Brand your SAP Application using Theme Editor

[pradyut_sarma]

Introduction

Customers have always complained about the look-and-feel of SAP applications that are either developed using SAP Tools or shipped directly to customers by SAP. SAP also provides customers with five pre-configured themes to choose from and brand their applications with, the look-and-feel of each of them distinctly different from the other. But, are these pre-configured settings good enough for customers. The answer is NO. Why?

A customer would have a number of applications hosted within his domain and the last thing that he would want is, for each of those applications to look different from each other. For all practical purposes, “sap_standard” or “sap_tradeshow” would be ok with the customer; But what if he wants to change the background color of the buttons to white to maintain a standard within the organization. We obviously don’t expect all his applications to be on SAP, right? Apart from that, let’s also assume that not all customers would be satisfied with at least one of the SAP shipped themes. He would want to customize for sure. That’s where the Theme Editor comes in handy.

What is this tool all about...

The Theme Editor is an Eclipse-based, feature-rich, lightweight tool which provides a "Unified Tooling Environment" for defining and maintaining custom themes for SAP applications. Customers need to follow the simple steps outlined below to develop and deploy a theme..

• Import the SAP themes into the editor. These themes provide a very good base for theme developers to start with the customization
• Create a custom theme by extending any of the SAP themes
• Edit the theme parameters as per requirements
• Export the custom theme to either a portal environment or a ABAP repository to render/consume the same

Scenarios 

The Theme Editor can be used by customers to brand any SAP application UI developed using "Web Dynpro ABAP" or "Web Dynpro Java". The tool can be used to brand applications based on SAP NetWeaver Portal.

Customers can download the tool by following this link. Have a look at the User Guide to know more on the feature-rich tool and description on how to install theme editor and build the first custom theme.

Before I end, let me add that a whole new set of features are on their way into the tool as part of the next version of it......

Till then, Happy Theming

[Former Member]

can you brand the portal themes with this tool too? or just is this only for branding the applications within the portal like WD4J and WD4A?

[pradyut_sarma]

Hi Kelly,
This tool can be used to brand Web Dynpro Java and Web Dynpro ABAP themes. Apart from these, the themes that you create via this tool can be consumed by the  SAP portal applications. Suggest you read the user-guide for more details.

Best Regards,
Pradyut.

[former_member184154]

That really sounds good to me, considering that one of the major lacks in WD environment that customers are most of the times complaining of is the few possibilities of look&feel customization.

Thanks for sharing.

Cheers,
Alex

[martin_kuehnert]

Hi Pradyut,

Thanks a lot for releasing this new theme editor.

After testing it on friday I'd like to know if you plan to make features like "import from portal" (to import a portal style) which is already included in the previous eclipse theme editor release available in your new version.

Furthermore I found out that the Style Sheets you supplied in the new Editor are older then the ones supplied in the old Eclipse Theme Editor (7.11.1.0.0 vs 7.11.3.2.0).

Unfortunately these Stylesheets do not work with SAP_BASIS SP06 and above as Version 7.11.3.4.0 is required.

Thanks again for your hard work to support the Eclipse Theme Editor.

Best Regards

Martin

[pradyut_sarma]

Hello Martin,

Thanks for the feedback. Appreciate it 🙂
1. To answer your first concern; Yes, we do plan to make the feature "Import from Portal" available on the new theme editor along with any other feature that was available in the old one but not "YET" in this version. So, just hold on till we release the next update of this tool.

2. The version of the themes that we have bundled with the download pack was just a base pack for people to start with. You could go ahead and use the tool with version 7.11.3.4.0 if that's your requirement. You could download the same from any R/3 system.
Hope this helps ;o)

Thanks and Regards,
Pradyut.

[martin_kuehnert]

Hi Pradyut.

How can I export SAP Standard Themes using report WD_THEMES? It only shows the custom themes.

BR

Martin

[Former Member]

Good blog

[pradyut_sarma]

Hi Martin,

Unfortunately, the report WD_THEMES does not allow users to export SAP themes.

Thanks and Regards,
Pradyut.

[Former Member]

So does it imply that it can be used for Portal Theming and Branding

[pradyut_sarma]

Yes Chintan...Go ahead and try it out ;o)

[alejiandro_sensejl]

Hello Pradyut!

"You could go ahead and use the tool with version 7.11.3.4.0 if that's your requirement. You could download the same from any R/3 system."

How can I download the the current themes (we are on version 7.11.7.9.0) from R/3 in correct format to import them into the new theme editor?

Would be great if you could have a look at the forums:  Themes: Upgrade of old custom themes / Export of current SAP themes

Thanks in advance and best regards from Germany,
Alej

[Former Member]

Hi Pradyut ,

Very nice blog i must say , the previous version of eclipse editor gave me lots of issues. I have a couple of questions to ask.

1) Will this tool be supported through OSS messages?
2) I have downloaded a theme from ECC system, how can i modify it using this tool? If i place my theme inside the "themes" folder of the project will it work.

