/IWBEP/IF_MGW_ODATA_EXPAND

Method COMPARE_TO

This method compares a given string with the requested (sub)expand expression.

Method COMPARE_TO_TECH_NAMES

This method compares a given string with the requested (sub)expand expression.

The expand handling of SAP Gateway allows to handle certain expand expressions by the data providers without applying the generic expand functionality. It is up to the data provider developer to check for certain expand expressions which can be handled in an efficient way on the application side. The COMPARE_TO method can be used to check for several expand expressions which shall be handled by the application logic.

In the GET_EXPANDED_ENTITY / GET_EXPANDED_ENTITYSET methods you can use the comparator to check whether the expand expression should be delegated to the framework or whether it can be handled by the application. It can lead to the following results:

• It returns MATCH_SUBSET if you call COMPARE_TO_TECH_NAME( IV_EXPAND = 'PRODUCTS' ) - which is the indicator that you can return a table of categories in which every category entry has a 'PRODUCTS table component. The Supplier relation is in this case further expanded generically by the framework. Exporting parameter ET_EXPANDED_TECH_CLAUSES of GET_EXPANDED_ENTITY / GET_EXPANDED_ENTITYSET needs then to contain one entry 'PRODUCTS' to tell the framework that this expression has already been handled by the application.

• It returns MATCH_EQUALS if you call COMPARE_TO_TECH_NAME( IV_EXPAND = 'PRODUCTS/SUPPLIER' ) - which is the indicator that you can return a table of categories in which every category entry has a 'PRODUCTS table component and every products entry contains another structure component 'SUPPLIER' . Exporting parameter ET_EXPANDED_TECH_CLAUSES of GET_EXPANDED_ENTITY / GET_EXPANDED_ENTITYSET needs then to contain one entry 'PRODUCTS/SUPPLIER' to tell the framework that this expression has already been handled by the application. If the $expand expression follows several navigation paths for the Category which are handled by application the ET_EXPAND_TECH_CLAUSES need to contain an additional entry besides 'PRODUCTS/SUPPLIER' for each path.

Method GET_TECH_ENTITY_SET

This method returns the technical name of an entity set.

Method GET_TECH_ENTITY_TYPE

This method returns the technical name of an entity type.

Method GET_MULTIPLICITY

This method returns the cardinality 0..1, 1..1, 0..n or 1..n.

Method GET_CHILDREN

This method returns the child nodes of an entity.

Method GET_SELECTED_PROPERTIES

This method is similar to GET_SELECT_WITH_MANDTRY_KEYS of interface /IWBEP/IF_MGW_REQ_ENITY or /IWBEP/IF_MGW_REQ_ENITYSET and returns the selected properties including the mandatory fields (keys, etag, mime type mapping) of the current entity and also of all included expands.

Method GET_SELECT_ENTITY_PROPERTIES

This method is similar to GET_SELECT_ENTITY_PROPERTIES of interface /IWBEP/IF_MGW_REQ_ENITY or /IWBEP/IF_MGW_REQ_ENITYSET and contrary to GET_SELECT_PROPERTIES, it only returns the selected properties including the mandatory fields of the current entity.

Method IS_EXPAND_NEEDED

This method is provided to prevent unneeded expand, in order to improve processing performance.

Example: Using the request URI "...Orders(OrderId='1')?$expand=OrderDetails&$select=OrderDate" an OData consumer causes an expand from the order entity with key OrderId '1' to OrderDetail, but it only selects the property OrderDate from the order entity. That means the expand to OrderDetail is actually not needed, and the provider application can ignore the expand requirement.