Floorplan Manager in a Nutshell

7/22/2019 Floorplan Manager in a Nutshell

http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/floorplan-manager-in-a-nutshell 1/11

SAP COMMUNITY NETWORK SDN - sdn.sap.com | BPX - bpx.sap.com | BA - boc.sap.com | UAC - uac.sap.com

© 2011 SAP AG 1

Floorplan Manager (FPM) in aNutshell

Applies to:

SAP NetWeaver 7.03

Summary

A brief (and not too technical) overview of Floorplan Manager – the UI framework for the Business Suite.

Author: Celeste Hoefkens

Company: SAP AG

Created on: 11 April 2011

Author Bio

Information Developer for Floorplan Manager.



Floorplan Manager (FPM) in a Nutshell


© 2011 SAP AG 2

Table of Contents

Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 Essentials of FPM ........................................................................................................................................... 3

Structure of an FPM Application .................................................................................................................................. 3 FLUID .......................................................................................................................................................................... 5

Ways of Adapting FPM Applications ............................................................................................................... 6 FPM and the Business Object Layer (BOL) .................................................................................................... 7 Reference ........................................................................................................................................................ 8

Floorplans and GUIBBs ............................................................................................................................................... 8 Concepts and Terminology .......................................................................................................................................... 9 Useful Acronyms in FPM............................................................................................................................................ 10

Copyright........................................................................................................................................................... 11





© 2011 SAP AG 3

Introduction

Floorplan Manager (FPM) is a UI framework, that is, a set of tools, templates and classes, which ensures amore consistent look and feel to the user interfaces of SAP applications. Applications built using FPMconform to the latest SAP UI and Accessibility guidelines.

FPM is now mandatory for the creation of most user interfaces in the Business Suite applications. The figurebelow shows FPM’s integration into SAP’s UI technologies:

FPM is based on Web Dynpro for ABAP and takes full advantage of its configuration framework. FPM isideal for customers as it provides a modification-free way of adapting existing UIs and allows for easycreation of new UIs.

Essentials of FPM

Structure of an FPM Application

An FPM application consists of the following parts:

Floorplan component

Provides the overall structure of the application, such as page (screen) layout, the position of

toolbars and their elements, and the provision of toolbar buttons for accessing the various layers ofan application interface. Amongst other things, the floorplan component also takes care ofnavigation, message handling, and data-loss handling.

FPM provides you with templates for three floorplan types (see Reference section):

o Overview Page

o Object Instance

o Guided Activity

UIBB/GUIBB component

User Interface Building Blocks (UIBBs) are responsible for the layout of the content on the page, for

example, the layout of a particular list or form. They provide the communication link between theapplication (developed outside of FPM) and the FPM framework. UIBBs can be divided into thefollowing categories:

o Freestyle

An individual view of a WD component, developed by the application developer.

o Generic User Interface Building Block (GUIBB)





© 2011 SAP AG 4

Since most content (data) on a page is displayed in a list, table, or form format, FPMprovides its own templates for these formats. These templates are a special type of UIBBknown as a Generic UIBB (GUIBB). FPM provides several GUIBBs, including the FormGUIBB, the List GUIBB, and the Tree GUIBB, amongst others (see Reference section).

Each GUIBB has its own particular feeder class, an interface between ‘the application’ andthe user interface. It is in the feeder class that the application developers write the code forthe business logic.

An FPM application is actually composed of configurations of these components. There is always a

configuration of a floorplan component and usually one or more configurations of the GUIBB componentswhich provide the page content. The floorplan component may also contain freestyle UIBBs.

In an FPM application, the business logic is separated from the UI. The developers of an application takecare of the business logic, and the FPM framework takes care of the user interface. Every FPM applicationtakes part in the FPM Event Loop – a well-defined sequence of events detailed in the FPM Phase Model.The FPM Event Loop is controlled by a central ‘FPM Runtime’ (primarily, the class IF_FPM).

For more information on the Phase Model, see the FPM Wiki:https://wiki.wdf.sap.corp/wiki/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=626624202 ).

