Reuse Java Dictionary Types in Web Dynpro Development

Components (Web Dynpro for Java)

Dictionary perspective is one of the many perspectives available in NWDS. We often come across
scenarios where we feel custom data types can be re-used. E.g. a String data type of length 20 can be reused by a number of applications. This can be achieved using dictionary perspective.
Also, there are scenarios where we want a persistent data store like a table and are left with no option
other than using R/3 or external database like oracle or SQL.
In dictionary perspective we can create a table to store persistent data thus avoiding the use of R/3 or
external database.
SCOPE
This document is meant for all Java Web Dynpro developers and SAP portal technical architects.
Java Dictionary

The SAP Web Application Server provides varied options for all aspects of application
development. Different techniques, such as JDBC, are provided also for the database connection
for applications.

Central storage for neutral platform definition of data types and database objects is very helpful if
you are programming extensive SAP applications. SAP provides this storage area in the form of
the Java Dictionary.

The Java Dictionary enables the following:

Data type descriptions for Web applications can be described centrally, redundancy-free, and
independently of the program code.

In standard J2EE programming, there are three layers: presentation layer, business layer, and
database layer. Cross-layer, reusable storage of data descriptions is possible.

You can define platform-independent data types.

The provided type system is based on XML.

In the Java Dictionary, you can store metadata and services for database objects and user
interfaces (Web Dynpro).

The Java Dictionary provides additional data compared to the database catalog of the respective
database system being used. Data type definitions for fields, for example, can be given an input
help or a field label.

Elementary Data Types

Elementary data types are used in the new SAP programming model for user interfaces, Web Dynpro.
Information from the Java Dictionary can be used in many ways:

If a type from the Dictionary is assigned to an input field, the Web Dynpro runtime automatically
checks whether the values entered match the type.

If there is a fixed set of values for a type, this value set is proposed to the user in a dropdown list.

The label text for an input field or the heading of a table column can be derived, on the basis of
the respective language, from the Dictionary information on the field (or column). This is done
through the generation of suitable properties files.

Tables & Indexes

With Open SQL for Java, SAP offers a persistence framework that ensures automatic portability in all
database systems. All tables and indexes that are created in the database must be defined first in the
Java Dictionary.
The tables defined in the Java Dictionary can be accessed using Open SQL/JDBC or Open
SQL/SQLJ. For SQLJ, SAP provides additional utilities (SQLJ Editor, Translator, and so on). As of
now, we are going to concentrate on using Open SQL/JDBC.
Type checks that are executed in Open SQL for Java are based on the definitions in the Java
Dictionary
Why use Java Dictionary
Java Dictionary Framework applied in conjunction with NWDS can help you avoid redundant data
type definitions. You can create the application specific data types, tables in dictionary and can reuse
them extensively in other applications.
Java Dictionary follows Write Once, Reuse Everywhere paradigm.
This document demonstrates how to apply data types defined in a Development Component (DC) of
type Dictionary as types of database table columns and, on the other hand, as the data types of UI
elements within Web Dynpro for Java views. Consider the following scenario:
Within Dictionary DCs, data domain experts

Develop application specific data types.

Apply them as types of database table columns.

Check the types into the Design Time Repository server (DTR) of NWDI.

Subsequently, Web Dynpro skilled developers can check them out and reuse consistently within Web
Dynpro DCs.
This way Dictionary DCs can act as a type repository of the database layer and presentation layer of
your, possibly complex, Java application, as you can view in the picture below. If you change a

Dictionary type, all the objects that use it are established upon generation. The objects that are found
are automatically adjusted to include the change.

Prerequisites

SAP Netweaver Developer Studio 04/04s

SAP J2EE Engine configured in Windows->Preferences

Steps for consuming Java Dictionary Project in Web Dynpro DC

We will go through the following successive development steps:

Create Development Component (DC) of type Dictionary

Define Dictionary types : Simple Types ,Structures & Database Tables

Make Dictionary type DC visible to other DCs

Build , Create .sda and deploy Dictionary DC on J2EE server

Create Web Dynpro DC and Define UI fields

Create DC of type Enterprise Application Project

Define Database Alias

Define Project References

Build, deploy Enterprise Application DC

Insert Records in Java Dictionary Table

Select Records from Java Dictionary Table

STEPS
Create Development Component (DC) of type Dictionary
Open Java Dictionary Perspective
Open NWDS 04. Go to Windows->Open Perspective->Other
Select Dictionary. Click on OK.

