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Function documentationGeneration of UI from a BOL Model

 

You can generate a comprehensive user interface (UI) based on an existing BOL (business object layer) model. This function is available in the form of a wizard. The wizard helps you to select only those BOL objects and queries that are relevant for the new application. The wizard also enables you to specify a sophisticated UI model based on the BOL model subset. The result is a fully functional UI application, which consists of a search page, an overview page, standard pushbuttons, dependent object pages (optional), and navigation between these pages.

The wizard allows you to generate views in different UI components.

The generated UIs have the following functions:

  • Navigation between the views of the same UI component and between the views of different UI components

  • Previous and Next pushbuttons

  • Data loss handling when navigating away from a page without saving the data

  • Standard pushbuttons, that is, New, Save, Cancel, Edit, Delete, Insert

  • Display and edit mode

  • Possibility to implement the creation of root object with parameters

    A hook (predefined location to insert code) is available to implement different possibilities for creating an object.

  • Default configuration for all views of the generated UI component (except for the search view)

  • Table views

    • Appending of rows at the end of tables

    • Fast selection of table rows

      For more information about fast selection of table rows, see Tables.

      There are no development activities required for the generated table views.

    • Fast row creation

      For more information about fast creation of table rows, see Tables.

      There are no development activities required for the generated table views.

Integration

You can start the wizard in the UI Component Workbench by choosing the Create Using Wizard pushbutton.

Prerequisites

You have the required authorization (developer authorization).

Features

Defining Application Properties

In the Define Application Properties step, the wizard allows you to define the basic settings of the new application. You must specify an existing package and genIL (generic interaction layer) component set, and then enter a unique name for the main UI component. You can select an existing UI object type or create a new one.

Defining a BOL Model (Subset)

In the Define BOL Model step, you select a subset of the BOL model of the BOL component set you specified in the previous step. You must specify a unique alias name for the BOL object you select. This alias is used to name all required objects for the generated UIs (for example, views, context nodes, and navigation links).

The BOL object model shows all relevant BOL objects in a tree structure. The top nodes are dynamic queries and root objects. Below the root objects, the tree structure shows the model relations. When you select a BOL object, you have to give it a unique alias name.

For more information about the BOL, see the following:

Defining a UI Model

You can create a UI model based on the BOL model subset you have defined.

You have the following options:

  • The wizard can automatically create the UI model by deriving the overview page, the search page, and the form or table views from the BOL model (Auto Create pushbutton).

  • You can manually add UI elements to the UI model or delete UI elements.

The UI model is a tree structure that contains all UI elements. Its top nodes can be one overview page, one search page, and several embeddable search pages. By default, the wizard uses the UI component for the UI elements you specified in the Define Application Properties step. You can specify a different UI component by double-clicking the top node.

Below each overview page, there are content views for all related objects, that is, table views or form views. Each 1:N relation allows you to add a suboverview page as a child of the table view.

You can double-click a UI element to view and modify its properties in the Define UI Element Details dialog box. You have the following options:

  • You can choose which field in the search result page serves as a navigation link to the overview page.

  • You can define whether each UI element can be edited or deleted.

    Your selection determines the pushbuttons that are available in the generated UIs. The following pushbuttons are available:

    • Overview page

      If you select the Editable checkbox: New, Save, Cancel

      If you select the Deletable checkbox: Delete

    • Form view

      If you select the Editable checkbox: Edit

    • Table view

      If you select the Editable checkbox: Edit (for table rows) and edit mode (for the whole table), Insert

      If you select the Deletable checkbox: Delete

    • Suboverview page: Back

Each UI element has a type (visible in the UI Element Details dialog box), for example, overview page, form view, table view. A UI element refers to a BOL model object via a context node. You can add additional context nodes to form views (references to other BOL model objects). In this case, the fields from multiple BOL model objects are displayed in the same view.

Defining Field Details

You can define the field details of each UI element. For each field, you can define the visibility and, for certain fields, you can define the rendering type depending on the data element in the ABAP Dictionary.

Generating the UI

In the previous step, you can see the UI objects that are to be generated. If the generation fails, a message is displayed that allows you to navigate back to the wizard. If you choose not to navigate back to the wizard, your settings (metadata) are lost.

You can check the generation status in the Enhancement Analyzer (transaction AXTSHOW) as long as the metadata are persisted. After successful generation, the metadata is deleted from the Enhancement Analyzer.

After the generation has finished, you can adjust the generated UI components using the UI Component Workbench.

You can then embed the generated UI in the same way as you embed rapid applications. For more information, see Embedding a Rapid Application. In the first step, select BOL Application as the application type.

More Information

UI Configuration Tool

UI Component Workbench