FPM enables the use of an Application-Specific Configuration Controller (AppCC) and several APIs whichdevelopers use to change the application dynamically at runtime.

The following diagrams further explain the structure of an FPM application. Figure 1 shows the location of the

parts of an application which can be configured using FLUID (the FPM configuration editor) and the parts ofan application that are coded by the application developers.

Figure 1

https://wiki.wdf.sap.corp/wiki/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=626624202







© 2011 SAP AG 5

Figure 2

Figure 2 shows where the parts of an FPM/WD ABAP application are composed, that is, within the FPMframework or within the application. Note that the Administrator is able to configure those parts within theFPM framework only.

FLUID

FLUID (Flexible UI Designer) is the FPM configuration editor. You use it to design or adapt the user interfaceof your FPM application by configuring the floorplan and GUIBB components. This WYSIWYG editor is easyto use and enables a customer to make changes to an FPM application modification-free (that is, withoutcode changes). For example, a customer can easily change headers and labels, add extra columns to atable, hide certain fields, and add toolbar elements.

Note: Freestyle UIBBs cannot be configured with FLUID; freestyle UIBBs can only be configured using the

standard WD ABAP configuration editor.





© 2011 SAP AG 6

Ways of Adapting FPM Applications

Customers may decide that SAP-delivered applications require some tailoring to their needs. FPM offers thefollowing means for adaptation:

WD ABAP Configuration Framework

FPM is based on WD ABAP and takes full advantage of its adaptation framework. Applications can beadapted by various personnel on various levels, as shown in the picture below:

Access to the different levels depends on the authorization profile of the user. For example, a developermust have the S_DEVELOP authorization profile.

Context-Based Adaptation (CBA)

FLUID provides the administrator of an application with an easy way of adapting applications based oncontexts such as country or role, so-called Context-Based Adaptation (CBA). See the FPM Wiki formore information.

WD Enhancement Concept

The general SAP NetWeaver Enhancement Framework works with FPM applications too.

Field Extensibility

Developers can create additional fields and add them to the UI using the Application Enhancement Tool(AET). FPM applications provide access to the AET (via the Repositories Panel in FLUID).

You can find a more detailed description on adapting FPM applications on SDN at:http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/c0a2b7c2-1598-2e10-45bc-c556df3b9576?QuickLink=index&overridelayout=true

FPM applications provide easy access to the Web Dynpro configuration framework in the form of toolbarbuttons on the applications at runtime, such as the Customize Page button. It allows developers,administrators and end-users to access the various levels of an application in order to make changes. Thesetoolbar buttons are only available through the inclusion of a user parameter, FPM_CONFIG_EXPERT (see

Concepts and Terminology section).

http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/c0a2b7c2-1598-2e10-45bc-c556df3b9576?QuickLink=index&overridelayout=true









© 2011 SAP AG 7

FPM and the Business Object Layer (BOL)

The FPM framework supports the following business object models:

Business Object Layer (BOL)

Business Object Programming Framework (BOPF)

Service Provider Infrastructure (SPI)

Object models provide a uniform façade to access the business logic. FPM provides special generic feederclasses to interact with the object models.

For more information on this, see the FPM Cookbook on the FPM Wiki.

https://wiki.wdf.sap.corp/wiki/display/FPM/Home








© 2011 SAP AG 8

Reference

Floorplans and GUIBBs

The FPM framework currently provides the following components for floorplans and GUIBBs:

Floorplans:

FPM_OIF_COMPONENT A component for the Object Instance floorplan type.

An OIF floorplan is used in applications which allow the user to carry out

business object maintenance such as viewing, deleting, and editingbusiness objects. Each activity is normally presented on a separate tabpage (view switch).

FPM_GAF_COMPONENT A component for the Guided Activity floorplan type.

Applications using a GAF floorplan type enable the user to carry out anactivity by progressing through a series of steps in a roadmap; each step ispresented on its own page (screen). The following screenshot provides anexample of a GAF roadmap:

FPM_OVP_COMPONENT A component for the Overview Page floorplan type.

