Internet Applications Components
Through ITS, the Web user can access IACs from SAP. There are three types of IACs:
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WebTransactions. These IACs are specially designed transactions in SAP. As of release 4.5, more than 50 SAP-provided transactions are available. You can also develop your own SAP transactions for use with ITS.
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WebRFCs. These IACs are specially designed RFCs that return an HTML page to be displayed with the Web browser.
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WebReporting. This type of IAC allows users to run any ABAP report that generates a list. WebReporting also gives the user access to the reporting tree.
WebTransactions
Transactions to be used through ITS are simply enhanced SAP transactions. One of the drawbacks of ITS is that it cannot handle subscreens or pop-up dialog boxes very well. If you are expecting to see exactly the same kind of screens that you see in SAP, you will be disappointed. This situation, however, is not as problematic as it may seem. ITS was designed for use with the Internet, which means that people with little or no training should be able to use the transactions. Therefore, you should keep the transaction simple and intuitive (which, most would agree, SAP transactions are not).
For example, if you want a system that allows vendors to use the Internet to view information about your products, you would not want the vendors to have to enter the SAP material number and information such as plant or sales organization. It would be much simpler to first display the product text description and then provide more information when the user clicks on the text.
For an example of an SAP transaction designed for the Web, check out transaction MEWP (see Figure 15.4). As you can see, this transaction is much simpler to use than the standard SAP purchase order series of transactions.
When you are designing transactions to be used on the Web, the following actions and elements require additional coding or HTML:
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Error handling. You must make sure that no warning or error messages are generated in the transaction when an Internet user accesses it. Informational messages that behave like a warning or error message in SAP can be generated.
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Screen control. Because your user can navigate with the Back function of the Internet browser, special code needs to be in place to ensure that the SAP session and the Web page stay in synchronization.
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F1 help. This area must be handled through special HTML code on your Web page.
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F4 pull-down help. This function can be performed through ITS but requires special coding to send all possible values of a field at the same time as the main HTML is generated.
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Check boxes and radio buttons. These items require special code to be handled through the Internet properly.
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Loops. Currently, ITS does not support table controls. You must design your transaction using step loops, and you can have only one loop per SAP screen.
SAP is developing a set of transactions that meet these guidelines and are easy to use. Table 15.1 lists the current SAP IACs.
Table 15.1 SAP Developed Transactions for Web Use (SAP 4.5)
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| Application Scenarios | Starting in SAP Release |
|---|---|
| Consumer to business | |
| Product catalog | 3.1G |
| Online store | 3.1G |
| Sales order creation | 3.1G |
| Sales order status | 3.1G |
| Available to promise | 3.1G |
| Customer account information | 3.1G |
| Calendar of events | 3.1G |
| Employment opportunities | 3.1G |
| Application status | 3.1G |
| Booked events-Web users | 3.1G |
| Booking attendance-Web users | 4.0A |
| Canceling Attendance-Web users | 4.0A |
| Business to business | |
| Quality certificates | 3.1G |
| Quality notification | 3.1G |
| Service notification | 3.1G |
| Measurement and counter readings | 3.1G |
| Consignment stock status | 3.1G |
| Kanban | 3.1G |
| Requirement request | 3.1G |
| Requirement request status | 3.1G |
| Collective release of PO | 3.1G |
| Collective release of requisition | 3.1G |
| Collective release of service entry | 4.0A |
| Procurement via catalogs | 4.0A |
| Status display in procurement via catalogs | 4.0A |
| Enter service performed | 4.5A |
| Goods receipt | 4.5A |
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Table 15.1 SAP Developed Transactions for Web Use (SAP 4.5) (continued)
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| Application Scenarios | Starting in SAP Release |
|---|---|
| Invoice verification | 4.5A |
| Import processing | 4.5A |
| Internal business | |
| Integrated inbox | 3.1G |
| Asset information | 3.1G |
| Internal activity allocation | 3.1G |
| Internal price list | 3.1G |
| Project data confirmation | 3.1G |
| Web reporting browser | 3.1G |
| Business object browser | 3.1G |
| Workflow status | 3.1G |
| Employee directory | 3.1G |
| Project documentation | 4.0A |
| Document search | 4.5A |
| Customer master record creation | 4.5A |
| Employee self-services | |
| Personal data | 3.1G |
| Who is who | 3.1G |
| Time statement form | 3.1G |
| Booked events-R/3 users | 3.1G |
| Booking attendance-R/3 users | 3.1H |
| Canceling attendance-R/3 users | 4.0A |
| Personal data | 4.5A |
| Travel expenses | 4.5A |
| Benefits | 4.5A |
| Time management | 4.5A |
| Payroll | 4.5A |
| Training and event management | 4.5A |
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To try out an online transaction from SAP, you can go to SAP's Internet Store, which can be accessed at http://www.sap.com/store_index.htm. From here, go to the link for the Merchandise Shop and notice that the URL contains wgate, which is the Internet link to an ITS system (see Figure 15.5).
