Mobile ITS for Beginners with steps

Added by Rakesh More, last edited by Rakesh More on Apr 22, 2009

What is ITSMobile ? ITSMobile (Internet Transaction Server for Mobile) is part of SAP NetWeaver, which helps to create webenabled SAP applications for accessing them from browser based Handheld devices. Is a Technology introduced by SAP in 2007 ITSMobile is based on the ITS Engine integrated into the SAP Netweaver Web Application Server. ITSMobile features HTML generation of SAP Screens through its Template Generator Generated HTML acts as 'Templates' for further customization The Application design tools required for developing a Mobile ITS application are : ABAP development workbench. Web application Builder which has 2 components : 1)Internet Service creator. Parts of Internet Service Service Parameters Theme / Topic HTML Templates 2)HTML Template Generator. The Run time Components are : ICM Status -shoul be in Running status(Needs to be checked in Transaction SMICM). HTTP Service - should be Active(In transaction SMICM,GOTO-->Services) Published Internet Service(In transactions SE80 and SICF) ITS own Services Architecture of Mobile ITS. " Steps to create Mobile ITS application: 1)Create the Application(that needs to dispalyed in handheld device) in ABAP development workbench in SE80. 2) From "SE80", create an Internet Service, assign the Transaction code and save it in a Package 3)Generate HTML Mobile template for all the screens of the ABAP application from "SE80" 4)Publish the Internet Service from "SE80" 5)Creating an ICF Service with the same name (as in Step-2) from Transaction "SICF" under the folder: "default_host/sap/bc/gui/sap/its" 6)Activate the service created from "SICF". The service can be tested from the context menu of the Service Development Guidelines for Mobile Applications: 1)Keep the UI simple by design :

2)Keep in mind the limited screen sizes of handheld devices 3)It is recommended to limit the UI elements to: "Text Box", "I/O Fields", "Checkboxes", "Radio Buttons" and "Pushbuttons" Refer Supported Screen Elements for more details Frames, Tab strips, Table Controls are not supported 4)GUI Status not to include any Buttons. Instead include it on the Screens Error/Warning/Status/Information messages should be handled on an output field. That means, "Message" statement or calling a Function Module to show a popup message / confirmation prompt, should not be used Steps to create Internet service in SE80. 1)In SE80 choose Internet service from the dropdown and give an internet sevice name. " 2)Give the transaction name of the program. " 3)Create template by right clicking on the internet service CREATE->TEMPLATE.Give the theme as 99,enter the screen no for which template needs to created and the generating style should be Mobile Gerate. " 4)Double click on the Internet service name.In the parameters section give ~transaction = transaction name of the program and ~generateddynpro = 1. " 5)Save the service.Right click on the Internet service select PULISH->COMPLETE SERVICE.You should get a success message like this. Steps to create Service in SICF transaction. 1)In SICF transaction,execute the report to get into the second screen.Navigate to the path default_host/sap/bc/gui/sap/its and right click and select New sub element. 2)Give the same Internet service name as given in SE80.In the sevice tab for GUI LINK drop down select YES.In the GUI configuration tab give the following parameters. 3)In the Logon Data tab choose Procedure as Alternative logon procedure. Delete other types of logon procedures retaining only Fields Authentication. 4)In the Handler list tab give the class name as CL_HTTP_EXT_ITS. 5)In the error pages tab choose the last radio button system login. Click the configuration button. Click the check boxes : System ID,client,Language,system messages. Give the user specific class as 'CL_MOBILE_SYSTEM_LOGIN'. 6)save the internet service,right click and activate it.Then right click and Test Service. It will open a webpage and will display the application as seen in handheld device.

Creating Mobile Applications with ITSmobile

Use
You can use ITSmobile to make an application or parts of an application executable in the browser of mobile devices. ITSmobile uses the tried-and-tested ITS template technique to do this. This technique is based on the concept that an HTML template for visualization in the browser is provided for every screen (dynpro) of the application. Dynamic content/data can be included in the templates at runtime using HTMLBusiness (HTMLB). ITSmobile is delivered with a new template generator that allows you to generate the templates of simple screens directly. If necessary, you can then change these further to meet your requirements.

If you make changes to the application screens (dynpros), you always need to regenerate or manually adjust the templates. If necessary, you can also create a completely new template generator, or create a new template generator based on the one delivered.

Prerequisites
To be able to generate templates, you require a functioning SAP Web AS ABAP application. The screen layout of the application must be designed for mobile devices and their limited visualization functions. The maintenance size of the screen must be adjusted to the screen size of the mobile device. The HTML template generator uses the maintenance size of the screens (number of rows / columns) to build an HTML table with a character matrix. The application should use only screen elements that are supported by ITSmobile. For a list of supported elements, see Supported Screen Elements. On the system side, you also require an integrated ITS with at least the following service/patch status: 640: Kernel Patch 161, SAP Basis Support Package: 20 (SAPKB64020)

Advantages
Using the integrated ITS to visualize ABAP applications on mobile devices offers the following advantages: The application can be developed and tested entirely in ABAP. You can use SAP GUI for Windows to perform ABAP debugging. Generating templates ensures a fast initial visualization of the application in HTML. The templates and therefore the generated HTML can be tailored to your own needs. Device-specific HTML or JavaScript functions can be easily integrated.

