The following table introduces the terms and concepts of portal modeling.
Term |
Description |
model/component |
A collection of interconnected visual elements representing the UI and business logic of an application. Models are created, packaged and maintained as reusable components. |
Storyboard |
The browser-based design-time environment of Visual Composer, which provides a set of interactive modeling tools. |
Portal Layout board |
An area of Storyboard customized for portal content modeling. |
SAP NetWeaver Development Infrastructure (NWDI) |
An infrastructure that provides developers with central design-time source control, component build service, change management, and Web-based administrative tools. |
design-time repositories |
Repositories where you can store and manage models: · The shared repository in the AS Java server database · The local repository, your own dedicated space on the AS Java server · Design Time Repository (DTR), if it is available in your system landscape. DTR, which is part of NWDI, is the source control-enabled central repository where Visual Composer stores and maintains models, organized by software and development components (see below). More information: Lifecycle Management |
software component (SC) |
A delivery and installation unit that contains development components. |
development component (DC) |
A development and build unit that contains development files, such as models and components. |
Executable GUI Language (XGL) |
A generic executable declarative specification format of graphical user interfaces for business applications, into which Visual Composer models are compiled for runtime execution. |
portal content |
Information, applications and services that are available in an enterprise portal. |
portal content objects |
Different objects, such as iView, pages, worksets and roles, through which portal content is represented and accessed. |
iView |
The smallest unit in the portal that provides access to applications, reports, services, and information repositories. |
page |
A container that organizes the layout of iViews in the portal interface |
workset |
A cluster of related pages and iViews that a portal user needs to complete a specific task. |
role |
A collection of tasks, services, and information that defines user's responsibilities in the organization and contains the relevant tools needed to accomplish these tasks. |
work center |
A collection of portal content objects that organizes the user’s work by providing access to portal content and functionality for specific work areas or tasks that the user needs. |
Business Suite work center |
A work center that complies with the standards of SAP Business Suite applications, which can be modeled with the portal modeling tools. A Business Suite work center consists of a container that includes a contextual navigation panel with links to specific tasks or information (Business Suite views), and a content area that displays view-specific content. More information: Creating Business Suite Content |
portal runtime repositories |
The repositories where deployed portal content and applications are stored, such as PCD and GPAL repositories. |
Portal Content Directory (PCD) |
The central repository where portal content objects are stored along with their metadata and relationships. |
Generic Portal Application Layer (GPAL) repositories |
Repositories that provide portal content administrators with access to content developed outside the portal, such as Web Dynpro or portlet applications. More information: Generic Portal Application Layer (GPAL) Repositories |
composite view |
An application task, such as searching for and displaying data. A composite
view can contain UI elements, business logic, and connections to back-end
logical data sources. |
Object-Based Navigation (OBN) |
An additional method of
navigation based on business objects from productive back-end systems or
corresponding PCD contexts. |
portlet applications (portlets) |
User interface components that are managed and displayed in a Web portal, similar to the SAP NetWeaver Portal iViews. SAP supports third-party portlets compliant with the JSR 168 standard. Portlet applications, deployed to the portal, can be reused in portal content models. |