Clarity

  • 1.  CA Clarity Tuesday Tip: 13.2 Configurable OBS attributes and Filtering

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jul 09, 2013 07:18 PM
      |   view attached
    With the introduction of the configurable OBS attributes available in Studio, the new OBS attributes are not available on the Object Filter Views. Instead only a system-restricted 'OBS Unit' attribute is available.
    This attribute will provide the user with the OBS Filter Browse hierarchy list of OBS Units for all the OBS definitions linked to the specific object.

    Using a Filter Portlet can be configured with an attribute that uses specific OBS Filter Browse Lookups and then 'mapped' to specific configurable OBS attributes on object portlets within a page.
    To illustrate this functionality, let's say we have an OBS defined as 'Store Division' and associated with the Project Object.
    Create a user-defined Grid portlet using the Project Object as the data provider.
    Configure the portlet to show the 'Store Division OBS' attribute.
    Create a user-defined Filter Portlet.
    Create an attribute on the filter portlet and link it to the Project OBS Filter Browse Lookup (Lookup ID = OBS_BROWSE_FLT_PRJ)
    Place both portlets on page
    'Map' the Filter Portlet attribute to the 'Store Division OBS' attribute on the Grid Portlet

    Now the list of OBS units shown in the filter section, will include units from all OBS defiitions associated with the project object (if there is more than one OBS definition). So when the end-user uses the filter portlet, they need to be sure that they only pick units that are associated with the 'Store Division OBS' otherwise, filtering will generate no results due to the mapping. We are trying to filter only for values in the 'Store Division' attribute.

    Therefore, if you have more than one type of OBS definition associated with the Project Object, you may want to consider creating another attribute on the Filter Portlet and mapping it to the other specific OBS attribute. As a 'best practice' in making a Filter Portlet configuration with OBS Unit attributes, set the label name of the filter attribute the same name as the configurable OBS attribute. 'Store Division OBS' as in my example would be configured on the Filter portlet and this would indicate to the end-user to select only a 'Store Division' OBS Unit for filtering.

    See the attachment showing screen shots to illustrate the functionality in a filter portlet.

    Attachment(s)



  • 2.  RE: CA Clarity Tuesday Tip: 13.2 Configurable OBS attributes and Filtering

    Posted Jul 10, 2013 01:09 AM
    Thanks for sharing this Kathryn !!! :smile

    NJ


  • 3.  RE: CA Clarity Tuesday Tip: 13.2 Configurable OBS attributes and Filtering

    Posted Jul 10, 2013 02:12 AM
    Thanks, that sounds like you could expand that to other portlets/views where the standard filter does not provide the options you want.

    Martti K.


  • 4.  RE: CA Clarity Tuesday Tip: 13.2 Configurable OBS attributes and Filtering

    Posted Jul 10, 2013 08:47 AM
    Kathryn,

    Your description focuses on use of the 'Store Division' OBS attribute as an element in a filter. As the OBS types are now attributes, can it be assumed that they will also be placeable as 'selected columns' in a grid's column layout?

    Thanks,

    Dale


  • 5.  RE: CA Clarity Tuesday Tip: 13.2 Configurable OBS attributes and Filtering

    Posted Jul 10, 2013 09:07 AM

    Dale_Stockman wrote:

    ...an it be assumed that they will also be placeable as 'selected columns' in a grid's column layout?
    Yes - and this is illustrated in some of the screen shots in the DOC posted in the first post.


  • 6.  RE: CA Clarity Tuesday Tip: 13.2 Configurable OBS attributes and Filtering

    Broadcom Employee
    Posted Jul 10, 2013 09:59 AM
    Yes, the OBS attributes can be used in the portlet grid columns.
    The attachment file has screen shots illustrating 2 OBS attributes : 'Corp OBS' and 'Department OBS'.
    Towards the end of the document, the screenshots show how the configuration of the filter portlet attributes coorespond to the columns in the grid and how you can see the results.

