ITS Flow Logic: Reference
Purpose
This documentation describes an implementation model for developing screen-independent Internet applications that are driven by the Internet Transaction Server (ITS), access data in the R/3 System (or any other external system) and can run from any Web browser.
ITS Flow Logic allows you to develop applications that consist of linked HTML pages, which you can populate with data retrieved from the R/3 System (or any other external system). The pages can offer a range of application functions, and are generated by following hyperlinks or processing HTML forms. The dialog flow is determined on the client side by the user, who can navigate freely between pages.
Since the dialog flow is not fixed in advance, much depends on what the user decides to do. This contrasts with the dialog flow in other business scenarios, where the business application can put restrictions on how users can navigate.
The following graphic illustrates the basic concept:
This documentation describes how to develop applications where the business logic is implemented in modules called from the R/3 System.
In future releases, it will be possible to define module calls from any external system.
Implementation Considerations
You should consider using ITS Flow Logic for applications that offer many application functions on one page and the dialog flow is not fixed in advance.
Such applications have simple point-and-click user interfaces, limited manual data input, and reduced data formatting requirements. They are often used in e-commerce scenarios.
Integration
To develop applications based on ITS Flow Logic, you need to install the following components:
The ITS forms the interface between the R/3 System and the Internet.
The SAP@Web Studio is a PC tool for implementing services, which include all the files required by the ITS to drive applications.
Features
Like all other implementation models, there is a clear separation between business logic and presentation aspects. In this case, defining the dialog flow is also a separate task.
If you are implementing the business logic in the R/3 System, you create Business APIs (BAPIs) or standard remote-enabled function modules (RFCs) with the Function Builder in the ABAP Workbench.
To do this, you need to create an ITS service, which contains all the files required to implement and run the application.
You design the presentation by creating a set of HTML templates.
You implement the dialog flow by defining flow logic in flow files. Flow logic operates like a state machine, because it defines the sequence in which modules are called based on events and exceptions.
There is one flow file for each HTML template that requires a dialog flow definition.
Using flow files gives you more flexibility when developing Internet applications, because you can define both the presentation and the dialog flow independently of the business logic.
ITS Flow Logic is suitable for developing applications that offer at least some of the following features:
This documentation is a reference guide for ITS Flow Logic.
For a step-by-step introduction to developing applications based on ITS Flow Logic, see:
ITS Flow Logic: Tutorial.
Further Information
For further information about other ITS implementation models, see:
ITS Implementation Models For further information about how to use the SAP@Web Studio, see:
SAP@Web Studio
Constraints
To implement Internet applications based on ITS Flow Logic, you should have:
To implement applications based on ITS Flow Logic with R/3 Systems from Release 3.1H to at least 4.6A, you need Workplace Plug-In 2.10. For further information, see SAP Note 215609.