An application based on an OVP floorplan allows the user to view, edit,delete, and create all the data regarding a single instance of an object (suchas a sales record). Different activities are normally displayed on separatepages. The OVP has highly flexible page layout possibilities and end-userpersonalization features.

The OVP floorplan supersedes the OIF floorplan.

GUIBBs (Generic User Interface Building Blocks):

FPM_LIST_UIBB_ATSFPM_LIST_UIBB

For displaying data in a list (table) format with rows and columns. TheList ATS component supersedes the List Component and offers more

sorting, filtering, grouping, and personalization features.FPM_TREE_UIBB For displaying data in a hierarchical list (table) format with rows and

columns similar to a List ATS component with the addition of a mastercolumn containing collapse/expand nodes and a field on which the datais grouped.

FPM_FORM_UIBB

FPM_FORM_ UIBB_GL2

FPM_FORM_REPEATER_UIBB

For displaying data in a form format. The Form GL2 componentsupersedes the Form component and offers more layout features.

The Form Repeater component displays tabular data in a repeating form





© 2011 SAP AG 9

format. Each ‘row’ of the table is actually displayed in a form format.

FPM_SEARCH_UIBB For displaying a search component; a component that allows you toinput search criteria and retrieve the results.

FPM_LAUNCHPAD_UIBB For displaying a launchpad. Launchpads are lists of navigational linksthat are also capable of accepting and providing parameters.Launchpads are created external to FPM (transaction LPD_CUST) butcan be displayed in FPM applications using this component.

FPM_POWL_UIBB For displaying Personal Object Worklists. These are configured externalto FPM but can be displayed in FPM applications using this component.

FPM_TABBED_UIBB For displaying data in a Master/Detail format; the Tabbed GUIBB is ableto embed other (G)UIBBs.

FPM_COMPOSITE_UIBB For displaying data in several formats at the same time; the CompositeGUIBB is able to embed other (G)UIBBs.

Concepts and Terminology

Concept or Term Meaning

ACT (ApplicationCreation Tool) An FPM application itself, the ACT allows you to create FPM applications in a veryquick and simple manner. Note, however, that the application is empty – the ACTprovides only the floorplan (layout) for the application. The content, provided bythe UIBBs, must be added afterwards.

There is also a BOL-based ACT which you can use to create an application withcontent already included.

Feeder Class The link between the application and the GUIBB; provides all the necessarymethods and corresponding signatures to standardize the communicationbetween the application and the GUIBB. Not all GUIBBs require the use of afeeder class (for example, the POWL UIBB).

Floorplan A combination of UI patterns arranged in a specific order in an application. Afloorplan allows the user to accomplish a certain activity, such as searching for,

identifying, and maintaining data for an object.

FLUID (Flexible UIDesigner)

The configuration editor for FPM applications. Using FLUID, you can configure thefloorplan and GUIBB component configurations in FPM applications. FreestyleUIBBs are configured using the standard Web Dynpro configuration editor.

FPM and Page Builder An FPM application consisting of a single UIBB may be displayed in a CHIP whichcan be added to a Page Builder page or a side panel in an OVP floorplanconfiguration, another WD ABAP Web UI technology. For this purpose, FPM offersa single UIBB floorplan, the UIBB CHIP Wrapper (UCW).

For more information on Page Builder, see the SAP NetWeaver Library:http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73ehp1/helpdata/en/57/93f0b3f7f84c1387877b3d3b4a102a/frameset.htm

FPM Parameter:

FPM_CONFIG_EXPERT

This parameter is responsible for the appearance of the toolbar buttons at runtimewhich allow users to access the various levels of an application (eg. configurationor customizing level). It can be added to a user’s profile. The parameter may beset to the following values:

X – Expert Mode. Provides access to the configuration level for a developer. Adeveloper may also access the customizing level.

A – Admin Mode. Provides access to the customizing level. No access to theconfiguration level is possible.

