Here's an article tailored for the topic "Message Handling: Internationalization and Localization" in the context of SAP Gateway, relevant for students or professionals studying or working with SAP technologies.
As businesses expand globally, SAP systems must cater to a multilingual and multicultural user base. In the SAP Gateway framework—used for building OData services that expose SAP data to external applications—message handling is a crucial aspect, especially when it comes to Internationalization (i18n) and Localization (l10n). These two concepts ensure that users receive meaningful and contextually appropriate messages in their native language and regional format.
This article explores how message handling is implemented in SAP Gateway, focusing on how internationalization and localization are managed to support global deployments of SAP Fiori apps and other SAP-based services.
SAP Gateway exposes backend SAP data to frontend applications (like SAP Fiori apps) via OData services. Proper message handling in different languages is critical for:
SAP Gateway follows standard SAP NetWeaver ABAP practices for message handling. Messages used in OData services are typically defined using message classes (transaction SE91) and can be localized using translation tools in SAP.
Messages are created using transaction SE91. Each message has a message class, a message number, and text in the source language.
Example:
Message Class: ZGW_MESSAGES
Message Number: 001
Message Text: "Material & not found"
In the ABAP code of the Gateway service (within a DPC_EXT class), messages are raised using MESSAGE statements or exception classes:
RAISE EXCEPTION TYPE /IWBEP/CX_MGW_BUSI_EXCEPTION
EXPORTING
textid = /iwbep/cx_mgw_busi_exception=>business_error
message_text = 'Material not found'
message_id = 'ZGW_MESSAGES'
message_number = '001'
message_variables = VALUE #( ( '123456' ) ).
This enables the Gateway to pass structured message data back to the OData consumer.
Translation is done using transaction SE63 (SAP Translation Hub):
The translated texts are automatically picked up at runtime based on the user’s logon language or request locale.
Beyond simple translation, localization also requires correct formatting of variables (like dates, currencies, units) and ensuring the semantic meaning is preserved.
SAP provides tools to ensure:
/IWFND/GW_CLIENT) or Fiori Launchpad with different user locales.Message handling with internationalization and localization is a foundational practice in SAP Gateway development. It ensures that SAP services are user-friendly and compliant across different regions. By adhering to SAP's built-in tools and best practices for message handling, developers can build robust and globally usable OData services that enhance the experience of SAP Fiori and other consumer applications.