New Metro UI for Desktop Client on Windows 8.1
SAP Mobile Documents makes its first stride towards a metro ui based client for Windows devices.
With SP3 patch 1 for Desktop Client, now we also have a metro ui based companion app for desktop client for Windows 8.1 tablets. In this blog, I will introduce you to the new app, explain how you can install the app and share my first experience with the app.
(I have re-sized images to small thumbnails in the blog for better readability. Please click on the image to view the image in the original size)
Introducing new metro app
The new metro app is a companion app for standard desktop client for PC.
For the complete setup to work properly, both metro app and desktop client should be installed on the device.
The metro app doesn’t sync documents from server. It only reads the file system under Mobile Docs root and presents them in SAP Mobile Document’s friendly user interface. The desktop client will synchronize the documents to the device in Mobile Docs folder and the metro app will display it in SAP Mobile Documents specific user interface.
The user interface for metro app is designed for Windows tablet running on Windows 8.1. It will not run on Windows phones or Windows tablets running on Windows RT.
Installing metro app
The Metro UI app can only be installed via side-loading mechanism. It is not available on Windows Store.
Follow the steps below to install the metro app and desktop client
- Download “MOBILE DOCS DESKTOP 1.0 – SP3″ patch 1 or onwards from service marketplace.
- The zip file contains
- exe for the Desktop Client
- WinTabletExplorer.zip containing the appxbundle
- Install the desktop client using the exe file. Please note this is not a pre-requisite to install metro UI app, but it recommeded that you should install the desktop client to have smooth experience with metro app later.
- To install the appxbundle file, the devices should be ready for side loading. Follow the steps here to do so: Configure PCs for Side loading requirements
- To install the appxbundle file, run following command in windows powershell:
add-appxpackage <full path to the appbundlefile>
Running metro app
Once the metro app is installed, you will see can launch it from your programs list. The app is called “SAP Mobile Documents Modern UI”
When you launch the metro UI for the first time, you will be asked to select the Mobile Doc root. Select the mobile doc root which is normally, “c:\users\<user-name>\Mobile Docs”.
The metro app is ready to use 🙂 . The first screen will be, as in the following image.
The metro app presents the content on your file system. Some nice features you will notice are:
- Breadcrumbs: For context awareness and faster navigation
- Sorting: You can sort by Name, Date, Type, and Size
- Search: Enter any search criteria and content is searched in real time. The search option only search in the current directory (not sub-directories).
Viewing documents
To view documents, just tap on the documents in the metro app. The app will give options to open the file, based on what relevant programs exists on your device.
From the program list, if you select any metro app, the document will open in viewer in the same screen.
Hi,
I've some problems installing the Metro app. 🙁
I've carried out the actions for enabling the the correct settings for side-loading (Configure PCs for Side loading requirements).
But when I try to install the appxbundle file (with "add-appxpackage <full path to the appbundlefile>") I get the following error message:
"add-appxpackage : Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x800B0109, A certificate chain processed, but terminated in a root c
ertificate which is not trusted by the trust provider.
error 0x800B0109: The root certificate of the signature in the app package or bundle must be trusted.
NOTE: For additional information, look for [ActivityId] c0cbbce7-2c22-0006-913d-d1c0222cd001 in the Event Log or use th
e command line Get-AppxLog -ActivityID c0cbbce7-2c22-0006-913d-d1c0222cd001
At line:1 char:1
+ add-appxpackage C:\Temp\SMD\WinTabletExplorer\SMDExplorer_1.3.5.0_AnyCPU.appxbun ...
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (C:\Temp\SMD\Win...yCPU.appxbundle:String) [Add-AppxPackage], Exception
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : DeploymentError,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.AddAppxPackageCommand
"
Apparently, I need a certificate to install the bundle file?
Please advice how I can install the Metro app.
Kind regards,
Sander Maes
Can you try this command.
Add-AppXProvisionedPackage -Online -PackagePath <locationofbundlefile> –SkipLicense
Hi Sander,
These issues might occur if the app files have got corrupted during download.
Please try re-installing it.
To reinstall the app:
Hi Vedika,
Unfortunately, it did not work. Actually, I can't see the application at all anymore.
As I had the metro "icon" (tile) of the application, I uninstalled it via the directions above.
Then I tried to re-install it via the PowerShell with the same argument (Add-AppXProvisionedPackage -Online -PackagePath C:\Temp\SMD\WinTabletExplorer\SMDExplorer_1.3.5.0_AnyCPU.appxbundle -SkipLicense).
I got the following result:
Path :
Online : True
Restart Needed : False
But: there is no icon nor tile present after this action!
I searched my installed apps on the laptop, but there is no "SAP Mobile Documents Modern UI" is present!?
Not in my application list and also not when I try the Windows search. And it's not listed in my installed applications in the "add & remove programs" section.
I've also executed the "get-appxpackage" command, but the application is not listed in the list this command produces.
I've also tried to install it with a newly downloaded file from SWDC, but with the same result: I get no error message and the result:
Path :
Online : True
Restart Needed : False
but no application present 🙁 .
Any ideas?
With kind regards,
Sander Maes
Can you please try the previous command ?
Add-AppXPackage <full path to the appbundlefile>
Do you have multiple user accounts on your machine?
Hello Vedika,
I've got an Windows 8.1 Pro laptop:
I tried the above account, but with no success. I still get an error message:
"
PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> add-appxpackage C:\Temp\SMD\TabletExplorer\SMDExplorer_1.3.5.0_AnyCPU.appxbundle
add-appxpackage : Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x800B0109, A certificate chain processed, but terminated in a root certificate which is not trusted by the trust provi
der.
error 0x800B0109: The root certificate of the signature in the app package or bundle must be trusted.
NOTE: For additional information, look for [ActivityId] 757a4614-3707-0006-f266-84750737d001 in the Event Log or use the command line Get-AppxLog -ActivityID 757a4614-37
07-0006-f266-84750737d001
At line:1 char:1
+ add-appxpackage C:\Temp\SMD\TabletExplorer\SMDExplorer_1.3.5.0_AnyCPU.appxbundle
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+ CategoryInfo : NotSpecified: (C:\Temp\SMD\Tab...yCPU.appxbundle:String) [Add-AppxPackage], Exception
+ FullyQualifiedErrorId : DeploymentError,Microsoft.Windows.Appx.PackageManager.Commands.AddAppxPackageCommand
"
With kind regards,
Sander Maes
Hi Ashwani,
I have successfully installed the program, but now the app shows the message "no repositories configured".
How can I configure the repositories for the SAP Mobile Documents Metro UI App?
For example, I can add in the iOS App the server path in the settings, but in the Metro UI App I can't find the setting.
Have you an idea?
Best regards,
Dejan Nikolajevic
Hi,
Have you already installed the Desktop Client for Windows ? If yes can you check if the folders are present at <user_home>\Mobile Docs\ using file explorer.
Regards, Ashwani Kr Sharma
I have the app installed again. I think the path was wrong. Thanks you!
Great to know that it works. Looking forward for your feedback.