Introduction: Unit Objectives

At the conclusion of this unit, you will be able to describe and explain:
 The SAP Business One Software Development Kit
 Data Interface API
 User Interface API

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 1

SAP Business One – SDK Components Diagram

Client Server

User Interface API

3rd Party SAP SAP Business One
Application Business One Database

3 3 DI Server
Java Co

Data
Interface
API
Server

License
Service
1 2 UDO 4 6 6

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 2

SAP Business One - Technology and Interfacing

SAP® Business One ■ Continuous and integrated solution

■ Windows look & feel (SAP style)
Ease of Use ■ Simple navigation
■ Ability to drill down to details
Client
■ “Drag and relate” feature
GUI SDK (COM)
■ Two-tier client-server architecture (fat client)
Product ■ Microsoft Windows 32 based, 64 Bit supp.
Architecture ■ Microsoft SQL Server / HANA Server
Server
Interfaces
■ Customizing
Integration
■ Form Settings
Adaptations
■ Queries / Reports
SDK (COM)
■ User-Defined Tables and Fields
Microsoft ■ Linkage of input fields to queries
SQL Server Services
/HANA
■ User-Defined Objects (UDOs)
SDK (DI Server)
Email MS Office ■ Microsoft Excel, Word (out)
RDBMS Backup
Integration ■ Microsoft Outlook (in / out)

License ■ File-based (built-in)

■ SOAP (HTTP/XML)
Interfaces ■ APIs (COM, web services (SOA) starting)
■ User-Defined objects (UDOs)
■ Integration (not only) to SAP systems
© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 3
Introduction: Unit Overview Diagram

Introduction
Topic 1: Introducing SAP Business One SDK
Topic 2: Introducing Data Interface API
Topic 3: Introducing User Interface API

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 4

SAP Business One SDK – Components Overview

Client Server

User Interface API

3rd Party SAP SAP Business One
Application Business One Database

DI Server
Java Co

Data
Interface
API
Server
License
Service
?
UDO

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 5

SAP Business One SDK – Terminology and Packaging

The SDK consists of 2 major packages:

 The Runtimes (i.e. the APIs)
 The runtimes (DI API + UI API) are installed together with the SAP Business One client
application
 DI API can be installed stand-alone (separate installer package available)
 The documentation (samples, helpfiles, utilities) named „SDK Installation“

“SDK” Installation
 Development package for partners – includes SDK help, samples, tools

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 6

SAP Business One SDK - More Information

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 7

What you can find on SDN: People like you...

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What you can find on SDN: Technical information...

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Introduction: Unit Overview Diagram

Introduction
Topic 1: Introducing SAP Business One SDK
Topic 2: Introducing Data Interface API
Topic 3: Introducing User Interface API

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 10

SAP Business One SDK – Data Interface API / DIServer

Provides objects and methods (add, update etc.) to work on data level – installing the SAP
Business One client application is not required
Provides access to business objects (e.g. master data and transactional data) and cross
functionalities (services)
Performs the same checks as the SAP Business One client application
Links existing third-party solutions “as-is”
Use COM capable development tools (e.g. Microsoft Visual Studio)

SAP SAP Business One

Business One Company
3rd Party Database
Application

DI API
(or JCo
UDO or
DI Server)

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 11

Data Interface API – Use cases

There are a couple of scenarios where Data Interface API is engaged:

■ Data level integration of existing applications:
 Easily read or write data from / to SAP Business One – when needed

■ Data Import / Export scenarios – which are not covered through SAP tools – and where the
capabilities of the SAP Business One application are not sufficient.
 Depending on the architecture of the overall solution you might consider to use DI Server
though.
 Handling data in an Add-On that uses UI API (see next unit) beyond UI API‘s capabilities.
 Essentially writing data to the SAP Business One database by default requires usage of DI
API
 Even though other techniques may be faster when it comes to reading data from the
database – usage of DI API is often a good choice regarding usability (no need to request
additional credentials etc) and data coherence (imagine that the required data might be
stored in various tables).

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 12

SAP Business One SDK – Special: DI Server

The DI Server is designed to run on a server machine and supplies a light-

weight SOAP-based access layer
■ Based on the DI API technology but acts as a “Server” (as a service)
■ Supports all business objects that are exposed by the DI API
■ Enables to develop SOAP-based solutions
■ Potential Solution to heavy duty operations (e.g. batch)
■ Can support larger number of clients working at the same time.

The DI Server implements a connection pooling mechanism to enhance

performance and scalability of the server.

As DI Server is a SOAP-based interface it does not limit the client to a COM

interface, but allows a wide range of possible client technologies.

Limitations:
Meta data operations not supported
Different support for transaction handling than plain DI API

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 13

SAP Business One SDK – User Defined Object (UDO)

The User Defined Object offers partners the ability to:

 Add own Business Objects to the application’s object collection.
 Use the set of services that the application offers, such as:

Connect a Form to the Object; use Find, Add, and Update modes and other predefined
services.
 Optionally the predefined behavior of the services can be modified and extended
through implementing a class that inherits (C++) from a business object base class in a
DLL and overriding virtual methods.

SAP Business One supports two types of main Objects:

 Master Data Object
 Document Object
New partner
Object Collection UDO object

Add
Find Register the
Remove object for
….. services

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 14

Introduction: Unit Overview Diagram

Introduction
Topic 1: Introducing SAP Business One SDK
Topic 2: Introducing Data Interface API
Topic 3: Introducing User Interface API

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 15

SAP Business One SDK – User Interface API

Provides objects and methods to access screen objects of the User Interface
Provides access to internal system events of the user interface
Provides ability to modify or add menus, windows, or fields
Provides one integrated user interface
Use COM capable development tools (Microsoft Visual …)

User Interface API SAP Business One

SAP Company
3rd Party Business One Database
Application

Data
UDO Interface
API

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 16

User Interface API – Use Cases

User Interface API is usually used to:

 Reach a „seamless“ integration of additional functionality with SAP Business One
(usually requested by customers)
 …including hooking on SAP Business One standard processes

 …including adding own GUI elements into SAP Business One standard forms

 …including adding own forms and plugging the corresponding data behind

 Manipulate SAP Business One standard functionality (when standard options do not
apply to the customer‘s processes (or the branch the customer works in))
 …including hiding SAP Business One GUI elements

 …including blocking SAP Business One events

© 2013 SAP AG. All rights reserved. 17