This section describes how to use SAPODA in Business Object Designer to generate business object definitions. For information on launching Business Object Designer, see the IBM WebSphere InterChange Server Business Object Development Guide.
After you launch an ODA, you must launch Business Object Designer to configure and run it. There are six steps in Business Object Designer to generate a business object definition using an ODA. Business Object Designer provides a wizard that guides you through each of these steps.
After starting the ODA, do the following to start the wizard:
Business Object Designer displays the first window in the wizard, named Select Agent. Figure 38 illustrates this window.
To select, configure, and run the ODA, follow these steps:
Figure 38 illustrates the first dialog box in Business Object Designer's six-step wizard. From this window, select the ODA to run.
To select the ODA:
The first time Business Object Designer communicates with SAPODA, it prompts you to enter a set of initialization properties. You can save these properties in a named profile so that you do not need to re-enter them each time you use SAPODA. For information on specifying an ODA profile, see the IBM WebSphere Business Object Development Guide.
Figure 39. Configuring agent properties
Configure the SAPODA properties described in Table 49.
Row # | Property name | Property type | Description |
---|---|---|---|
1 | UserName | String | SAP logon user name (not required when generating a definition only from an extracted IDoc definition file) |
2 | Password | String | SAP logon password (not required when generating a definition only from an extracted IDoc definition file) |
3 | Client | String | SAP logon client number (not required when generating a definition only from an extracted IDoc definition file) |
4 | Language | String | SAP logon language (not required when generating a definition only from an extracted IDoc definition file) |
5 | SystemNumber | String | SAP system number (not required when generating a definition only from an extracted IDoc definition file) |
6 | ASHostName | String | Host name of the SAP application server (not required when generating a definition only from an extracted IDoc definition file) |
7 | RFCTrace | Single-card, multi-value | RFC tracing for the SAP system |
8 | DefaultBOPrefix | String | Text that is prepended to the name of the business object to make it
unique.
You can change this later, if required, when Business Object Designer prompts you for business object specific properties. |
9 | MaximumHits | String | Maximum number of objects returned during a node search. For more
information, see Expand nodes and select objects.
Default is: 100 |
10 | TraceFileName | String | Name of the trace file. If the file does not exist, SAPODA creates
it in the \ODA\SAP directory. If the file already exists,
SAPODA appends to it.
SAPODA names the file according to the naming convention. For example, if the agent is named SAPODA, it generates a trace file named SAPODAtrace.txt. Use this property to specify a different name for this file. |
11 | TraceLevel | Integer | Level of tracing enabled for SAPODA
For more information on tracing, see Working with error and trace message files. |
12 | MessageFile | String | Name of the error and message file.
SAPODA names the file according to the naming convention. For example, if the agent is named SAPODA, it names the message file SAPODAAgent.txt. For more information, see Working with error and trace message files. Important: The error and message file must be located in the \ODA\messages directory. Use this property to verify or specify an existing file. |
13 | File destination | Directory | Directory where ODA-generated files are stored.
Default is the default directory on the Windows system. It is recommended that you change the default setting to the \connectors\SAP\utilities\generatedfiles directory. |
After you configure all properties for SAPODA, Business Object Designer displays a tree with the following the initial nodes:
The nodes whose names are preceded by a plus sign (+) are expandable. Click on them to display more nodes or leaves. SAPODA generates business object definitions only from leaves.
Figure 40 illustrates this dialog box as originally displayed and with some nodes expanded.
Figure 40. Tree with expanded nodes
When a leaf's name is displayed in bold type, you can select the leaf as the basis for its business object to be generated. Use standard Windows procedures to select multiple leaves. In other words, depress the CTRL key while you use the mouse to select multiple leaves.
SAPODA uses a polymorphic node type that allows you to associate a flat file with a node. Initially the node displays without any leaves. You can browse a file system and select files to add to that node. The node is called polymorphic because its nature changes from a leaf to a branch when you associate it to one or more files.
Figure 41 illustrates two ways of limiting the number of leaves that Business Object Designer returns:
After you have selected all desired leaves for object generation, click the Next button. For information on how to filter the objects returned, see the Business Object Development Guide.
After you identify all the objects to be associated with generated business object definitions, Business Object Designer displays the dialog box with only the selected leaves and their node paths. Figure 42 illustrates this dialog box.
Figure 42. Confirming selection of nodes and leaves
This window provides the following options:
After you confirm the selected objects, the next dialog box informs you that Business Object Designer is generating the definitions.
Figure 43 illustrates this dialog box.
