Web Applications for mobile devices

[Former Member]

Hello experts,

I try to write some SAP Web Applications for Mobile Devices and they should be device-indepent if possible.

I'm thinking about the following ways(We have Web AS 6.30):

BSP: Develop my own BSP-Extensions which render different Layout by unsing client_info.

Use HTMLB for JAVA. How can I get the package com.sap.mobile.htmlb? (Excuse my beginner question ) Is there more information about how to use it?

Any comment, suggestion and information will be very appreciated

Regards

Vivian

[Former Member]

Hello Vivian,

for the online mode the best way seems to be Mobile WebDynpro.You can perhaps install a 6.40 WAS for the mobile WebDynpro User Interfaces and then connect to your lower WAS systems in the WD-Model via RFC/WebService.

For your java-htmlb question i found an answer at help.sap.com: "To run Mobile HTMLBusiness for Java, you must install the two packages com.sap.mobile.clientinfo and com.sapportals.htmlb in the Java Servlet Engine environment".

For BSP you are right,there you get some problems with the extensions. I developed a online BSP solution without using the extensions(only html-Layout).

This works fine at devices like WLAN PocketPC and PDA.

Greetings

Frank Brackmann

[Former Member]

Hello Frank,

for the online mode do we need mobile engine on web server or not?

regards

ravi.

[Former Member]

hello ravi,

mobile infrastructure only supports disconnected i.e.

offline solutions at the moment. online applications

for mobiles is currently supported only thru WD mobile

UI framework; and doesn't require the MI server components

to work.

regards

jo

[Former Member]

Hello Vivian,

I am not an expert but you can also make use of mobile Web Dynpros if it is an online transaction! I did make one application, it runs well on the PDA. The layout changes from what you would see in normal PDA to Black berry though.

http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/en/7d/28fa3e7cb1d861e10000000a114084/frameset.htm

https://media.sdn.sap.com/public/eclasses/teched04/MCA151_files/Default.htm#nopreload=1

Hope the above links help.

When a mobile application is running offline and exchanges data with an application backend system (like any application within mySAP Business Suite or any other legacy application), use MI which can also be developed from SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio.

Cheers,

Dharmi

Message was edited by: Dharmi Tanna

[Former Member]

Thanks about Dharmi and Frank,

Actually I got the 'homework' to find a way to convert transactions to Online-Applications running on handhelds.

It's just a research. I don't get enough support such as to install a 6.40 WAS for the mobile WebDynpro User Interfaces immediately. We just have 6.30 WAS.

I’m thinking of BSP-Extensions because I can use them into my Converter-program as placeholder for dynamic use.

I also have to find out the JAVA-Way. But I failed to find the packages com.sap.mobile.clientinfo and com.sapportals.htmlb. Are there to be downloaded from somewhere? The documents for it seem to be more than 2 years old and some are not to be found anymore. So I’m wondering if it is still being used now.

Other way I’m thinking about is whether I can import some XML-Dateien converted from the Source program into WebDynpro environment, convert it and get it run somehow. But I know too little about Webdynpro and I’m not sure if it works and how.

Would you pls. give me some suggestion about it?

[Former Member]

Hello Vivian,

WEB DYNPRO and XML

you can manipulate with XML using JAXB APIs.

You can download these APIs from java.sun.com site. Using this API, you can create XML file with structure similar to your context structure. And also you can read data from XML file and transfer into your context structure.

go through following link:

http://java.sun.com/developer/technicalArticles/WebServices/jaxb/index.html

These JARs are also available freely on java.sun.com

You can also follow the code given by Valery in the following link to work with XML.

I have no idea about BSP sorry cannot help you there.

Mobile webDynpro is not different from normal Web dynpro's. It is the same so if you can make Web Dynpro's - Mobile web Dynpro link I sent you is just the guideline on Which UI elements can be used and which properties have effect or no effect on mobile devices.

If you like to know more about Web Dynpro 's the Web dynpro Forum and also the help.sap.com is the best way to learn. There are also WD sample and tutorials available for free but none for mobile device at this moment.

Regards,

Dharmi

PS Thanks Vivian for being the first one to give me points and Good Luck with your homework. Web Dynpro is JAVA-way.

[Former Member]

Hello Vivian,

first of all: Thanks for points:-)

Why do you have to develop you online-solutions with extensions?

If you for example develop your JSP/BSP layout without using extensions like htmlb/xhtmlb or phtmlb this works fine on the a lot of mobile devices. Perhaps a possiby way is to develop BSP without extensions(only html/css for the layout)?

Greetings from Dortmund

Frank

[Former Member]

Hi Dharmi,

your Info is extremly helpful!!

I'll come back with feedback if it works for my problem.

Thanks a lot.

Regards

Vivian

[Former Member]

Hello Vivian,

You welcome and Good Luck once again.

Regards,

Dharmi

[Former Member]

Hi Frank,

you are right. I seem to make the things more complicated with extensions, maybe it's not necessary.

I think I should explain my problem again.

My work is not to develop some online-Applications for mobile devices, not exactly. I need to develop a 'converter' to transform the applications so that I don't have to rewrite every applications which already exist, for mobile devices. So I got the idea of extensions. I was thinking of developping a set of extensions which handels the rendering for different devices(just like the object tags in BW-Web-reporting). And my converter program just replaces the elements of the Sourceprogram with the Tags of my extensions. I thought it might look better.

I hope my own extensions work on mobile devices (that's what I'm worried about. )and it is not much more work to go this way instead of just with html/css for the layout. I'll make some attempts.

Greeting from Augsburg

Vivian