Scope of the design layer

Scope of the design layer

In the UIU framework some UI/Design relevant settings can be made. These settings have to be made per view (context nodes and their attributes), which is not always what user wants: If a single field occurs on many views, the settings should be made once and then influence all views carrying this field.

The purpose of the design layer is to define a layer which is logically positioned between the BSP view layer and the BOL layer to make UI relevant settings for many view in one go.

• The design layer links ‘UI related settings’ to a new, more general ‘design object’ which spans several views implementing the same ‘business content’.
• The ‘UI related settings’ are simple field settings which are likely to be changed by customers and application developers:

·         Field visibility (‘hidden’)

·         Field labels (no captions)

·         Mandatory field (not in CRM 5.1 SP00)

·         Disabled field (not in CRM 5.1 SP00)

• In the configuration tool the design layer settings will be displayed and can be manually overridden. This defines the view to be an exception from the design layer settings. This feature will not be part of CRM 5.1 SP00. As a consequence
• FIELD_LABELs from the design layer are only used if there is no explicit field label saved within the view configuration (i.e. up to now you use the label taken from the DDIC.)
• DISABLED and MANDATORY are not taken from the design layer as the design layer is not yet referenced from the view configuration.

Customizing of the design layer

Use transaction BSP_DLC_SDESIGN to maintain the SAP delivered design layer customizing. (In addition to this customer will use viewcluster CRMVC_DESIGN via IMG to maintain their client-specific customizing.)

1. Define / select an object type. Please note that this object type is not necessarily the same object type used by the application controllers and multilevel configuration. This means that this object type could be a ‘generic’ object type for use with the design layer.
2. 

3. For an object type maintain ‘design objects’, which define the design layer settings. The assigned BOL entity is used to determine the possible attributes.

3. For each design object assign the design settings: This can be done for ALL attributes of the given BOL entity (use field BOL attribute name = <Default>) and for specific ‘exceptions’ to this with a specific BOL attribute name. Select whether fields using this design are hidden, mandatory or disabled and what field label they have.

Assignment of the design layer to context nodes

In the workbench (transaction BSP_WD_CMPWB) select a full context node or an individual context node attribute to assign the design object:

or

Then click right mouse -> Assign Design Layer to open the assignment popup:

1. Use the buttons ‘New assignment’ and ‘Choose assignment’ to select the key fields for the design layer assignment (compare to multi level configuration tool). Please note that the design object assignment and configuration will only match, if the respective key fields (e.g. the object type) match.
2. Select a design object by expanding the corresponding object type and selecting the design object.
3. If used on attribute level, you may enter a BOL attribute name, if it differs from the context nodes attribute name.
4. Save your assignment.

This assignment is used at design time (view configuration) and at runtime. The access sequence regarding the different key fields is:
       COMPONENT, VIEWNAME, CONTEXT_NODE are given
       1.  OBJECT_TYPE  COMPONENT_USAGE  ATTR_NAME_CN
       2.  OBJECT_TYPE  COMPONENT_USAGE  <blank>
       3.  OBJECT_TYPE  <blank>          ATTR_NAME_CN
       4.  OBJECT_TYPE  <blank>          <blank>
       5.  <blank>      <blank>          ATTR_NAME_CN
       6.  <blank>      <blank>          <blank>