Tutorial: Workflow Programming

Use

This tutorial provides a step-by-step introduction to defining and implementing object types in the Business Object Repository (BOR). You should carry out these steps in the system yourself.

The tutorial is intended for both customers and consultants who want to modify the scenarios provided by SAP. It is also designed for developers within SAP who want to connect their application component to the workflow functionality.

This tutorial is not designed to replace the documentation on the Business Object Repository, which you can consult for further details. For more information, see the Business Object Builder in the SAP Business Workflow documentation.

Prerequisites

To be able to work through this tutorial, you must be familiar with the basic ABAP programming principles.

You should have initial practical experience using SAP Business Workflow and have worked through the Tutorial: Workflow Modeling.

Process

The individual sections of this tutorial provide a step-by-step introduction to working with the Business Object Builder, creating, maintaining, and implementing object types, and also point out the aspects that require consideration.

These steps are explained using the example of the object type definition sales order. If you do not yet have any experience of object types, execute these examples directly in the system. In particular, use the options given to test "your" object type to see whether your work has been successful. If you want to maintain your own object types in the Business Object Repository, go through this tutorial using the individual sections as a type of "check list".

If you want to maintain your own object types in the Business Object Repository, go through this tutorial using the individual sections as a type of "check list". If you use this tutorial to create your own object types, knowledge of the application environment of the object type to be maintained is absolutely essential. In particular, you should know in which tables the data (attributes) of the object type is stored and which transactions or function modules are used to call the main operations (methods) for objects of this type.

Tutorial Structure

The tutorial assumes that no object type sales order exists in the system or is to be maintained in the Business Object Repository. (However, this object type does already exist. Do not let this irritate you). Read how to create an object type in Unit 1: Creating Object Types in the Business Object Repository.

In the following units of this tutorial, you extend this object type by adding selected attributes, methods, and events:

Attributes
DocumentDate	Unit 2: Creating Database Field Attributes
SoldToParty	Unit 3: Creating Object Database Field Attributes
TextWithDocumentNo	Unit 4: Creating Virtual Attributes
SalesGroup	Unit 5: Creating Object Virtual Attributes
Items	Unit 6: Creating Multi-Lined Virtual Attributes
Methods
Edit	Unit 7: Creating Method Edit without Parameters
ExistenceCheck	Unit 8: Creating Method ExistenceCheck without Parameters
Display	Unit 9: Creating Method Display without Parameters
Create	Unit 10: Creating Method with Parameters
Events
DelBlockCancelled	Unit 11: Results and their Creation

Note

In production operation, you will often encounter situations in which the object type to be maintained already exists in the Business Object Repository and is (only) to be extended, because you think customer-specific extensions or adaptations are required in particular areas.

For situations of this kind, refer to Extending Object Types: Inheritance and Delegation to discover how to derive a "new" object type from an existing object type as a subtype, which can then be extended. Creating an object type as a sub-type "saves" you maintaining the basic data and creating key fields. The further maintenance of this object type (creating methods, attributes, and events) is exactly the same as for maintaining a completely new object type.

Implementation program for example

Every object type defined in the Business Object Repository has one implementation program containing the implementation of the key fields, methods, and attributes of this object type.

The implementation program of the object type created in the example is listed in the Appendix: Implementation Program for Object Type Z_BUS2032 of this tutorial. Reference is made in the individual units of this tutorial to the appropriate lines of this program.