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw73ehp1/helpdata/en/57/93f0b3f7f84c1387877b3d3b4a102a/frameset.htm









© 2011 SAP AG 10

Hierarchy Browser Before you adapt a configuration, it´s a good idea to make copies of it. The WebDynpro Hierarchy Browser is a tool which displays a hierarchical view of anapplication, showing the individual configurations within an FPM application. Thistool allows you to make copies of the application configuration and its individualcomponent configurations.

Reuse UIBB (RUIBB) UIBBs which provide not only the UI but the business logic too. Currently, FPMoffers the FPM_NOTES_WRAPPER and FPM_ATTACHMENTS_WRAPPER -templates for producing components which allow the user to manage notes and

attachments, respectively.

Wiring Refers to the transfer of information between individual UIBBs on a page. Wiringcan be configured via FLUID in the Wire Schema panel or by using the GraphicalWire Editor (GWE) which uses a more user-friendly, graphical interface.

Useful Acronyms in FPM

Acronym Meaning

ACT Application Creation Tool

AET Application Enhancement Tool

AppCC Application-Specific Configuration Controller

CBA Context-Based Adaptation

FLUID Flexible UI Designer

FPM Floorplan Manager

GUIBB Generic User Interface Building Block

UI User Interface

UIBB User Interface Building Block

WD Web Dynpro





© 2011 SAP AG 11

Copyright

© Copyright 2012 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or for any purpose without the express permission of SAP AG.The information contained herein may be changed without prior notice.

Some software products marketed by SAP AG and its distributors contain proprietary software components of other software vendors.

Microsoft, Windows, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

IBM, DB2, DB2 Universal Database, System i, System i5, System p, System p5, System x, System z, System z10, System z9, z10, z9,iSeries, pSeries, xSeries, zSeries, eServer, z/VM, z/OS, i5/OS, S/390, OS/390, OS/400, AS/400, S/390 Parallel Enterprise Server,PowerVM, Power Architecture, POWER6+, POWER6, POWER5+, POWER5, POWER, OpenPower, PowerPC, BatchPipes,BladeCenter, System Storage, GPFS, HACMP, RETAIN, DB2 Connect, RACF, Redbooks, OS/2, Parallel Sysplex, MVS/ESA, AIX,Intelligent Miner, WebSphere, Netfinity, Tivoli and Informix are trademarks or registered trademarks of IBM Corporation.

Linux is the registered trademark of Linus Torvalds in the U.S. and other countries.

Adobe, the Adobe logo, Acrobat, PostScript, and Reader are either trademarks or registered trademarks of Adobe SystemsIncorporated in the United States and/or other countries.

Oracle is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation.

UNIX, X/Open, OSF/1, and Motif are registered trademarks of the Open Group.

Citrix, ICA, Program Neighborhood, MetaFrame, WinFrame, VideoFrame, and MultiWin are trademarks or registered trademarks ofCitrix Systems, Inc.

HTML, XML, XHTML and W3C are trademarks or registered trademarks of W3C®, World Wide Web Consortium, Massachusetts

Institute of Technology.

Java is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation.

JavaScript is a registered trademark of Oracle Corporation, used under license for technology invented and implemented by Netscape.

SAP, R/3, SAP NetWeaver, Duet, PartnerEdge, ByDesign, SAP Business ByDesign, and other SAP products and services mentionedherein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP AG in Germany and other countries.

Business Objects and the Business Objects logo, BusinessObjects, Crystal Reports, Crystal Decisions, Web Intelligence, Xcelsius, andother Business Objects products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registeredtrademarks of Business Objects S.A. in the United States and in other countries. Business Objects is an SAP company.

All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies. Data contained in this documentserves informational purposes only. National product specifications may vary.

These materials are subject to change without notice. These materials are provided by SAP AG and its affiliated companies ("SAPGroup") for informational purposes only, without representation or warranty of any kind, and SAP Group shall not be liable for errors oromissions with respect to the materials. The only warranties for SAP Group products and services are those that are set forth in the

express warranty statements accompanying such products and services, if any. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting anadditional warranty.

Floorplan Manager in a Nutshell

Documents

Transcript of Floorplan Manager in a Nutshell