Java(script) and WD4A

[Sm1tje]

Hi all,

I know you can't use any javascript in WD yourself, but after creating a WD component / application, the code that is generated, does it contain, beside HTML code any java(script) or some other kind of scripting?

If so, what kind of scripting should I think of and what does it do?

Kind regards,

Micky.

[thomas_jung · Accepted solution]

Sure there is lots of JavaScript in the generated output. SAP wouldn't be able to create a lot of the interactive elements of Web Dynpro without JavaScript. Heck, even the flicker free refresh of the page is done via a lot of complicated JavaScript coding to do DOM Infusion. Many of the UI elements have their own JavaScript libraries. The Eventing system is done via JavaScript. In the upcomming NetWeaver Enhancement Package 1 for 7.0, we introduce AJAX into the Web Dynpro framework allowing things like Drag and Drop and Keyboard support.

[Sm1tje · Accepted solution]

Thanks for the quick reply (even on a sunday). Just for my understanding: The fact that you cannot enter your own javascript like in BSP, lies in the fact that SAP wants to make WD platform independent, correct me if I'm wrong? So how does SAP ensure this by using javascripting when generating the WD webpages? Doesn't this make it platform dependant?

Regards,

Micky.

P.S. I'll be sure to award points after posting this message.

[thomas_jung · Accepted solution]

>

> Thanks for the quick reply (even on a sunday). Just for my understanding: The fact that you cannot enter your own javascript like in BSP, lies in the fact that SAP wants to make WD platform independent, correct me if I'm wrong? So how does SAP ensure this by using javascripting when generating the WD webpages? Doesn't this make it platform dependant?

We aren't just shooting for independence between browsers (IE vs. Firefox) but entire clients. In Web Dynpro you will soon be able to run the same application in a Browser or the Flex Client or the NetWeaver Business Client without changing anything in your application - the later two don't even use JavaScript or HTML.

Now how do we ensure cross-browser support in JavaScript - well nothing really special there. Sometimes it takes separate JavaScript libraries and sometimes it just takes branching logic within a JavaScript function. Most of the differences between the browsers are pretty well documented and although a pain to deal with not really that much of an unknown. Still better to let one small group of UI foundation developers have to deal with than all the thousands of application developers.

[thomas_jung · Accepted solution]

To help understand here are some screen shots of the same WDA application running in the work-in-progress versions of each of the alternative clients.

Here is the original HTML/JavaScript client version running in IE:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjung/2685619854/

Here is the same application running in the NetWeaver Business Client Smart Client Canvas:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjung/2685619882/

And finally, here is the same application running in the Adobe Flex Client for Web Dynpro:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tjung/2684804211/

Obviously the rendering technologies between each of these three clients is considerable - but the backend application remains exactly the same for all three.

[Sm1tje · Accepted solution]

Thanks for everything....