Siebel 8.

0 Essentials

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 1 of 23

Module 30: Business Layer Configuration: Picklists
Module Objectives

• To understand the two types of picklists

• To describe the difference between static and dynamic picklists
• To administer a list of values
• To configure static and dynamic picklists

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 3 of 23

Picklists
• Picklists allow the user to select a value, from a list of values, for a
single-value field
–Makes data entry faster
–Enforces business rules
–Reduces errors

• Picklists are of two types:

–Static picklists
–Dynamic picklists

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 4 of 23

Static Picklists
• Static picklist draws values from data managed by an administrator,
hence the values remain unchanged at runtime, making it Static
• A drop-down list of values is displayed, for selection by the user
• Copies the selected value into the destination field
– No link to the original picklist data
• A static picklist may be either bounded or unbounded
– Bounded picklist forces the user to enter only values from the picklist
– Unbounded picklist allows the user to enter any value, even outside of the
picklist, in the field

Indicates
dropdown list
present

Dropdown
list

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 5 of 23

Static Picklist Values
• All static picklist values are stored in the S_LST_OF_VAL table
• The values appear in the List of Values or LOV Explorer
administrative views
–Administration – Data > List of Values (or LOV Explorer)
• The type of the value indicates which static picklist it belongs to

Values for
MR_MS static
picklist

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 6 of 23

Administering a Static Picklist
• Navigate to Administration – Data > LOV Explorer view
• Select an existing picklist or create a new one in the List of Values –
Types applet
• Expand the Type and select the child Values folder
• Edit the picklist values in the LOV applet

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 7 of 23

Dynamic Picklist
• Values are displayed in a pick applet
• Values are drawn from a BC
– Values are dynamic and depend on
current BC records
• Dynamic picklist is used to update
joined fields
– Copies the selected value into the Indicates
dynamic
Picklist field
picklist
– In addition, copies foreign key Id of
selected value into destination field

Pick applet
displayed
when icon
clicked

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 8 of 23

Picklist Terms
• Originating business component: The BC with whose field a picklist is
associated
• Pick business component: The BC from where the value is drawn

Account –
Pick BC

Contact –
Originating BC

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 9 of 23

Picklist Wizard
• Use the Picklist wizard to create a new static or dynamic picklist
• Select File > New Object > Picklist

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 10 of 23

Wizard Inputs for a Static Picklist
• For a static picklist, the picklist wizard inputs are:
–The project it will be a part of
–The BC and its field populated by the picklist
–Picklist name and type

BC and field
populated by
the picklist

Picklist type

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 11 of 23

Wizard Inputs for a Static Picklist…
–Bounded or unbounded picklist
–Type value
–Picklist values
• May use existing type and/or values in S_LST_OF_VAL

Creating a
new list of
values

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 12 of 23

Wizard Outputs for a Static Picklist

• The outputs of the picklist wizard for a static picklist are:

–A picklist object
–A pick map specifying values copied to the S_LST_OF_VAL table
–Values in S_LST_OF_VAL for the picklist
–Activated drop-down list column or control

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 13 of 23

Activating a Drop-Down List Column or Control
• The wizard may activate drop-down control for picklist field
–The wizard displays all applets displaying the originating field
–Only the applets that are locked by the developer will be activated
• The wizard also sets the list column or control Runtime property to
TRUE
–Results in appearance of a drop-down arrow

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 14 of 23

Wizard Inputs for a Dynamic Picklist
• For a dynamic picklist, the wizard inputs are:
–Project the picklist will be a part of
–Origination BC and its field for the picklist
–Picklist name and type

BC and field
populated by
the picklist

Picklist type

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 15 of 23

Wizard Inputs for a Dynamic Picklist…
–A pick BC
–A field in the pick BC to sort on
–A picklist name
–A Search Specification Pick BC

BC field to
sort on

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 16 of 23

Wizard Inputs for a Dynamic Picklist…

• Pick Applet properties (No Delete, No Insert, No Update, No Merge)

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 17 of 23

Wizard Inputs for a Dynamic Picklist…
• Values for a pick map, mapping fields between the originating BC and
the pick BC

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 18 of 23

Wizard Outputs for a Dynamic Picklist

• The outputs of the picklist wizard for a static picklist are:

–A picklist object
–A pick map constructed in the wizard
–A pick applet, if needed
–Activated control or list column in applets containing the originating field
• Must have Runtime property set to TRUE

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 19 of 23

Constrained Picklist

• A constrained picklist filters values in the list dynamically, based on

values in parent picklist

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 20 of 23

Constraining a Picklist

• Create a pick map definition for every field that must match
• For each of the matching fields, set the Constrain property to TRUE
• This filters the pick BC records for matches

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 21 of 23

Module Highlights

• Picklists allow selection of values from a list, for a single-value field

• Static Picklists:
–Display values in a dropdown list
–Contain values managed by List of Values administrative views
–Store values in S_LST_OF_VAL table
• Dynamic Picklists:
–Display values in a pick applet
–Contain dynamic data
–Access data in pick BC using a foreign key

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 22 of 23

Lab

• In the lab, you will:

–Create new static and dynamic picklists

Business Layer Configuration: Picklists 23 of 23