Programming With BAPIs in Visual Basic

SAP Labs, Inc. and ARAsoft GmbH SAP TechEd 2000 June 20–23, 2000 BAPI03.ppt/ 1

Robert Chu (www.sap.com)Thomas G. Schuessler (www.arasoft.de)

Programming with BAPIs in Visual Basic (Advanced)


First things first...

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Overview

l DCOM Connector Overview

l Programming Steps

l Advanced Concepts

l Exercise

l More Information

l Questions and Answers


DCOM Connector Overview

l Access to BAPIs and other RFMs (RFC-enabled Function Modules)

l Alternative to the SAP ActiveX controls

l Smaller client footprint

l Better performance

l Uses generated proxy classes (C++) to

n Avoid runtime metadata retrieval

n Support IntelliSense

l Support for ActiveX Data Objects (ADO)

n Used for structure and table parameters

n Data binding with ADO-aware ActiveX controls

l Use with or without MTS


Fully distributable, scalable n-tier architecture

Intranet Client

Dynamic HTML, Java

Internet Client

Dynamic HTML via ASP and/or Remote Data Service (RDS) etc.

WebServer

Fat Client

Visual Basic, C++, Java

Microsoft Transaction Server

Language-neutral,strongly-typed interfaces

Common Programming Model


Installation

l Use 4.6C or later version of SDC regardless of the back-end R/3 release.

l DCOM Connector can be installed with or without Microsoft Transaction Server (MTS).

l MTS recommended for high-volume Internet/Intranet applications.

l Microsoft Visual C++ 6.0 required to generate proxies.

l Visual Studio Service Pack 3 highly recommended.

l Internet Explorer required for administration.


System Administration

l Define destinations

n Supports load balancing (logon groups) and individual application servers.

l Generate business object and RFM proxiesRFM = RFC-enabled Function Module

l BAPIs and non-BAPI RFMs cannot be generated into the same DLL.


Proxy Generation

l The make file name (C++ Project) determines the DLL name, e.g.T46BCompanyCodeProject.mak will result in T46BCompanyCodeProject.dll.

l The file name of the DLL can be changed later.

l The Namespace parameter and the make file name determine the component name (Type Library name) in VB, e.g.

n Dim oCompanyCode As _T46BCompanyCodeProjectLib.CompanyCode

l The Namespace parameter determines the ProgId, e.g.

n Set oCompanyCode = _oSession.CreateInstance("T46B.CompanyCode")


References in the VB Project

l Microsoft ActiveX Data Objects Recordset 2.1 Library(msador15.dll)

l Generated business object proxies and RFM proxies

l SAP: Remote Function Call: COM support 1.0 Type Library(librfc32.dll)

n Required only if you want to use

w RfcSession

w RfcGuiSink


Programming Steps I

l Define Session objectn Global oSession As CompanyCodeProjectSessionComponent

l Create Session objectn Set oSession = New CompanyCodeProjectSessionComponent

l Set session information / logonn oSession.PutSessionInfo _

Destination:="<destination name", _UserID:="<userid>", Password:="<password>", _Client:="<client>", Language:="<language code>"

n If oSession.Logon(sLogonError) Then

String parameter contains error information.

n Alternative: Use a visual logon component, e.g. freeware atwww.sap.com/solutions/technology/bapis/com/ara_dcom_2.zip


Programming Steps II

l Create business object proxies

n Dim oCompanyCode As _ T46BCompanyCodeProjectLib.CompanyCode

Set oCompanyCode = _oSession.CreateInstance("T46B.CompanyCode")

l Set key fields for instance BAPIs

n oCompanyCode.InitKeys "0001"

Calling the InitKeys method does not check the existence of the particular record in the R/3 database.

Call an instance method BAPI like ExistenceCheck or GetDetail instead.

Keys are read-only properties of the proxy object.


Programming Steps III

l Create structure/table parameter recordsets for import parameters

n Dim rsCompanyCodeList As RecordsetCall oCompanyCode.DimAs("BapiGetList", _"CompanyCodeList", rsCompanyCodeList)

Not required in this case, since CompanyCodeList is anexport-only table.

BAPI and parameter name parameters are case-sensitive!

l Fill import structure/table parameters using ADO

l Call the BAPI

n Dim rsReturn As RecordsetoCompanyCode.BapiGetList _CompanyCodeList:=rsCompanyCodeList, _Return:=rsReturn

BAPI name must be prefixed by "Bapi".


