
SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer
Building model-driven business applications
SAP PRESS
1st Edition
Published on 28. October 2006
Book
Hardback
524 pages
978-1-59229-099-4 (ISBN)
Description
Most application developers, IT specialists, and business process experts are already aware that SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer is the new standard for modelling and designing business applications. This much-anticipated new book is a benchmark work, providing readers with comprehensive, in-depth coverage of all aspects of Visual Composer.
First, the authors introduce you to model-driven development, highlighting the various tools that are at your disposal. Then, you'll learn the ins and outs of the Visual Composer architecture-including details on all available elements. Significant differences between the current version, SAP Visual Composer for NetWeaver 2004s, and previous releases are explained clearly. You'll be able to take full advantage of the vast capabilities of Visual Composer as you build your own analytical applications using the authors' practical expert advice.
In addition, an entire chapter is dedicated to the advantages of the BI Kit and its tools. You'll also learn about development lifecycle aspects, get tips and tricks on configuration settings and known limitations, and discover analytical applications-plus key insights on their utilization.
Highlights include:
Overview and comparison of SAP development tools
Introduction to terminology and concepts of model driven development
Details on all Visual Composer elements: components, connectors, operators, UI controls
Building applications with Visual Composer using data services, different views, layers, wizards, eventing, web services, etc.
Building analytical applications using the BI Kit and related tools
Lifecycle aspects: transporting, upgrading, localization, versioning, personalization
Business scenarios with Enterprise SOA
Best practices for configuration settings, modelling issues, limitations
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Bonn
Germany
Target group
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
New edition
Dimensions
Height: 24 cm
Width: 16.8 cm
ISBN-13
978-1-59229-099-4 (9781592290994)
Schweitzer Classification
Persons
Author
Carsten Bönnen received his M.A. in Computerlinguistics and Artificial Intelligence in Germany in 2001. He has been with SAP since then. Starting as a Java developer and trainer he later worked as a consultant. By the end of 2002 he became a Product Manager for the SAP NetWeaver Portal. In 2003 he then was introduced to a new tool called "GUI Machine". He took over Product Management responsibility for this new product which should become famous as Visual Composer later on. Today Carsten Bönnen works as Product Manager for the SAP NetWeaver UI strategy.
Mario Herger received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering at the University of Technology in Vienna in 1997 and also holds a degree from the University of Economics and Business Administration in Vienna. He started with SAP in the BW Content team as business content developer and coordinator in 1998. From 2002 until 2004 he was with the xApps/CAF-team from the very beginning as architect, developer and product manager. In 2005 he became development manager for the BI team in Palo Alto, California, where he was responsible for the BI Kit for Visual Composer. Since October 2006 he is in the Business Process Expert team and works on the creation and structuring of this new community.
