Carsten Bonnen, Mario Herger

SAP NetWeaver™ Visual Composer

Galileo Press

Bonn • Boston

Contents

Foreword 13

Introduction

2 SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer

3 Model-Driven Development

2.1 SAP NetWeaver 26

2.2 Building Applications for SAP NetWeaver 29

2.3 A Model-Driven Tool 31

2.3.1 From Business Analyst to Business

Process Expert 32

2.3.2 Freestyle Models 34

2.3.3 SAP's UI Strategy 38

2.3.4 Benefits of SAP NetWeaver Visual

Composer 40

2.4 Visual Composer Today 42

2.4.1 SAP Visual Composer for NetWeaver

2004s 42

2.4.2 SAP Visual Composer 6.0 49

3.1 Basics 56

3.2 Model-to-Code Approach 58

3.3 Model-Driven Development Within SAP 59

3.3.1 SAP NetWeaver Business Intelligence 60

3.3.2 Web Dynpro 60

3.3.3 SAP Composite Application Framework 61

3.3.4 Comparison Matrix 61

3.4 Visual Composer as Visual Modeling Tool 62

3.5 Parting Thoughts 64

BSSEI4.1 Architecture of SAP Visual Composer for

NetWeaver 2004s 684.1.1 Visual Composer Storyboard 69

4.1.2 Visual Composer Server 75

4.1.3 SAP NetWeaver Portal 80

4 Architecture and Concepts ..

Contents

4.1.4 WebBrowser 84

4.1.5 Summary 84

4.2 Visual Composer within the SAP NetWeaver

Development Infrastructure 86

4.3 How to Choose the Right Modeling Tool 87

4.3.1 SAP Composite Application Framework 88

4.3.2 Guided Procedures 89

4.3.3 Business Process Modeling 89

4.3.4 SAP Business Explorer Suite 90

5 Visual Composer Basics

5.1 Visual Composer Storyboard 93

5.1.1 Main Menu 94

5.1.2 Main Toolbar 116

5.1.3 Task Panel and Task Panel Toolbar 117

5.1.4 Board Toolbox 122

5.1.5 Navigation Bar 123

5.1.6 Console 124

5.2 Composing a Model 125

5.2.1 Components 126

5.2.2 Connectors 132

5.2.3 Operators 136

5.2.4 Additional Operators 139

5.3 Ul Controls 142

5.3.1 Bulleted List 143

5.3.2 Calendar 144

5.3.3 Checkbox 145

5.3.4 Clock 1465.3.5 Combo Box 147

5.3.6 Date Picker 148

5.3.7 Drop-Down List 149

5.3.8 Expression Box 150

5.3.9 Gauge 151

5.3.10 HSIider 152

5.3.11 HTML Text 153

5.3.12 Image 154

5.3.13 Input Field 155

5.3.14 List Box 156

5.3.15 Numbered List 157

5.3.16 Plain Text 157

5.3.17 Progress Bar 158

Contents

6 Building Applications 179

6.16.2

5.3.18 Pushbutton 159

5.3.19 Radio Group 160

5.3.20 Spinner 161

5.3.21 Text Editor 162

5.3.22 Ticker 163

5.3.23 Toggle Button 164

5.3.24 VSIider 165

5.4 Expression Editor 166

Getting Started— The Basic Model 179

Transactional Applications—Accessing ERP from

Visual Composer 181

6.2.1 The First Application 182

6.2.2 Adding More Complex Data Services 192

6.2.3 Adding Toolbars, Popups, and Charts 205

6.2.4 Adding Layers 215

6.2.5 Working with Data Stores and Visibility

Conditions 221

6.2.6 AddingaWizard 227

6.2.7 Eventing in Visual Composer 251

6.3 Accessing Web Services 259

7.1 Bl Kit Connections 279

7.1.1 SAP NetWeaver Bl 281

7.1.2 SAP Query 282

7.1.3 JDBC 283

7.1.4 XMLA 285

7.1.5 ODBO 286

7.2 Bl Kit Tools 287

7.2.1 First Bl Example , 287

7.2.2 Bl Integration Wizard 292

7.2.3 SAP Bl Queries 295

7.2.4 JDBC 312

7.2.5 SAP Query 319

7.2.6 XMLA 319

7.2.7 ODBO 338

7.2.8 SQL Editor 338

7.2.9 MDX Editor 343

7 Analytical Applications .. 279

Contents

8 Application Lifecycle ............................................... 399

7.2.10 Exceptions 346

7.2.11 Alerts 347

7.2.12 Hierarchies 357

7.2.13 Sorting 370

7.2.14 Filtering 371

7.2.15 Dynamic Columns 372

7.2.16 Pivot and ALV 377

7.3 Integration 378

7.3.1 Bl Elements 378

7.3.2 Bl Workbooks 389

7.3.3 Bl Documents Store 389

7.3.4 Planning Functionality 392

7.3.5 Exporting Data to Different Targets 392

8.1 Visual Composer System Landscape 399

8.1.1 Transporting Models 399

8.1.2 Transporting Applications 400

8.1.3 Down Porting Applications 403

8.1.4 Upgrading Models and Applications 407

8.1.5 Versioning 407

8.1.6 Personalization 408

8.1.7 Localization 409

8.1.8 Testing and Monitoring 419

8.1.9 Documentation and Help 423

8.2 Backend and Portal Systems 423

8.2.1 Portal 423

8.2.2 SAP NetWeaver BI 423

8.2.3 Other Data Sources 425

9.1 Best Practice Scorecarding 427

9.2 Account Analytics 429

9.3 Treasury and Financial Investment Controlling 430

9.4 Summary 433

10 Visual Composer and Enterprise SOA 435

427

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Contents

Appendix. 439

Modeling and Tips 441

A.1 General Portal Issues 441

A.2 Enable the Visual Composer Log 443

A.3 Unlocking a Visual Composer Model 443

A.4 Percentage Sign 444

A.5 Chart Design 445

A.6 Changing Colors for Visual Composer

Applications 445

A.7 Searching for Visual Composer iViews in

the Portal 446A.8 Performance Issues with Bl JDBC Connector 447

A.9 No Metadata from the Bl JDBC Connector 448

A.10 No Metadata from the Bl XMLA Connector 448

A.11 Cannot See the InfoCube Under Bl XMLA 448

A.12 Performance Issues and Limitations with the

Bl XMLA/ODBO Connector 449

A.13 INVALID_VARIABLE_VALUES# 450

A.14 Wrong Language 451

A.15 Language Mapping 452

A.16 Strange Names for Query Elements 452

A.17 Web Service Enablement 452

A.18 "Authority Check" Error 454

A.19 "Virtual Interface not found" Error 455

A.20 "Serialization" Error 456

A.21 Drop-Down List and Combo Box 458

A.22 Visual Composer and SAP BW/

SAP NetWeaver Bl Sizing 458

A.23 Formats of Date, Time, Units 458

A.24 Problems with Mandatory Variables in Bl XMLA 459

A.25 SAP Query Result Fields and Select Fields 459

A.26 Writing Data Back 460A.27 Jump to Detailed Analysis (from Alert dr Any

Other Link) 460

A.28 Usinga Dynamic RFC 461

A.29 Sorting on Bl Data with More Than 500 Records 461

A.30 Calling Analysis Process Designer or Process Chain .... 462

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Contents

B Coding for Integration Examples 463

B.1 BEx Integration 463

B.2 Document Integration 472

B.3 Additional Code for Meta and Transactional

Data Document Association 506

B.4 Dynamic RFC 510

C The Authors 513

Index 515

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