¶ Understanding Fiori Elements Building Blocks
SAP Fiori Elements is a powerful framework that simplifies and accelerates the development of SAP Fiori applications by providing pre-built, reusable templates based on metadata annotations. Instead of hand-coding UI elements from scratch, developers can leverage these building blocks to generate consistent, feature-rich applications that comply with SAP Fiori design principles.
This article explores the key building blocks of Fiori Elements and how they enable efficient, standardized app development.
Fiori Elements are standardized UI templates that generate SAP Fiori applications based on metadata and annotations in the backend OData services. They help developers deliver enterprise-grade apps faster by:
- Reducing manual UI coding
- Enforcing SAP Fiori design consistency
- Supporting key use cases like list reports, object pages, and overview pages
- Provides a filterable, searchable list view of business objects.
- Allows users to browse, sort, and select items.
- Commonly used for transactional and analytical scenarios.
- Supports table and chart visualizations, inline actions, and mass editing.
- Displays detailed information about a single business object.
- Organized in sections and subsections for structured data presentation.
- Supports forms, tables, and embedded components.
- Enables users to view, edit, and perform actions on the object.
- Offers a task-focused view of work items or notifications.
- Typically presents a list of actionable items for the user.
- Includes filtering and sorting capabilities.
- Provides a dashboard-style view aggregating multiple cards.
- Cards display KPIs, charts, lists, and other visual insights.
- Helps users monitor key metrics and perform actions.
¶ Supporting Building Blocks and Concepts
- The backbone of Fiori Elements, annotations define UI semantics, behavior, and layout.
- Stored in the OData service metadata or as external files.
- Types include UI annotations (e.g.,
UI.LineItem, UI.FieldGroup), semantic object annotations, and custom annotations.
- UI controls that automatically adapt based on annotations.
- Examples include SmartTable, SmartFilterBar, and SmartForm.
- They provide features like sorting, filtering, personalization, and export without extra coding.
¶ Navigation and Routing
- Defined declaratively in
manifest.json.
- Enables smooth navigation between List Reports, Object Pages, and other app areas.
- Supports deep linking and back navigation.
- Speed: Rapid app development using predefined templates.
- Consistency: Uniform look and behavior across apps.
- Maintainability: Centralized metadata-driven customization.
- Extensibility: Developers can extend or override specific parts without breaking the framework.
- Upgrade Safety: SAP standard apps and Fiori Elements apps can be upgraded smoothly.
To create a Fiori Elements app, follow these general steps:
- Define your OData service with the necessary annotations.
- Use tools like SAP Business Application Studio or SAP Web IDE to generate an app from the service.
- Configure UI settings via annotations and
manifest.json.
- Extend or customize UI behavior as needed through extension points.
Understanding the building blocks of SAP Fiori Elements is crucial for developers aiming to create scalable, maintainable, and user-friendly enterprise applications quickly. By leveraging List Reports, Object Pages, Worklists, and Overview Pages, alongside powerful annotations and smart controls, Fiori Elements enables consistent and efficient app development aligned with SAP’s UX standards.
If you want, I can help you dive deeper into any specific building block or assist with sample projects — just ask!