Looking for the correct technology for mobile applications

[former_member182273]

A few months ago we developed a program for IPAD using RFC (in SAP), Sap Connector .NET (to made a WebService to call the RFC´s) and Objective-C for native application with the IPAD. The program work perfect we can send and receive information from/to SAP, from my point of view this solution need a lot effort (programming RFC, .NET and Objective-C (other program language to learn it).

The problem that I can see that we want integrate other platform like Android we need learn to programming for Android, we can use de RFC and theWebService but for the Android application we need work again for the android application and in the future we need other platform we´ll make other development for other platform and go on....

Actually we are checking the actual technology that we can use to face this problem, the solutions that we are in mind

1º) Sybase SUP 2.1

     http://scn.sap.com/community/mobile/blog/2012/03/14/blags-experiments-with-sup--volume-1

     http://rapidconsultingusa.com/blog/?tag=sybase-sup-2-1

     https://cw.sdn.sap.com/cw/groups/sup-apps

2º) SAP NetWeaver Gateway

      http://scn.sap.com/community/netweaver-gateway/blog/2011/10/17/thoughts-on-netweaver-gateway

3º) Sybase SUP 2.1 +  SAP NetWeaver Gateway

      http://scn.sap.com/community/icc/blog/2012/01/16/developing-mobile-apps-with-sybase-unwired-platform-21-and-sap-netweaver-gateway-20

4º) SAP Mobil

5º) Webdynpro Java ( it is supported for a few mobile platforms)  (Webdynpro Abap don´t supported it)

     http://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/WDABAP/General+Issues

     http://scn.sap.com/thread/1614584

     http://wiki.sdn.sap.com/wiki/display/BBA/Deciding+Which+SAP+UI+Technology+to+Use

6º) BSP + JQuery Framework

    http://scn.sap.com/community/mobile/blog/2011/12/28/bsp-mobile-logon-screen-using-jquerymobile

    http://scn.sap.com/people/sergio.ferrari2/blog/2007/04/06/bsphowto--customizing-the-design-of-system-logon-page-in-netweaver-04

    http://scn.sap.com/community/mobile/blog/2011/01/17/extend-your-sap-jquery-mobile-web-app-with-html5-concepts-and-native-device-features--part-1

    http://scn.sap.com/community/mobile/blog/2010/11/20/build-your-first-mobile-web-app-using-jquery-mobile-and-abap--part-1

    http://scn.sap.com/community/abap/bsp/blog/2004/06/17/bsp-a-developer-s-journal-part-i-introduction

    http://scn.sap.com/thread/1568293

    http://scn.sap.com/thread/1384590

I´ve read this link

http://scn.sap.com/community/mobile/blog/2012/01/16/charting-saps-mobile-apps (Posted by John Moy)

  and the author says that it´s not so easy write once and use in everywhere

Other interesting link "A mobile future for SAP user interfaces?"

http://scn.sap.com/community/mobile/blog/2010/09/27/a-mobile-future-for-sap-user-interfaces (Posted by John Moy)

After to read a lot I don't sure about the technology to use, maybe Webdynpro Java or BSP + JQuery Framework.

First I´m going to start with BSP + JQuery Framework using information about

http://scn.sap.com/community/abap/bsp/blog/2004/06/17/bsp-a-developer-s-journal-part-i-introduction (Thomas Jung)

http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-10052 (Sergio Ferrari)

http://scn.sap.com/community/mobile/blog/2011/12/28/bsp-mobile-logon-screen-using-jquerymobile(Alessandro Spadoni)

http://scn.sap.com/people/vijaybabu.dudla/blog/2008/08/04/display-hierarchy-report-in-bsp-using-tableview-and-tableview-iterator (Vijay Babu Dudla)

http://scn.sap.com/community/mobile/blog/2010/11/20/build-your-first-mobile-web-app-using-jquery-mobile-and-abap--part-1 (John Moy)

I know that this is a typical topic that everybody ask in the forums, but If now in 2012 you must start to mobile project which of technology you´ll use ????

A old technology but useful like BSP (using JQuery Framework), Webdynpro Java or new technology like SUP 2.1 or SAP NetWeaver Gateway or made native  applications???

Thanks you to read this post and so so sorry for my terrible English.....

Thanks in advance.....

