UI Component Conversion Tool for Web Dynpro and BSP Integration

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Businesses using multiple UI technologies, such as Web Dynpro and Business Server Pages, face inconvenience due to differing look-and-feel and support requirements, prompting the need to convert all applications to a single UI technology.

Innovation Solution

A method to convert components from one UI technology (e.g., Business Server Pages) into another (e.g., Web Dynpro) by enabling access, modeling native components, adapting public methods, and defining navigational paths using inbound and outbound plugs, allowing seamless integration and reusability.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If businesses use multiple UI technologies (Web Dynpro and BSP), then they can maintain existing applications with different technologies, but users experience inconvenience due to differing look-and-feel and support requirements

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesupport for multiple UI technologiesVSAvoiduser experience consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a conversion tool as an intermediary that automatically transforms BSP components into Web Dynpro components. This mediator handles the complexity of cross-technology conversion, allowing businesses to maintain their BSP applications while providing a unified Web Dynpro user experience, thus resolving the contradiction between supporting multiple technologies and ensuring consistent user experience

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The conversion tool is designed to handle multiple types of UI component conversions (views, controllers, models, attributes, methods) through a single universal mechanism. This multi-functional approach enables the system to convert various BSP elements into Web Dynpro equivalents, maintaining versatility in supporting multiple UI technologies while achieving uniformity in the target technology

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Ease of operation

If businesses convert all applications to a single UI technology, then user experience consistency is improved, but extensive code changes and conversion effort are required

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveuser experience consistencyVSAvoidconversion process complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The conversion tool performs preliminary analysis of BSP components before actual conversion, automatically identifying views, controllers, models, attributes, and methods that need conversion. This preliminary action prepares the conversion pathway in advance, reducing the complexity and effort required during the actual conversion process to a single UI technology

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The conversion tool operates autonomously to perform the complex task of converting BSP components to Web Dynpro components. It self-manages the entire conversion process including analyzing component structures, generating converted code, and handling navigation paths, thereby reducing the manual effort and complexity that would otherwise be required for such an extensive code conversion project

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of manufacture

If manual conversion of BSP components to Web Dynpro is performed, then conversion can be done, but the process is time-consuming and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveconversion capabilityVSAvoidconversion time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent replaces the manual mechanical process of converting code with an automated computational system. The conversion tool uses algorithms to automatically analyze BSP component structures, map them to Web Dynpro equivalents, and generate converted code, substituting the time-consuming manual mechanical conversion process with an efficient automated computational approach that significantly reduces conversion time and errors

Inventive Principle:

Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

4Adaptability or versatility

If BSP components are converted to Web Dynpro components, then uniformity across applications is achieved, but navigation paths and component relationships must be redefined

Engineering Contradiction:

ImproveUI technology uniformityVSAvoidnavigation path redefinition

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The conversion tool creates copies of BSP navigation paths and component relationships in the Web Dynpro framework. It automatically replicates the navigation structure, plug connections, and component interactions from the original BSP application, adapting them to Web Dynpro's navigation model. This copying approach maintains the original application's navigation logic while achieving UI technology uniformity, without requiring manual redefinition of complex navigation paths

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentUS7917856B2Converting between user interface technologies

Publication Date: 2011.03.29 SAP SE

AI summary

Converting components for a first user interface (UI) technology into components for a second UI technology includes enabling the second UI technology to access first components of the first UI technology, modeling second components of the first UI technology as native components of the second UI technology, the first components being usable by the native components, and defining one or more navigational paths through the native components.