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Web Dynpro – Matrix Data

Recently, I started to discover some of the nuances of setting up the layout in a web dynpro view.  The simple detail I discovered is the difference between the (matrix data) matrixdata & matrixheaddata is probably obvious to many, but I fumbled with it for a while trying to figure out what the heck I was doing wrong 🙂

So, here’s the situation, I needed a transparent container to hold a group of input fields and labels.  Because of some of the other things I’m doing dynamically, I chose to use the MatrixData layout.  I gave the Matrix Data 2 columns, assuming that things would automatically just fill in from one field to the next.  Initially, I set the labels and the input fields to be MatrixHeadData.

Everytime I executed the application, it put the label and the input field into the same column, never together in the same row.  After some digging, I finally found that MatrixHeadData will always start a new row, if you want to continue an existing row, you must use MatrixData.  So there’s my learning experience, that I’m passing on to all of you.

Thanks for reading, and hopefully I can save you some time when you start developing our own apps.

Web Dynpro – Learning to Control the Web Dynpro Layout

Well, last night was spent on playing with the layout to attempt to make the new views in Web Dynpro look the same as the BSP views I generated so long ago.  So, what have I learned so far.  Web Dynpro layout can be a royal pain…

1.  Transparent_Container – so far this has become my best friend.  it allows you to group certain elements and apply whatever formatting you need just for those elements.  Plus you can embed the containers inside of other containers, so using this feature has finally allowed me to start reproducing the look and feel I was hoping to get.

2.  Text_View – this is “so far” the best option I’ve found for titles.  What I don’t like about it is the limited number of formats you can apply.  So this means you can’t directly control the font/size.  From my google research, this appears to work as designed, so you just have to accept.  Now I have seen mentioned to the formatted text view, but I have yet to try this.  I’m sure that will come up in my experiments soon 🙂

3.  Attributes inside of any container are very powerful, but you need to play with them to truly understand how they work.  For example, stretching an element will only behave how you expect it if the container above it is also stretched to accommodate the entire screen.  This may have to do with the inherit value, but again… I’m still learning this 🙂

4.  Grid Layout vs. Flow Layout vs. Matrix vs. Row layout.  This is still a little nebulous for me.  I’ve got down the flow logic and grid logic, but haven’t quite figured out when to use row layout or matrix layout…  so I’ll continue to experiment on this.  However, Flow layout will just keep adding objects to the row until it runs out of space, and start a new row.  Grid layout lets you select the number of columns for each row, and it will place an element into each column, then start a new row.

Well, that’s my AWDP tidbit for the day,  I hope that my fumbling might make your life easier in the future 🙂

Web Dynpro – Using the Code Wizard

Well, I believe I mentioned it in a previous post, but I’m still struggling with the differences between BSP and Web Dynpro.  AWDP is a fun tool, and I like it the more I get into it, the learning curve is still killing me 🙂  Today the Code Wizard is one of my recent discoveries.

For example, I figured out the whole context model, why you do it, etc.  But I had a hell of a time figuring out how to get the value into or out of the context variables I created.  I finally discovered the Web Dynpro Code Wizard…  which, with a few clicks, generated all of the code I needed to read or set the context node.  So simple, yet I hunted on-line for an hour, and eventually found it in the ABAP Web Dynpro book I purchased.

It turns out, you click the wizard button, select the node you want to work with, then tell it if you want to read it, set it, append it, etc…  hit the green check mark.  And magically, all the code I needed was inserted into my method.  Who knew it could be that easy.  LOL.

Anyway, if you’re playing with AWDP, take advantage of the code wizard.  it won’t create your whole application, but it’s great at the little stuff =)

thanks for reading,

Mike

Web Dynpro – Dynamically Changing the Web page Title

Well, as I begin digging into my first ABAP Web Dynpro program, I”m slowly starting to figure out what is going on.  Expect some posts on AWDP in the future, since it’s now becoming my latest hobby =)  Today’s challenge was dynamically changing the web page title.

tip number 1.  If you want to change the title of the web page, you know the title that shows up on the tab of Windows Explorer, you can’t do this dynamically until you have Netweaver 7.02 or later.  If you have at least this basis release, you can use the following command:

  wd_this->wd_get_api( )->get_component( )->get_application( )->set_window_title( wd_this->lv_title ).

Now the bad news is that if you don’t have 7.02 or later, you can only change it in the application description.

So, I just need to start tracking these little tidbits as I go.  As always, I’m learning things the hard way so you don’t have to.

Thanks for reading,

Mike