Technical Articles
How To Use NCo With PowerShell: Client Apps (PowerShell uses .NET Connector)
At the beginning of this year I presented here, here and here different possibilities to use SAPs .NET Connector (NCo) in the context of the scripting language PowerShell. Now with new experience and knowledge I can say that the use of this combination is very profitably. You can try different programming situations fast, without a special IDE. Also you can use it to automate a lot of things, e.g. to download and compare data (customizing on different systems). The PowerShell ISE (Integrated Script Environment) with the integrated debugger offers a good range of functions, e.g. like syntax highlighting and code completion. All in all I can recommend PowerShell unlimited. As a further outlook for the future, a combination of SAP GUI Scripting, NCo and PowerShell seems very interesting. We will see…
Here now two more examples. The first shows how to ping an SAP system via RFC_PING and the build-in ping from NCo. The second shows how to get system via the function module RFC_SYSTEM_INFO. The code is commented and I think easy to understand. It shows, in conjunction with the links above, all variants of parameters.
1st example – Ping
#-Begin-----------------------------------------------------------------
<#
.Synopsis
Calls PING of an SAP system.
.Description
Calls the function module RFC_PING and the build-in function
Ping of the .NET connector.
#>
#-Sub Load-NCo--------------------------------------------------------
Function Load-NCo {
$ScriptDir = $PSScriptRoot
$Size = [System.IntPtr]::Size
If ($Size -eq 4) {
$Path = $ScriptDir + "\x86\"
}
ElseIf ($Size -eq 8) {
$Path = $ScriptDir + "\x64\"
}
[Reflection.Assembly]::LoadFile($Path + "sapnco.dll") > $Null
[Reflection.Assembly]::LoadFile($Path + "sapnco_utils.dll") > $Null
}
#-Function Get-Destination--------------------------------------------
Function Get-Destination {
#-Connection parameters-------------------------------------------
$cfgParams = New-Object SAP.Middleware.Connector.RfcConfigParameters
$cfgParams.Add("NAME", "TEST")
$cfgParams.Add("ASHOST", "ABAP")
$cfgParams.Add("SYSNR", "00")
$cfgParams.Add("CLIENT", "001")
$cfgParams.Add("USER", "BCUSER")
$SecPasswd = Read-Host -Prompt "Passwort" -AsSecureString
$ptrPasswd = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBStr($SecPasswd)
$Passwd = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringBStr($ptrPasswd)
$cfgParams.Add("PASSWD", $Passwd)
Return [SAP.Middleware.Connector.RfcDestinationManager]::GetDestination($cfgParams)
}
#-Sub Execute-Ping----------------------------------------------------
Function Execute-Ping () {
$destination = Get-Destination
#-Metadata--------------------------------------------------------
[SAP.Middleware.Connector.IRfcFunction]$rfcFunction =
$destination.Repository.CreateFunction("RFC_PING")
#-Variant 1: Call function module---------------------------------
Try {
$rfcFunction.Invoke($destination)
Write-Host "Ping successful"
}
Catch {
Write-Host "Exception" $_.Exception.Message "occured"
}
#-Variant 2: Call build-in function-------------------------------
Try {
$destination.Ping()
Write-Host "Ping successful"
}
Catch {
Write-Host "Exception" $_.Exception.Message "occured"
}
}
#-Sub Main------------------------------------------------------------
Function Main () {
If ($PSVersionTable.PSVersion.Major -ge 3) {
Load-NCo
Execute-Ping
}
}
#-Main----------------------------------------------------------------
Main
#-End-------------------------------------------------------------------2nd example – RFC_SYSTEM_INFO
#-Begin-----------------------------------------------------------------
<#
.Synopsis
Calls RFC_SYSTEM_INFO of an SAP system.
.Description
Calls the function module RFC_SYSTEM_INFO and writes the result
on the screen.
