Technical Articles
B1 Service Layer with JavaScript – Handling B1 Objects without .Net (nor DI API)
Lots of new features and innovations are raising at SAP world and of course that our beloved SAP B1 is getting some of the juice. Since SAP Business One version for SAP HANA 9.1 (B1H 9.1) a new component of B1 Family has been released, the B1 Service Layer. With B1 Service Layer you can manipulate B1 objects on an open, fast, lightweight and standard approach. Break the chains of .Net and DI API!
Overview
SAP Business One Service Layer is a server based components build using OData. The Open Data Protocol enables the creation and consumption of REST APIs, which allow resources, identified using URLs and defined in a data model, to be published and edited by Web clients using simple HTTP messages.
In other words, now you can manipulate B1 Objects using our new REST API. It means that B1 is open to a lot more technologies such as JavaScript presented here. You can find more information about Service Layer in this video.
Code Explanation
I did a video presenting this application. Check it out:
What I am using:
Twitter BootStrap – As Front-End Framework
jQuery – JavaScript most popular library. Used on some UI controls but mainly on the REST calls to Service Layer
You can find the application code on GitHub
What do you need
This application contains 2 files:
index.html – The UI of the application.
sl.js – The intelligence of the app and where you will find the REST calls to Service Layer. This file must be saved on a folder named “js” (or you can change the reference on the index.html file)
** If your Service Layer is using a Self Signed SSL Certificate your browser probably will block the calls from this application. In this case, use your HANA Studio browser and all will be fine. I explain more on the video.
Test it yourself
There is no reason for us Solution Architects to create create those codes if you guys on the frontline do not use them! 😉
Test, enhance, modify it! Your feedbacks are always welcome!
UPDATE
Shai Berkenblit, B1 Product Manager, has found a way to have the SSL Certificate trusted by your broswer. That means you are not restricted to Eclipse browser to run this app if your connection certificate is Self Signed. So you can use Chrome to debug this app for example.
The details are here. Thanks a lot, Shai!
UPDATE – Ago/2015
Some of you guys run across problems when trying this app on XS Engine. That was due to the lack of support of Cross Origin Resource Sharing (a.k.a. CORS). Although it is installed on the same server as HANA, Service Layer is not built (yet) on top of XS Engine. So when accessing the application trough HANA and performing calls to SL you were interacting with 2 different domains and most browsers block that if the called domain is not explicitly accepting this kind of interaction.
So, the allow your SL to accept this kind of interaction. Starting with B1 Version 9.1 PL08. you can add the last two lines of the image to your Service Layer configuration file, restart SL and everything will work:
You can find the Details on this blog
UPDATE – Set/2015
Sample: How to consume Service Layer oData services from .NET via WCF
and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter: @Ralphive 
Hi Ralph,
Is this available for Hana version only ?
Regards
Edy
Hi Edy!
Yes!
Most part of B1 Innovations are only available on HANA version.
Hi Ralph !!
Thank you for this enlightening video !
Can you provide a similar video but with a .net implementation ?
Regards,
Vassilis.
Almost done on that, soon it will be published.
Hi Raph !!
I don't run rest api, this is error to connect SAP B1 on HANA v9.1:
POST https://Servidor:50000/b1s/v1/Login 502 (Proxy Error)
Thank!,
Frank
There must be a connection problem. Maybe your browser is blocking it just like shown on the video
Btw, check the update on how to trust your SSL certificate
Hi Ralph,
Great! I managed to solve the SSL Trust Issue.
However, there's another problem to get log in successfully.
Whenever I tried to run, it loads for awhile and pops up, "Houston, we have a problem! Verify your server information."
Checked the browser debugging tools. "XMLHttpRequest cannot load https://administrator:50000/b1s/v1/Login. No 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin' header is present on the requested resource. Origin 'null' is therefore not allowed access. The response had HTTP status code 400."
I've edited your sl.js to remove the following things:
Commented out on this - complete : function( xhr, status ) { alert(error); }
Hope to hear from you soon.
Thank you.
Hi Ralph,
well explained , thanks for sharing this !
question : how can i upload the two files and from where i can download these ??
--Manish
thanks.
Hi,
Is there a plan to re-write the DI/UI APIs as .NET assemblies instead of COM DLLs?
Beni.
