How to Consume SAP OData Services in SAP UI5 Applications on SAP BTP

In today’s digital age, seamless data integration is essential for building dynamic applications. SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) enables developers to create applications that can consume data from various SAP systems through OData services. In this post, we’ll explore how to integrate SAP OData services into a SAP UI5 application deployed on SAP BTP.

Business Scenario

Imagine a retail company, RetailPro, that wants to create a cloud-based application for their sales team. The application will display live data on product availability and sales performance from their SAP S/4HANA system. Sales representatives, using this app on their mobile devices, will make decisions based on real-time data while interacting with customers. To make this possible, RetailPro needs to consume OData services from SAP S/4HANA and integrate them with a SAP UI5 application hosted on SAP BTP.

To achieve this, we will:

  1. Connect SAP BTP with SAP S/4HANA to access the OData service.
  2. Create a SAP UI5 application on SAP BTP that consumes this OData service.

More Such Questions

Step 1: Prerequisites and Setup

1.1 Ensure OData Service is Ready

Ensure the OData service is created and active in the SAP S/4HANA system. This can be a CDS-based OData service or an SAP Gateway service created in the SAP system. For this example, let’s assume we have an OData service named ZPRODUCT_DATA_SRV.

1.2 Set Up SAP Cloud Connector

If SAP S/4HANA is hosted on-premise, you need SAP Cloud Connector to securely connect SAP BTP to your SAP S/4HANA system.

  • Log in to the SAP Cloud Connector.
  • Configure a connection to your SAP S/4HANA system with appropriate authentication.
  • Expose the ZPRODUCT_DATA_SRV OData service by defining a resource path.

1.3 Create Destination in SAP BTP

In SAP BTP, create a destination that points to the OData service hosted in SAP S/4HANA.

Go to SAP BTP Cockpit > Connectivity > Destinations and click on New Destination. Provide the following details:

  • Name: S4HANA_ODATA
  • Type: HTTP
  • URL: <Your_SAP_System_URL>/sap/opu/odata/sap/ZPRODUCT_DATA_SRV/
  • Proxy Type: OnPremise (if using SAP Cloud Connector)
  • Authentication: Choose the suitable method (e.g., BasicAuthentication)

Save and Test Connection to confirm it’s working.

Step 2: Create a New SAP UI5 Application

  1. Open SAP Business Application Studio or SAP Web IDE.
  2. Choose Create New Project from Template.
  3. Select SAP Fiori Application and click Next.
  4. Enter the Project Name (e.g., RetailProApp) and Namespace.
  5. Choose Data Source and Service Selection.
    • Select Connect to a System and choose your S4HANA_ODATA destination.
    • Select the ZPRODUCT_DATA_SRV OData service from the list.
  6. Click Finish to create the project.

Step 3: Bind the OData Service to the Application

In the new project, open the manifest.json file to configure the data model.

Under the dataSources section, define the OData service:

"dataSources": {
   "productService": {
       "uri": "/S4HANA_ODATA/",
       "type": "OData",
       "settings": {
           "odataVersion": "2.0"
       }
   }
}

Next, bind the model to the application under the models section:

"models": {
   "": {
       "dataSource": "productService",
       "settings": {}
   }
}

This configuration establishes a default model that makes the OData service available throughout the app.

Step 4: Display Data in a SAP UI5 View

To display product data, create a view that binds to the OData service.

In the view folder, create a new XML view (e.g., ProductList.view.xml) and add the following code to list product names:

<mvc:View xmlns:mvc="sap.ui.core.mvc" xmlns="sap.m" controllerName="RetailProApp.controller.ProductList">
   <List id="productList" items="{/ProductSet}">
       <StandardListItem title="{ProductName}" description="{ProductCategory}" />
   </List>
</mvc:View>

In the controller folder, create the associated controller file (e.g., ProductList.controller.js) with this basic setup:

sap.ui.define([
   "sap/ui/core/mvc/Controller"
], function(Controller) {
   "use strict";
   return Controller.extend("RetailProApp.controller.ProductList", {
       onInit: function() {
           // Initialize if needed
       }
   });
});

In this example, /ProductSet is the entity set exposed by the OData service that returns the list of products. This displays each product’s name and category in a list format.

Step 5: Deploy the Application to SAP BTP

  1. Right-click the project folder and choose Deploy > Deploy to SAP BTP.
  2. Select your SAP BTP account and target subaccount.
  3. Once deployed, the application will be accessible on SAP BTP with real-time data from SAP S/4HANA.

Tips for Successful Integration

  1. Test the OData Service: Use SAP Gateway Client (/IWFND/GW_CLIENT) or Postman to test OData service responses before integrating them into the app.
  2. Handle Authentication: If using SAP Cloud Connector, ensure the destination’s authentication aligns with the SAP S/4HANA system’s requirements.
  3. Optimize OData Calls: Use $select, $filter, and $expand query options to minimize data volume and improve performance.
  4. Debugging: Use browser developer tools to inspect network calls and troubleshoot issues in data binding.

By following these steps, you can create an SAP UI5 application on SAP BTP that consumes real-time data from SAP S/4HANA, enabling RetailPro to provide its sales team with up-to-date product information. This approach is adaptable to various business scenarios, making it an essential tool for enterprise applications.

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