    More Information:
    [list]
    [*]The 'Corp OBS' is a non-financial OBS. The name of this attribute cooresponds to the name of the OBS definition.
    [*]The 'Department OBS' is the financial OBS. The name of this attribute will always be 'Department OBS' and this is the only attribute that will cover ALL financial department OBS definitions.
    [*]There is also a stock, financial attribute labeled 'Department'. This attribute should NOT be placed on the same subpage as the 'Department OBS' attribute.
    [*]Any 'Location OBS' definitions will NOT have an OBS attribute on the associated object. There will only be a 'Location' attribute on the object ; this is the stock, financial attribute.
    [*]It is recommended that the financial 'Department' and 'Location' attributes remain on the stock, financial subpage.
    [list]


  • 7.  RE: CA Clarity Tuesday Tip: 13.2 Configurable OBS attributes and Filtering

    Posted Jul 10, 2013 11:33 AM
    Thank you for the additional info and ref to the attachment.

    I don't expect lack of Location OBS in this feature will be a problem - not at first, perhaps ever. If its absence becomes a problem, expect we can get an Idea\vote going.

    Happy-happy,

    Dale


  • 8.  RE: CA Clarity Tuesday Tip: 13.2 Configurable OBS attributes and Filtering

     
    Posted Jul 10, 2013 01:11 PM
    Thanks for all the great info Kathryn! :grin:

    Chris

    Kathryn_Ellis wrote:

    With the introduction of the configurable OBS attributes available in Studio, the new OBS attributes are not available on the Object Filter Views. Instead only a system-restricted 'OBS Unit' attribute is available.
    This attribute will provide the user with the OBS Filter Browse hierarchy list of OBS Units for all the OBS definitions linked to the specific object.

    Using a Filter Portlet can be configured with an attribute that uses specific OBS Filter Browse Lookups and then 'mapped' to specific configurable OBS attributes on object portlets within a page.
    To illustrate this functionality, let's say we have an OBS defined as 'Store Division' and associated with the Project Object.
    Create a user-defined Grid portlet using the Project Object as the data provider.
    Configure the portlet to show the 'Store Division OBS' attribute.
    Create a user-defined Filter Portlet.
    Create an attribute on the filter portlet and link it to the Project OBS Filter Browse Lookup (Lookup ID = OBS_BROWSE_FLT_PRJ)
    Place both portlets on page
    'Map' the Filter Portlet attribute to the 'Store Division OBS' attribute on the Grid Portlet

    Now the list of OBS units shown in the filter section, will include units from all OBS defiitions associated with the project object (if there is more than one OBS definition). So when the end-user uses the filter portlet, they need to be sure that they only pick units that are associated with the 'Store Division OBS' otherwise, filtering will generate no results due to the mapping. We are trying to filter only for values in the 'Store Division' attribute.

    Therefore, if you have more than one type of OBS definition associated with the Project Object, you may want to consider creating another attribute on the Filter Portlet and mapping it to the other specific OBS attribute. As a 'best practice' in making a Filter Portlet configuration with OBS Unit attributes, set the label name of the filter attribute the same name as the configurable OBS attribute. 'Store Division OBS' as in my example would be configured on the Filter portlet and this would indicate to the end-user to select only a 'Store Division' OBS Unit for filtering.

    See the attachment showing screen shots to illustrate the functionality in a filter portlet.


  • 9.  Re: CA Clarity Tuesday Tip: 13.2 Configurable OBS attributes and Filtering

    Posted Oct 10, 2014 12:43 PM

    Kathryn,

    Thanks for sharing such a great write-up!  Your clear instructions helped me setup an OBS in my Project filter portlet.

     

    When I follow the same steps to setup my Idea filter portlet, the drop down is empty when I attempt to map the OBS from the filter portlet to the sub portlet.

    With this being an Idea filter portlet, I searched but didn't find an "OBS Idea Filter Browse."

    Do you know if OBS filter portlet functionality is only available on the Project object?

     

    Thanks again for sharing such valuable information!

    James