Programming Steps IV

l Check the return code

n If Not (rsReturn("TYPE") = "S" Or _rsReturn("TYPE") = "I" Or _rsReturn("TYPE") = "") Then

MsgBox rsReturn("TYPE") & rsReturn("CODE") & ":" & _rsReturn("MESSAGE")

Exit SubEnd If

l Use the returned data

n Set DataGrid1.DataSource = rsCompanyCodeList

l Empty tables are returned as Nothing, not as recordsets with no rows.


Visual Logon Component Client Code

Dim oSession As SessionComponent

Dim sErrorMessage As String

Dim ldSuccess As ARAsoftDLC.LOGONDIALOGRESULT

Set oSession = New SessionComponent

ldSuccess = ARAsoftDLC.LogonDialog(oSession, sErrorMessage)

If ldSuccess = Success Then

MsgBox "Okay"

ElseIf ldSuccess = Failure Then

MsgBox sErrorMessage

ElseIf ldSuccess = Cancel Then

' User cancelled the logon dialog

End If


Advanced Concepts

l Transaction handling

l Connection properties

l Debugging

l Data conversion


Transaction Handling

l All 3.1 update BAPIs execute their own COMMIT WORK.

l BAPIs since 4.0 are not supposed to do this.

l Double-check which category the BAPIs you want to use fall into.

n There is no metadata attribute for this

n Read the documentation

n OSS Note 131838 should list all BAPIs that execute their own COMMIT WORK

n If in doubt, test...

l Be careful when using BAPIs from both categories in the same session.

l Your own BAPIs must use the Update Task to support the new concept.


Commit/Rollback BAPIs

l Supported starting with 4.5 by the BapiService methods

n TransactionCommit w WAIT parameter allows the client program to wait for the

completion of the Update Task.This can severely impact performance!w Return parameter (filled only when WAIT = "X")

n TransactionRollback

l Supported starting with 4.0 by the RFC-enabled functions modules

n BAPI_TRANSACTION_COMMIT n BAPI_TRANSACTION_ROLLBACK


Transaction Handling in SDC

l Commit and Rollback are methods of the RfcSession object

n oSession.CommitWork

n oSession.CommitWorkAndWait (not implemented)

n oSession.RollbackWork

l Alternative: Use the appropriate BAPIs of BapiService


Connection Properties

l Function GetConnectionAttribute([AttrName As String])

n Returns one attribute (as a Variant) or, if attribute name is omitted, a recordset.

n Dim rsX As RecordsetSet rsX = oSession.GetConnectionAttribute

l Most important fields

n DESTINATION

n SYSID

n PARTNER_HOST

n SYSTNR

n USER

n PARTNER_REL


Debugging

l Client side

n RFC trace

w "trace=1" in the destination string

w Writes to file rfcnnnnn_nnnnn.trcn Component to display recordsets during debugging

l Server side

n Debug ABAP code

n Requires SAP-GUI and some ABAP Workbench knowledge

w Dim oSink As RfcGuiSinkSet oSink = New RfcGuiSinkoCompanyCode.AdviseRfcGuiSink oSink, 1, 0


The BapiService Object I

l Support functions for BAPI programming

l BAPIs (4.0)

n DataConversionInt2Ext

n DataConversionExt2Int

l Additional BAPIs (4.5A)

n ApplicationLogGetDetail

n FieldhelpGetDocu

n InterfaceGetDocu

n MessageGetDetail

n TransactionCommit

n TransactionRollback


The BapiService Object II

l Additional BAPIs (4.5B)

n DataConversionExt2int1 (sic!)

n DataConversionInt2Ext1

l Additional BAPIs (4.6)

n HyperLinkGetText

l Renamed BAPIs (4.6)

n DataConversionExt2Int1 (sic!)


Conversion BAPIs

l BAPIs often deliver and require the internal SAP data format.

l Examples:

n Customer numbers

n Material numbers

n Language-dependent codes

w Units of measure etc.

l Check the conversion exit field of a field's domain to determine whether conversion is required.


DataConversionInt2Ext

l Converts internal to external format

l Parameters

n Data (table)

w OBJTYPE Internal name of object w OBJNAME "Official" name of object w METHOD Name of BAPI w PARAMETER Name of parameter w FIELD Field name in structure or table w ROWNUMBER Row number in this tablew INT_FORMAT Internal format to be convertedw EXT_FORMAT Result in external format

n Return (table)


DataConversionExt2Int

l Converts external to internal format

l Parameters

n Data (table)

w OBJTYPE Internal name of object w OBJNAME "Official" name of object w METHOD Name of BAPI w PARAMETER Name of parameter w FIELD Field name in structure or table w ROWNUMBER Row number in this tablew INT_FORMAT Result in internal formatw EXT_FORMAT External format to be converted

n Return (table)


Exercise 1

l Build a DcomServices component for DCOM Connector, Part 1

l Retrieve connection information for the current session

l Open project group CompanyCode 2.vbg

l Follow the instructions in the template (GlobalServices).


