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Release note on the Business Navigator

Description

Navigation tool for the R/3 Reference Model in the R/3 Repository.

The display version of the R/3 Reference Model in the R/3 System is called the Business Navigator. Unlike the R/3 Analyzer, which is the the PC version of the R/3 Reference Model, you can use the Business Navigator to access the contents of the R/3 Reference Model from any computer where you use the R/3 System.

The integration of the Business Navigator with the R/3 System means that you can now click to access the following from the Component and Process flow views:

• the transactions of the SAP applications

• the R/3 documentation (providing it is available)

• the data models (via the I/O entities and the system organization units)

• the Implementation Guide (IMG)

• the Object Repository

Since the Business Navigator is simply a display tool, the models in it cannot currently be adapted or enhanced. The development of an API for the connection of modeling tools is planned for a later release.

Choose Tools -> Business Engineering -> Business Navigator to open the Business Navigator with the R/3 Reference Model in any R/3 application system.

When you open the Business Navigator, you can choose between these initial screens in order to reach the various structures and graphics of the R/3 Reference Model:

• Component view

• Process flow view

Navigation in the Business Navigator is largely based on hierarchical structures.

A line entry consists of:

- a symbol "+"

- a letter

- a 'long name', for example Materials Management. You may also wish to display a 10-character mnemonic short text, such as MM for example, by choosing Edit -> Hide/show code.

Depending on which part of the line entry you choose, a different result is achieved.

Clicking the "+" symbol:

By clicking on the symbol you open the subordinate structure level. You can close the structure you have just displayed by clicking again with the mouse. In this way you can navigate through all structure levels.

By positioning the cursor on the appropriate structure node and clicking 'Expand sub-tree' you can display the whole component structure beneath that node. By clicking 'Collapse sub-tree' the displayed structure can be shut again.

Double-clicking the short text code or the long name:

By double-clicking on a short text or a long name, you open a context-sensitive dialog box containing all the options available for this object.

Clicking an icon:

An icon implies that a diagram or a list display is asigned at the corresponding structure level. The following icons are used: (Note - If you use SAPscript display and the icons do not appear in this release note, you can see them in the online documentation for the R/3 Reference Model)

- in the Component view:

@4T@ = Process selection matrix

@4U@ = System organization diagram

@4X@ = Information flow

@3L@ = Functions/processes

@4S@ = Process diagram

@4W@ = Business object graphic

If, for example, you select an entry with a Functions/processes symbol by:

- clicking on it

- clicking Functions/processes, or

- choosing Goto -> Functions/processes

all functions and processes allocated to the application components are listed. Functions that are also displayed as process diagrams are marked with the corresponding icon.

- in the Process flow view:

@50@ = Communications diagram

@4V@ = Scenario

@4s@ = Process diagram

Within a graphic, you can select an object with one click, for example to open the where-used list from the menu. When dealing with complex diagrams, you can choose the part of the diagram you want to zoom in on with the help of the navigation area.

The window can be moved in the navigation area using the middle or right mouse button. By clicking on a corner of the navigation window and dragging it you can change the diagram display. You can also use the pushbuttons Zoom in and Zoom out to select the size of the display. You can call a magnifying glass function in the display area which makes it possible to zoom in on selected objects by holding down the CTRL key while clicking the left mouse button.

Double-click the short text to open a dialog box containing different options.

Depending on the view and at which structure level an object is located, the dialog box can contain different options:

Cross-application options:

• Attributes: Details, for example the processing method or the transaction code of a function, are displayed for the individual objects

• R/3 documentation: Additional information on the selected object can be displayed by opening the R/3 documentation

• Functions/processes: Contains the list of the functions and the processes for a business application component

• Information flows: Which information objects are exchanged between which business application components, displayed in list form.

• Input/output assignment: Which information objects are needed as input for a process or are generated as ouput, displayed in list form.

• Organization unit assignment: All organization unit types which are relevant to a process are displayed in list form

• System organization diagram: This diagram contains the system organization units of a business application component

• Process selection matrix: Contains all processes of an application or a business application component

• Process: This diagram represents a business process in graphic form.

• Scenario: A summarized process chain that includes several detail processes.

• Transaction: Opens a transaction that is allocated to a function/process chain

• Where-used list: The where-used list tells you all the models in which the selected object appears.

• Communications diagram: Displays the communication relationships between organization units

• Business objects: This diagram contains Business objects of a business application component node

• IMG activities: Displays Implementation Guide activities assigned to a component and its subnodes.

• Scenario selection matrix: This diagram contains the scenarios of a company area.

• Project documentation: Opens SAPoffice for your company's documentation of business application components and processes

• Status: Use this function to maintain project-dependent statuses and persons in charge of a process.

• Print: Prints the current hierarchy structure on a designated printer.

• Legend: This function shows the abbreviations used (for example I, O, F, M, B) and the long names.

• Exit: Standard function of the R/3 System

• Expand sub-tree: By positioning the cursor on an icon in the structure and choosing Expand sub-tree you display all objects subordinated to this structure node.

• Collapse sub-tree: By positioning the cursor on an icon in the structureand choosing Collapse sub-tree, all objects that were previously displayed for this structure node are hidden and the structure is closed.

