Association and Navigation in

OData Service

Till Part III of our Tutorial series on SAP Netweaver Gateway and OData, we
have designed our data models to fetch header data from EKKO and item data
from EKPO independently. POHeaderSet and POItemSet do not talk to each
other as of now. In real projects, we need to manipulate item data based on
input from the header or other entity types and vice-versa. So there has to be
a connecting link between them. In SAP Netweaver Gateway jargons, we call
them Associations and we need to create Associations (and Navigation
Properties) between the entity types of the data model.

Association specifies the cardinality between Entity Types. When an

Association is created, a Navigation Property of the Entity Type is also
generated. The Navigation tells the relationship between entities with
the help of Association which it points to and the Association, in turn, tell the
cardinality relationship between entities.

Let us create one Association and check how it looks in the system. Go to t-
code SEGW, under Data Model, right-click on the Association folder and Create
your first Association.
You need to specify the Key (Dependent Property like Foreign Key concept)
between the Principal Entity and Dependent Entity.

AssociationSet is also generated, in case we want it for multiple entries (i.e

tables/arrays).
Hit the Finish icon and Association, Navigation Property and Association
Set are generated.
The below figure sums up the relationship between Entities, Navigation
Property, Association and AssociationSet.
 Do we still need to define what Navigation Properties, Association and
Association Set are?

1
2 Navigation Property:
3 <NavigationProperty Name="HeadToItemNav"
4 Relationship="ZGW_PO_SRV.HeadToItemAss"
5 FromRole="FromRole_HeadToItemAss"
6 ToRole="ToRole_HeadToItemAss" />

The above code snippet and image above shows that Navigation Properties
are defined for Entity Types. It points to the association type
via Relationship. It also specifies the direction of flow using FromRole and
ToRole. In short, Navigation Property helps to navigate between association.

1
2 Association:
3 - <Association Name="HeadToItemAss" sap:content-version="1">
4 <End Type="ZGW_PO_SRV.POHeader" Multiplicity="1" Role="FromRole_HeadToItemAss" />
5 <End Type="ZGW_PO_SRV.POItem" Multiplicity="*" Role="ToRole_HeadToItemAss" />
6 - <ReferentialConstraint>
7 - <Principal Role="FromRole_HeadToItemAss">
8 <PropertyRef Name="Ebeln" />
9 </Principal>
10 - <Dependent Role="ToRole_HeadToItemAss">
11 <PropertyRef Name="Ebeln" />
12 </Dependent>
13 </ReferentialConstraint>
14 </Association>

Similarly, the above code and the image above confirm that Association
provides the cardinality (multiplicity) of the FromRole and ToRole. It, in
turn, has a Referential Constraints which tell the Key field which joins/links the
principal and dependent entity. FromRole and ToRole specify the Direction of
flow of data. To sum up, Association is the relationship name between
two entity types (one being the origin and other is destination point).

1
2 - <AssociationSet Name="HeadToItemAssSet"
3 Association="ZGW_PO_SRV.HeadToItemAss" sap:creatable="false"
4 sap:updatable="false" sap:deletable="false" sap:content-version="1">
5 <End EntitySet="POHeaderSet" Role="FromRole_HeadToItemAss" />
6 <End EntitySet="POItemSet" Role="ToRole_HeadToItemAss" />
7 </AssociationSet>

AssociationSet is the Association between EntitySets. This is the link

between tables(arrays). As clearly visible in the above picture, Association Set
points to the Association. To put it simple, AssociationSet has all the properties
(cardinality, data flow direction, entity) of the associated Association.

Let us check the how the metadata of the service look after we added the
above Association.

URI: /sap/opu/odata/sap/ZGW_PO_SRV/$metadata
Did you notice, the metadata has the signature of the Navigation Property of
the Entity Type? Also, check the response below for the Association and
AssociationSet definition.
We have been using the below URI to fetch one entry of the PO Header in our
previous articles. If you try to execute the same URI again, this time, you would
notice there is an additional link. This additional new link has the Query Option
with the Navigation Property we created above.

URI: /sap/opu/odata/sap/ZGW_PO_SRV/POHeaderSet(‘4500002012’)
The result of the POHeaderSet with one primary key as Query option shows a
new href link. It gives the hint that we can navigate to the PO Item data by
adding the Navigation Property the Query option.
If you expand one entry of the above result, you would be able to view an
alternative link to get the exact one PO Item. The alternate Link to get one
specific PO Item is displayed in the result of POHeaderSet query. Isn’t that
useful?

URI: /sap/opu/odata/sap/ZGW_PO_SRV/POItemSet(Ebeln=’4500001729′,Ebelp
=’00010′)
Que: What is the difference between the below two URIs?
URI 1:
/sap/opu/odata/sap/ZGW_PO_SRV/POHeaderSet(‘4500001729’)/HeadToItem
Nav
URI 2:
/sap/opu/odata/sap/ZGW_PO_SRV/POHeaderSet(‘4500001729’)?$expand=He
adToItemNav
Ans: First URI would pull the item level entries only while the second URI would
pull the item level entries and also display the header level data. In short,
the $expand query option is expanding the Header information with the help of
the Navigation property and showing the dependent entity type.