Procedure
To make an application or parts of an application executable in the browser of mobile devices, proceed as follows.
...

1.

Step 1: Generate an Internet Service and Templates First generate the templates for the required application screens (dynpros). To provide simple screens quickly, two standard services delivered by SAP (ITSMOBILE and ITSGENMOBILE) are used as the basis for the template creation in step 1. 2. Step 2: Create an ICF Service

In step 2, you create an ICF service with which you can call the generated templates over HTTP. Optional: Making Manual Adjustments If the templates generated in the standard way from steps 1 and 2 do not entirely fulfill your requirements, you can adjust them.

HTMLBusiness Language Reference

Purpose
HTMLBusiness is an SAP-specific macro language that enables the Internet Transaction Server (ITS) to merge SAP transaction screen data dynamically into HTML templates. When a user starts a screen-based Internet application from a Web browser, this triggers an ITS service, which corresponds to an SAP transaction. For each SAP transaction screen, there is an HTML template, which contains standard HTML code and HTMLBusiness statements. When SAP transaction screen data is passed to the ITS at runtime, the HTMLBusiness interpreter evaluates the HTMLBusiness statements and the ITS merges the data into HTML templates, which are displayed in the users Web browser.

Features
HTMLBusiness is syntactically similar to C. To differentiate HTMLBusiness from standard HTML, the ITS uses the following delimiters: HTML-style tags
<server> </server>

Back quotes `` By using these delimiters to enclose HTMLBusiness expressions, you do not have to implement multiple tags or mark methods in HTML pages. Also, you can use any suitable HTML authoring tool when writing HTML code to design Web pages.

This documentation assumes that you are familiar with standard SAP HTML dialog programming and the ITS.

Installation and Activation

The integrated ITS is part of the SAP Web Application Server 6.40. It is automatically installed together with the SAP kernel. To be able to use a service via the integrated ITS, you must first follow the standard procedures for activation and configuration of the Internet Communication Manager (ICM). For more information, see Manager. Administration of the Internet Communication

In addition, you must activate the service you want to execute and the service default_host/sap/public/bc/its/mimes in the Internet Communication Framework (ICF). For further information refer to Activating an SICF Service. Make sure that besides the Internet service to be used also the two Internet services system and webgui (also known as SAP GUI for HTML) have been published to site INTERNAL, because objects of these services may also be used by other services. The ICF path for the webgui service is /default_host/sap/bc/gui/sap/its/. You can use this path to search for the service in transaction SICF. HTTP requests with /sap/bc/gui/sap/its/webguispecified as path are forwarded to the request handler

of the integrated ITS. The complete URL for access to the SAP system with SAP GUI for HTML is http(s)://<icman-host>:<icman-port>/sap/bc/gui/sap/its/webgui When using the integrated ITS, two profile parameters (see also Profile Parameters) are of special importance: itsp/enable Changing and Switching

You use this parameter to deactivate (0) or activate (1) the integrated ITS. Even if the integrated ITS is activated, it only accesses system resources when it is actually used. Nevertheless, it can make sense to deactivate it to prevent users from accessing the SAP system with SAP GUI for HTML via special application servers (such as batch or update instances). Since the conversion of SAP screens into HTML pages uses additional CPU time, it makes sense to reserve a number of dedicated application servers to be used with SAP GUI for HTML and to use a special logon group to balance the load between them. em/global_area_MB The global area is a memory shared by all work processes of the SAP kernel. The integrated ITS uses it for the runtime version of the HTMLBusiness templates ("preparsed templates"). The memory required depends on the number and size of the templates used to display the services called by the users. The default value is large enough to use SAP GUI for HTML with one browser version in one logon language. If your users access the ITS with different languages or browsers (for example, Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator), or if they need additional services apart from SAP GUI for HTML, then the number of used templates will increase and you will have to adapt em/global_area_MBaccordingly. You find information on when and how you should adapt this parameter in note 742048.

In case the SAP GUI logon for HTML/IAC fails, see SAP Note 698329.

ITSmobile: Supported Screen Elements

If you are using the ITS to visualize ABAP applications on mobile devices, your application should use only screen elements that are supported by ITSmobile:

Screen Element Text Field

Attribute Standard Bright Invisible Display right Double-click sensitive Fixed font Identifier right/left Icon

Supported Yes Yes Yes No No No No No Yes Yes Yes

Input/Output Field

Standard Entry not activated Required entry

Output only Required field Right-aligned Scrollable Two-dimensional Entry not visible (for example, password) Leading zeros Number right-aligned Radio Button Standard Inactive Invisible Icon Right-aligned Radio button group With function code Checkbox Standard Inactive Invisible Icon Right-aligned With function code Pushbutton Standard Inactive Invisible Icon Frame Standard Title Invisible Drop-Down List Standard Bright Invisible Deactivated Required field With function code Identifier right/left F4 help field Standard Button always visible

Yes No No Yes No Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No No Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes

Button on focus Inactive Required field Scrollable Right-justified Search help screen Step Loop Subscreen area Standard Standard (with maintenance size) Scrollable

No Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes Yes No

Elements or element attributes that are not listed are NOT supported. Support for additional screen elements or attributes is available on request (create a message on component BCFES-ITS).