Either sides of ui5 Tooling, an overview

[sushant_nath2]

Hello All,

 

Introduction:

While exploring various options , for ui5Tooling, I came across many pros and cons for ui5 Tooling, which I thought of , making a blog/post for the same.

Since I am more familiar with SAP WebIde/Eclipse, wherein most of the features are available by “Select”  hence highlighting some queries, that I had in my mind, while starting this exercise that could help others/beginners in ui5Tooling, as well.

Below mentioned points throws a light on some of them:

Licensing/Cost:

• Development involving, ui5 projects from scratch, can be done without any cost/free, by involving some scaffolding tool like Yeoman and ui5Tooling.


• However, if any already developed project needs to be migrated via SAP webIDE then SAP WebIDE license is required.

Accessibility:

• This tool can be accessed offline.


• Ui5Tooling can be accessed/used by a modern CLI-based approach.


• To use ui5Tooling, there is an additional task, the developer needs to take care of installing them locally, unlike webide.


• Either a scaffolding tool(Yeoman) , can be used to generate a ui project from scratch or an already build SAP WebIDE project can be used for the development.

Project Templates:

• Unlike SAP WebIDE, Yeoman only allows only three types of project templates, as of now, which are

SAP Fiori master Details Application

SAP Fiori Worklist Application

SAP Fiori Worklist Application OData V4

• Already, generated code can be modified by using any IDE(Visual Studio,Eclipse), Notepad++.

Build and Run:

• Unlike SAP WebIde, select “Run As” is not supported here however run command needs to be triggered via CLI tool.


• Unlike, SAP WebIde projects, these projects can’t be build using select ”Build”.


• However the Build here needs to be initiated via command.

Deployment :

• Unlike SAP WebIde projects, this can’t be directly deployed by select “Deploy”.


• However to deploy this to cloud, it can be done via command.


• To deploy this to ABAP server the code can be directly uploaded via ui5/ui5_repository_Load.

Accessing GIT repository:

• Unlike SAP WebIde, that supports GIT pane, here Cloning and updating of repository can be done via command.


• If Visual Studio is used, then cloning and updating of repository can be directly done from there.

Adding Cordova/kapsel plugins:

• Projects, made in SAPWebIde and then imported to ui5 tooling, can leverage the benefits of enabling the project as a mobile project with required Cordova and kapsel plugins being added.


• However, projects made by Yeoman, doesn’t support these features by default.

Conclusion

• This is effective, if the plan is to develop ui5 projects locally and cost effective as well.


• Also developers of modern web applications are used to an established ecosystem driven from the command line and building upon Node.js and npm.

 

Best regards,

Sushant