Coach views
Coach views are reusable sets of user interfaces that users use to interact with a business object or service. Coach views can consist of one or more other coach views, data bindings, layout instructions, and behaviors.
Because coach views are reusable, each coach view instance can share parts of its user interface with other coach view instances within a coach. For example, you create a coach that contains a coach view instance that includes a set of address fields. If you create a second coach that needs the same address fields, you can reuse the same coach view. In both cases, the coach is using an instance of the coach view. You can edit the properties of each instance independently. For example, changing the label of one coach view instance does not change the label of the other. Both coach view instances use a reference to point to the coach view definition. This approach means that if the coach view definition changes, you can see the change reflected in the instances of the coach view.
You can create a coach view in the process application or in a toolkit. In general, create highly reusable coach views in toolkits and more specialized coach views in process applications. Choosing the process application means that you can reuse it only within the process application. However, it also means that if someone edits the coach view, the changes apply to the instances of the coach view in the process application. If the coach view is in a toolkit and then someone edits it, the changes could apply to all instances of the coach view in all applications that use that version of the toolkit. Because editing a coach definition can affect many instances, be careful in your changes. For example, deleting a content box in the coach view definition could mean that coaches or coach views that contain instances of that coach view cannot display the content that they had defined in that content box.
- The Overview page displays the coach view name, information about the coach view, the images used to represent the coach view during design time, and how the coach view is used. You can also tag your coach view to make it easier to find in the library and on the palette.
- The Behavior page displays the JavaScript code and CSS files used in the implementation of the coach view. The Behavior page is also where you define event handler code. The event handlers are the entry points for the code of the coach view. While the coach view might reference supporting JavaScript files, the event handlers contain the functions that the IBM® Business Process Manager framework calls.
- The Variables page displays the interfaces to the coach view, which include the business data binding, the configuration options (including Ajax services), and the localization resources that are available to or are used by the coach view.
- The Layout page displays the coach views and controls contained within the coach view and their relative positions. The layout page also displays the palette, which contains items that you can add to the coach view. These items consist of other coach views, advanced items, and variables. When you select a coach view or control in the layout, you see its properties.
Controls are coach views. IBM BPM provides a set of controls on the palette. In terms of use, IBM BPM treats the controls and the custom coach views that you create identically.