SAP focuses on UIs based on building blocks

BANGALORE: Sharing its outlook regarding NetWeaver developer tools, SAP today said that it is focusing on developing user interfaces based on building blocks.

Kenichi Unnai, SAP Japan, deliberating on the technical session - The Novice's Guide to SAP NetWeaver Development Scenario said, “Outlook is on developing user interfaces based on building blocks where a building block is a generic configurable web development component.”

Earlier, Unnai detailed on some of the development tools offered by SAP and highlighted their benefits, availability, special features, differentiators, etc.

According to SAP, the model-driven creation of portal iViews avoids coding completely and significantly reduces development effort. It is targeted at business analysts rather than developers.

SAP also provides a user interface for analytic applications and its model-driven application presents business data and lets users run queries on SAP NetWeaver Business intelligence component.

Unnai added, “J2EE Developer is a standards compliant, portable application and the porting kit allows migrating existing J2EE applications to SAP NetWeaver. A large developer community exists for this technology independent of SAP. Besides, J2EE standards for interoperability will also go well with SAP's Exchange Infrastructure.”

J2EE and Web Service tools in the SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio have special tools for creating Enterprise Java Beans. The wizard also allows creation of Web Services with a few clicks.

Another tool titled User interfaces with Web Dynpro for Java is device independent and is flexible with regards to client technology including Internet browser, smart client, mobile devices and offline forms.

Its user interface centric programming based on the model-view controller paradigm assumes a back-end that exposes the business logic. It is much more holistic than web-page-oriented approaches like JSP.

Besides, it easily integrates with interactive user interface for online and offline scenarios.

Designing Composite APPs with CAF, another development tool is guided by a common methodology for building composite applications. It can generate Java code from interface definitions of objects and services. The focus is on taking back-end services and tying them together into new innovative applications. It can generate code for features such as collaboration, authorization, management, logging and tracking, etc. It also has an extra-design tool for user-centric processes.

User interfaces with Web DynPro for ABAP is also another flexible tool with regards to client technology. Unlike with Java DynPro, there is no technology break between components.

Business Services implemented in ABAP will enhance and modify functionality of existing applications and expose it in Web Services. It leverages the maturity and power of ABAP environment.