Revolutionizing App Development: Unleashing the Power of SAP Build Apps and LCNC

In the evolving landscape of technology education, there's a notable shift towards No-Code, Low-Code, and Code-Gen tools, acknowledging the varying importance of coding tasks. These solutions automate routine coding elements, granting users the bandwidth to focus on higher-order activities such as code design and user experience. SAP Build, a standout low-code solution for business users, offers direct access to end-to-end processes, data, and context. Challenging the notion that low-code is exclusive to programmers, SAP Build opens model-driven development to a diverse audience. It is designed for individuals with minimal technical expertise and facilitates the creation of enterprise applications through an intuitive drag-and-drop interface. Operating on the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP), SAP Build democratizes application development, allowing seamless collaboration between technical and non-technical users.

What is Low-Code and No-Code?

Low-code – It uses a low-level traditional programming language that can be used by developers with basic technical knowledge.

No-Code – As the word suggests, it comprises of visual development tools (eg.,- drag and drop components) and can be used both by technical and non-technical users.

Over the years, we have witnessed SAP’s prowess in delivering enterprise applications that adhere to the best standard practice processes in Finance, Supply Chain Management, HR, Procurement, Travel and more.

With the consistent goal of building robust applications, SAP has introduced SAP Build that embraces SAP Build Apps (formerly known as AppGyver), SAP Build Process Automation (formerly SAP Process Automation) and SAP Build WorkZone (formerly SAP Work Zone).

It is an ingenious tool for rapidly building apps, automating processes and creating business websites. Beyond this, it boasts robust integration with SAP and non-SAP applications.

Who are the Users?

The Business Users function as Citizen Developers, possessing knowledge of the business process flow with minimal coding expertise. They collaborate effectively with developers to ensure the smooth development of applications.

SAP Build’s  three powerful components:

• SAP Build Apps: Build mobile and web apps using predefined business templates and logic components.
• SAP Build Process Automation: Jumpstart automation projects across different lines of business using RPA, bots and connectors.
• SAP Build Work Zone: Empowers IT professionals to build and design applications and processes with pre-build UI-integration cards and leveraged APIs on any device.

Exploring SAP Build Apps

SAP Build Apps is a visual development solution for creating enterprise applications without the need for manual coding. It facilitates:

• Effortless App Creation:  Develop applications seamlessly through a drag-and-drop interface, configuring components to align with specific requirements.
• Seamless Backend Connectivity:  Establish connections to backend data using SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP) destinations defined within the cockpit.
• Intuitive Logic Configuration:  Develop application logic by easily configuring it to meet the desired specifications.

The canvas employed for designing applications in SAP Build mirrors the shape of a mobile phone, yet it remains adaptable for tablets and web applications. It also offers the flexibility to construct both Web and mobile Applications, along with backend applications.

The evolved Application is divided into three integral parts:

•  UI – The UI section is where the user interface is built, enabling user interaction with the data. This includes various UI Elements and controls like buttons, text elements, list etc. The size, color, position and the connection to the data (static or dynamic) are also decided here.
• Logic – The logic component defines how the application operates and outlines the business rules to be applied. The flow of actions is triggered by events, with functions provided for a set of actions:
  • Display a message
  • Call an API
  • Open a page
  • Change value of a variable
  • Open a device camera
• Data – This segment decides how the information is structured, stored and retrieved within the application.

Starting with LCNC:

Mainly, applications designed for phones and tablets are built on Build Apps. The ease of running these applications is equal to the ease of their creation.

Navigation SAP Build Apps: SAP Build Apps is a free subscription in the BTP Cockpit and is configured by creating a subaccount in the BTP Global Account.

After clicking on the subscription, you will be directed to the application and Build Apps Lobby.

In the lobby, you can build an application.

Page:  Each page in this app consists of the following elements and new pages can also be created within the app:

1. UI Canvas: The UI Canvas is where you design the application. It contains UI Components, the canvas and the properties, style, and layout of the containers.

   The UI Components’ style and layout can be adjusted using the respective tabs. For example, here is a page that shows Rows, Containers, Buttons, Search Bar, Scanner, Image and Text.

   The Canvas contains variables within the UI Canvas. Toggling the slider button redirects to the variable tab, where you can use variables to store and access dynamic data. SAP Build Apps feature five fundamental types of variables, each serving distinct purposes:

   
2. Launch – Under Launch, we can preview our App on the phone by downloading SAP Build Apps or on the desktop by launching the application.
3. Navigation – Navigation controls the navigation header and footer icons, which can be enabled or disabled.  You have the flexibility to add custom icons for all the pages you build.

    

4. Data – The data displayed on the pages can be created in following ways:
   • On Device Storage – Entities can be created in device storage, allowing flexible data binding as needed. 

      

   • Fields and their properties can be manually added in the entity.
   • SAP Build Apps Classic Data Entities: These entities can be created through global Rest Services or APIs.

      

   • When Backend Systems are integrated to BTP as BTP Destinations, Entities are automatically created with the respective OData services.
5. Authentication Methods:

   SAP Build Apps offer authentication through various methods, including:

   • Google Firebase: Creates a Firebase Authentication for Mobile Apps. After enabling authentication, go to Data tab to configure Google Firebase and enable Android App configuration.

      

   • SAP BTP Authentication: This adds an extra page for user ID and password input in the App.
   • Direct third-party authentication: It creates a login page within the app where users input their credentials, handled by the app logic.

   The integration of these powerful tools within SAP Build Apps serves as a catalyst, significantly simplifying and expediting the application development process. Whether it's designing complex user interfaces, managing dynamic data, or implementing authentication methods, the comprehensive toolkit offered by SAP Build ensures a seamless and efficient workflow. With the combined capabilities of these tools, the possibilities for innovation and customization within the app development landscape become virtually boundless.

Frequently Asked Questions:

• Why choose Build Apps over Fiori Apps?
  •  Build Apps, utilizing LCNC, offer newer technology for rapid mobile app creation.
• Is it possible to configure SAP Build Apps on Fiori Launchpad?
  •  SAP Build Apps are primarily configured and managed in SAP Build Workzone rather than Fiori Launchpad.
•  What is the process for importing Build Apps into QA or production?
  •  The import process involves adding or changing Business Technology Platform (BTP) Destinations and creating distinct subaccounts for seamless integration.
•  How are these apps deployed, and where can they be viewed after deployment?
  •  Following the generation of the Multi-Target Application Archive (MTAR) File, these apps are deployed in the Cloud Foundry environment. You can then easily view them in SAP Build Workzone.