[hofmann · Accepted solution]

There is no easy answer, not one that fits your needs 100%. What I can say: don't use Web Dynpro Java for Mobile. That one is dead.

You have to ask yourself: what is your scenario? MCAP vs MEAP, online vs offline, internal vs external, number of devices, use cases ,etc. Making a native application for iOS and another platform is not easy. The first steps are simple, fast, but making the app behave ...

Taking a look into your first findings:

BSP? If you want, there are at least several guides here on SCN that can help you. But you have to asky yourself: why BSP? It's the active server pages from SAP. If you want / need to use ABAP, why not ICF? Implement your logic as a service (JSON style).

Personally, I would also take a look into Java, specially NW >= 7.2, maybe even the portal for a more online mobile experience. Take a look into jersey (Apache project), NW Java allows you to consume ABAP services like BAPIS easily. That can give you Gateway, but for Java.

If you want to ease the troubles when making an app that runs on more than one device type, HTML5 based apps are currently leading. You can do that also with SUP, with you gain online / offline capabilities. If you don't want to use SUP, Phonegap is a popular tools for making HTML5 pages "native". The vantage is that they use HTML + CSS, so the layout / design depend on the device's browser.

[former_member182273 · Accepted solution]

Thanks you very much for your answers....

[soldner]

We have 2 years experience running BSP + JQuery mobile for selected apps,a nd a year for a few BSP + Jquery.
  Now ours are pretty simple apps, the mobiles have some input fields and a button or two.  The others are tables with 1 or so editable columns and buttons.  (We use datatable ).

Plus:

JQuery mobile works as advertised on apple and androids.  No issues with functionality.  Works on all newer mobiles and tablets and even desktops. (Even works on Kindle Fire).

Jquery with tables works on mobile, desktops and tablets.  We have not seen any issues except that the links saved as favorites sometimes need to be resaved as a favorite when the mobile device upgrades..

I can test these in ECC using SE80.

You can add custom security object if there is a need to limit functionality.   

No extra costs involved since it is open-source freeware.

Neg:

Had to code a logon screen for mobile.  Used the one I found in SCN. (You guys are the best!!!)

Cannot use HTMLB.  Well I didn't ever use it anyway, so nothing to worry about.

Slow. I'm not using AJAX and not prefilling data so I expected this.  At next re-write, I'll start making it faster.  Not that I have had many complaints, but I can make it faster. 

Need to code it so any ABAPER with limited HTML/CSS skills can maintain or change it.  Actually after showing my backup the code, she said it was pretty simple.

Design -  for us it was difficult at first. I had to code a prototype and then get the 'younger' people to design it.  The older folks wanted it to look like SAPGUI screens!

Once we got over that mindset, the next ones were pretty easy to design.

--------------

I have looked at SAPUI5 and the last time I looked it does not support all browsers.  Also it has bigger overhead.

Hop this helps!

[soldner]

Alfonso,

Very nice list of links.  What did you end up doing?

[former_member182273]

Hi everybody, I´m going to start again this topic. Recenty we´ve updated to SAP HANA and now I´m looking for what tecnology use to make a app to sell differents products with this app.

I´ve decided to use SAPUI5 + SAP Gateway or WebServices in SAP, I´ve found SAP WEB IDE (before known as SAP River) this is a wysiwyg editor (great !!! at last !!!). I´m going to install the local demo to check the SAP Web IDE. But I´ve got a very big doubt. is it possible to use like this link ????

Or Must I use SAP HANA Cloud ???? If I need SAP HANA Cloud I won´t be interested.....

Could I use XS Engine from SAP Hana to house the app ????

Any help about this topic ?????

Thanks in advances and sorry for me english ....

[kammaje_cis]

If you have inhouse HANA, then you can host your UI5 app in HANA repository.

[Former Member]

Hi Alfonso -

Before you zero in on a technology for the mobile platforms of your choice, you need to consider whether you would need an always connected app (Online only) whether you would need Ocassionally connected solution with off line capability. Also, where and who would be using these apps. Furthermore, you should also consider whether this is a one time deal for a small app or do you need an enterprise grade solution and infrastructure to support multiple applications over the long term.

WebDynpro, NW Gateway and Native application development will work fine for the online app, however if you need offline support as well then go with SUP. SUP offers support for Online apps also so you can't go wrong.

If you need Enterprise grade long term solution with robust error handling, stay with SUP.