Some customization tasks are sequential and others can be performed concurrently. For example, you cannot create custom fields until you have created the categories to which the fields belong. Once you are done creating custom fields, you can create rules, define wizards, or define home pages in any order.
Creating custom objects and fully developing their pages, rules, search views, and so forth usually requires the most work. System objects come "out of the box" fully developed, although your organization's design may require some custom pages, wizards, and other extras for system objects.
Important: Collaborati Spend Management (CSM) is delivered as a group of custom objects. Although it is possible to alter the properties of these objects, you should not do so, since the alterations could prevent future updates to CSM from installing properly.
Customizing System Objects
Customizing system objects (optional) is typically done in the following sequence:
1.Define general object information.
2.Add items to system lookup tables.
3.Define categories.
4.Create custom lookup tables and their items.
5.Create custom fields.
6.Create custom pages.
7.Configure Rules and workflow.
8.Create Document Generator templates.
9.Test the components of your custom design.
Creating Custom Objects
You must create custom objects in the following sequence:
1.Define general object information.
2.Define unique identifiers for records.
3.Define record name patterns.
4.Define phases and their transitions.
5.Add assignee roles.
6.Add items to system lookup tables.
7.Define categories.
8.Create custom lookup tables and their items.
9.Create custom fields.
10.Once the previous tasks are completed, you can perform the following tasks in parallel or in any sequence:
oCreate custom pages.
oConfigure Rules and workflow.
oCreate Document Generator templates.
11.Test the components of your custom design.
Creating Custom Pages
You can define the following types of custom pages:
•Custom object views—Layout of fields and record pages
•Wizards—An tool to guide end-user through creating or updating records
•Search views—Pages for finding and displaying lists of records
•Home pages—Provide a range of information and links in one location
•Portal panes—Components of home pages that display sets of information and links
You can create custom pages in the following sequence:
1.Define blocks.
2.Define object views.
3.(optional) Define templates for wizards.
4.Define any user groups necessary for wizard rules.
5.Define wizards.
6.Define search views.
7.Define portal panes.
8.Define home pages.
Creating Custom Object Views
Object views define the layout of fields and record pages. You can customize and assign object views for different user groups.
To successfully create object views, you should understand the following:
•Object categories, their purpose, full tree positions, how they are created, where they appear in the end-user interface, and so on. See Using Categories.
•The differences between system and custom object views. See Custom and System Views.
You can create custom object views in the following sequence:
1.Create a field specification document, including categories and display requirements for the object definition.
2.Create the custom object definition (except for system objects).
3.Create any necessary categories.
4.Create custom fields.
5.Create blocks.
6.Create object views.
XML Templates
The design of Custom Java Blocks is outside the scope of this documentation. However, if you do work with Custom Java Blocks, be aware of the XML templates available in the \utitilities\samples\screens subfolder of your program directory. By using these templates for your work, your CJBs will preserve the look and feel of "out of the box" TeamConnect.