#>
#-Sub Load-NCo--------------------------------------------------------
Function Load-NCo {
$ScriptDir = $PSScriptRoot
$Size = [System.IntPtr]::Size
If ($Size -eq 4) {
$Path = $ScriptDir + "\x86\"
}
ElseIf ($Size -eq 8) {
$Path = $ScriptDir + "\x64\"
}
[Reflection.Assembly]::LoadFile($Path + "sapnco.dll") > $Null
[Reflection.Assembly]::LoadFile($Path + "sapnco_utils.dll") > $Null
}
#-Function Get-Destination--------------------------------------------
Function Get-Destination {
#-Connection parameters-------------------------------------------
$cfgParams = New-Object SAP.Middleware.Connector.RfcConfigParameters
$cfgParams.Add("NAME", "TEST")
$cfgParams.Add("ASHOST", "ABAP")
$cfgParams.Add("SYSNR", "00")
$cfgParams.Add("CLIENT", "001")
$cfgParams.Add("USER", "BCUSER")
$SecPasswd = Read-Host -Prompt "Passwort" -AsSecureString
$ptrPasswd = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBStr($SecPasswd)
$Passwd = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringBStr($ptrPasswd)
$cfgParams.Add("PASSWD", $Passwd)
Return [SAP.Middleware.Connector.RfcDestinationManager]::GetDestination($cfgParams)
}
#-Sub Get-SystemInfo--------------------------------------------------
Function Get-SystemInfo () {
$destination = Get-Destination
#-Metadata--------------------------------------------------------
[SAP.Middleware.Connector.IRfcFunction]$rfcFunction =
$destination.Repository.CreateFunction("RFC_SYSTEM_INFO")
#-Call function module--------------------------------------------
Try {
$rfcFunction.Invoke($destination)
[SAP.Middleware.Connector.IRfcStructure]$Export =
$rfcFunction.GetStructure("RFCSI_EXPORT")
#-Get information---------------------------------------------
Write-Host $Export.GetValue("RFCHOST")
Write-Host $Export.GetValue("RFCSYSID")
Write-Host $Export.GetValue("RFCDBHOST")
Write-Host $Export.GetValue("RFCDBSYS")
}
Catch {
Write-Host "Exception" $_.Exception.Message "occured"
}
}
#-Sub Main------------------------------------------------------------
Function Main () {
If ($PSVersionTable.PSVersion.Major -ge 3) {
Load-NCo
Get-SystemInfo
}
}
#-Main----------------------------------------------------------------
Main
#-End-------------------------------------------------------------------3rd example – RFC_READ_TABLE
#-Begin-----------------------------------------------------------------
<#
.Synopsis
Calls RFC_READ_TABLE of an SAP system.
.Description
Calls the function module RFC_READ_TABLE and writes the result
on the screen.
#>
#-Sub Load-NCo--------------------------------------------------------
Function Load-NCo {
$ScriptDir = $PSScriptRoot
If ([Environment]::Is64BitProcess) {
$Path = $ScriptDir + "\x64\"
}
Else {
$Path = $ScriptDir + "\x86\"
}
$File = $Path + "sapnco.dll"; Add-Type -Path $File
$File = $Path + "sapnco_utils.dll"; Add-Type -Path $File
}
#-Function Get-Destination--------------------------------------------
Function Get-Destination {
#-Connection parameters-------------------------------------------
$cfgParams = New-Object SAP.Middleware.Connector.RfcConfigParameters
$cfgParams.Add("NAME", "TEST")
$cfgParams.Add("ASHOST", "ABAP")
$cfgParams.Add("SYSNR", "00")
$cfgParams.Add("CLIENT", "001")
$cfgParams.Add("USER", "BCUSER")
$SecPasswd = Read-Host -Prompt "Passwort" -AsSecureString
$ptrPasswd = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBStr($SecPasswd)
$Passwd = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringBStr($ptrPasswd)
$cfgParams.Add("PASSWD", $Passwd)
Return [SAP.Middleware.Connector.RfcDestinationManager]::GetDestination($cfgParams)
}
#-Sub Read-Table------------------------------------------------------
Function Read-Table ([String]$TableName) {
$destination = Get-Destination
#-Metadata--------------------------------------------------------
$rfcFunction = `
$destination.Repository.CreateFunction("RFC_READ_TABLE")
#-Call function module--------------------------------------------
Try {
$rfcFunction.SetValue("QUERY_TABLE", $TableName)
$rfcFunction.SetValue("DELIMITER", ";")
$rfcFunction.Invoke($destination)
[SAP.Middleware.Connector.IRfcTable]$Table = `
$rfcFunction.GetTable("DATA")
ForEach ($Line In $Table) {
Write-Host $Line.GetValue("WA")
}
}
Catch {
Write-Host "Exception occured:`r`n" $_.Exception.Message
}
}
#-Sub Main------------------------------------------------------------
Function Main () {
If ($PSVersionTable.PSVersion.Major -ge 5) {
Load-NCo
Read-Table "USR01"
}
}
#-Main----------------------------------------------------------------
Main
#-End-------------------------------------------------------------------4th example – RFC_READ_TABLE with JSON result
#-Begin-----------------------------------------------------------------
<#
.Synopsis
Calls RFC_READ_TABLE of an SAP system.
