What is Web Dynpro?

We present the place and role of the Web Dynpro within the SAP NetWeaver platform. So, we start with the layers of the SAP NetWeaver platform, we continue with the importance of the Application Platform layer, and we conclude with the place and role of Web Dynpro (ABAP and Java) within the Application Server ABAP and, respective, Application Server Java.

As we can see, four layers are distinguished in this context: Application Platform, Process Integration, Information Integration and People Integration.

The Application Platform represents the technical basis of almost all the other SAP products. This is the reason why the Application Platform plays a central role in the SAP NetWeaver.

The Application Platform essentially offers two programming interfaces: ABAP and Java (J2EE). ABAP is the programming interface for Application Server (AS) ABAP and Java is the programming interface for AS Java.

To create ABAP and Java applications, we have two independent development environments: ABAP Workbench for ABAP and SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio for Java.

Both development environments offer the possibility to create web based applications built by using declarative programming techniques based on the Model View Controller (MVC) paradigm.

SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio is the SAP’s own development environment used to develop Java-based multilayer business applications. This development environment is based on Eclipse and offers a Web Dynpro Perspective to create Web Dynpro Java applications.

All the tools we need to create Web Dynpro Java applications are found within the SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio.

SAP NetWeaver components (SAP)

SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio–Web Dynpro perspective

ABAP Workbench is the SAP’s own development environment used to develop ABAP-based multilayer business applications. This development environment offers Web Dynpro Explorer to create Web Dynpro ABAP components

ABAP Workbench–Web Dynpro Explorer

The Application Server ABAP has the structure presented.

AS ABAP (SAP)

As we can see, most of the AS ABAP components can be divided into three layers:

• Presentation layer
• Business layer
• Persistence layer

Web Dynpro ABAP is part of the presentation layer and it’s the SAP standard UI technology used for developing web business applications without knowing HTML or JavaScript.

Web Dynpro ABAP offers many advantages, as follows:

• Strict separation between the layout and business data
• Re-use and better maintainability through reusability.
• Automatic input checks.
• Automatic data transport, using data binding.
• WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get) view editor.

Web Dynpro ABAP and Web Dynpro Java mostly offer the same functionalities. But, of course, there are some differences between them, for example:

• Web Dynpro Java, unlike the Web Dynpro ABAP, disposes of a ViewSet that allows us to integrate in a Screen more Views, by using certain pre-defined layouts. In this respect, their common part is the View Container UI Element.
• Web Dynpro Java offers graphical tools that ease the programming work, as:Navigation Manager and Diagram View, unlike the Web Dynpro ABAP where we dispose only of a tool used to visualize and to define the window structure.

The Web Dynpro ABAP is what the current book is about. More information about Web Dynpro Java can be found in the Book Inside Web Dynpro for Java by Chris Whealy.