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Background documentation Terminology  Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

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.
Composite views can be added to pages or dynamic navigation areas and modeled with core Visual Composer tools.

Object-Based Navigation (OBN)

An additional method of navigation based on business objects from productive back-end systems or corresponding PCD contexts.
More information: Object-Based Navigation

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.

 

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