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jeroenvandera
Contributor

Looking around in 1.5 : the Backend Connection

Now that I am able to look in the newest version what more fun than just to try things out? I will create a series of blogs where I just try new things out and give my thoughts on that particular thing. For more in depth information Karol  already wrote an impressive amount of information that you can find here :

What does it do?

The backend connection allows you to navigate in a backend system and select a source for your data. That source can be a query, an infoprovider and it can come from a BW or an HANA Source.  When you press the ok button you can write a script in the “on confirmed” event where you can handle the choice made.

Fig 1 Runtime screen of backend connection

In the properties you can control how a user can look for sources. In the example above you see four tabs, each tab is a way to access the queries. In the properties you can enable or disable the option in this screen.

Fig 2 Properties Tabs

What is a good scenario for usage?

This popup is very usable for when you create a generic OLAP application. The first step is then to show the screen as a popup and move into the OLAP with the chosen query. Additionally you can combine this with external parameters. In cases where other applications do a Drilldown they provide system and query via external parameters. If you open the application directly no external parameters are provided and the application will ask the user for a query.

First of all you need to create some external parameters and global variables

Fig 3: Global Variables

Then in the startup you set up the following script


System = XSystem;
Query = XQuery;
if (Query!= "none" && System != "none"){DS_1.assignDataSource(System, DataSourceType.QUERY, Query);}
if (Query== "none" && System != "none"){CONNECTION_1.setSystem(System);}
CONNECTION_1.showDataSourceBrowser();


If a query and system was provided it will load that, if only a system then that system will be opened in the back end connection. Otherwise the Backend will fall back to a default system.

In the after confirmation event in the backend component you only add the following


var ds = CONNECTION_1.getSelectedDataSource();
DS_1.assignDataSource(ds.connection, ds.type, ds.name, true);


This can be copied from the tooltip that is provided by design studio.

Some other thoughts

I also tried my hand and creating my own interface based on the getConnections, getRootfolders and the getChildren method.

It is possible, but is cumbersome as you have to store names into the dropboxes, listboxes. If one is selected I used  searchDataSources to find the selected system again where I used forEach to find which name exactly matches the selected option.  Hopefully the developers will expand these methods a bit so that these things become easier.

All in all a nice addition, which is very handy for especially generic OLAP applications

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