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Use

Object-Based Navigation (OBN) is a design-time framework that uses the standard portal navigation infrastructure during runtime to return business information.

The target information that OBN navigation links return is specific to the business objects with which the user is immediately concerned, as well as being dynamic, according to the role of the user.

Users receive different kinds of data from iViews that are based on business objects, according the needs and requirements of their role in the organization. It is therefore possible that two users who activate the same OBN link, in the same source iView, receive information delivered by different target iViews.

Example

A sales representative and a sales manager both click a link in an iView. The link represents a specific account and is, in both cases the same OBN link in the same source iView, based on the same business object. The default operation for this business object has two role-based iViews attached to it, one showing Account Details , the other showing List of Opportunities .

The navigation of the sales representative returns the iView Account Details , while that of the sales manager returns List of Opportunities .

For more information about the administration and maintenance of object-based navigation, see Object-Based Navigation Editor .

For basic OBN terminology, see Glossary of OBN Terminology .

Business Object Operations

The business object operation is the crux of OBN administration. It is the operation that serves as the connection between the business object and its implementation during runtime. Operations define navigation.

Since multiple operations may be assigned to a single business object, the operations are prioritized during business object administration. The priority specifies the order of implementation per role.

Implementation Target

Just as a business object may have multiple operations attached to it, the business object operation may have multiple targets (iViews or Pages) associated with it. In the event of multiple implementations, the targets of an operation can also be prioritized by the content administrator. The target implementation during runtime depends on two considerations:

  • The role or permissions of the user

    Target iViews are generally role-based (although a user may have read permission for an iView not associated with a role).

  • The operation priority

    For a user having more than one role, conflicts of implementation during runtime are resolved according to priority.

One of the advantages of OBN as a navigation concept is its ability to return, from a single source iView link, variable implementations relevant for any number of roles.

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