RAP on Dynamic Condition Tables – Draft Enablement Challenge

[FabioPagoti]

Hello everyone,

I’m working on a requirement where the underlying tables are dynamic (condition tables). I need to build a RAP application on top of this setup. However, I'm facing a challenge: I can't enable draft functionality because the CDS view is a query implemented by a class, and draft is not supported in this scenario.

Draft functionality is crucial for my use case. Does anyone have experience with a similar setup or suggestions on how to handle this? Any ideas on enabling draft or dynamically handling such data in a RAP application would be highly appreciated.

Thanks in advance!

[FabioPagoti]

It makes sense to not be supported because draft data is stored in a database table. How would be the $metadata and the API calls to work with Draft? It's possible to create your "own draft" capability but this wouldn't work in a Fiori Element application. Suggestion: I'd check if OData V4 code based implementation would allow draft support. It's a considerable effort. Could you clarify why draft / odata V4 is a must?

see: https://community.sap.com/t5/technology-blog-posts-by-sap/odata-service-development-options/ba-p/133...

[ankahit]

@FabioPagotiits needed because of the composition we added and Also, we want to update the parent entries based on the child entries

[HenrikeGroetecke]

Hello,

Thank you very much for your question. I'm very sorry for the late response.

Can you please check whether the following information (GenAI was used to help generate this content) solves the issue?

When dealing with dynamic tables in a RAP application, especially when draft functionality is crucial, there are several considerations and approaches you can explore:

1. Draft Functionality in RAP:

   • Draft functionality allows users to work on temporary versions of data ABAP Restful Application Programming Model (RAP) - SAP Community before committing changes. It is typically supported in managed scenarios Extensibility in SAP S/4HANA Cloud - SAP Community where the CDS view is directly linked to a database table.
   • In your case, since the CDS view is implemented by a class, draft functionality is not directly supported. This is a limitation because the RAP framework requires a direct link to the database table for draft operations.

2. Alternative Approaches:

   • Re-evaluate the CDS View Implementation: Consider if the dynamic nature of your tables can be handled differently. If possible, restructure the CDS view to directly expose the database tables, allowing draft functionality.
   • Custom Draft Handling: Implement custom logic to simulate draft behavior. This involves manually managing temporary data storage and retrieval, mimicking the draft operations.
   • Use of Side Effects: If draft functionality cannot be enabled, consider using side effects to update parent entries based on child entries dynamically.

3. Considerations for Dynamic Data:

   • Dynamic Data Handling: Ensure that your application logic can handle changes in the underlying table structure. This might involve using dynamic SQL or flexible data models.
   • Testing and Validation: Thoroughly test the application to ensure that dynamic data handling does not introduce errors or inconsistencies.

4. Consult Documentation and Community:

   • Review SAP documentation on RAP and draft functionality for any updates or alternative methods.
   • Engage with the SAP community to gather insights and experiences from other developers who might have faced similar challenges.

By exploring these approaches, you can find a suitable solution to enable draft functionality or effectively manage dynamic data in your RAP application.

[1] ABAP Restful Application Programming Model (RAP) - SAP Community

[2] Extensibility in SAP S/4HANA Cloud - SAP Community

Kind regards, Henrike