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Integrating the Context-Sensitive Side PanelLocate this document in the navigation structure

Use

The side panel in SAP Business Client is not only a new UI area located on the side of the content area but also an infrastructure to enhance existing SAP GUI transactions from older releases without modifications.

Applications that can be run in the content area and be connected to a side panel comprise the following UI technologies:

  • For NWBC connection type:

    • SAP GUI (dynpro) applications

    • Web Dynpro ABAP applications

      For more information, search for Implementing Tagging in the Page Builder documentation in the SAP NetWeaver Libary (http://www.help.sap.comInformation published on SAP site.

  • For Fiori Launchpad connection type:

    • SAP GUI (dynpro) applications

The side panel allows you to connect data from the application in the content area with data in the side panel. SAP Business Client extracts data from SAP GUI or Web Dynpro screens and passes them to the side panel, allowing you to build context-sensitive side panel applications.

The implementation of the side panel is different depending on whether a Web Dynpro application or an SAP GUI application is running in the content area.

Note The purpose of the following documentation is to describe the use of a side panel for exchanging data with SAP GUI-based applications in the content area.
Side Panels in a NWBC Connection
The figure below illustrates the high-level overview of the side panel architecture and is followed by an explanation:
Figure 1: Side Panel Architecture - NWBC Connection
The application system is the system that hosts the application. The role system is the system that hosts the role displayed by SAP Business Client and the side panel application. Application system and role system can be the same if the system version requirement for component SAP_BASIS is met (version 7.31 or higher).

Runtime

At runtime, the following steps are executed:

  1. SAP Business Client connects to the role system and reads the user's roles from transaction Role Maintenance (PFCG).

  2. SAP Business Client downloads tags.

    Tags are the basis for the extraction process. They define which screen properties are to be extracted from an application running in the content area, and with which name the extracted properties are passed to the side panel application. All tags are stored in the tag table. For more information, see Creating Tags in the Tag Table.

    For more information about using tagging with Web Dynpro applications, see Setting Up Tagging in the Side Panel.

  3. The role definition describes which side panel application is to be shown for a certain application. SAP Business Client reads this information and displays the appropriate side panel applications. For more information, see Side Panel.

  4. SAP Business Client extracts the data from the dynpro application and puts the values into the data context, making them available for all side panel applications. Data is extracted using SAP GUI scripting that is part of SAP GUI.

    You have installed and enabled SAP GUI scripting on the server.

    Note As of NWBC 3.5 patch level 6 or SAP NWBC 4.0 and SAP GUI 7.20 patch level 13 or 7.30 final release, it is no longer necessary to enable SAP GUI Scripting on the client PC, except if you are using SAP GUI Property Collector. That means, it is no longer necessary to enable front-end scripting through registry key (HKLM and HKCU) for using side panels in SAP Business Client. However, it is still necessary to install SAP GUI Scripting on the local desktop and to enable it for the server (at least read-only).
    Caution If SAP GUI scripting is enabled, the screens can be read. For more information about SAP GUI scripting, see chapter Installation in the SAP GUI Scripting Security Guide SAP Developer Network (SDN) at http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/3099a575-9cf4-2a10-9492-9838706b9262.

    You can also use read-only scripting. For more information, see the SAP GUI scripting API documentation at http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/a034a16b-3bfe-2a10-e2bb-8bd880db0b3c.

    Tip We recommend read-only scripting.

  5. The data extracted from SAP GUI is in the external format. If the side panel application needs the internal format (for example, to call the application system), SAP Business Client calls the conversion service on the application system to convert the external to the internal format. The data conversion is optional and must be enabled in the tag table. For more information, see Active Services in ICF and Creating Tags in the Tag Table.

  6. The side panel application receives the extracted data as an input.

System Landscape

The architecture provides a flexible system landscape. The following setups are possible:

  • Single System

    The application system and role system are the same physical system. If you are able to upgrade SAP_BASIS to version 7.31, this is the logical choice with minimum total cost of ownership.

  • Distributed Systems

    To enhance existing SAP GUI transactions from older releases without modifications, you can keep the application systems on their current release. In this case, only the role system must be an up-to-date SAP system with SAP_BASIS 7.31.

    You have the following options:

    • You can reuse existing roles from your application systems. To reuse existing roles, import the roles from your application system into the role system. For more information, see Remote Systems.

    • You can create new roles in the role system. When you create roles, use remote roles to include transactions of the application system. You also need to configure a trusted relationship between the role and application system. For more information, see Remote Systems.

    Caution SAP supports this side-by-side scenario with some restrictions, but does not recommend to implement a hub scenario. For more information about the definition of the scenarios as well as the restrictions of working with remote systems, see SAP Note 1795171 Information published on SAP site.

System Version Requirements

The following version requirements must be met:

  • For the role system:

    • Component SAP_BASIS version 7.31 or higher (for the tag table and side panel assignment in transaction PFCG)

  • For the application system:

    • Component SAP_BASIS version 7.31 or SAP Note 1611298 Information published on SAP site for older versions (for the conversion service)
    • No requirements for other software components of the application system (for the dynpro application)
Side Panels in a Fiori Launchpad Connection

The figure below illustrates the high-level overview of the side panel architecture and is followed by an explanation:

Figure 2: Side Panel Architecture - Fiori Launchpad Connection

The application system is the system that hosts the dynpro application (also known as a SAP GUI transaction). In addition, it hosts the side panel application, the role which contains the assignment of the side panel application to the dynpro application, and the tag table.

