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Background documentationBuilding Blocks for the UI Framework

 

User Interface

The UIs for MDG are based on ABAP Web Dynpro. They are built with Floor Plan Manager (FPM) using the Business Object Layer (BOL)/generic interaction layer (genIL) technology. This technology offers the following characteristics:

  • Loose coupling of the UIs to the MDG-specific processes

  • Flexible UI creation where the fields to be displayed are divided into small user interface building blocks (UIBBs). UIBBs support lists and forms as well as pop-ups, search input, and search results.

  • The ability to create object-specific UIs to create a consistent layout and a similar look and feel between the MDG UIs and the SAP GUI transactions

  • Reuse of the tables, structures, and fields (including their names) generated by MDG during UI creation

Generic Interaction Layer (genIL)

GenIL components are required for the MDG UIs. A genIL component consists of a genIL data model and one or more genIL implementation classes. SAP provides the genIL components for standard MDG data models. For custom MDG data models that are in the customer namespace, the system creates genIL components with the implementation class CL_USMD_GENERIC_GENIL_ADAPTER automatically.

When you activate an MDG data model that is in the customer namespace, the system creates two genIL components as local objects. The names of the components are as follows:

  • ZSP_<ID of MDG data model>

    This component is responsible for all user interfaces related to the single object processing of the entity types from your custom data model. If your data model ID, for example, is ZT, the genIL component is named ZSP_ZT.

  • ZMP<ID of MDG data model>

    This component is responsible for all user interfaces related to the multi-record processing of the entity types from your custom data model. If your data model ID, for example, is ZT, the genIL component is named ZMP_ZT.

You can check the successful creation of the genIL components by calling transaction GENIL_MODEL_BROWSER.

Note Note

If you work with a data model that is in the SAP namespace, you have to create the related genIL components and a transaction handler class manually. For more information, see Creating genIL Components and Transaction Handler Manually.

End of the note.

To view the genIL component, call transaction GENIL_MODEL_BROWSER in the SAP backend.

A genIL data model consists of objects and relations with the following characteristics:

  • Objects consist of attributes. Each attribute reflects a usable field on the UI.

  • Relations connect one object to another. They also define the cardinality of objects in a relationship. Relationships are reflected on the UI by the wires (connections) from one UIBB to another. The UIBB hierarchy in the OVP must be consistent with the genIL object hierarchy as defined by the relationships.

The genIL data models in MDG are dynamic. Any manual change to a genIL data model is strictly forbidden. The genIL data model is generated by its implementation class according to the runtime information of the MDG data model with the following characteristics:

  • Each entity type of storage and use type 1 of the data model is transferred to a genIL root object.

  • Each entity type of storage and use type 4 of the data model is transferred to a genIL dependent object.

  • Relations are determined and transferred into genIL relations.

    For example, between entity types of storage and use type 1 and entity type of storage and use type 1 or between entity type of storage and use type 1 and entity type of storage and use type 4.

  • Each entity type of storage and use type 1 retrieves additional genIL queries and query result objects to support the search.

  • If an entity type of storage and use type 1 supports multi-lingual texts, a dependent object is created in genIL to enable the text processing within a table.

  • If an entity type of storage and use type 1 supports attachments, two dependent objects are created in genIL to enable attachment processing within a table and processing of related pop-ups.

  • The generated structures belonging to an entity are used for the genIL key and attribute structures. This ensures that all fields of the MDG data model are available for the creation of the related user interfaces. Attribute structures are used by FPM to build the field catalog that is available during UI creation.

Enhancements of the MDG data model are reflected immediately after activation of the data model in the genIL component. Manual changes or enhancements of the MDG genIL components are strictly forbidden. If enhancements in genIL are required, all changes have to be implemented in a related genIL implementation class. It is mandatory that this class inherits data from the SAP class CL_USMD_GENERIC_GENIL_ADAPTER.