Chapter 16. Menus and Buttons

The Siebel event framework allows developers to implement simple or complex processes and provide user interface elements such as menus and buttons to the end user. In this chapter, we will learn how the Siebel event framework works and how to configure buttons and menus in Siebel CRM applications.

The chapter is structured as follows:

• Understanding the Siebel event framework

• Creating applet buttons

• Configuring command objects

• Configuring application menu items

• Configuring toolbar buttons

• Configuring applet menu items

Understanding the Siebel event framework

To understand how the Siebel application engine processes events such as a click on a button or a menu item, we can inspect one of the various pre-built objects in standard Siebel CRM applications.

A commonly used button in Siebel CRM applications is the Site Map button. End users frequently navigate to the site map to access screens and views. Navigation to the site map can be triggered by clicking the Site Map command in the Navigate menu, pressing Ctrl+Shift+A on the keyboard, or by clicking the toolbar button with the globe icon.

In Siebel Tools, we can execute a procedure similar to the following to inspect the definition for the Site Map menu item and toolbar button:

1. 1. Expose the Command, Menu, and Toolbar object types in the Object Explorer if necessary.

2. 2. In the Object Explorer window, select the Menu type.

3. 3. In the Object List Editor, select the Generic WEB menu.

4. 4. In the Object Explorer, expand the Menu type and select the Menu Item type.

5. 5...

Creating applet buttons

At the beginning of this chapter, we discussed how menu items and toolbar buttons use command object definitions to invoke methods that are then handled by the Siebel application's event framework.

Applet buttons are different from menu items and toolbar buttons in a sense that they specify the method to be invoked directly in their own MethodInvoked property. They do not use command objects.

Case study example: Creating a custom applet button that invokes a workflow process

As described in Chapter 3, Case Study Introduction the AHA business analyst team has put forth the requirement to create orders for business customers directly from the AHA Customer Profile Form Applet by means of a button click. The button should only be clickable when the customer type is Business.

The AHA technical architect team has inspected the preconfigured Siebel applications and found that the required behavior is available in the standard applications by means of the Account - New Order...

Configuring command objects

When we wish to create menu items in the application or applet menus or toolbar buttons, we must start with configuring command objects. A command object, as shown earlier in this chapter, is a reusable object definition that is referenced from the aforementioned user interface elements. Command objects can invoke one of the following:

• Method and arguments: The method must be handled on the application, applet, or business component layer

• Business service, method, and arguments: Business services are reusable programs defined in the Siebel Repository

• Pop-up applet: When the command is invoked, an applet is loaded in a popup window

The following table describes the most important properties of the Command object type:

Case study example: Configuring application menu items

The command we created in the previous section can now be associated with menu items and toolbar buttons. The following example procedure describes how to associate a command with an application menu item:

1. 1. Navigate to the Generic WEB menu.

2. 2. Check out or lock the menu if necessary.

3. 3. In the Object Explorer, expand the Menu type and select the Menu Item type.

4. 4. In the Menu Items list, create a new record with the following property values:

   • Name: AHA Navigate - Process Start View

   • Caption - String Override: Go to Process Start View

   • Command: AHA Process Start View

   • Position: 4.25 (leaving a gap of 10 to the highest position number starting with 4.)

   • Comments: Created for AHA prototype

5. 5. Compile the Generic WEB menu.

6. 6. In the Developer Web Client, open the Navigate menu and verify that a new menu item labeled Go to Process Start View [Alt+H] exists at the bottom of the menu.

7. 7. Click the new menu item.

8. 8. Observe that the AHA Customer Process Start...

Case study example: Configuring toolbar buttons

The following procedure describes how to create a new toolbar button that uses the command created previously in this chapter:

1. 1. Navigate to the HIMain toolbar.

2. 2. Check out or lock the toolbar if necessary.

3. 3. In the Object Explorer, expand the Toolbar type and select the Toolbar Item type.

4. 4. In the Toolbar Items list, create a new record with the following property values:

   • Name: AHA Process Start View

   • Command: AHA Process Start View

   • Display Name - String Override: Go to Process Start View

   • HTML Type: Link

   • Position: 17 (leaving a gap of 10 to the highest existing position value)

   • Comments: Created for AHA prototype

5. 5. Compile the HIMain toolbar.

6. 6. In the Developer Web Client, verify that a new toolbar button, with a house icon, appears to the right of the Site Map button.

7. 7. Click the new toolbar button and verify that the AHA Customer Process Start View is open.

A Siebel Tools archive file (Command_Menu_Toolbar.sif) is available with this chapter's code...

Case study example: Configuring applet menu items

We can consider adding all available functionality to an applet's menu. By adding this, we ensure that end users can always find a list of available commands by clicking the Menu button or right-clicking in the applet.