This is a very good feature, why it can NOT be available to MS SQL SAP B1?
HANA is fast, but for most of the small companies there, SQL is cheaper and it can be as fast as HANA because there are not that much data.
Frank
Hi Frank,
I agreed to what you said as well.
However, I think the direction from SAP is to keep up with technology trends and with in-memory database being the latest cutting edge technology, I reckoned that B1 have to keep up with this "update", to stay ahead of the game.
Yes, customers of SAP can still use MSSQL, but it will naturally phase out in time to come. If a company have foresights, I believe that they would make the change!
And with this "middle-man" of ServiceLayer, it helps to bridge the gap between SAP B1 with HANA.
Cheers,
Jacob
Thanks Jacob! You got the big picture.
B1 is going HANA and there will be where all innovations and enhancements will be found. This is a huge opportunity for B1 Developers to start dealing with different and amazing technologies.
Is up to partners stick with the past or move together with us! Glad some like you are on the right path!
HANA or die! 😈
I agreed with you Ralph, In memory is the trend. But B1 is a product targeted to small business. Cost is also a concern from marketing purposes. I dont think B1 will phase out on MSSQL. But it will eventually evolve to two products like now, B1, and B1 Hana. And the difference might get bigger and bigger.
But my point is HANA is not only product supporting in-memory, SQL 2014 is also starting to support, so technology trend is not the problem at all. XML is not that good any more, javascript and JSON is the new king. That's what i am talking about. That's why SAP is using it. All these should prevent SAP to copy the HANA implementation to SQL. Because on this issue, SQL has no difference with HANA.
Frank
Indeed in memory in the "trend". However who set it was SAP 5 years ago. We are leading this movement and that is another reason for not waste a lot of time with "legacy" technologies.
Is not a matter of "yesterday we had XML, today we have JSON". We are not doing the same thing differently. We are doing different things.
There is a whole shift in the way we have to build our Add-ons(now called extreme apps) and Service Layer is here to help on that.
This week we've been in the B1 Summit Barcelona where HANA and was amazing to see what partners are doing (just like Jacob did in Bangkok in March). I suggest you take a look>> https://twitter.com/search?q=%23sapb1&src=typd
The strategy is HANA and Cloud. And with this two, we can reach every kind of customer.
Hi Ralph,
I've forced the trusted ssl certificate and that works well. I started the browser with web security disabledAnd I'm not hosting the page on XS Engine. Still I've been getting this error when I try to login.
XMLHttpRequest cannot load https://administrator:50000/b1s/v1/Login. No 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin' header is present on the requested resource. Origin 'null' is therefore not allowed access.
Any idea why? or, Anybody else happened to come across and fixed this issue??
I'd highly appreciatte any help on this, I'm a bit frustrated
Hi Carlos,
Since your are running the app locally, try to use a less modern browser (just like me on the video) or remove this code from the ajax calls on the JavaScript file:
Hi Ralph,
Thanks for this post, it is very helpful. I was able get a complete listing of the objects that can be manipulated by doing a GET request at the root https://administrator:50000/b1s/v1/
I don't see a way to POST an "Issue for Production" document, to update Item and Resource quantities against a Production order. Is there a way to do this? Or is this something that would have to be done via DI API?
Thanks,
John
Hi John! If you go to
https://administrator:50000 (address + port) you will find the API reference with all the entities and operations you can perform.
Keep in mind that if the object is not exposed in DI API it will rarely be in Service Layer (they share the same core, although SL implements multi thread capabilities.
In your case you can achieve wat you want by using this entity (the same applies to DI API)
Hi Ralph ,
How can I know Which entity of the Service Layer Hana is associate with a specific table in the database ?? For example I need to know which is the name of the HTTP GET method of the table ORTT.
Thanks, I'll appreciate any help
You got to go to the B1 SDK Help files 😉 .
Install them with yout latet B1 package.
Hi Ralph,
I try your sample and have a problem.
When I press a green button "Start now" and insert my data in the form, I always have a error-message.
However, in REST client I have no problem with autorization.
What could be the problem ?
Thanks,
Irina
With chrome/firefox. Right click on page > Inspect element.. Check the errors on the console to give you a hint.
Normally, an authorization for the self signed SSL certificate is not set (as shown on video)
CORS not enabled on Service Layer (as last blog update)...
