BusinessObjects Design Studio 1.2 Intro to SDK – ASUG Webcast
Lorenz Wiest, SAP, provided this webcast today to ASUG – it was no PowerPoints, all demonstrations.
Figure 1: Source: SAP
You need a component for an application, but there is not one available in Analytic or Basic components (Figure 1)
The solution is Design Studio SDK
With SDK, you can develop your own custom components
Figure 2: Source: SAP
It is created using JavaScript, HTML5 & CSS
He said there is a tutorial to create components
Example in Figure 2 is a colored box and simple table
There is no need to program in Java
Figure 3: Source: SAP
Figure 3 shows the color box custom component. I may not useful, but illustrates features with custom components
With the color property and on click
Figure 4: Source: SAP
When click, it will turn to blue
You can have your own scripting commands with the custom components as shown in Figure 4
You can set your own visualizations, with additional properties is an HTML page and associate with the CSS files
Figure 5: Source: SAP
Figure 5 shows the simple table custom component example, with 3 more properties added – each column represents a column of the data source
Figure 6: Source: SAP
Figure 6 shows a component animation, a railway clock – see the Display setting on the right.
Google Maps
Google map integrated in custom component
Figure 7: Source: SAP
JavaScript can be used in conjuction with custom components and map mashups as shown in Figure 7.
How can I add custom components? Under the Menu, Tools > Install Extension to Design Studio, add a zipped file
Figure 8: Source: SAP
Figure 8 shows sample KPI tiles (a custom component) at run time
Figure 9: Source: SAP
Figure 9 shows exceptions and how they were built with the associated with traffic lights
UI5 set
Source: SAP
Above shows some sample UI5 custom components.
Example of a SAP UI5 custom component in Design Studio is shown below:
Source: SAP
How create simple component
Components are based on JavaScript. You could use a web browser & notepad, but is easier to use an IDE – recommend Eclipse.
You need Design Studio 1.2
Eclipse IDE is free – download from eclipse.org – no special SAP version needed
Samples from SAP – color box, sample table – to get you started – see help.sap.com/boad
Source: SAP
The above shows 5 files.
Source: SAP
The most important file is contribution.xml – the heart of the custom component – it defines an extension – 1, 2 or many components.
SDK extension is a library – you can pack as many components
Question & Answer
Q: Will RSBBS (jump reports) be part of this or an upcoming version of Design Studio? Currently we use BEx Web Application Designer and can jump (open) tasks that exist in the EC 3.0, from within the WAD report.
A: It is not part of 1.2 – last week we heard they are looking into it for the 1.3 release (planned for May)‑
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Q: What types of data source can the design studio connect to?
A: BW, HANA and BI4 single source relational universes‑
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Q: how do you configure Datasource with design studio
A: please see tutorials on SCN – sap.com/LearnBI‑
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Q: Custom components are part of license or out of it. Where we will locate this code
A: SDK components – if partner – partner has license – asked partners to use SAP Store‑
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Q: What’s suggested number of records to get a good performance here? < 1000, < 10,000, …?
A: For SDK component 10K
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Q: Where can we learn more about the Design Studio SDK so we can build our own custom components?
A: There is an SDK guide at help.sap.com/boad‑
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Q: Is there a data size limit when connecting to BW or BI 4 universe?
A: For DS, no size limit – 10,000 for SDK‑
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Q: It might be nice for someone, ASUG, SCN< to host a repository of cool SDK components provided by the user community. Any thoughts?
Comments?
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Q: Is this 100% JScript compatible?
A: Design Studio uses a subset of JavaScript‑
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Q: Is there a data size limit when connecting to BW or BI 4 universe?
A: For SDK – 10K data cells ‑
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Q: Is there an SVG requirement – is this compatible with IE8 or requires IE9?
A: Design time it requires IE9 – also see the PAM at service.sap.com/PAM‑
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Q: is there any dependency on BOXI (version)?
A: Design Studio is platform independent but if you are using universes they need to be BI4 single source relational universes‑
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Q: how would a design studio application be intergated into infoview, for example/ is there a specific type or just added as a URL?