Regards
Mayank

[martin_kuehnert]

Hi Mayank,

you have to import themes using the import function in eclipse, otherwise eclipse won't recognize it. Unfortunately the structure of the styles downloaded from SAP Systems differs to the theme package supplied with the theme editor.

BR

Martin

[pradyut_sarma]

Hi Mayank,

1. You can report issues for the tool using the OSS/CSN component BC-DWB-THM-DT.

2. For the other query, as Martin has highlighted, copying the theme to the themes folder will not work as the tool will not understand the theme. You need to download the zip file which consists of the pre-defined SAP themes, that you can extend to create your own theme and use it in your application.
Hope this clarifies.

Thanks and Regards,
Pradyut.

[martin_kuehnert]

But where can we find the zip file you mentioned in your reply?

Afaik all themes in the mime repository are already extracted.

[martin_kuehnert]

But where can we find the zip file you mentioned in your reply?

Afaik all themes in the mime repository are already extracted.

[Former Member]

Thanks Pradyut/ Martin for your responses .

One final question - My ECC version is 6.0 and EP is on 7.0 SP 19 . So if I import the theme either to EP or to ECC , i suppose i should not face any issues . I suppose there is no version dependency .

Regards
Mayank

[pradyut_sarma]

Hi Mayank,
Please see SAP Note 1462458 for more details.

Thanks and Regards,
Pradyut.

[Former Member]

Hi
   We are intending to implement BSP applications - currently in ECC 5.0 ( without use of Enterprise portals ) to expose some some of SAP data. Can what you explained here - be used to create custom themes in BSP applications ?

[pradyut_sarma]

Hello Karthik,

You could have a look at the blog below for more details on BSP theming.
BSP/HowTo: CSS Hints - Custom Design for your BSP Applications

If you still face any issue with the theming using the tool, i suggest you create an OSS ticket on the component BC-DWB-THM-DT for the requisite support.

Thanks and Regards,
Pradyut.

[alejiandro_sensejl]

Hello Pradyut,
thanks for your blog, but how can I get the tool working for UR version 7.11.7.9.0 (We got that from 701 SP6 after applying the UR corrections up to OSS note 1474351)?
Can I export the themes as project file somehow from our r/3 system or must I wait until that version is available for download from SCN?
Thanks in advance and best regards,
Alej

[pradyut_sarma]

Dear users,

We have received a lot of feedback on the tool and the blog through mails/comments and one question that's common to all is, "How do i get the latest version of the SAP themes to import into the eclipse tool and start editing?"
Unfortunately, the R/3 system does not allow users to export SAP themes (but only custom themes) and hence, cannot be worked with in the theme editor. The version that we have uploaded along with the editor on SDN is an old version of 7.11 which, as I understand won't be usable for users since most customers have moved on to higher versions. Hence, we are currently in the process of preparing and uploading the latest version of the SAP themes to SDN as well for users to download and extend/customize using the tool and consume in their applications. I will update the blog once we are done with the uploading process.

Thank you again for the feedback and the queries.

Best Regards,
Pradyut.

[pradyut_sarma]

Hi Alej,

Hope the last comment from me takes care of your query as of now.
Thanks again for the feedback 😉

Best Regards,
Pradyut.

[Former Member]

You can export any aspect any part of the mime repository with this report "BSP_UPDATE_MIMEREPOS". Just enter the path to the SAP themes e.g. "/SAP/public/bc/ur/nw5/themes/sap_chrome"

[former_member190904]

I don't want to sound like a newbie (after 15 years working with SAP) but what is Eclipse ?

[martin_kuehnert]

but you cannot import the exported themes to eclipse!

[martin_kuehnert]

its a java based development tool check out: www.eclipse.org

[Former Member]

Good morning,

first of all nice job on the blog.  I have been able to successfully export themes from SAP and modify them using Eclipse.  However I have not been able to find any specific information on re-importing the theme except using WD_THEMES and more importantly HOW TO APPLY IT TO MY ABAP WEBDYNPRO WHICH IS TO BE EXECUTED WITHOUT PORTAL IMPLEMENTATION.

I KNOW ONLY THAT IT CAN BE DONE USING wdthemeroot BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW TO APPLY MY NEW THEME ONCE IT IS IMPORTED INTO SAP.

Can anyone shed light on this.

Thanks,

Jennifer

[pradyut_sarma]

Thanks Jennifer, for the feedback 🐵
You could have a look at the following link for some information on this,

Web Dynpro ABAP themes and EP6.0

Maybe it helps.

Best Regards,
Pradyut.

[Former Member]

Pradyut,

what version of SAP NW Portal need to have to use this tool?
We have SAP NW Portal 7.01 SP5.
Can we use this tool to create custom themes and import into Portal with the above version?

Thanks
Sundar

[Former Member]

Thanks Pradyut.  I will try it today.

Regards,

Jennifer

[former_member182638]

Hi Pradyut,

Thanks for the blog.  How does this editor sit relative to the new SAP signature design in portal?  Can we use it to amend that theme?