Paste the error here, so I can help more precisely 😉
In log files of my ServiceLayer I have a ""POST /b1s/v1/Login HTTP/1.1" 200 .." - I understood that It is mean "200 OK"
But In my browser I have a "Houston. We have a problem..."
I tried to do something with my certificates - it does not help.
I can't show my screens, sorry. I am not at work now.
Do you know how I can solve it else?
We had pl07.
We installed pl08, it helped.
Thank you so much for your post and comments ! 🙂 🙂
Hola Ralph.
Al intentar usar advanced rest client par hacer el Login se presenta el siguiente error:
Error:
Espero puedas ayudarme. yo estuve en el Workshop de Colombia el año pasado.
This is not related to Service Layer itself but to your B1 installation.
If B1 clients are working and you can also connect to your SLD i would suggest reinstall service layer.
Probably and IP change affected your environment
Is it possible to reinstall only the Service Layer ?
How do I find this package?
Yes, it is. Just like most B1H packages installed on linux. There is an uninstall.bin on the installation folder.
I strongly recommend you to read the B1H administration guide and also the Service Layer manual on SAP PartnerEdge (S-Number required)
When I run the uninstall.bin not allow me to deselect components that should not be uninstalled, they are blocked.
Hi, Ralf
Do you know, SL may give more than 20 entries, or not?
I described my problem here: Service Layer, first 20 records in result
I have been unable to find an answer.
May be you can help me
Thanks,
Irina
Answered on the topic
Hola Ralph,
Existe algún servicio que me permita hacer consultas a una tabla de usuario o insertar registros en tablas de usuario ?
Gracias.
2 options:
- Can create an UDO and manipulate it with Service Layer (see service layer guide)
- Create a XSOData service for your table: http://scn.sap.com/community/developer-center/hana/blog/2012/12/21/hana-development-xs-odata-services and perform CRUD operations using rest (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c41anxrDleg)
Hi Ralph,
I can login and take data from service layer using Chrome Advanced Rest.
But when I try to retrieve data using PHP Curl I have a "Invalid Session Error"
I try to send cookie B!SESSION and ROUTEID but it does not work
My code is
$login = $this->login_sap(); // login using curl actually return a session id
if(!$login)
{
return 0;
}
$cadena_busqueda = $this->input->post('cadena_busqueda');
$url = "https://192.168.8.9:50000/b1s/v1/Items?\$orderby=ItemCode asc";
if($cadena_busqueda)
{
$url .= " & \$filter=contains(ItemCode, '". $cadena_busqueda ."') or contains(ItemName, '". $cadena_busqueda ."')";
}
$headers = array(
'Accept: application/json',
'Content-Type: application/json'
);
$ch = curl_init($url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYHOST, 0);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYPEER, 0);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, $headers);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_COOKIE, 'B1SESSION='.$login.'; ROUTEID=.node0');
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, 1);
$output = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);
$result = json_decode($output);
print_r($result);
RETURNS
stdClass Object ( [error] => stdClass Object ( [code] => -1001 [message] => stdClass Object ( [lang] => en-us [value] => Invalid session. ) ) )
Thanks in advance
Hi all,
Is it possible to expose the service layer to an external address? I am developing an application for a client. The app will run on a different server, can I make calls to the service layer from another server? Lots of example I see are ran on localhost/same host as where SAP B1 is running.
Hi,
You could modify b1.conf
"CorsAllowedOrigins" : "*"
Thanks for the direction. I will just add the remote server domain. The wildcard feels dangerous 🙂
Thanks Nicely explained.
Hi Ralph,
I Tried to connect SAP HANA using service layer & found this error when try to login,
I use HANA 102.5, SBO 9.2 PL 0, SLES 11 SP4
I've tried reinstall DI API, no luck
I've tried restart server layer b1s restart, no luck...
what's causing this error ?
Hi Hendra, never seen that before. But the message seems clear. Did you updated the B1H environment and forgot to upgrade Service Layer? Run the B1 upgrader (linux package) again or try to reinstall the service layer.
Hi Ralph,
Ok, I found out the issue, it's because I upgraded server tools to 9.2 PL 2, but the COMMONDB & SBO DB is not yet upgraded, so I run upgrade DB from windows...
and now can connect successfully.
