Enhancing Flexibility with OData V4 Calls from the Controller in SAP UI5

[N_Parag_Senapati]

Enhancing Flexibility with OData V4 Calls from the Controller in SAP UI5

Hey!

In this blog, we will explore how to dynamically handle OData V4 calls from the controller in SAP UI5. While OData V4 provides many advantages like Improved Performance, Asynchronous Operations and Better Support for Complex Data, the default binding mechanism in SAP UI5 often limits flexibility in manipulating data after it's received. By making the OData calls directly from the controller, you can achieve greater control and flexibility.

Let's dive into how CRUD operations can be managed for OData V4 through the controller using pseudo-binding.

 

Before we start with CRUD operations, we need to set up the OData V4 model in your SAP UI5 application. This involves configuring the manifest.json file for both the data source and the model.

 

Define the Data Source in manifest.json:

In your manifest.json file, under sap.app, define the data source for your OData V4 service:

"sap.app": {
	"id": "your.app.id",
	"type": "application",
	"dataSources": {
		"yourODataService": {
			"uri": "/path/to/your/service/",
			"type": "OData",
			"settings": {
				"odataVersion": "4.0"
			}
		}    
	}
}

Define the Model in manifest.json:

Now, under sap.ui5, define the model for the data source you just set up.

"sap.ui5": {
	"models": {
		"yourODataModel": {
			"type": "sap.ui.model.odata.v4.ODataModel",
			"settings": {
				"autoExpandSelect": true // Optional: Expand navigation properties automatically
			}
		"dataSource": "yourODataService"
		}
	}
}

Assign the Model to a Variable in controller:

var oModel = this.getOwnerComponent().getModel("yourODataModel");

Creating the Binding

OData V4 offers three types of bindings: ListBinding, ContextBinding, and PropertyBinding. These can be utilized in the controller for creating a pseudo-binding. In this blog, we will focus on ContextBinding and ListBinding.

ContextBinding

var oContextBinding = oModel.bindContext(
    "/entityPath/contextName(requestedContextId)/",        //sPath
    null,                                                  //oContext
    {                                                      //mParameters                   
        "$expand": "navigationProperty",
        "$select": "property1,property2"
    }
);

ListBinding

var oListBinding = oModel.bindList(
    "/entityPath",                              //sPath
    null,                                       //oContext
    null,                                       //vSorters - Dynamic Sorters 
    null,                                       //vFilters - Dynamic Filters 
    {                                           //mParameters                   
        "$expand": "navigationProperty",
        "$select": "property1,property2"
    }
);

CRUD Operations

READ

Fetching a Specific Context:

oContextBinding.requestObject().then((oData) => {
	//Handle success
})
.catch((err) => {
	//Handle error
});

Fetching a List of Entities:

oListBinding.requestContexts().then((oListContext) => {
	oData = oListContext.map(rowContext => rowContext.getObject());	
	//Handle success
})
.catch((err) => {
	//Handle error
});

DELETE

oContextBinding.requestObject().then((obj) => {
	oContextBinding.delete().then(function(){
			//Handle success
		})
		.catch((err) => {
			//Handle delete error
		});
})
.catch((err) => {
	//Handle read error
});

UPDATE

When performing an update, you can either execute it immediately or group multiple updates together using updateGroupId and submit them in a batch. If you don't pass the updateGroupId, the update will be called immediately. However, if you want a group of update calls to be executed together, you assign an updateGroupId to each call and then use submitBatch to send all updates at once.

Immediate Update Call (without updateGroupId):

oContextBinding.requestObject().then((oObject) => {
	if (oObject) {
		var keys = Object.keys(oObject);
		for (var i = 0; i < keys.length; i++) {
			if (oObject[keys[i]] !== oRequestBody[keys[i]]) {
				oContextBinding.setProperty(keys[i], oRequestBody[keys[i]]).then(function(){
						//Handle success
					})
					.catch((err) => {
						//Handle update error
					});
			}
		}
	} 
})
.catch((err) => {
	//Handle read error
});

This will trigger the update immediately for each property that is changed.

Batched Update Calls (with updateGroupId):

If you want to group updates into a batch, you can pass the updateGroupId("sUpdateGroupId") parameter:

oContextBinding.requestObject().then((oObject) => {
	if (oObject) {
		var keys = Object.keys(oObject);
		for (var i = 0; i < keys.length; i++) {
			if (oObject[keys[i]] !== oRequestBody[keys[i]]) {
				oContextBinding.setProperty(keys[i], oRequestBody[keys[i]],"sUpdateGroupId").then(function(){
						//Handle success
					})
					.catch((err) => {
						//Handle update error
					});
			}
		}
	} 
})
.catch((err) => {
	//Handle read error
});​

After setting all the properties using the same updateGroupId("sUpdateGroupId"), you need to submit the batch to execute all updates together:

oModel.submitBatch("sUpdateGroupId").then(function () {
	//Handle success
})
.catch((err) => {
	//Handle error
});

This will execute all the grouped updates in one network call, improving efficiency by batching them.

CREATE

var oContext = oListBinding.create(oRequestBody);
oContext.created().then(function () {
	var oData = oContext.getObject();
	//Handle success
})
.catch((err) => {
	//Handle error
});

Conclusion

By handling OData V4 calls directly from the controller, you gain significant flexibility to manipulate data as needed in your SAP UI5 applications. This approach allows you to leverage SAP UI5 controls more effectively, while maintaining performance and making the most of OData V4's capabilities such as asynchronous operations and batch processing.

If you're looking to implement more complex data manipulations or optimize performance in your SAP UI5 apps, using controller-based OData V4 calls is a powerful solution. Feel free to explore these concepts in your own projects and customize them further based on your specific needs.

If you have any questions or would like to share your own experience with OData V4, I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Happy coding!