application Tab Layout you want to import.

Click Import.

After you have imported the XML file, default tabs in the application correspond to those defined in the file you imported.

Note:

Importing a tab layout file hides and resequences views for affected users. Although you cannot roll back imported changes directly, you can still modify tab layout settings in the Responsibilities Administration view, or you can modify the XML file and reimport it.

(Optional) If the XML file you are importing contains all the tab layout settings for a responsibility, not just the differences between the existing tab layout and the default tab layout, then, after importing the XML file, you must log out of the application, then log back in again to see the updated tab layout.