Runtime
At runtime, the following steps are executed when an intent-based navigation to a dynpro application happens:

  1. SAP Business Client starts the dynpro application in the application system using an embedded SAP GUI for Windows. At the same time, it reads all direct side panel assignments maintained in the user's roles in the application system. The role definition in transaction Role Maintenance (PFCG) describes which side panel application is to be shown for a certain application.

  2. SAP Business Client downloads tags. Tags are the basis for the extraction process. They define which screen properties are to be extracted from an application running in the content area, and with which name the extracted properties are passed to the side panel application. All tags are stored in the tag table. For more information, see Creating Tags in the Tag Table.

  3. SAP Business Client displays the appropriate side panel applications. For more information, see Side Panel.

  4. SAP Business Client extracts the data from the dynpro application and puts the values into the data context, making them available for all side panel applications. Data is extracted using SAP GUI scripting that is part of SAP GUI.

    You have installed and enabled SAP GUI scripting on the server.

    Note As of NWBC 3.5 patch level 6 or SAP NWBC 4.0 and SAP GUI 7.20 patch level 13 or 7.30 final release, it is no longer necessary to enable SAP GUI Scripting on the client PC, except if you are using SAP GUI Property Collector. That means, it is no longer necessary to enable front-end scripting through registry key (HKLM and HKCU) for using side panels in SAP Business Client. However, it is still necessary to install SAP GUI Scripting on the local desktop and to enable it for the server (at least read-only).
    Caution If SAP GUI scripting is enabled, the screens can be read. For more information about SAP GUI scripting, see chapter Installation in the SAP GUI Scripting Security Guide SAP Developer Network (SDN) at http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/3099a575-9cf4-2a10-9492-9838706b9262. You can also use read-only scripting. For more information, see the SAP GUI scripting API documentation at http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/a034a16b-3bfe-2a10-e2bb-8bd880db0b3c.
    Tip We recommend read-only scripting.

  5. The data extracted from SAP GUI is in the external format. If the side panel application needs the internal format (for example, to call the application system), SAP Business Client calls the conversion service on the application system to convert the external to the internal format. The data conversion is optional and must be enabled in the tag table. For more information, see Active Services in ICF and Creating Tags in the Tag Table.

  6. The side panel application receives the extracted data as an input.

System Version Requirements

The following version requirements must be met for the application system:
  • Component SAP_BASIS version 7.31 or higher (for the side panel assignment in transaction PFCG)
  • Component SAP_UI or UI2_731 or SAP_BASIS version 7.31 SP07 for retrieving direct side panel assignments. We recommend activation and usage of the server runtime for SAP NetWeaver user interface services which are available with SAP_UI and UI2_731.
System Configuration
You must carry out the following activities:

  • Activate ICF services in transaction backend (/ui2/nwbc, /ui2/nwbc/ext2int or /nwbc, /nwbc/ext2int)

  • Create tags in the backend of the application system

  • Create direct, application-specific PFCG assignments in the backend of the application system. Use {TR=…} in the Application Alias field as {REF=…} will not be evaluated. For more information, see Assigning Side Panels.

  • If you are using an NWBC ICF service different from the default services and aliases /sap/bc/ui2/nwbc, /ui2/nwbc, /sap/bc/nwbc or nwbc, specify this service in the administrator configuration file NwbcOptions.xml, parameter <DefaultConnectionBaseUrls> . For more information, see Administrator Configuration Tips.

Design Time

At design time, an additional component is important, SAP GUI Property Collector. It is integrated into SAP Business Client and allows you to identify properties that should be extracted from SAP GUI. Additionally, it allows you to simulate the lifetime of extracted values in the data context. For more information, see Identification of UI Elements with SAP GUI Property Collector. You copy the collected properties to the tag table and map them there to tags.

Handling Invisible Data

If the dynpro application in the main canvas contains hidden fields, this data cannot be extracted on the client. Therefore, SAP Business Client offers an application programming interface (API): IF_LSAPI. This API can be called from the back-end part of the dynpro application to write data to the data context. This mechanism forces you to modify the existing dynpro application. For more information, see Passing Data to Side Panel Application Using API.

Implementation of a Side Panel Application

Side panel applications are Web applications. You have the following options to implement a side panel application:

More Information

Implementation of a Side Panel Application with HTML and JavaScript

Implementation of a Side Panel Application with Web Dynpro

For more information about using side panels for SAP Business Suite, see SAP Library for SAP Business Suite on SAP Help Portal at Start of the navigation path http://help.sap.com/ Next navigation step SAP Business Suite Next navigation step SAP ERP Next navigation step SAP ERP Central Component Next navigation step SAP Enhancement Package 6 for SAP ERP 6.0 Next navigation step Application Help Next navigation step SAP ERP Cross-Application Functions Next navigation step SAP ERP Cross-Application Functions Next navigation step Cross-Application Components Next navigation step Side Panel for Business Suite End of the navigation path.