SAP-UI5 offers a rich set of controls and functionalities to build enterprise-ready applications. However, business requirements often demand customized behavior or new controls beyond the standard UI5 library. This is where custom UI5 extensions come into play.
This article explains what custom UI5 extensions are, why they are useful, and how to create them to enhance your SAP-UI5 applications effectively.
UI5 extensions refer to:
Custom controls are new UI elements built by extending sap.ui.core.Control or existing controls.
Example: A simple custom button
sap.ui.define([
"sap/ui/core/Control"
], function(Control) {
return Control.extend("my.custom.CustomButton", {
metadata: {
properties: {
text: { type: "string", defaultValue: "Click me" }
},
events: {
press: {}
}
},
renderer: function(oRM, oControl) {
oRM.write("<button");
oRM.writeControlData(oControl);
oRM.write(">");
oRM.writeEscaped(oControl.getText());
oRM.write("</button>");
},
onclick: function() {
this.firePress();
}
});
});
You can extend SAP UI5 controls to add or override properties, methods, or event handlers.
sap.ui.define([
"sap/m/Button"
], function(Button) {
return Button.extend("my.custom.ExtendedButton", {
metadata: {
properties: {
customProperty: { type: "string" }
},
events: {
customPress: {}
}
},
onclick: function() {
this.fireCustomPress();
Button.prototype.onclick.apply(this, arguments); // call base
}
});
});
Delegate extensions allow for customization of control behavior by injecting delegate modules, often used in Smart Controls.
With SAP Fiori elements, you can extend standard views by adding fragments or overriding sections without modifying the base app code.
sap.ui.define) and declare dependencies.<mvc:View xmlns:mvc="sap.ui.core.mvc" xmlns:custom="my.custom">
<custom:CustomButton text="Press Me" press="onPress" />
</mvc:View>
Building custom UI5 extensions empowers SAP developers to tailor UI5 applications to complex business needs while maintaining modularity and reusability. Whether creating entirely new controls or extending existing ones, mastering extensions is a key skill to elevate SAP-UI5 development beyond the standard framework capabilities.
By carefully designing and implementing extensions, you can deliver sophisticated, user-centric SAP applications that align with your organization’s goals and SAP best practices.