Brief Summary
This video explains how to create relationships between parent and child objects in SAP SuccessFactors Learning using associations. It covers the different types of associations (generic object to generic object, generic object to foundation object, and XML-based to generic object), and when to use composite or valid when association types. The video also explains when to create associations at the parent or child object level, based on whether the objects are independent or dependent.
- Explains the concept of parent and child objects in SAP SuccessFactors Learning.
- Describes how to create associations between objects using configure object definition.
- Covers the different types of associations and when to use them.
- Explains when to create associations at the parent or child object level.
Parent and Child Objects
The video introduces the concept of parent and child objects using the example of head offices and branch offices. A head office (e.g., Mumbai, Hyderabad) can have multiple branch offices reporting to it. These branch offices are considered child objects because they report to the parent head office. The key difference is that while a head office and a branch office can exist independently, a child branch must report to a specific head office. This structure is used to maintain job location details for employees, ensuring that when a head office is selected, only the relevant branch offices are displayed.
Foundation Objects and Organisation Structure
Foundation objects are used to define the structure of a company, including its organisation, pay, and job structures. The video explains how to create relationships between parent and child objects to define the organisation structure. For example, a head office is a parent object, and branch offices are child objects. Similarly, a branch office can be a parent object, with departments as child objects. The selection of the parent object determines the available child objects. These objects can exist independently with their own start and end dates, meaning they are not dependent on any other object.
Types of Associations
To create a relationship between parent and child objects, associations are used. The video outlines different types of associations: generic object (MDF-based) to generic object, generic object to foundation object (XML-based), and foundation object (XML-based) to generic object. The type of association depends on whether you are linking two MDF objects, an MDF object to an XML-based object, or vice versa. The video highlights that associations are configured in the configure object definition, where you can specify the association name and multiplicity (one-to-one or one-to-many).
Multiplicity and Object Types
When creating associations, you must choose between one-to-one and one-to-many multiplicity. One-to-many is used when one parent object is linked to multiple child objects (e.g., one head office to many branches). One-to-one is used when one parent object is linked to only one child object. The video also distinguishes between dependent and independent objects. Independent objects have effective dating as basic or none, meaning they can exist on their own. Dependent objects derive their details from the parent object and exist only if the parent object exists.
Independent Objects: Business Unit and Division
The video uses the example of business units and divisions to explain associations between two independent objects. Both business units and divisions are MDF-based foundation objects that can exist independently. For independent objects, the association is configured at the child object level. In this case, the association is created within the division object definition to link it to the parent business unit. The type of association used is "valid when" because both objects have effective dating set to basic or none.
Dependent Objects: Legal Entity and Legal Entity USA
The video explains how to create associations for dependent objects using the example of legal entity and legal entity USA. Legal entity is an independent object with effective dating set to basic, while legal entity USA is a dependent object with effective dating from parent. For dependent objects, the association is created at the parent object level. In this case, the association is configured within the legal entity object definition to link it to the child legal entity USA object. The multiplicity is one-to-one, and the type of association used is composite.
Field Criteria and Filtering
The video briefly touches on how these associations are used for filtering data. The configuration sets up the relationships between parent and child objects, but the actual filtering based on these relationships is achieved through field criteria. Field criteria is the next step after creating associations, and it determines how the system filters data based on the selected parent object. The video concludes by emphasising the importance of understanding the different types of associations and when to create them at the parent or child object level.
