Mobile Client Companion Customization 

Purpose

This process describes the steps required to customize the standard mobile client companion (application that is used on a PDA device, for example, Mobile Sales Pharma) delivered by SAP. This process describes how to:

·        Model the user interface of a mobile client companion

·        Reuse the business logic, which is defined for a mobile client application, for a mobile client companion

Mobile client companion is intended to meet the requirements of application users, who prefer to use PDAs along with mobile clients. However, the companion cannot replace a mobile client application. Each companion must be accompanied by a corresponding application. This is required because, a companion:

·        Provides minimal functions, as the screen area of a PDA device is small, the processing power and memory are less when compared with a Mobile Client. Therefore, application users can perform only a few of their day-to-day activities.

·        Can exchange business data only with the user database on a Mobile Client. Users must use an application to synchronize business data between the PDA device and the Mobile Client.

The Mobile Application Studio (MAS) allows you to customize applications as well as a companion. You can reuse the development objects, which are modeled for an application, for a companion also. However, you must modify specific development objects to meet the modeling guidelines of a companion.

Prerequisites

You have:

·        Installed Microsoft eMbedded Visual Basic on the Mobile Development Workstation.

·        Enabled the development environment in MAS.

For more information, see Enabling the Mobile Client Companion Development Environment.

·        Ensured that a mobile client application, which corresponds to the mobile client companion you want to customize, is available on the Mobile Client.

Process Flow

...

       1.      The MAS users reuse the business objects that are modeled for a mobile client application. The users modify specific objects such as parameters of business object relationships, combo engines and their hierarchies to adhere to the guidelines of a mobile client companion. For more information, see Customization of the Companion Business Logic.

       2.      The MAS users model user interface of the companion by modeling tiles, tile sets, a business component and an application for a companion.

For more information, see Customization of the Companion User Interface.

       3.      The MAS user generates the customized mobile client companion to obtain runtime files. For more information, see Generating a Mobile Client Companion.

       4.      The MAS user creates an installation package for the latest mobile client companion. For more information, see Creating an Installation Package for a Mobile Client Companion.

       5.      The system administrator creates an upgrade by including the installation package, and sends the upgrade to Mobile Clients using Mobile Upgrade Console.

       6.      The application user connects the PDA device to a laptop and executes a set up program. The set up program updates the mobile client companion, which exists in the PDA device, with the latest version of the companion.

Result

The standard mobile client companion has been customized and updated on the PDA device.

See also:

 

Mobile Upgrade Console