• Global search: To search for objects with certain attributes, make the

• corresponding entries in the search fields.

• Component filter: (Only available in the Component view) You use this function to select your business application components according to the criterion Company or Project. If you want to change the filter after a selection has been carried out, restart the Business Navigator.

• Hide/show code: In the Component view you can display and hide the component identifier.

• Cancel: Standard function of the R/3 System

• Navigation options: Opens a pop-up window in which you can specify different navigation options.

• Attributes: Opens the attribute screen for an object.

• R/3 documentation: Opens the appropriate R/3 Winhelp documentation.

• Project documentation: You use this function to go directly from the Business Navigator to a parallel component folder structure in SAPoffice. In SAPoffice you can assign user-specific documentation to an object. There is a mail folder for the object. You can have the folders created automatically when the Enterprise IMG is generated. If there is no mail folder for an object, the object was not selected for your Enterprise IMG. There are folders specific to projects and cross-project files.

• System organization diagram: Opens an assigned organization diagram

• Process selection matrix: Opens a process selection matrix for the selected business application component

• Information flows: Opens the information flow display

• Functions/processes: Opens an assigned process diagram

• Business objects: You can open the graphic of the business object with this function.

• IMG activities: Displays Implementation Guide activities assigned to a component and its subnodes.

• Process flow view: Takes you into the Process flow view of the R/3 Reference Model.

• Back: Standard function of the R/3 System

• Navigation options: Opens a dialog box in which you can specify different navigation options.

• Attributes: Opens the attribute screen for an object.

• R/3 documentation: Opens the relevant R/3 Winhelp documentation.

• Communications diagram: Displays the communication relationships between organization units

• Scenario: Opens the assigned scenario process

• Process: Opens the assigned process

• Input/output assignment: Opens a list of the assigned information objects

• Organization unit assignment: Opens the list of assigned system organization units

• IMG activities: Displays Implementation Guide activities assigned to a component and its subnodes.

• Component view: Takes you into the Component view of the R/3 Reference Model.

• Back: Standard function of the R/3 System

• Repository infoystem: Use this command to search for an object or open the where-used list

• Status analysis: (This functionality is available in the Component view only.) You can store various kinds of status information for each project. You can use status analysis to evaluate that information. You decide the selection criteria to be applied to your analyses and how the results are to be presented. To go to the attribute window of a function, you double-click on its line in the analysis. You choose Navigation options to display a navigation window. By positioning your cursor on an option and double-clicking you can open that option.

• Standard menu of the R/3 System

• Standard menu of the R/3 System

• Print: Prints the current graphic

• Exit: Standard function of the R/3 System

• Find: You can search for an object in a diagram

• Select: Select or deselect all objects in the graphic, or selects the objects that were unselected and deselects those that were selected (toggle function).

• Visibility: Shows or hides nodes, or makes them transparent.

• Cancel: Standard function of the R/3 System

• Navigation options: Opens a pop-up window in which you can specify different navigation options.

• Function: The attributes, the R/3 documentation and the transaction can be opened for a function.

• Event: The attributes can be opened for an event

• Process path: The attributes, the R/3 documentation, the transaction, the input/output assignment, the organization unit assignment and the respective process can be opened for a process path.

• Process: Attributes and the corresponding scenario process can be opened for a scenario

• Back: Standard function of the R/3 System

• Where-used list: Shows you in which diagrams or structures a selected object is used.

• ABAP/4 Repository Information System: Use this command to search for an object or open the where-used list

• Legend: You can display the legend for a diagram at different positions within the display area.

• Select (type): You can set how the selection of objects is displayed

• Select (objects): You can set whether only objects or links and objects should be chosen when selecting.

• Attribute positions: Choose this command to display attributes for a function in the diagram.

• Release filter:

• Standard: With this option, the display area is shown with the navigation area to its right.

• Display: The display area only is displayed with this option.

• Complete view: With this option, a whole diagram is displayed on the screen.

• Center on selected object: One or more selected objects are displayed in the middle of the screen.

• Zoom in: The system zooms in on the objects of a diagram.

• Zoom out: The system zooms out from the objects of a diagram.

• Extended help: Standard function of the R/3 System

• Product information: About the graphic frontend

The component view contains a list of the business application components that are available for the current release status in the SAP System and therefore in the R/3 Reference Model.

Application components in list form are positioned in a business application component structure that you can open level by level.

The information flows that exist between the different business application components are assigned at the second structure level.

The information on the information flows is displayed in list form and not in graphic form.

The business application components listed under 'Sources' supply information to another business application component; the business application components listed under 'Targets' receive information from another business application component.

You display the information objects exchanged between two business application components by selecting one or more source business application component(s) or target business application component(s) and clicking Continue.

You double click on an information object to display further information from the data models, for example the entity definitions or the object repository definition.

Business objects are assigned at different levels.

Choose Goto -> Process flow view to open the Process flow view.

The Process flow view The upper structure level in the Process flow view contains the various enterprise areas. Where a line is marked with the Communications diagram icon you can open the communications diagram for the enterprise area in question.

The next structure level contains the scenario processes. The individual processes for each scenario process can be opened at the structure level immediately below.