Layout Hierarchy for iViews and Web Applications 

Depending on the container elements used, different application types can have different layout hierarchies. In the case of the portal environment, there are Web applications and iViews. Both application types use different containers, serve different purposes, and therefore differ in complexity with respect to the layout.

iView

●     Tray = iView container

○     Tabstrip - may contain:

■      Group (if it is not the only element)

■      Subgroup

■      Table View (if it is not the only element)

■      Simple Elements

■      Separators

○     Group - may contain:

■      Group (if it is not the only element, different group types only)

■      Subgroup

■      Table View (if it is not the only element)

■      Simple Elements

■      Separators

○     Subgroup - may contain:

■      Simple Elements

■      Separators

○     Table View

○     Simple Elements

○     Separators

Generally, there should not be more than one level of nesting within trays/iViews. Also note that tabstrips may not be nested.

Simple elements are: input fields, selection elements, text, buttons, ...

A similar tree can be created for real iViews based on the elements used.

Web Application

·        Application Background = Window/frame background = application container

○     Area - may contain:

■      Tabstrip - may contain:

●      Group (if it is not the only element)

●      Subgroup

●      Table View (if it is not the only element)

●      Simple Elements

●      Separators

■      Group - may contain:

●      Tabstrip (if it is not the only element)

●      Group (if it is not the only element, different group types only)

●      Subgroup

●      Table View (if it is not the only element)

●      Simple Elements

●      Separators

■      Subgroup - may contain:

●      Simple Elements

●      Separators

■      Table View

■      Simple Elements

■      Separators

○     Single elements

Generally, there should not be more than one level of nesting within Web applications. Also note that tabstrips may not be nested.

Simple elements are: input fields, selection elements, text, buttons, ...

A similar tree can be created for real Web applications, based on the elements used.

The critical question for Web applications is, whether single elements and containers other than areas can be placed on the application background. Currently, the application background may not be used for non-container elements (see the IAC Guidelines in the SAP Design Guild). In SAP applications, header data may be placed on the application background; there is no such a container concept in SAP applications as areas.