ImposSiebel Toolbar, Version 0.54 Release Information

This is the anticipated version of the Impossible Siebel Toolbar, with the "About Label" feature, which was the winner of our last poll.



"About Label" should be fairly obvious to use (hint, its has something to do with Labels). If you can't figure it out, a follow up article will be posted soon to explain how "About Label" works.

Before you skim over this article, the new XML configuration file is mandatory for the "SQL Profiling", and "About Label" to work. This is required for new and existing users.

[Installation]

1. Existing Users


Managed Option
Under the ImposSiebel Toolbar options, just click on "Refresh
Toolbar"

Bookmark Option
If you are using the server copy, i've already uploaded the new
version.

2. New Users

Follow the instructions in the first article
http://www.impossiblesiebel.com/2009/09/impossiebel-toolbar-beta.html

[XML configuration file]


This new component is critical for "About Label" and other future
functionality to work.

Create a XML file called "ISConfig.xml" with the following contents and put it in the following directory.

C:\Program Files\Impossible_Siebel\
<IS>
       <odbc>
              <source>
                     <dsn>Your Local Siebel DSN</dsn>
                     <username>datasource username</username>
                     <password>datasource password</password>
              </source>
       </odbc>
       <sqlspoolfile>c:\spool.sql</sqlspoolfile>
</IS>

This directory will already be there for users who have opted for the "Managed" version.

[New Features]

1. About Label
This feature provides the developer with detailed information about the label of any form applet.

Keep an eye out for the next article, and i'll provide a tutorial on how to use this functionality.

2. Current Applet and Id
Next to the [IS Menu], i've added dynamic information on the current active applet, and the current Row Id.

When you hover over this text, it will be copied to your clipboard automatically. This is useful, when you have a popup window and want to know its name.

3. Position sensitive "About View", "About Label"
The most annoying behaviour of the previous version, was "About View" only appears in a hard coded position near the top. So if you have a long screen, and try to invoke "About View", you wont see it until you scroll up.

"About View" is now position sensitive to where you double click. This enhancement also applys to "About Label", however other dialogs are still hardcoded.


[Changes]

1. Invoking "About View"

In the previous version, "About View" was invoked by double clicking on any free space in the main view. The term "main view" dosnt really mean anything to anyone except me.

So i've made it more user friendly, by allowing the user to double click on any free space in the application, and this will bring up "About View"

2. Active position/Login information
This information has been shifted from the right of the toolbar to the left

3. SQL Profiler Total Operations

SQL Profiler shows the top 10 operations ordered by SQL cost. There are some cases where you could get thousands of small transactions taking a large amount of resources. In this case the top 10 operations wont reveal the whole picture.

I've added the Total number of SQL operations, so if you have a nasty piece of rescursive SQL, this new information will reveal the proper context of the top 10.


[Fixes]


"About View" Smart Script Crash

Fixed an issue that caused the toolbar to die under a smart scripts
view.



[Known issues]


Cannot establish connection to local database
In Siebel 8, if you are connecting to an encrypted local database, you need to have Tools open at the same time.

You need to open Tools and re-start the client for the changes to take effect.

Server DSN issues
A server DSN can be configured, but it is not recommended because it can be slow. Also the toolbar has only been tested on DB2, and therefore is not guaranteed to work with any other DB vendor.

SI About Label
"About Label" has not been implemented in SI.


6 comments:

  1. Hi Jason,

    great work! Time for documentation ;-)

    @lex

    ReplyDelete
  2. Hi Jason, @lex again. I've tried to implement the xml file (copied the code from the post and modified it) but it fails (doesn't seem to read the file at all). Is there something I'm missing?

    thanks

    @lex

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Alex, try removing the ecma script style comments in the sample xml, i just realized they are not XML compliant.

    i've just updated the article to use HTML comments.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Idea of showing current applet name/current row id is quitely interesting...

    ReplyDelete
  5. I have installed the managed toolbar but it does not seem to be recognizing the cfg file. On start up it tells me that parameters found in the file are needed so certain features will not work. I am using Siebel 8.0 (I have tools open when I open my server thick client). I have specified my locatl tools DSN in the cfg file.

    I am not sure if the error message is dynamic or not but it does not appear to see the fiel at all. The first popup says I need a spool file and the second that I need DSN info but is not recognizing any of the values I have setup in the cfg file.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Mik

    The program is not finding your XML cfg file.

    Double check that it is in the correct location, and the file is named exactly as described in the article, also ensure it is saved in plain text.

    Jason

    ReplyDelete