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TRANSCRIPT
Business Rule Framework plus What’s New With SAP NetWeaver 7.03?
Wolfgang Schaper
Product Manager BRFplus
SAP AG
September 2011
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 2
Disclaimer
This presentation outlines our general product direction and should not be relied
on in making a purchase decision. This presentation is not subject to your
license agreement or any other agreement with SAP. SAP has no obligation to
pursue any course of business outlined in this presentation or to develop or
release any functionality mentioned in this presentation. This presentation and
SAP's strategy and possible future developments are subject to change and
may be changed by SAP at any time for any reason without notice. This
document is provided without a warranty of any kind, either express or implied,
including but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for
a particular purpose, or non-infringement. SAP assumes no responsibility for
errors or omissions in this document, except if such damages were caused by
SAP intentionally or grossly negligent.
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 3
Agenda
Overview
New Features in Detail
New and Improved Design Time Capabilities
Simulation
Expression Types and Action Types
Performance, Cleanup, and Transport
Usability
Overview
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 5
BRFplus in SAP NetWeaver 7.03
Release Information
■ By November 2011 SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Enhancement Pack 3 (aka
NW 7.03) will be available
■ This is the NetWeaver release on which SAP Business Suite 7
Innovation 2011 (including SAP ERP Enhancement Pack 6) is based
■ With SAP NW 7.03, a new release of BRFplus is included with many
new or enhanced capabilities compared to SAP NW 7.02
■ The code line of BRFplus within SAP NetWeaver 7.31 is identical
with the code line of BRFplus within SAP NetWeaver 7.0
Enhancement Pack 3
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 6
BRFplus in SAP NetWeaver 7.03
New and Enhanced Capabilities of BRFplus in NW 7.03
■ From a BRFplus perspective, SAP NetWeaver 7.03 primarily
focuses on design time capabilities
■ Additional functional improvements were implemented in the areas
of performance and usability
■ On the following slides, the most important improvements are
described
New Features in Detail
New and Improved Design Time Capabilities
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 8
Mass Object Handling
■ A mass activity UI has been
provided to allow the user to
perform activities for multiple
objects easily (create, activate,
change access level, delete,
change properties, mass
overview of object states, ...)
■ In the Data Object structure
editor, it is now possible to use
the mass element creation
dialog for the creation of
elements serving as structure
components
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 9
Multiple Catalogs
■ User settings support the
definition of subsets of
catalogs. Only this subset is
made available directly in the
Catalog view of the BRFplus
workbench.
■ If there is more than one
catalog defined, the Catalog
view offers a menu for
selecting a catalog from the
personalized subset.
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 10
Where-Used Including Historic Versions
■ Optional display of
historic and inactive
versions in Where-
Used Lists
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 11
Object Filters
■ Filter for expression and
action types to hide
unwanted object types for
less technical users
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 12
Full Screen Mode
■ New full screen mode available
■ Allows to hide repository
■ Provides bigger canvas on small displays –
very useful especially for editing complex decision tables
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 13
Creating Variables Automatically
■ Create ruleset
variables
automatically
■ Assigning an
expression to a
ruleset using
objects that are not
available in the
context of the result
triggers a dialog, allowing to add the
respective variables to the ruleset
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 14
Context Explanation Feature
■ The button “Context
Overview” offers a list of
allowed or not allowed data
objects in the context of a
particular object
■ This feature allows to
quickly understand which
objects can be used and
which cannot
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 15
Context Sensitive Help
■ For each object,
there is context
sensitive help
content available
■ Button “Application
Help” directs to
respective help
content directly
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 16
Hotkeys
■ With NW 7.03, the
BRFplus workbench
allows for
customizable
hotkeys for quickly
accessing many
features
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 17
Helper/Administrative Reports
■ Transaction FDT_HELPERS
provides a bunch of
helper/administrative reports
■ E.g.
