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Modeling a Composite Application Using CAF DiagramLocate this document in the navigation structure

Use

Using CAF diagram to develop your composite application gives you a better overview of the content of the application and the relations between the different services. You also have a quicker and easier way of creating business object nodes, associations between them, application services, and dependencies on other services, and of importing of Web services and RFCs. You can add attributes to the business object nodes, choose the attribute types, and add operations to the business object nodes and application services.

The CAF diagram provides you with the following possibilities:

  • Elements of the diagram can be arranged depending on what you want to be visible when you work with the CAF diagram. You can also choose to show or hide the attributes and operations of the objects. You can include services and objects from reused applications, but they are read-only.
  • You can drag and drop already existing objects and services from the Composite Application Explorer or remove them from the diagram without deleting them from the model. You can also choose whether to show or hide the default attributes and operations of the objects. You can choose the default layout of diagram elements, which places them hierarchically with the root on the left.
  • For already existing applications, you can also create a diagram and continue the development of the application in a model-driven way.
    Caution

    The diagram editor may not display all application services and business object nodes that are available in the CAF application. Only those entities created using the diagram editor itself are automatically displayed in the diagram. If you have created an application service or business object, using the Composite Explorer context menu or the Composite Designer perspective, such newly created entities are not automatically added to the diagram. You have to drag and drop them manually in the diagram.

Prerequisites

You have opened Service Composer perspective in SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio.

Procedure

Opening the CAF Diagram

  1. In the Composite Application Explorer, navigate to the application and click it with the secondary mouse button and choose Open Diagram.

    An empty diagram is displayed.

    Note

    To arrange the elements in the diagram, click anywhere on the diagram with the secondary mouse button and choose Auto Layout → Default.

  2. To edit one of the objects in the application, navigate to the object in the Composite Application Explorer, click it with the secondary mouse button and choose Edit in Diagram.

    The diagram opens and contains the chosen object or service.

Modeling the Objects in a CAF Application

  1. To create an object,  choose the relevant option from the palette and drag and drop it on the diagram.

    You can drag and drop already existing objects and services from the Composite Application Explorer, or even drag and drop a whole package into the diagram and thus all the services and objects from this package and its sub-packages will be automatically added to the diagram.

  2. Enter the relevant details:
  3. To model your business object node or application service, you can use the speed buttons around the object. This way you can add attributes and operations to the objects.
    Note

    To hide or show the default attributes and operations, click anywhere on the diagram with the secondary mouse button, and choose Show/Hide → Show default BO attributes and operations.

Managing Relations Between Objects

To add a dependency or association, choose the relevant option from the palette under Connections.

More information: Modeling Service Operations

Importing External Services

  1. To import an external service, choose a relevant option from the palette under External,  drag and drop it on the diagram and enter the relevant details as usual. You can choose between the following options:
  2. To create default mappings for the imported external service, click it with the secondary mouse button and choose Default mappings.

    More information: Mapping Service Operations