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Overview of Screen Scraping RecordingsLocate this document in the navigation structure

Concept

A recording invokes the transaction that you specify to capture the data for the dialog screens and fields started by the transaction.

The recording represents a script that is run in the batch input recorder session, to transform and save the data for use in Screen Scraping.

Caution

Occasionally, the batch input recorder does not capture all sub-screens contained in a screen, typically the last tab opened in a screen containing tabs. As a result, not all the sub-screens are available for mapping at design time. When this happens, you can create a new recording and in the last tab, press Enter to complete the recording.

You start recordings only within a recording group. The recording terminates when you exit the transaction, and a message to save the recording is displayed. Also, when an error occurs during the recording, it is immediately terminated.

The recording includes any screen that you open during the recording process, and information about program names, screen names, controls for the fields in the screen and their description.

Data Conversion

Screen Scraping automatically retrieves data from the screens recorded in a human readable format, similar to the output you see in the specific dialog screen of the transaction; using a conversion exit mechanism.

However, SAP Gateway services expose data in system format that is compliant with Open Data (OData) protocol.

The Data Model that you generate is a SAP Gateway service, and requires to be compliant with the mechanism and protocol. For this reason, the data that Screen Scraping retrieves must be converted to an internal system format.

At runtime, a SAP Gateway service based on Screen Scraping automatically converts the data retrieved to an internal system format.

Operation Types

An operation type defines the expected uses of the Data Model, and determines the method to be mapped to Properties in the Data Model.

In Screen Scraping, operation types are called recording types. Your Data Model can include the following recording types:

  • Read

    For more information, see Read-Only Data Based on Recordings.

  • Update

    In order to modify an existing object based on a recording, you select the option to include the update operation in the recording before you begin to record.

    Make sure that the transaction you want to record can modify data, for example, XD02.

    Note

    Recordings that include the update operation are discarded if they contain tables and SAP List Viewer (ALV).

  • Delete

    You record a transaction for the purposes of deleting existing objects in the SAP backend system, using the delete operation.

    Make sure that the transaction you record can delete data, for example, FI06.

  • Create

    You record a transaction for the purposes of creating a new business object in the SAP backend system, using the create operation.

    Make sure that the transaction you record can create data, for example, XD01.

    After recording, the recorded transaction, its screens, and fields are presented in the Screen Scraping Repository as a data source. Only the import fields in the recording are displayed together with a newly created message structure.

    The message structure name is the message ID and the description is the text captured in the recording. The message variable holding the instance ID of the newly created object can be mapped to a key Property in the model.

  • Query

    For more information about getting search help from recordings, see Getting Search Help Data Source.

Note

If the recorded screen does not contain any import field, it is not displayed.

Recordings that include the Create, Delete, and Update operations are discarded if they contain tables.

Recorded fields are denoted by the following attributes to help you to identify the expected behavior of the field:

  • Import

    A field is denoted as an import field when it receives data to be sent to a SAP Gateway service at runtime.

  • Export

    An export field only returns data from a SAP Gateway service at runtime.

  • Import and export or changing attributes

    A field can have both import and export attributes, denoting it as capable of sending and returning data to the SAP Gateway service.

More Information

For more information about recordings, see Recording a transaction, its screens and its fields.