When to use the composite application framework...

[Former Member]

Hi.

I am unsure where you would use CAF and where you would use normal webdynpro / portal components? What business scenarios lend itself for implimenting GP with callable dynpro /portal components more than normal webdynpro where the navigation is defined by "inbound/outbound" plugs.

A little confused.

[Former Member]

Hi,

CE 7.1 is for developing composite applications.In this development, we can use existing(external) services and add our own business logic.We will get the existing(external) services using Web Services/RFC.

A Composite Application will contain following layers:

Business and Backbend Layer : CAF is used in this layer.Here we can access external services through web services/RFC and add composite application specific business logic. This layer provides services to the above layers and provides abstraction so that above layers don't know whether these services are coming from external sources or locally developed.

UI Layer: This layer is used to develop User Interfaces. You can use Web Dynpro , VC etc tools in this layer.Here you should not write any business logic. You can use the services from CAF layer through Web Services.

Process Layer: In this layer you will model the workflow based processes. You can use GP to model these processes.

A process contains a set of actions. Each actions executes either a background action or UI action.

For UI actions, You can use UIs developed using Web Dynpro or VC. For this, the respective UIs sould be exposed as callable objects so that we can use them in the GP process.

For back ground actions, We can use services from CAF or any plain java class.

Portal Layer: This layer is used to integrate the composite application to the portal.

references:

[reference 1 |https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/20f7c4ef-b73d-2a10-a2b9-d9833908130c]

[reference 2|https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/weblogs?blog=/pub/wlg/8253] [original link is broken] [original link is broken] [original link is broken];

[reference 3|https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/c0d218ea-dee2-2a10-0db9-c3354830b34b]

[CE 7.1 tutorial|https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/nw-development?rid=/webcontent/uuid/903c2cdb-98d6-2a10-84b7-ab22535de11a]