Content
Foreword ... 13
1. Introduction ... 17
2. SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer ... 25
... 2.1 SAP NetWeaver ... 26
... 2.2 Building Applications for SAP NetWeaver ... 29
... 2.3 A Model-Driven Tool ... 31
... 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. Model-Driven Development ... 55
... 3.1 Basics ... 56
... 3.2 Model-to-Code Approach ... 58
... 3.3 Model-Driven Development Within SAP ... 59
... 3.4 Visual Composer as Visual Modeling Tool ... 62
... 3.5 Parting Thoughts ... 64
4. Architecture and Concepts ... 67
... 4.1 Architecture of SAP Visual Composer for NetWeaver 2004s ... 68
... 4.2 Visual Composer within the SAP NetWeaver Development Infrastructure ... 86
... 4.3 How to Choose the Right Modeling Tool ... 87
5. Visual Composer Basics ... 91
... 5.1 Visual Composer Storyboard ... 93
... 5.2 Composing a Model ... 125
... 5.3 UI Controls ... 142
... 5.4 Expression Editor ... 166
6. Building Applications ... 179
... 6.1 Getting Started-The Basic Model ... 179
... 6.2 Transactional Applications-Accessing ERP from Visual Composer ... 181
... 6.3 Accessing Web Services ... 259
7. Analytical Applications ... 279
... 7.1 BI Kit Connections ... 279
... 7.2 BI Kit Tools ... 287
... 7.3 Integration ... 378
8. Application Lifecycle ... 399
... 8.1 Visual Composer System Landscape ... 399
... 8.2 Backend and Portal Systems ... 423
9. Business Examples ... 427
... 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
A. 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 ... 446
... A.8 Performance Issues with BI JDBC Connector ... 447
... A.9 No Metadata from the BI JDBC Connector ... 448
... A.10 No Metadata from the BI XMLA Connector ... 448
... A.11 Cannot See the InfoCube Under BI XMLA ... 448
... A.12 Performance Issues and Limitations with the BI 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 BI Sizing ... 458
... A.23 Formats of Date, Time, Units ... 458
... A.24 Problems with Mandatory Variables in BI XMLA ... 459
... A.25 SAP Query Result Fields and Select Fields ... 459
... A.26 Writing Data Back ... 460
... A.27 Jump to Detailed Analysis (from Alert or Any Other Link) ... 460
... A.28 Using a Dynamic RFC ... 461
... A.29 Sorting on BI Data with More Than 500 Records ... 461
... A.30 Calling Analysis Process Designer or Process Chain ... 462
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
1. Introduction ... 17
2. SAP NetWeaver Visual Composer ... 25
... 2.1 SAP NetWeaver ... 26
... 2.2 Building Applications for SAP NetWeaver ... 29
... 2.3 A Model-Driven Tool ... 31
... 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. Model-Driven Development ... 55
... 3.1 Basics ... 56
... 3.2 Model-to-Code Approach ... 58
... 3.3 Model-Driven Development Within SAP ... 59
... 3.4 Visual Composer as Visual Modeling Tool ... 62
... 3.5 Parting Thoughts ... 64
4. Architecture and Concepts ... 67
... 4.1 Architecture of SAP Visual Composer for NetWeaver 2004s ... 68
... 4.2 Visual Composer within the SAP NetWeaver Development Infrastructure ... 86
... 4.3 How to Choose the Right Modeling Tool ... 87
5. Visual Composer Basics ... 91
... 5.1 Visual Composer Storyboard ... 93
... 5.2 Composing a Model ... 125
... 5.3 UI Controls ... 142
... 5.4 Expression Editor ... 166
6. Building Applications ... 179
... 6.1 Getting Started-The Basic Model ... 179
... 6.2 Transactional Applications-Accessing ERP from Visual Composer ... 181
... 6.3 Accessing Web Services ... 259
7. Analytical Applications ... 279
... 7.1 BI Kit Connections ... 279
... 7.2 BI Kit Tools ... 287
... 7.3 Integration ... 378
8. Application Lifecycle ... 399
... 8.1 Visual Composer System Landscape ... 399
... 8.2 Backend and Portal Systems ... 423
9. Business Examples ... 427
... 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
A. 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 ... 446
... A.8 Performance Issues with BI JDBC Connector ... 447
... A.9 No Metadata from the BI JDBC Connector ... 448
... A.10 No Metadata from the BI XMLA Connector ... 448
... A.11 Cannot See the InfoCube Under BI XMLA ... 448
... A.12 Performance Issues and Limitations with the BI 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 BI Sizing ... 458
... A.23 Formats of Date, Time, Units ... 458
... A.24 Problems with Mandatory Variables in BI XMLA ... 459
... A.25 SAP Query Result Fields and Select Fields ... 459
... A.26 Writing Data Back ... 460
... A.27 Jump to Detailed Analysis (from Alert or Any Other Link) ... 460
... A.28 Using a Dynamic RFC ... 461
... A.29 Sorting on BI Data with More Than 500 Records ... 461
... A.30 Calling Analysis Process Designer or Process Chain ... 462
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