Exercise 2

l Build a DcomServices component for DCOM Connector, Part 2

l Display a recordset during debugging

l Open project group CompanyCode 2.vbg

l Follow the instructions in the template (Debugging).


Exercise 3

l Display the ISO language code for this company code in the Detail form.

l Use the appropriate conversion BAPI (DataConversionInt2Ext1).

l Open project CompanyCode 3.vbp

l Follow the instructions in the template (form fmDetail)


ARAsoft Windows Products I

l ARAsoft Metadata Server for SAP R/3

n Supports 3.1 - 4.6

n Retrieves all(!) metadata available in R/3

n Uses the RFC ActiveX Control

n Can only be licensed by software companies

n Can be ported to DCOM Connector and Java upon request

l ARAsoft BAPI Debugging Library

n Helps debugging ActiveX Controls- and SDC-based applications

n Evaluation copy athttp://www.sap.com/solutions/technology/bapis/com/aradebug.zip


ARAsoft Windows Products II

l ARAsoft ADO SAP Table Library

n For ActiveX Control-based applications

n Makes SAP Table objects look like ADO recordsets

l ARAsoft OIW Library


n Encapsulates access to the OIW BAPIs

l ARAsoft Product Catalog Component


n Encapsulates access to the ProductCatalog BAPIs


ARAsoft Windows Products III

l ARAsoft BAPI Support Library


n Support for

w Structures, Fields

w Helpvalues

w Conversions

w SAP Systems (saplogon.ini)

w many other functions


ARAsoft Windows Products IV

l ARAsoft DCOM Connector Destination Manager for SAP R/3

n Freeware

n Download fromhttp://www.sap.com/solutions/technology/bapis/com/ara_dest.zip

l ARAsoft DCOM Connector Logon Component for SAP R/3

n Freeware

n Download fromhttp://www.sap.com/solutions/technology/bapis/com/ara_dcom_2.zip

n Source code can be purchased


ARAsoft Windows Products V

l ARAsoft DCOM BAPI Object Factory for SAP R/3

n Support for

w Structure, Fieldsw Helpvaluesw Matchcodesw Conversionsw Destinationsw Metadataw Open Information Warehousew Product Catalogw Error handling

n Includes

w ARAsoft Visual Matchcode Componentw ARAsoft Structure Browserw ARAsoft Helpvalues Browser


ARAsoft Java BAPI Object Factory for SAP R/3 I

l Encapsulates all difficult / error-prone / performance-related aspects of BAPI/RFM programming, e. g.

n Check tables (Helpvalues), conversions, metadata

l Significantly reduces the amount of SAP know-how developers need to build world-class applications.

l Significantly speeds up development projects.

l Significantly reduces maintenance and R/3 release upgrade cost.

l Provides release-independence.

l Allows you to avoid hard-coded solutions that will come back to haunt you in the future.

l Optimizes performance of your application through just-in-time data retrieval and caching.


ARAsoft Java BAPI Object Factory for SAP R/3 II

l Tested for R/3 releases 4.0B through 4.6C.

l Tested with JDK 1.1 and Java 2; 100 percent pure Java.

l Works with any Java RFC middleware (HAHT, SAP, IBM).

l No proxies required.

l Supports desktop and server/web applications.

l Evaluation copy available on request.

l On-site developer training (all aspects of BAPI programming) available on request.

l An earlier version of this component was described in the article "Simplifying BAPI Programming with Components" in the Nov/Dec 1999 issue of the SAP Professional Journal (www.sappro.com)


Additional Information

l CA925: Programming with BAPIs in Visual Basic

n Offered in Germany, UK, USA

l www.sap.com/bapi

l www.sappro.com

l www.sapinsider.com

l "The BABI Bible for SAP Programmers: The comprehensive guide to integrating SAP products with Web, desktop, and mobile applications using Java, Visual Basic, and ABAP" published in late 2000 by SAP Professional


ARAsoft GmbH

l Products, Consulting, Custom-development, Trainingoffered world-wide.

http://www.arasoft.de

Alte Bruchsaler Str. 6069168 WieslochGermany

+49-6222-91171 (phone)+49-6222-91176 (fax)

+49-6227-748727 (SAP)

[email protected]@sap.com

Programming With BAPIs in Visual Basic

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