Thanks

John

[pradyut_sarma]

Yes. You could use this tool to customize themes for your portal applications. Suggest you read the user-guide for more details.
As far as the version of the NW Portal is concerned, it must be compatible with the version of the theme that you want to deploy. But i assume, the latest version of the themes should work with the portal (Again this is just an assumption).

Best Regards,
Pradyut.

[pradyut_sarma]

Dear Users,

We have updated the SDN download link with the latest version of the 711 SAP themes. The UR version now available for download through the link is 7.11.7.10. With this, users should be able to use the editor to brand their latest SAP applications.
The themes uploaded here are not recommended to be used in a productive environment as there may not be timely support provided for any issue faced due while doing so. But customers are encouraged to raise any issue while using the theme editor tool via the OSS/CSN component BC-DWB-THM-DT.

Thanks and Best Regards,
Pradyut.

[martin_kuehnert]

Hi Pradyut,

where do I find the mentioned updated SDN download link?

BR

Martin

[pradyut_sarma]

Hello Martin,

You could follow the link http://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/scn/downloads?rid=/library/uuid/b08a05ec-e24a-2d10-189e-f5c6bcbf39a5 and download the zip here. The zip is available along with the theme editor plugins itself. You need to select the appropriate option to download the zip or the plugins.

Thanks and Best Regards,
Pradyut.

[martin_kuehnert]

unfortunately the themes linked there are version 7.11.1.0.0

[alejiandro_sensejl]

Yep, I can confirm that.
Just tried to download the new project and it is currently still as of version 7.11.1.0.0.

[pradyut_sarma]

Hi,

I tried and have the version 7.11.7.10.0 from the same link. Could you please try again and let me know if you still get the old version. Sorry for the inconvenience ;o)

Thanks and Best Regards,
Pradyut.

[alejiandro_sensejl]

Hello Pradyut,

are you referring to the old themes (7.11.1.0.0) or the new ones (7.11.7.10)?
If it's the latter, where can I download themes viable for productive use?

Thanks in advance and best regards,
Alej

[martin_kuehnert]

the link works fine now! thx a lot.

[alejiandro_sensejl]

Hello Pradyut,

you wrote the themes are "not recommended to be used in a productive environment", are you referring to the old themes (7.11.1.0.0) or the new ones (7.11.7.10)?
If it's the latter, where can I download themes viable for productive use?

Also the eclipse plugin doesn't import the SAP_TRADEHOW_PLUS theme although it looks like it's included in the archive. How can I get these imported?

Thanks in advance and best regards,
Alej

[pradyut_sarma]

Dear Users,

We have received a number of queries where users have requested for themes (project.zip) that can be customized for productive purposes.

All the sample themes that are provided along with this download(link) are intended to be used only for evaluation purposes. They are not guaranteed to work in a productive environment and no support will be available for issues faced . Nevertheless, any issue identified with the "Theme Editor tool" will be supported via the OSS component BC-DWB-THM-DT.
      We are the in the process of identifying an appropriate solution to provide the SAP Themes of specific releases for productive usage. We will notify the same via this blog. Many thanks for your understanding and patience.

Best Regards,
Pradyut.

[pradyut_sarma]

Hello Alej,

I guess my last comment answers the first question that you have about the "productive usage of themes". Maybe you could have a look at that, in case you haven't ;o)

Secondly, the reason why you don't see SAP_TRADESHOW_PLUS as an imported theme within the theme editor is because this theme is based on Lightspeed Rendering which is still not supported by this version of the theme editor. The next version of the tool (which will release soon) will 
support lightspeed rendering and uses will be able to customize these themes too.

Hope this answers the query. Thanks for the feedback again.

Best Regards,
Pradyut.

[alejiandro_sensejl]

Hello Pradyut,
any updates on your last post?
Thanks in advance ans best regards,
Alej

[Former Member]

Hi Prayut

Thank you for sharing this tool with us.

If I want to deploy the latest ESS and MSS business package ENH4, which contains travel in Web dynpro for ABAP, can i then use this tool to modify the look and feel of that application? Also: can i use the tool for altering look and feel og the other Web Dynpro for java ESS/MSS apps?
Why do i have trouble exporting/importing my own custom theme, created as described in your documentation, intto a portal?
Where do i find documentation upon exporting/importing custom theme intto a SAP ERP System?

Thank You and kind regards

Steen C.C. Hammer

[Former Member]

Hello,
We are in the process of evaluating NetWeaver 7.2 SP03 version for our development needs. Do you know if custom themes are supported for WebDynpro applications on this version? If so which version of theme(/theme editor) should we use?

[alejiandro_sensejl]

Hello Pradyut,
same question as about 3 months ago ...
Any updates on your last post?
Thanks in advance and best regards,
Alej

[Former Member]

Hi Jennifer,

You say you've been able to export themes from SAP. How did you do it? I'm driving mad trying to find a way out.

Regards,

David R.

[Former Member]

Hello Pradyut,

same question... We are planning an upgrade to ECC6 EHP5 with NW 7.02 and we need custom themes. Is it possible to use themes of eclipse editor?

Regards
Marc