Thanks & Regards,
Hendra
Ralph,
Three questions:
1) How long will a session remain open or active? Do they eventually timeout and require a new login request? Is there a setting that controls this? I would like to have an application login and keep the session open indefinitely, to avoid expensive login requests.
2) Is there any way to send a custom SQL query or call a view or something? I need to get specific data that requires JOINs across multiple tables. In the DI API there is a DoQuery function that returns a generic RecordSet. Is there any equivalent to this?
3) Is this new Service Layer designed to replace DI Server / B1WS for HANA installs? I'm just a bit confused because I have read a lot about DI Server / B1WS. Wondering if they are going to be obsolete with this.
Thanks,
John
HI John,
1) session timeout is 30 minutes per default. You can change that on the service layer configurations. Check the SL guide on partner edge for more details
2) SL is aimed on the B1 objects. For queries you should use a Hana view to provide the results and a XSODATA or XSJS service to expose it
3) this is a replacement for both DI API and DI server. This last one is jurassic old 🙂
Hi Ralph,
1. I am able to login when I press "Start Now" button. The message is "Yeah!! We are connected! Let's make some REST calls!
2. But when I pressed any of the buttons e.g. "Get BP". I get the "Damm! Something bad happened..."
What could be possibly wrong. I have already set "CorsEnable": true, and also "CorsAllowedOrigins": "*"
Thank you in advance.
Chong Chin
I am also facing the same issue, Have u ever got some solution to this issue ?
Dear Ralph,
Kindly i have issue i enabled certification but i still have issue to connect on server and i am sure the information correct please can help me ???
I'm pretty sure your problem might be because of CORS. You need to press f12 on your browser to debug the requests and see if that is the case in the console tag. If it is in deed so then you need to check that you're using at least SAP B1H 9.1 PL08 and follow the guidelines posted on this blog entry to allow CORS
Dear Carlos ,
Please find below my screen when press F12 :
and i enable Cors configration as below and my version 9.1 PL11
but i still have the same issue .
You allowed your Cors for the origin http://hana:8000 while you app is running locally.
2 workarounds:
1 - Send your APP the the http://hana:8000 (uploading it on XSengine)
2 - Set your cors allowed origin to *
Hi Ralph,
How can I search in Items the In_Stock value using service layer?
Thanks in advance
Sorry, long time no reply 🙁
You could use OData convention ($filter) parameter and execute the condition you want.
URI Conventions (OData Version 2.0) · OData - the Best Way to REST
Thank you Ralph,
The problem is that I cannot access to ItemWarehouseInfoCollection using oData try to use
https://192.168.8.9:50000/b1s/v1/Items/ItemWarehouseInfoCollection
but it is not possible
You are right. This is a feature of OData 3.0 (http://www.odata.org/blog/support-for-any-and-all/)
we are currently discussing with B1 Development to adopt it.
In a meanwhile the only workaround would be create your own service (XSJS or XSOdata) on top of a HANA view.
Just a heads up.. Plan to have this option available on 9.2 PL07 or late 9.3
Ralph Oliveira : Any progress/update on this?
Currently testing with 9.3 but this is not working?
Hi All,
I am kinda new to sap. Does anyone know if this feature is enabled by default? Or does it need a seperate installation like an add-on.
Also, is this available for on-demand cloud sap hana or only for hosted solutions?
Thanks!
This is available on every SAP Business One on HANA installation. Doesn't matter if on premise or cloud. It is the "new" (quite old now) DI API
Hi,
I am trying send a 4MB json on https://servername:50000/b1s/v1/Invoices but the service layer is replying this error
XMLHttpRequest cannot load https://servername:50000/b1s/v1/Invoices. No 'Access-Control-Allow-Origin' header is present on the requested resource. Origin 'http://localhost:8888' is therefore not allowed access. The response had HTTP status code 502.
It's working If it's just a few lines of item rows. The 4MB is just one consolidated A/R Invoice.
Thanks,
Raphael
Have you configured the CORS settings as mentioned in the end of the blog?
if that is PL04, there is a know issue with CORS and Service Layer, please open a support ticket
Good day ,
Im having this error when trying to access service layer ,, any help will do thanks
Not sure... Try restarting the services /etc/init.d/b1s
or reinstalling Service Layer
Hi;
I have a problem with service layer and javaScript. I am using your code and connect to the database, but when I make a query the first attempt it shows me the error: -1001 of invalid session and at the second attempt, it shows me the query correctly. If I try to perform another query, the first attempt shows the same error and if I throw the same query again, it shows me the query correctly, and so with all queries until the user is blocked.
