SAP mobile integration in android

[Former Member]

Hello

I want to build mobile apps for smartphones which will get data content from our SAP Backend. I have experience in developing native Android apps but with SAP, I will get my first question in mind that "Where do I have to start ?".

I researched and get heard so many terms about SUP, Netweaver Gateway, OData, UI5, Cordova, Eclipse and so on. And now I'm confused, I want at first really understand only which way I have to go.

Can you tell me the routes in which way I have to walk if I want to develop native apps or non-native apps which are communicate basically with my SAP backend.

Logically I can populate my RFC's as Webservices and I can communicate with them but I want to get the standard way, which is described by SAP with the terms I mentioned at start (SUP, Gateway, OData....)

And why is always in tutorials eclipse used ? is eclipse the developer platform for non native apps which is choosed by the contributors ?

Additionally what I want to know too is about the licence, can I develop apps for free or do I have to pay a fee for the development tools, mentioned above ?

I know I have so much questions, but how I said, I'm a newbie in mobile apps on SAP and so much terms are confusing. So please understand me and help me out of these situation.

Best Regards

Navaneeth

[midhun_vp · Accepted solution]

If you are planned to develop an Android native app you have different options to make the app talking to SAP.

You can use NW gateway to connect with SAP servers. NW gateway exposes Odata services and that can be consumed directly in android. Where you will face difficulties to manage the application on boarding, logging, SSO, push notifications, security etc. To add these additional features to the app you have to go with SMP/SUP (SAP mobile platform).

SAP mobile platform acts as an online data proxy. In the architecture NW gateway is also involved. And its the recommend approach from SAP.

If you want to develop an web/hybrid app you can use cordova/UI5 too that can talk to SAP via Nw gateway/SUP. Deciding a mobile app architecture is based on the requirement.

Eclipse is a common platform used in development of UI5, cordova, SUP, Android etc.

Since its a basic question you can have a look at these,

A list as an input parameter for object query (MBO)

Odata example with video,

http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-36056

http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-8803#section2

http://scn.sap.com/docs/DOC-36055

http://scn.sap.com/thread/3427949

- Midhun VP

[sivaprasad_ml · Accepted solution]

This message was moderated.

[Virinchy]

I researched and get heard so many terms about SUP, Netweaver Gateway, OData, UI5, Cordova, Eclipse and so on. And now I'm confused, I want at first really understand only which way I have to go.

SUP-Sybase Unwired Platform  (version 2.1 , 2.2)

SUP is renamed to SMP from 2.3 version

SUP/SMP is a mobile platform to develop Enterprise grade Mobile applications

ODATA - ODATA (OPENDATA )is a robust protocol mainly used to bring out enterprise data out from the systems. ODATA can be consumed by any platform ( ANDROID/Idevices/WINDOWS)

Netweaver gateway - NG helps to to generate ODATA protocol (mainly used to develop Odata services for SAP business Suite)

UI5- its an opensource frame work just like jquery. used to develop hybrid applications which can run across all platforms

Cordova - cordova/phone gap is a tool which helps to use the native device capabilities(camera/Bluetooth...)  from

your web app

Logically I can populate my RFC's as Webservices and I can communicate with them but I want to get the standard way, which is described by SAP with the terms I mentioned at start (SUP, Gateway, OData....)

These link will resolve your queries on Netwerver Gateway.

http://wiki.scn.sap.com/wiki/pages/viewpage.action?pageId=318672261

And why is always in tutorials eclipse used ? is eclipse the developer platform for non native apps which is choosed by the contributors ?

Eclipse is an Opensource IDE , so the developer pool is really high compared to other IDES. If you are stuck at any issue during your project in eclipse, you can find the solution to the opensource products easily when compared to others, which actually saves your time and increases your productivity.

Additionally what I want to know too is about the licence, can I develop apps for free or do I have to pay a fee for the development tools, mentioned above ?

The SUP/SMP needs a license to develop mobile applications (get S-user ID /partner with SAP ).How ever there used to be a trial version (30 days) available to download /explore. But unfortunately its now removed.

[Jitendra_Kansal]

Hi Navaneeth,

There are various options to develop android based native/non-native app using SAP as backend.

Assuming you have basic knowledge of SUP 2.1.x, 2.2.x (SMP- SAP Mobile Platform 2.3.x, 3.x new name)

Using SUP you can develop mainly 2 kinds of app, HWC (hybrid web container based) and native app where business logic is available in form of MBO (Mobile Business Object) at SUP side.

check this

HWC/workflow app: These are light weight apps and a single app can be deployed to any platform. e.g. approval, request response type apps.

Native App: Complex types of app, specific to a particular platform, required more skills with platform specific functionality

why is always in tutorials eclipse used ? is eclipse the developer platform for non native apps which is choosed by the contributors ?

Which tutorial you are talking about? please share the links

what I want to know too is about the licence, can I develop apps for free or do I have to pay a fee for the development tools, mentioned above ?

Once you download SUP software from marketplace, you can use it for 30 days as a free trial but if you want to extend the work, you will have to purchase the license.

You can look at some tips (from ) below:

1. You can use SAPUI5 with Phonegap and the oData SDK to create an App and communicate directly to an oData backend. However this does not use SUP, Afaria can be used to deploy the App. Push notifications are tricky to setup but possible to configure.

2. You can use SAPUI5 with Phonegap and Rest API to create an App and communicate with ODatabackend via SUP 2.2 or SMP 2.3. However SUP will not deploy this App, Afaria can be used to deploy the App. Push notifications are possible to configure.

3. You can use SAPUI5 with HWC Hybrid web container and use SUP MBO (Mobile business objects) to communicate with the OData backend using SUP 2.1/2.2 or SMP 2.3. No App is created as the HWC is used and SUP can be used to deploy this App.

Rgrds,

Jitendra

Message was edited by: Michael Appleby

[Former Member]

HI Jitendra,

Nice reply,

Could you please mention, how to send push notifications for android using SMP,NW

We did following,

1. got the project number and API key from GCM

2.Registered the android device with SMP, but Registration ID is not filling.

Thanks

Suresh