The following example procedure describes how to add an applet menu item to the AHA Customer Profile Form Applet using the web menu editor. We will use a copy of a preconfigured command object definition to provide the functionality of creating a new order for the selected customer record:

1. 1. Navigate to the Account-New Order command.

2. 2. Copy the Account-New Order command and rename the copy to AHA New Order.

3. 3. Change the Project property to AHA User Interface.

4. 4. Change the Method property to AHANewOrder.

5. 5. Compile the AHA New Order command.

6. 6. Navigate to the AHA Customer Profile Form Applet.

7. 7. Check out or lock the applet if necessary.

8. 8. Right-click the AHA Customer Profile Form Applet and select Edit Web Menus.

9. 9. In the web...

Summary

The Siebel event framework provides various possibilities for developers to create user interface elements such as menu items and buttons. In this chapter, we studied the functionality of the Siebel event framework as well as the configuration of command objects that support menu items and toolbar buttons.

We also learned how to control the activation or deactivation of menu items and buttons via the CanInvokeMethod event handler and how to use the Named Method business component user property to handle method invocations.

In the following chapter, we will discuss the concept of Siebel business services.

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Author (1)

Alexander Hansal

Alexander Hansal has worked as an IT professional in small, medium, and global corporations. Since 2001, Alexander works as a technical instructor and consultant for Siebel CRM and Oracle Business Intelligence in Europe. He enjoys teaching, and shares his knowledge and expertise in his classes at Oracle University and in his weblog, http://siebel-essentials.blogspot.com/
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Property	Description
Business Service	When this property is set to the name of a business service, the command invokes the business service's method (defined in the Method property) with the list of arguments defined in the Method Argument property...

Case study example: Configuring application menu items

The command we created in the previous section can now be associated with menu items and toolbar buttons. The following example procedure describes how to associate a command with an application menu item:

1. 1. Navigate to the Generic WEB menu.

2. 2. Check out or lock the menu if necessary.

3. 3. In the Object Explorer, expand the Menu type and select the Menu Item type.

4. 4. In the Menu Items list, create a new record with the following property values:

   • Name: AHA Navigate - Process Start View

   • Caption - String Override: Go to Process Start View

   • Command: AHA Process Start View

   • Position: 4.25 (leaving a gap of 10 to the highest position number starting with 4.)

   • Comments: Created for AHA prototype

5. 5. Compile the Generic WEB menu.

6. 6. In the Developer Web Client, open the Navigate menu and verify that a new menu item labeled Go to Process Start View [Alt+H] exists at the bottom of the menu.

7. 7. Click the new menu item.

8. 8. Observe that the AHA Customer Process Start...

Case study example: Configuring toolbar buttons

The following procedure describes how to create a new toolbar button that uses the command created previously in this chapter:

1. 1. Navigate to the HIMain toolbar.

2. 2. Check out or lock the toolbar if necessary.

3. 3. In the Object Explorer, expand the Toolbar type and select the Toolbar Item type.

4. 4. In the Toolbar Items list, create a new record with the following property values:

   • Name: AHA Process Start View

   • Command: AHA Process Start View

   • Display Name - String Override: Go to Process Start View

   • HTML Type: Link

   • Position: 17 (leaving a gap of 10 to the highest existing position value)

   • Comments: Created for AHA prototype

5. 5. Compile the HIMain toolbar.

6. 6. In the Developer Web Client, verify that a new toolbar button, with a house icon, appears to the right of the Site Map button.

7. 7. Click the new toolbar button and verify that the AHA Customer Process Start View is open.

A Siebel Tools archive file (Command_Menu_Toolbar.sif) is available with this chapter's code...

Case study example: Configuring applet menu items

We can consider adding all available functionality to an applet's menu. By adding this, we ensure that end users can always find a list of available commands by clicking the Menu button or right-clicking in the applet.

The following example procedure describes how to add an applet menu item to the AHA Customer Profile Form Applet using the web menu editor. We will use a copy of a preconfigured command object definition to provide the functionality of creating a new order for the selected customer record:

1. 1. Navigate to the Account-New Order command.

2. 2. Copy the Account-New Order command and rename the copy to AHA New Order.

3. 3. Change the Project property to AHA User Interface.

4. 4. Change the Method property to AHANewOrder.

5. 5. Compile the AHA New Order command.

6. 6. Navigate to the AHA Customer Profile Form Applet.

7. 7. Check out or lock the applet if necessary.

8. 8. Right-click the AHA Customer Profile Form Applet and select Edit Web Menus.

9. 9. In the web...

Summary

The Siebel event framework provides various possibilities for developers to create user interface elements such as menu items and buttons. In this chapter, we studied the functionality of the Siebel event framework as well as the configuration of command objects that support menu items and toolbar buttons.

We also learned how to control the activation or deactivation of menu items and buttons via the CanInvokeMethod event handler and how to use the Named Method business component user property to handle method invocations.

In the following chapter, we will discuss the concept of Siebel business services.