.Description
Calls the function module RFC_READ_TABLE and writes the result
in JSON on the screen.
#>
#-Sub Load-NCo--------------------------------------------------------
Function Load-NCo {
$ScriptDir = $PSScriptRoot
If ([Environment]::Is64BitProcess) {
$Path = $ScriptDir + "\x64\"
}
Else {
$Path = $ScriptDir + "\x86\"
}
$File = $Path + "sapnco.dll"; Add-Type -Path $File
$File = $Path + "sapnco_utils.dll"; Add-Type -Path $File
}
#-Function Get-Destination--------------------------------------------
Function Get-Destination {
#-Connection parameters-------------------------------------------
$cfgParams = New-Object SAP.Middleware.Connector.RfcConfigParameters
$cfgParams.Add("NAME", "TEST")
$cfgParams.Add("ASHOST", "ABAP")
$cfgParams.Add("SYSNR", "00")
$cfgParams.Add("CLIENT", "001")
$cfgParams.Add("USER", "BCUSER")
$SecPasswd = Read-Host -Prompt "Passwort" -AsSecureString
$ptrPasswd = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::SecureStringToBStr($SecPasswd)
$Passwd = [Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal]::PtrToStringBStr($ptrPasswd)
$cfgParams.Add("PASSWD", $Passwd)
Return [SAP.Middleware.Connector.RfcDestinationManager]::GetDestination($cfgParams)
}
#-Sub Read-Table------------------------------------------------------
Function Read-Table-JSON ([String]$TableName, [Int]$RowCount) {
$destination = Get-Destination
#-Metadata--------------------------------------------------------
$rfcFunction = `
$destination.Repository.CreateFunction("RFC_READ_TABLE")
#-Call function module--------------------------------------------
Try {
$rfcFunction.SetValue("QUERY_TABLE", $TableName)
$rfcFunction.SetValue("DELIMITER", "~")
$rfcFunction.SetValue("ROWCOUNT", $RowCount)
$rfcFunction.Invoke($destination)
$Header = New-Object System.Collections.ArrayList
#-Get field names for the CSV header--------------------------
[SAP.Middleware.Connector.IRfcTable]$Fields = `
$rfcFunction.GetTable("FIELDS")
ForEach ($Field In $Fields) {
[Void]$Header.Add($Field.GetValue("FIELDNAME"))
}
#-Get table data line by line for CSV-------------------------
[SAP.Middleware.Connector.IRfcTable]$Table = `
$rfcFunction.GetTable("DATA")
ForEach ($Line In $Table) {
$CSV = $CSV + $Line.GetValue("WA") + "`r`n"
}
#-Convert CSV to JSON-----------------------------------------
$JSON = $CSV | ConvertFrom-Csv -Delimiter "~" `
-Header $Header | ConvertTo-Json
Return $JSON
}
Catch {
Write-Host "Exception occured:`r`n" $_.Exception.Message
}
}
#-Sub Main------------------------------------------------------------
Function Main () {
If ($PSVersionTable.PSVersion.Major -ge 5) {
Load-NCo
Write-Host(Read-Table-JSON "SFLIGHT" 0)
}
}
#-Main----------------------------------------------------------------
Main
#-End-------------------------------------------------------------------If you like you can find the same functionality here, with SAP NetWeaver RFC SDK and FreeBASIC, to compare it.
Hello Stefan,
a liitle bit late, but thank you very much ! It´s a live saver ;D