business rule framework plus what's new with sap net weaver 7.03 .03

Business Rule Framework plus What’s New With SAP NetWeaver 7.03?

Wolfgang Schaper

Product Manager BRFplus

SAP AG

February 2013

© 2011 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 2

Agenda

Overview

New Features in Detail

New and Improved Design Time Capabilities

Simulation

Expression Types and Action Types

Performance, Cleanup, and Transport

Usability

Overview


BRFplus in SAP NetWeaver 7.03

Release Information

■ SAP NetWeaver 7.0 Enhancement Pack 3 (aka NW 7.03) is available

since November 2011

■ This is the NetWeaver release on which SAP Business Suite 7

Innovation 2011 (including SAP ERP Enhancement Pack 6) is based

■ With SAP NW 7.03, a new release of BRFplus is included with many

new or enhanced capabilities compared to SAP NW 7.02

■ The code line of BRFplus within SAP NetWeaver 7.31 is identical

with the code line of BRFplus within SAP NetWeaver 7.0

Enhancement Pack 3


BRFplus in SAP NetWeaver 7.03

New and Enhanced Capabilities of BRFplus in NW 7.03

■ From a BRFplus perspective, SAP NetWeaver 7.03 primarily

focuses on design time capabilities

■ Additional functional improvements were implemented in the areas

of performance and usability

■ On the following slides, the most important improvements are

described


New and Improved Design Time Capabilities


Mass Object Handling

■ A mass activity UI has been

provided to allow the user to

perform activities for multiple

objects easily (create, activate,

change access level, delete,

change properties, mass

overview of object states, ...)

■ In the Data Object structure

editor, it is now possible to use

the mass element creation

dialog for the creation of

elements serving as structure

components


Multiple Catalogs

■ User settings support the

definition of subsets of

catalogs. Only this subset is

made available directly in the

Catalog view of the BRFplus

workbench.

■ If there is more than one

catalog defined, the Catalog

view offers a menu for

selecting a catalog from the

personalized subset.


Where-Used Including Historic Versions

■ Optional display of

historic and inactive

versions in Where-

Used Lists


Object Filters

■ Filter for expression and

action types to hide

unwanted object types for

less technical users


Full Screen Mode

■ New full screen mode available

■ Allows to hide repository

■ Provides bigger canvas on small displays –

very useful especially for editing complex decision tables


Creating Variables Automatically

■ Create ruleset

variables

automatically

■ Assigning an

expression to a

ruleset using

objects that are not

available in the

context of the result

triggers a dialog, allowing to add the

respective variables to the ruleset


Context Explanation Feature

■ The button “Context

Overview” offers a list of

allowed or not allowed data

objects in the context of a

particular object

■ This feature allows to

quickly understand which

objects can be used and

which cannot


Context Sensitive Help

■ For each object,

there is context

sensitive help

content available

■ Button “Application

Help” directs to

respective help

content directly


Hotkeys

■ With NW 7.03, the

BRFplus workbench

allows for

customizable

hotkeys for quickly

accessing many

features


Helper/Administrative Reports

■ Transaction FDT_HELPERS

provides a bunch of

helper/administrative reports

■ E.g.

■ Cross-Reference Analysis

■ Cross-System Content

Comparison

■ Mass check of Objects in

Transport Requests

■ Is DDIC Binding Up-To-Date

■ …


Code Template Generation

■ Generation of a code template

for backend integration of

BRFplus applications into your

application code

■ Code template for functions

that’s result object is bound to

a DDIC element can provide

return parameter in DDIC

format

■ No more need for data

conversion


Table Binding in Data Object Creation

■ When creating a table object,

the line type can be bound to a

DDIC table to automatically

create the line type structure

including all contained data

elements


Simulation


Simulation of Single Expressions

■ It is possible to

simulate a single

expression or action

(no function

assignment needed)


Simulation of all Versions, in Interpretation

or Generation Mode

■ All versions, not only

the active one, can

be run in simulation

■ Simulation can be

run in interpretation

mode as well as in

generation mode


Download of (Lean) Trace Results into MS Excel

■ The trace resulting

from simulation can

be downloaded to an

MS Excel File

■ In addition, the trace

output has been

reworked for better

comprehensibility


Expression Types and Action Types


Decision Table – Split Rows, Merge Rows, Rearrange

Decision Table Rows, Gap Analysis

■ New features for expression type decision table were

introduced

■ Generation of lines to close gaps

■ Merge of several lines into one line

■ Split of one line into several lines

■ Rearrange Decision

Table lines based on

generic cell value

■ Search capabilities

■ Filter capabilities

■ Improved performance in design time by factor up to 100 for big tables (i.e.,

with hundreds to thousands of lines)