Any idea?
Thanks,
Raphael
Hi, Ralph Oliveira I'm trying to create an entity ChartOfAccount, with UDF's, but it doesn't recognize UDF's, any idea about it?
This is a reference about documentation, where I have to configure Opentype=true option:
Don't forget the "U_" before the UDF name. SL works with UDF as a normal attribute from that entity.
It would help if you post here the details of the call you are trying to make.
Thanks for you reply, this is the request, I noticed that in metadata for ChartOfAccount there is not UDFs, these have been created through DIAPI, not with SAP Client, we also tried creating UDF through SL and restarted it but it didn't work. Any sugest?
Hi Ralph,
We have followed your blog and able to run the application but while login getting CORS error. We have also added the CORS header in .xsaccess file.
Please help!!
Did you follow the CORS instrunctions in the end of the blog?
We are able to fix it. There was missing code part which is
xhrFields: {
withCredentials:true
},
Hi Ralph,
When I am accessing service layer I am getting below error
"Fail to get the bound database instance from SLD"
Please help me on this
Regards
- Venkat
Hi Ralph,
We have almost completed the development of SAP UI5 Application using Service Layer. There is one challenge we are facing is managing user sessions, if I am performing multiple login to our application (which is browser based application) from different browser tabs using SAP B1 username and Password service layer is allowing me to do so. Is there any method to control user login and restrict it for single session per login like we have in SAP B1 Fat Client.
Regards,
Ashwin
Hi Ralph,
I am looking for it a long time. How do you configure a IDE-like environment in VS for Service Layer development. I've seen in this post (https://archive.sap.com/documents/docs/DOC-74566 ) how the author recommends installing NodeJS plugin in VS as the syntax is close. But I could not replicate the same environment as seen in this image: https://archive.sap.com/documents/docs/DOC-74566
What are the step to follow to achieve this. Hope you can help me.
Thank you,
Hello, the links in the UPDATE shown below do not work
Thank you, link fixed.
PS: I don;'t think this is much relevant now. You can also use http port 50001 if you are willing to compromise security.
Hi Ralph,
Is it possible to call service layer inside a xsjs file to perform CRUD operations in B1? If so, do you have any example that explains how to do this?
Thanks
Sure, this video have an explanation and the Sample code here
The example does exactly what we need!
Thanks Ralph
Hi Ralph,
In your example you have hardcoded "port = 50001;" in B1SL.xshttpdest file.
However in a production scenario, I believe this should be mapped to port 50000 that is linked to the load balancer. So I tried to use "port = 50000;" but it does not work...
Is my assumption correct? If so, how can I use the load balancer port in the same example?
Manuel Dias
Hi Manuel,
port 50001 is the http port, insecure but OK for dev purposes
port 50000 is the httpS port, secure as long as you installed a valid certificate. If you have not, and kept the default Service Layer certificate, this port won't work. As the connection is an insecure https and the browser will block it.
Hi Ralph.
I have tried the files that you have shared in Github (SL + JS). I have published them on an Apache web server, when testing them through desktop browsers and mobiles with Android S.O, it works correctly; however, when testing the example with IOS device it stops working. On IOS devices, you only get the session and for subsequent requests it throws an error (loss of login credentials). I have checked the browser configuration of the mobile device to verify if it is not storing cookies, but I have all this enabled. Could you guide me about what could be happening?
Thank you so much.
Check this link - https://answers.sap.com/questions/13321989/service-layer-samesite-attribute-issue.html
Hi Ralph,
Item & BP Get is working properly.
But when trying to Post bp or item.
It gives me error in console:
Invalid login credential
Any idea?
Hi.
I have the same issue, and found out it is a browsers update related issue (more info here). And found a solution here, but did not take any effect on SL login cookies.
Hope to find some other solution, up until now had no luck.
Best Regards!
Hello Pravin,
We have the solution here, Kindly please check this link
https://answers.sap.com/questions/13321989/service-layer-samesite-attribute-issue.html
Let me know if in-case you require any additional help on this topic.
Thank you so much Rahul 🙂
It works