Business Data Catalog Profile Pages
When you import your Business Data Catalog application definition file, if you have a SpecificFinder method correctly created in your XML file you will get a profile page automatically generated for you.
This profile page will accept a parameter via a url query string. The profile page itself is web part page with a Business Data Item Builder web part and a Business Data Item Web Part. The Item Builder web part simply gets the value set in the url query string and passes it via a web part connection to the Business Data Item web part. This web part uses the value to execute the SpecificFinder method and return a single row of data.
You will most likely get to your BDC entity’s profile page by clicking on the BDC action that is automatically generated for you and is displayed within the BDC Data List web part. To make sure this is available to you just make sure you have a Title property selected for the Entity.
This is how you can set the Profile property within BDC Meta Man.
The profile page is often used well in conjunction with the Business Data List web part. The List web part can show a summary of 5 or 6 columns of data, and the user can click on the View Profile action link to be taken to the profile page where they can see all the information for that particular record.
The profile page is also used when you want MOSS 2007 to crawl and index your Business Data. It is actually the profile page that will get indexed, and people then click through to see from the search results.
