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About Siebel Tools and Siebel Web Tools

Siebel CRM provides two main development tools:

• Siebel Tools is a Windows-based, integrated environment for configuring Siebel applications.
• Siebel Web Tools is an Application Object Manager component that provides similar functionality through the Siebel Web Client. Most of the information provided about Siebel Tools also applies to Siebel Web Tools.

You use Siebel Tools to modify standard Siebel objects and create new objects to meet your organization's business requirements. For example, you use Siebel Tools to extend the data model, modify business logic, and define the user interface. Siebel Tools is also a way to integrate programs written using Siebel scripting languages.

A standard Siebel application provides a core set of object definitions that you can use as a basis for your own tailored application. Siebel Tools object definitions are grouped into four layers, each with a different purpose:

• Physical user interface (UI) layer. Templates and tags that render the user interface in the client.
• Logical user interface objects layer. Presentation of data (user interface).
• Business objects layer. Objects that extract defined information from the database or provide a defined service.
• Data objects layer. Database interface objects and table definitions.

Object types in a given layer depend on definitions in the next lower layer, and are insulated from other layers in the structure. You can make certain kinds of changes to a Siebel application without changing the underlying database structure. Similarly, you can extend the Siebel database schema without affecting the Siebel application. In many cases, configuration changes are made in concert across multiple layers in order to achieve the desired business functionality.

As of Siebel CRM 17.0, Siebel CRM applications use the Siebel runtime repository in the Siebel database.

For information about using Siebel Tools and Siebel Web Tools, see Using Siebel Tools, Configuring Siebel Business Applications, and other guides. For Siebel Tools installation instructions, see the Siebel Installation Guide for the operating system you are using.

Many aspects of the physical user interface can also be configured outside of Siebel Tools. For more information, see Configuring Siebel Open UI.