WebRFC Access
WebRFC allows users to access special function modules directly in SAP, and these function modules will return HTML pages that are displayed on the user's Web browser. This process is done through the ITS and its AGate and the call to the function module WWW_DISPATCH_REQUEST, which in turn calls the WebRFC function module. To 'WebRFC enable' a function module, it must have the following items in the interface definition and be enabled through the SAP Web Repository (transaction SMW0):
Function . . . * Local interface: * TABLES * QUERY_STRING STRUCTURE W3QUERY * HTML STRUCTURE W3HTML * MIME STRUCTURE W3MIME * CHANGING * VALUE(CONTENT_TYPE) LIKE W3PARAM-CONT_TYPE * VALUE(CONTENT_LENGTH) LIKE W3PARAM-CONT_LEN * VALUE(RETURN_CODE) LIKE W3PAAM-RET_CODE
WebRFC can handle MIME data, such as pictures and sound, and integrate these objects into HTML templates. MIME objects are contained in the SAP Web Repository, which can be accessed through transaction SMW0, as shown in Figure 15.6.
The function group SURL contains all of SAP's WebRFC-enabled function modules, which are listed in Table 15.2.
Table 15.2 A Listing of the WebRFC-Enabled Function Modules in SAP (4.5)
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| Function Module | Description |
|---|---|
| WWW_HTML_ECHO | Sample WebRFC function module |
| WWW_GET_MIME_OBJECT | Sample WebRFC that handles MIME data |
| WWW_MODEL_MODULE | Blank template |
| WWW_ITAB_TO_MODULE | Converts internal table to HTML |
| WWW_ERROR_MESSAGE | Creates HTML for ABAP message |
| WWW_URL_PREFIX | Creates URLs dynamically |
| WWW_PACK_TABLE | Removes blanks from filled HTML tables |
| WWW_HTML_MERGER | Generates an HTML page from a template and other objects |
| WWW_GET_TREELIST | Generates an HTML page of a report tree |
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WebReporting
WebReporting is simply an extension of the WebRFC function discussed in the last section. In addition to allowing users to run standard ABAP reports, it also allows them access to the reporting tree through their intranet browser.
WebReporting is implemented through the WWW_DISPATCH_REQUEST function module, which calls the two function modules WWW_GET__SELSCREEN and WWW_GET_REPORT to generate the HTML output of the report for the user. It is also possible to combine the output of a report with a template (for example, with company colors and logo).
Reports for use through WebReporting should not contain the following elements:
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Call Transaction
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Call Screen
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Call Selection-Screen
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Submit Report
You can also run interactive reports through WebReporting if your users use Internet Explorer running JScript. This approach works well for intranets where you have control over the browser that is used, but is not recommended for Internet solutions because a wide variety of browsers will be used to access your site.
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