■ Cross-Reference Analysis
■ Cross-System Content
Comparison
■ Mass check of Objects in
Transport Requests
■ Is DDIC Binding Up-To-Date
■ …
New Features in Detail
Simulation
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 19
Simulation of Single Expressions
■ It is possible to
simulate a single
expression or action
(no function
assignment needed)
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 20
Simulation of all Versions, in Interpretation
or Generation Mode
■ All versions, not only
the active one, can
be run in simulation
■ Simulation can be
run in interpretation
mode as well as in
generation mode
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 21
Download of (Lean) Trace Results into MS Excel
■ The trace resulting
from simulation can
be downloaded to an
MS Excel File
■ In addition, the trace
output has been
reworked for better
comprehensibility
New Features in Detail
Expression Types and Action Types
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 23
Decision Table – Split Rows, Merge Rows, Rearrange
Decision Table Rows, Gap Analysis
■ New features for expression type decision table were
introduced
■ Generation of lines to close gaps
■ Merge of several lines into one line
■ Split of one line into several lines
■ Rearrange Decision
Table lines based on
generic cell value
■ Search capabilities
■ Filter capabilities
■ Improved performance in design time by factor up to 100 for big tables (i.e.,
with hundreds to thousands of lines)
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 24
Ruleset Tab for Function Objects
■ The new Ruleset tab
for Function objects
now shows
■ execution priority,
■ enablement status,
and
■ precondition (if
available)
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 25
Additional Checks in Function Objects and Native Lean
Trace Integration
■ For function objects, additional
checks are offered to check
■ Consistency of assigned
Rulesets
■ Readiness of Lean Trace
■ Activation status of referenced
objects
■ Display available traces directly
from BRFplus workbench
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 26
Code Template Generation
■ Generation of a code template for
backend integration of BRFplus
applications into your application
code
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 27
Workflow Integration
■ BRFplus can trigger a workflow
■ Action types Start Workflow, Raise
Workflow Event
■ A workflow can invoke BRFplus rules
■ Automatically generating BRFplus
application from Workflow
■ Semi-automatic parameter mapping
■ While this integration has already been
available in BRFplus 7.02, there are further
improvements and extensions in 7.03:
■ Automatically generate workflow task from an
existing BRFplus function
■ Within workflow activity, create BRFplus task
referencing an existing BRFplus task (for
instance, to extend the interface of an existing
task)
■ … and more
■ Also downported to NW 7.02
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 28
New Formula Functions
■ New Formula
functions in 7.03:
■ Conversion of one
timepoint type into
another
■ Dedicated functions
for getting [user |
system | time zone |
UTC] time
■ Some service
functions regarding
time zones
■ Also downported to
NW 7.02
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 29
Quantity Checks in Formula Parser
■ The new formula parser
checks for units and derives
resulting units
■ For instance
speed * time = distance
■ Impossible operations are
identified at design time
■ For instance
weight + distance
raises an error message
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 30
Dialog for Expression Results
■ When creating a new
expression, there is a
dialog that allows to
select the respective
result object(s)
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 31
Help and Filter in Formula Functions and New Formula
Parser
■ In formula expressions you
can filter the available
functions by category or
text
■ For each formula function,
there is a comprehensive
help available
■ New formula parser with
improved error or info
messages (text, position)
New Features in Detail
Performance, Cleanup, and Transport
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 33
Code Generation and Transport
■ When running BRFplus rules, ABAP code is generated automatically and
executed
■ Code generation was further optimized for improved runtime performance
■ Improved performance and reduced memory consumption in transport and
other usage scenarios
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 34
Cleanup
■ The backend automatically
removes unnamed unused
objects periodically
(transported or not)
■ Screenshot shows the
manual deletion of named
objects that are not used
■ Automatic cleanup in
transport
■ Improved tools in
application administration
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 35
Transport
■ A new tab Transport
Information in the
General section of
any object provides
information on
transport history
New Features in Detail
Usability
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 37
Usage of New Icons
■ New icons
indicating entity
types and
operations for
enhanced user
experience
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 38
BRFplus Workbench
■ Title Bar
■ Nicer Toolbars
■ Improved readability
■ Icons
■ one background color
■ Introduction of new form
layout
■ Right-aligned labels
■ stretched fields
■ “General” section for
objects collapsed by
default for better visibility
of object specifics
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 39
Search Dialog and Object Query
■ Simplified and
harmonized
search dialog
and object
query
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 40
Ruleset
■ Ruleset (and others):
Improved visual structure
of header and details area
for better readability
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 41
Boolean
■ Boolean: Improved visual
structure of details area
for better readability
© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 42
Tools
■ Improved and harmonized
UI for tools
■ Example: Application
Administration
Thank You!