A: You can save your Design Studio application to BI platform and launch it there‑
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Q: can it be integrated in BOXI 3.x infoview?
A: I don’t think you can save the Design Studio app to BOE XI 3.x – only BI4 and up‑
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Q: Is there specific order of components installation (i.e. 1. Design Studio, 2. eclipse, 3. component)?
A: He suggested installing DS 1.2, eclipse and then design your custom component‑
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Q: Is this similar SDK that will be for Lumira soon?
A: This is a different SDK for Lumira
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Q: Does the Crosstab have conditional formatting and could you select individual cells in the Crosstab.
A: conditional formatting from BEx is supported in DS 1.2
Hi...
In Germany we will run a "how to build your component - SDK workshop" starting in March. More infos here: https://training.sap.com/v2/course/wdsdk-sap-businessobjects-designstudio-sdk-development-workshop-classroom-098-de-de/
Actually planned to be sheduled in German language, but if there is interest we could also offer en English event... interested?
Instructors for the first 2 events are the developers who developed the SDK, so real first hand information.
Dirk
Hi, below I have some more detailed answers for the questions above, and several more questions that Lorenz was not able to answer withing the session.
Best regards,
Reiner (Design Studio SDK Development Walldorf)
Q: Is there a data size limit when connecting to BW or BI 4 universe?
A:
BW: For DS no size limit - 10,000 cells for SDK per data property
Universes: DS: 5000 rows/20000 cells
Q: It might be nice for someone, ASUG, SCN to host a repository of cool SDK components provided by the user community. Any thoughts?
Comments?
A: Good idea. Let's see how this is legally possible.
Q: Is this 100% JScript compatible?
A: The Design Studio scripting language is a subset of JavaScript, e.g. you have no DOM access. In an SDK component however, you can use 100% JavaScript.
Q: Is this similar SDK that will be for Lumira soon?
A: This is a different SDK. The coming Lumira SDK (also called CVOM SDK) is mainly intended for Charts. We will try to integrate such SDK components into Design Studio as well.
Q: If you bind a field to a display element at design time, is it possible for a custom component to change that binding at runtime based on user selection?
A: Yes. Most data bound components provide one or more scripting APIs to change the data selection. E.g. Design Studio charts have an API "setDataSelection". We recommend this also for partner components. The "Simple Crosstab" sample shows how to accomplish .
Q: As an example - I have a table showing sales by region, but want to enable a dropdown box which can change region to product so the user will be able to switch the table to show sales by product.
A:
Yes, for our charts you would script:
CHART_1.setDataSelection({"(MEASURES_DIMENSION)": "Sales", "Region": "US"});
Q: 32-bit or 64-bit eclipse matter?
A: We recommend 32bit Eclipse. You could also use a 64bit Eclipse, but then you need to maintain several settings to tell Eclipse to start Design Studio as 32bit application.
Q: Can a design studio dashboard be hosted within an iframe in another application or is there a requirement that it be the topmost window?
A: Sure, you can embed a Design Studio application almost everywere.
Q: Is it possible to have bookmarks as part of custom components ?
A: Bookmarking is a feature planned for Design Studio 1.3. Once it is available, all SDK-based components will automatically be supported by the bookmark framework.
Implementing a bookmark-like feature with Design Studio 1.2 and some SDK components might be possible to certain degree.
Q: Will there be a more feature rich addition to the SAPUI5 components soon? Like inputfields, buttons etc?
A: Many UI5 components are supported today, e.g. Design Studio always contained Button and Inputfield components from UI5. But over time we expect almost all UI5 controls to be usable as Design Studio component.
sorry,but how can i find custom components? ( like google maps)
http://help.sap.com/businessobject/product_guides/AAD12/en/DS_12_SP01_SDK_SAMPLES.zip
Can we export as a Power point presentation ?
I don't think so
Thanks for your reply.
One more do we have a trail version of business objects design studio available for download?
To my knowledge not as a separate download but it might be included in some of the HANA trials listed at SAP Cloud Appliance Library (CAL)
I personally haven't tried it
okay. Thanks again 🙂