Click on File menu->New->Other

Select Development Component.

Click on Next Local Development->My Components. Click Next.
Provide name as dictionary, caption as Dictionary DCand type as Dictionary

Click Next. Keep the default settings. Click on Finish.

Define Dictionary data types: Simple Types, Structures & Database Tables
Go to Dictionary Explorer->dictionary->Dictionaries->Local Dictionary
->Data Types->Simple Types. Right click on it.
Create Simple Type EMPID

Click on Finish.
Navigate to the Definition tab of Simple type.
Keep type as String and Maximum length as 10.

Create another simple type NAME of type String and Maximum Length 30.
Right click on the Structures node of Data Types.
Create New Structure Employee.

Provide Package. Click on Finish

Create 2 elements in Employee structure: EMPID and NAME of respective simple types EMPID and
NAME.

Right click on Database Tables node of Local Dictionary.

Create Database Table TMP_EMPLOYEE

Click on Finish.

Define two table columns EMPID and NAME of respective simple types EMPID and NAME.

Make Dictionary type DC visible to other DCs

Expand DC Metadata node of the Dictionary DC. Right click on Public Parts
->New Public Part

Give the name pp_dictionary. Click on Next.

In the next screen, select Dictionary Simple Type. Check checkboxes for com/sap/mypackage/EMPID
and com/sap/mypackage/NAME.
Then select Dictionary Structure. Check com/sap/mypackage/Employee. Select Dictionary Database
Table. Check /TMP_EMPLOYEE.

Click on Finish
Build , Create .sda and deploy Dictionary DC on J2EE server
Right Click on Dictionary DC ->Development Component->Build
Create Archive (.sda= software development archive)

Right Click on Dictionary DC ->Development Component->Deploy

Create Web Dynpro DC and Define UI fields
File->New->Development Component Project dictionary_wd.

Right Click on Web Dypro Components->New. Create

DictionaryUsageComp with view name DictionaryUsage.

new

Web

Dynpro

component

Go to dictionary_wd->DC Metadata->DC Definition->Used DCs. Right click on Used DCs->Add Used

DC.

Navigate to My Components->dictionary->pp_dictionary.
Reuse of Dictionary types requires that you select the following dependency types:

Build Time (affected Web Dynpro objects need the Dictionary type for compilation)
Run Time (at runtime, the Web Dynpro application dynamically links to the Dictionary data
type deployed to the target server)

Right click on dictionary_wd->Development Component->Build

Now navigate to Web Dynpro Components->DictionaryUsageComp->Views->DictionaryUsage. Select

Context tab.
Define Context node Person with structure binding to Employee Structure defined earlier
in Dictionary DC .

Click on Next

Click on Finish. Switch to Layout tab. Add following UI elements.

Add an onAction event handler onActionCreateRecord() for button Create Record

Add an onAction event handler onActionDisplayRecords() for button Display Records.

Create DC of type Enterprise Application Project

Open J2EE DC Perspective

File->New->Development Component->J2EE->Enterprise Application with name ear_dc.

Right click on ear_dc->New->META-INF/data-source-aliases.xml

Provide Alias name as DSSAP

Right Click on ear_dc->Properties->Project References

Check

checkboxes

for

dictionary

DC

and

dictionary_wd

DC.

Click

on

OK.

Build, deploy Enterprise Application DC

Right Click on ear_dc->Development Component->Build

Right Click on ear_dc->Development Component->Deploy

Insert Records in Java Dictionary Table

In order to insert the records into the java dictionary table TMP_EMPLOYEE
On the click of button
onActionCreateRecord().

Create

Record,

following code snippet needs to

be added

to

Display Records from Java Dictionary Table

In order to display the records from dictionary table TMP_EMPLOYEE on th click of button Display
Records, following code snippet needs to be added to onActionDisplayRecords().

Delete Records from Java dictionary Table

In order to delete a record from dictionary table TMP_EMPLOYEE on the click of button Delete
Record, following code snippet needs to be added to onActionDeleteRecord().

Build, Deploy and run the application