Physical Objects

Physical objects represent the real physical entities in the application screens and databases in the environment in which Real-Time Designer operates.

Each physical object in Real-Time Designer is actually a connector to a source of information and functionality of the corresponding donor application.

Several types of physical objects can be defined in Real-Time Designer to enrich the information that Real-Time Designer shows and reacts upon, as follows:

Screen Elements: Elements, such as fields in a screen of an application that is used by an agent. For example, the Purchase Amount field in a legacy customer care screen used by an agent in a call center.

Scene Controls: A scene is a snapshot of a particular page on a website, for example, the web page used to create a customer and enter their details. Objects on this page (this scene), such as a customer name textbox or the Submit button, are scene controls. In Real-Time Designer, scenes and their controls can be used anywhere that a physical object is used. They are handled similar to physical objects. For more about scene objects, refer to Scene Composer.

Depending on the Screen Element connectors installed, Scene Composer connectors can supplement the functionality provided by the Screen Element connectors. In some cases, a Screen Element connector can provide functionality that does not exist within Scene Composer connectors. For example, .NET connector, WPF connector, Siebel connector, Terminal connector, and SAP connector functionalities. In other cases, Scene Composer can provide functionality that does not exist with any of the Screen Element connectors, for example, Composia General connector and Composia ActiveX connector functionalities.

For a list of available screen connectors and extensions, see Connectivity IDD - RTI.

Database Objects: Elements, such as fields in a database. For example, the Agent Grade field reads from a database of the legacy customer care application.

When you have the option to choose between accessing the same information from a screen in an application that is used by an agent or from a field in a database from/to which that application reads/writes the field's value, the screen usually reflects the most updated value.

Service Objects: Elements, such as services outside the Real-Time Designer system. For example, web services.

This chapter describes how to design the physical objects that represent the real physical entities in the environment in which Real-Time Designer operates.