For years, ABAP developers have longed for a way to write professional, Web-based applications without having to learn HTML or JavaScript, while SAP has longed for a bridge between its ABAP-based applications and those written specifically for the Web. SAP NetWeaver 2004s finally offers a viable solution — Web Dynpro for ABAP (WD4A), a form-based version of the proven, classic Dynpro technology underlying ABAP. This article introduces you to the fundamentals of WD4A programming and the new design time, which is integrated into the ABAP Workbench. It describes the tools available for developing WD4A applications, their core functionalities, when to use them, and for what purpose.

A guided tour of Java software development lifecycle management with SAP NetWeaver Development Infrastructure (NWDI): Part 1 — Fundamental concepts
by Wolf Hengevoss, Product Management, SAP NetWeaver Development Infrastructure, SAP AG

Java developers have long enjoyed the freedom of developing and managing Java applications locally on their PCs, relying solely on centralized source code control systems for change management. In an enterprise environment, however, with developers in distributed locations sometimes working on the same code at the same time, this model quickly becomes a nightmare to manage. SAP NetWeaver Development Infrastructure (NWDI) offers a solution and brings many of the proven, world-class change management capabilities of ABAP to the Java world. This article, the first in a two-part series, teaches you the fundamental concepts you need to know to begin building, deploying, and managing changes to your Java applications with NWDI.

The PDF Toolbox for ABAP - a cost-effective, open-source solution for integrating PDF forms into your BSP applications
by Cord Jastram, Software Engineer, Computer Sciences Corporation, Germany

Business Server Pages (BSP) is a mature technology you use to develop HTML-based Web applications. But what do you do when you want to take advantage of the high-quality output, Web-friendly forms, and flexibility of the latest Portable Document Format (PDF) technology by Adobe (and still protect your BSP investments)? This article shows you how to use the PDF Toolbox for ABAP, an open-source solution introduced in the May/June 2007 issue of this publication, to integrate PDF forms into your BSP applications. The solution is a cost-effective approach to improve and extend your already existing BSP applications with PDF forms.

Easily integrate unstructured and semi-structured data into SAP NetWeaver Process Integration (formerly XI) using the Conversion Agent
by Prasad Illapani, PI RIG Specialist, SAP Labs LLC

SAP NetWeaver Process Integration (PI) — formerly Exchange Infrastructure (XI) — offers a high level of flexibility in connecting your SAP and non-SAP systems using one of the dozens of adapters offered by SAP and SAP partners. But adapters are not your only option — this article explores a powerful (often less expensive) alternative called the Conversion Agent, a tool that dynamically converts unstructured data from Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, plain text, etc., and semi-structured formats such as HL7, SWIFT, HIPA, ANSI X12, and COBOL to PI-compatible SOAP XML. This article takes you on a tour of the tool's capabilities and shows you how easy it is to use by walking you through a step-by-step example.

Get ready for the next generation of SAP business applications based on the Enterprise Service-Oriented Architecture (Enterprise SOA)
by Robert Heidasch, Enterprise Services Infrastructure, SAP AG

Every aspect of your business and its automated processes is becoming increasingly more dynamic, driving the need for your supporting technologies to be correspondingly adaptable. The Enterprise Service-Oriented Architecture (Enterprise SOA) in SAP NetWeaver is a Web services-based conceptual architecture that is designed to help you meet this challenge by bringing flexibility, adaptability, and ease of integration to your SAP business applications. This article describes the concepts, technologies, and tools that comprise Enterprise SOA, and explores the options for progressively moving your existing SAP architecture to Enterprise SOA. It also provides a sneak preview of upcoming Enterprise SOA features.

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