Ruleset Tab for Function Objects

■ The new Ruleset tab

for Function objects

now shows

■ execution priority,

■ enablement status,

and

■ precondition (if

available)


Additional Checks in Function Objects and Native Lean

Trace Integration

■ For function objects, additional

checks are offered to check

■ Consistency of assigned

Rulesets

■ Readiness of Lean Trace

■ Activation status of referenced

objects

■ Display available traces directly

from BRFplus workbench


Workflow Integration

■ BRFplus can trigger a workflow

■ Action types Start Workflow, Raise

Workflow Event

■ A workflow can invoke BRFplus rules

■ Automatically generating BRFplus

application from Workflow

■ Semi-automatic parameter mapping

■ While this integration has already been

available in BRFplus 7.02, there are further

improvements and extensions in 7.03:

■ Automatically generate workflow task from an

existing BRFplus function

■ Within workflow activity, create BRFplus task

referencing an existing BRFplus task (for

instance, to extend the interface of an existing

task)

■ … and more

■ Also downported to NW 7.02


New Formula Functions

■ New Formula

functions in 7.03:

■ Conversion of one

timepoint type into

another

■ Dedicated functions

for getting [user |

system | time zone |

UTC] time

■ Several service

functions regarding

time zones

■ Also downported to

NW 7.02


New Formula Functions - continued

■ New Formula

functions in 7.03:

■ Concatenation of all

elements of a

structure into a text

element

■ Concatenation of all

lines of an

unstructured table

into a text element

■ Automatic

conversion of non-

text elements to

strings where

necessary and

possible (e.g.

concatenating

numbers)


Quantity Checks in Formula Parser

■ The new formula parser

checks for units and derives

resulting units

■ For instance

speed * time = distance

■ Impossible operations are

identified at design time

■ For instance

weight + distance

raises an error message


Dialog for Expression Results

■ When creating a new

expression, there is a

dialog that allows to

select the respective

result object(s)


Help and Filter in Formula Functions and New Formula

Parser

■ In formula expressions you

can filter the available

functions by category or

text

■ For each formula function,

there is a comprehensive

help available

■ New formula parser with

improved error or info

messages (text, position)


Database Lookup: UI Improvements and

Display of SQL Statements

■ Improved UI of

expression type

Database Lookup

■ Ability to map,

aggregate, and group

data elements

■ Display resulting SQL

statement


Performance, Cleanup, and Transport


Code Generation and Transport

■ When running BRFplus rules, ABAP code is generated automatically and

executed

■ Code generation was further optimized for improved runtime performance

■ Improved performance and reduced memory consumption in transport and

other usage scenarios


Cleanup

■ The backend automatically

removes unnamed unused

objects periodically

(transported or not)

■ Screenshot shows the

manual deletion of named

objects that are not used

■ Automatic cleanup in

transport

■ Improved tools in

application administration


Transport

■ A new tab Transport

Information in the

General section of

any object provides

information on

transport history


Usability


Usage of New Icons

■ New icons

indicating entity

types and

operations for

enhanced user

experience


BRFplus Workbench

■ Title Bar

■ Nicer Toolbars

■ Improved readability

■ Icons

■ one background color

■ Introduction of

new form layout

■ Right-aligned labels

■ stretched fields

■ In-place definition and

initialization of variables

■ “General” section for

objects collapsed by

default for better visibility

of object specifics


Search Dialog and Object Query

■ Simplified and

harmonized

search dialog

and object

query


Ruleset

■ Ruleset (and others):

Improved visual structure

of header and details area

for better readability


Boolean

■ Boolean: Improved visual

structure of details area

for better readability


Rules Menu

■ Extension of features

offered through menu in

rules within rulesets

■ Features for rearranging,

copying, replacing,

assigning preconditions,

….


Context Query

■ Improved usability for

context query selecting

objects

■ You can switch between

showing all objects or

matching objects only

■ Duplicate display of

elements of structures and

tables was eliminated


Configurable Repository Tree

■ Repository tree was made

configurable

■ Clustered by types

■ Or clustered by types and

subtypes

■ Or flat list

■ Applies for repository,

recently used objects,

favorites, and search

results


Tools

■ Improved and harmonized

UI for tools

■ Example: Application

Administration

Thank You!

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

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business rule framework plus what's new with sap net weaver 7.03 .03

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new release of brfplus

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code line of brfplus

simulation simulation

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