¶ Extending Standard SAP Fiori Apps
SAP Fiori offers a rich library of pre-built, role-based applications designed to simplify business processes and enhance user experience. However, every organization has unique requirements, and sometimes the standard Fiori apps may need customization or enhancement to better fit specific business needs. This is where extending standard SAP Fiori apps comes into play.
In this article, we explore the concept of extending standard SAP Fiori apps, the methods to do so, and best practices to ensure maintainability and upgrade compatibility.
¶ Why Extend Standard SAP Fiori Apps?
Standard SAP Fiori apps provide core functionality aligned with SAP best practices, but your business might require:
- Additional UI fields or controls to capture more data
- Custom business logic or validations
- Integration with other systems or data sources
- Adjustments to workflows or navigation
- Branding and user interface enhancements beyond the standard theme
Extending standard apps allows you to tailor these solutions without building new applications from scratch, saving development time and ensuring seamless integration.
UI extensions involve modifying the user interface of an existing Fiori app by:
- Adding new fields or sections to screens
- Hiding or rearranging existing UI elements
- Changing labels or help texts
- Embedding custom controls or charts
These include enhancing or altering the backend processing, such as:
- Adding custom validation rules
- Modifying data processing flows
- Extending OData services used by the Fiori app
- Implementing event handlers for specific user actions
Integration can involve:
- Connecting the app to additional data sources or services
- Triggering workflows or notifications in external systems
- Enriching app data with information from third-party solutions
¶ How to Extend Standard SAP Fiori Apps
¶ Step 1: Identify the App and Extension Points
SAP provides extension points and enhancement frameworks within many standard Fiori apps, allowing developers to add custom content without altering the original codebase. Check SAP documentation or use SAP Business Application Studio to locate available extension points.
Leverage SAP’s cloud development tools to create extension projects:
- Open the standard app project.
- Create an extension project referencing the original app.
- Implement your UI changes or custom logic within the extension scope.
- Add new XML fragments or views.
- Use controllers to handle additional events.
- Bind custom fields to backend models or create new models as needed.
- Use ABAP CDS views and OData service enhancements to expose additional data.
- Implement BAdIs (Business Add-Ins) or User Exits for custom validation and logic.
- Adjust backend processing in line with your extensions.
¶ Step 5: Test and Deploy
- Thoroughly test the extended app functionality in a sandbox or development environment.
- Ensure backward compatibility and no disruption to standard processes.
- Deploy the extended app to your SAP Fiori Launchpad for end-user access.
- Avoid Modifying Standard Code Directly: Always use provided extension mechanisms to maintain upgradeability.
- Follow SAP Fiori Design Guidelines: Maintain UI consistency and usability.
- Document Your Extensions: Keep detailed records for future maintenance and upgrades.
- Version Control: Use Git or similar tools to manage your extension code.
- Performance Considerations: Optimize custom code and data calls to avoid impacting app responsiveness.
- Plan for Upgrades: Test extensions against new SAP releases to prevent incompatibilities.
- SAP Business Application Studio (BAS): Cloud-based IDE for creating and managing extensions.
- SAP Fiori Tools Extension Pack: A set of plugins to simplify Fiori app extension and development.
- SAP Help Portal: Official documentation and guides on Fiori app extensibility.
- SAP Community: Forums and blogs with real-world examples and tips.
Extending standard SAP Fiori apps is a strategic way to tailor SAP solutions to your organization's unique requirements while leveraging SAP’s proven design and functionality. By using SAP’s extensibility framework and following best practices, you can enhance user experience, streamline processes, and maintain system integrity through upgrades.
If you're embarking on your first extension project, start small, leverage SAP tools, and engage with the SAP community to make your journey smoother and more successful.