As of now, we witnessed data flow from Header to Item. Let us introduce one
more entity type which can be associated with the Item. I mean we will build
a navigation link from POItem Entity to this new Entity Type. The data of
this new Entity Type would be updated, deleted and created. In short this new
Entity Type and Entity Set would be our Guinea Pig for our CRUD Operations in
subsequent posts.

Before we create the Entity Type, let us create a simple DDIC Table
ZEKKOEKPO (EKKO EKPO union) as shown below which we will use in our OData
Service.
Now let us create the new Entity Type and EntitySet zekkoekpo and
zekkoekpoSet respectively. Please check we have created the Entity Type
zekkoekpo in lower case deliberately to show that the Entity names are case
sensitive. You can check the issues which would arise due to the case of the
name in subsequent posts.
By now you should know the next step. We need to implement the METHODs of
the Operations we want to use for this new entity type zekkoekpo. If you still do
not know how to implement and redefine the methods, then all our effort till

now went in vain. .

Please refer to Create Your first OData Service and URIs in OData articles to
check how to implement and redefine the Data Provider Class Methods.
We have redefined two methods with no line of code. Let us check how our
OData Service behave. For testing purpose, put external breakpoints at both the
Entity Methods.

Please do not forget to re-generate your OData Project after you add/remove
any Entity Type or any other component.

i. Let us call the URI which is supposed to call the GetEntitySet Method.

URI: /sap/opu/odata/sap/ZGW_PO_SRV/zekkoekpoSet

Check the GetEntitySet Method is triggered for the EntitySet Resource.

ii. Now let us call the URI which would call the GetEntity Method.

URI: /sap/opu/odata/sap/ZGW_PO_SRV/zekkoekpoSet(Ebeln=’45000
03480′,Ebelp=’10’)
As expected,GetEntity Method is triggered when we pass the primary keys of
the Entity.

We found, our methods get triggered even with no code in it, so now we
can write our logic. Let us write simple code to extract data from EKKO and
EKPO and put in our Entity Type zekkoekpo.
1
2 METHOD zekkoekposet_get_entity.
3
4 DATA: ls_key_tab TYPE /iwbep/s_mgw_name_value_pair,
5 ls_request_input_data TYPE zcl_zgw_purchase_mpc=>ts_zekkoekpo,
6 ls_zekkoekpo TYPE zekkoekpo,
7 lv_ebeln TYPE ebeln,
8 lv_ebelp TYPE ebelp.
9 * Get the key property values
10 READ TABLE it_key_tab WITH KEY name = 'Ebeln' INTO ls_key_tab.
11 IF sy-subrc = 0.
12 lv_ebeln = ls_key_tab-value.
13 ENDIF.
14 * Get the key property values
15 READ TABLE it_key_tab WITH KEY name = 'Ebelp' INTO ls_key_tab.
16 IF sy-subrc = 0.
17 lv_ebelp = ls_key_tab-value.
18 ENDIF.
19
20 IF lv_ebeln IS NOT INITIAL AND lv_ebelp IS NOT INITIAL.
21 SELECT SINGLE h~mandt h~ebeln i~ebelp h~bukrs h~bsart i~matnr i~werks i~meins i~menge i~loekz
22 FROM ( ekko AS h
23 INNER JOIN ekpo AS i ON h~ebeln = i~ebeln )
24 INTO er_entity WHERE h~ebeln = lv_ebeln
25 AND i~ebelp = lv_ebelp.
26
27 ENDIF.
28
29 ENDMETHOD.

Let us test this URI for the new code we implemented.

URI:
/sap/opu/odata/sap/ZGW_PO_SRV/zekkoekpoSet(Ebeln=’4500003480′,Ebelp=’
10’)
We are good till now. Data is fetched and displayed using our logic. Now let us
create an Association between the POItem and zekkoekpo Entity Types.
Let us check the metadata again. It would show the new Navigation
Property, Association and AssociationSet.
URI: /sap/opu/odata/sap/ZGW_PO_SRV/$metadata
Let us test the Navigation Property

Assume, you do not know how to frame the Query Option using the Navigation
Link in the URI. Then just frame the URI for one POItemSet which you already
know. Check the XML for the href. There you would have all the links to get the
same value using other URI.
For this
URI: /sap/opu/odata/sap/ZGW_PO_SRV/POItemSet(Ebeln=’45000034
80′,Ebelp=’10’)

Check the XML for the Navigation Property.

Now let us call our URI along with the new Navigation Query Option
URI:
/sap/opu/odata/sap/ZGW_PO_SRV/POItemSet(Ebeln=’4500003480′,Ebelp=’10’
)/ItemToCustomNav
This is the basic about Association, Association Set and Navigation Property. Try
to follow a naming convention to differentiate the Navigation and Association
and Association Set.Most of us try to give the same name for Association and
Navigation property. So, when we use them in URI to frame the Query Option,
we are confused whether it is a Navigation Property or Association. Adding an
identifier like Nav, Ass, AssSet helps to identify what you are working with.

I wanted to show some more CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) Operations
in this post, but I think that chapter needs more respect than just a
mention. Next article would be dedicated to CRUD. We would check two-way
navigation between entity types and entity sets.

We would also venture into the other Operation methods like POST, PUT,
DELETE etc. As of now, we have used only GET Operation. We will populate data
in our Guinea Pig Entity Type zekkoekpo and bring it to life. Please stay tuned.