Figure 43. Generating the definition
SAPODA prompts for additional information. The type of the top-level node (IDoc types, BOR, RFC, or Dynamic Definitions) determines:
SAPODA displays the BO Properties window to enable you to specify information required for business objects based on IDoc types. The properties displayed in this window differ depending on the source of the IDoc (an extracted file or a definition in the SAP system) and whether the definition is being defined for the ABAP Extension Module. This section describes the following topics:
Regardless of whether SAPODA is generating the business object definition from an IDoc file or an IDoc defined in the SAP system, the BO Properties window for an IDoc type allows you to specify or change:
The prefix is text prepended to the name of the business object to make it unique. If you are satisfied with the value you entered for the DefaultBOPrefix property in the Configure Agent window, you do not need to change the value here.
The module type choices are ALE or Extension. Because the ALE and the ABAP Extension Modules have different requirements for their business object definitions, it is important to specify which module will be using the business object.
Generate the attribute name from either the SAP field name or the SAP field description, the default being the SAP field description.
In addition to the prefix and module properties, the BO properties window representing an IDoc defined in the SAP system also displays the Release property. You can use this property to identify an earlier version of the IDoc type.
Figure 44 illustrates the two versions of the BO properties window, one for an extracted IDoc Type definition file and one for an IDoc defined in the SAP system.
Figure 44. Providing additional information for an IDoc type business object
If you select Extension as the module type, SAPODA prompts whether you want to enter function module names for any of the default verbs.
By default, when generating a definition for the ABAP Extension Module, SAPODA specifies the following text for verb application-specific information at the business object level of the top-level business object:
:Y_XR_IDOC_HANDLER
If you already know the function module names to pass to the ABAP handler, select Yes at this prompt. SAPODA displays the window illustrated in Figure 45..
Figure 45. Specifying function modules for the ABAP handler
Figure 45 illustrates a BO Properties window in which two function modules have been specified.
After you save the business object definition, the General tab in Business Object Designer displays the required application-specific information at the business object level of the topmost business object. Figure 46 illustrates such a window with the two specified function modules.
Figure 46. Specifying the ABAP handler in business object designer
For more information about the ABAP handler, see Business object data routing to ABAP handlers.
There are two BO Properties windows for a BOR or RFC type. The properties displayed in the first window allow you to specify or change:
After you click OK to move forward from the first BO Properties window, SAPODA gives you the opportunity to reduce the size of the generated definition. You are prompted whether you want to remove from the definition any attributes that represent optional parameters. This prompt displays only if there are optional parameters to remove. Reducing the size of the definition can enhance performance later when the connector processes instances of the business object.
Figure 47 illustrates the properties displayed for a BOR or RFC-type object and the prompt that displays after you click OK.
Figure 47. Providing additional information for BOR or RFC business objects
If you click Yes in the prompt illustrated above, the second BO Properties window displays. You can specify removal of each optional parameter of a BAPI/RFC interface by changing its Value from Yes (include a corresponding attribute in the generated definition) to No (do not include an attribute).
If you click No in the prompt illustrated above, the final wizard displays. For more information, see Save the definition.
Figure 48 Illustrates the second BO properties window.
Figure 48. Specifying attributes for removal from the definition
In addition to the specifications you provide in SAPODA, when you create a definition for the RFC Server Module, you may want to modify application-specific information after you save the business object definition. For more information, see Developing business objects for the RFC Server module.
There are two BO Properties window for an HDR table-based object. The property displayed in the first window allows you to specify or change the business object's prefix. If you are satisfied with the value you entered for the DefaultBOPrefix property in the Configure Agent window, you do not need to change the value here.
Figure 49 Illustrates this window.
Figure 49. Providing additional information for an HDR business object
In addition, only 512 bytes of information from a table can be
returned. When a table returns more than 512 bytes, you will be
presented with the dialog found in Figure 50.. Answering "No" returns attributes
(column descriptions) from the beginning of the table until the 512 byte
maximum is reached.
Answering "Yes" displays the second BO properties windows noted in Figure 51.. The length in bytes for each attribute is provided in the window description. You can specific the inclusion or exclusion of an attribute for the business object by toggling its value between "Yes" and "No."
Figure 51. Size and type of BO properties for an HDR business object
After you provide all required information in the BO Properties dialog box and click OK, Business Object Designer displays the final dialog box in the wizard. Here, you can save the definition to the server or to a file, or you can open the definition for editing in Business Object Designer. For more information, and to make further modifications, see the Business Object Development Guide.
Figure 52 Illustrates this dialog box.