Enterprise Service too "complex" for my client

[Former Member]

Hi experts,

I try to use an Enterprise Service from the ESW (ECC_EMPLEAVEREQIDQR : read employee leave request) to develop an application with MDS Studio (IDE provided by RIM/BlackBerry).

The problem is, the ES provided by SAP are too "complex" for MDS Studio. In this particular case, my application doesn't work because it seems MDS Studio doesn't handle the extension element :

<xsd:complexType name="BusinessTransactionDocumentID">
            <xsd:simpleContent>
               <xsd:extension base="BusinessTransactionDocumentIDContent">
                  <xsd:attribute name="schemeID">
                     <xsd:simpleType>
                        <xsd:restriction base="xsd:token">
                           <xsd:maxLength value="60"/>
                        </xsd:restriction>
                     </xsd:simpleType>
                  </xsd:attribute>
                  <xsd:attribute name="schemeAgencyID">
                     <xsd:simpleType>
                        <xsd:restriction base="xsd:token">
                           <xsd:maxLength value="60"/>
                        </xsd:restriction>
                     </xsd:simpleType>
                  </xsd:attribute>
                  <xsd:attribute name="schemeAgencySchemeAgencyID" type="AgencyIdentificationCode"/>
               </xsd:extension>
            </xsd:simpleContent>
         </xsd:complexType>

What should I do?

1. write my own custom Web Service? <= not a good option

2. use another tool to develop my application? <= not really an option

3. write another simple Web Service to call the ES? <= I don't know if it's possible and how to do this

4. ???

[former_member258770 · Accepted solution]

HI Pierre,

this is really unfortunate but I guess there is no simple solution (other than waiting for RIM/BB to fix this limitation of course).

If using another tool is not an option than I guess you are stranded there.

Writing another webservice encasulating a call to the SAP-Service would be of very high effort (you would have to touch each extension handedly) which is probably not worth it and does not really correspond with the idea of WebServices and ESOA (but stranger things have been done ).

On the spot I cannot think of another solution to provide you with, I guess your request would be best to be addressed by RIM/BB. Extensions are not really unusual (2900+ Services ).

Hope this helps in any way.

Cheers,

Justus

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Yes you're right Justus but I don't even know if RIM is going to resolve this issue. I have access to 2900+ WS and I can't use them. Too bad.

Well, there's another option : RIM provides a Java Development Environment and it seems JSR-172 (Web Services) is supported. The thing is I don't know how much work would be involved with this tool.

MDS Studio really seems to be THE solution when it comes to WS and BB : you just have to give it your WSDL and then everything is generated. Then you just have to customize the screens and the workflow and the application is done. It's quite powerful but unfortunately it doesn't like complex WS.

There's no way to "copy" a standard ES and then change the "interface"? Or generate a proxy which handles the communication with the ES and then provides a simple WS interface on the other end?

I'm new to this SOA stuff so I can't see clearly what I should do...

Edited by: Pierre DOMINIQUE on Sep 3, 2008 8:17 PM

[former_member258770 · Accepted solution]

Hey Pierre,

Services on SAP side are very carefully designed and there interface cannot easily be changed. You wouldn't want to provide a different interface for everyone who is using your application, would you. The only change that can be done to an interface is enhancing it, but that is in no way a solution to your problem. Probably would make it worse.

Being able to consume an even "complex" WSDL should be a standard requirement for any IDE thats fit to use WS.

Anyhow, why not try it with the Java Environment, it shouldn't be much more complex. Isn't there also a BB/RIM plugin for developing RIM-Apps with MS Visual Studio?

Cheers,

Justus

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Justus,

I know, MDS Studio should be able to consume SAP ES. But it's not and I don't know (yet) if RIM is going to remove this limitation.

I will investigate the JDE solution but in the meantime I guess we will have to develop our own "simple" Web Services. They won't become useless even if this issue is resolved. We can't ask every customer to install the latest EhPs just to have access to the ES we need.

The plugin for MS Visual Studio is similar to MDS Studio so they should have the same limitation. In fact, according to the documentation, the problem has to do with the MDS runtime that does not support polymorphism and cannot handle the extension element.

Regards,

Pierre

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

You may take a look at this "Enterprise Services Enhancement Guide" - https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/c0bb5687-00b2-2a10-ed8f-c9af6994...

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

I already have. Thanks. I'll leave the question unanswered and see if I get other opinions.

[Former Member]

Salut Pierre,

We would like to implement a similar solution to what you are building, MDS with Web Services... Is there a way we can discuss further what you guys accomplished so far?

A+

Tobi