SAP Business Objects SDK Lecture Series 1

SAP Business Objects offers us a way to play with its repositories through Java or .Net. It is awesome when we need something that can not be done with InfoViewApp or other applications that BO presents.
With this feed I will try to give some samples about BO SDK. ( This samples and explanations are based on BO 3.1 version and Java)

1.1 IEnterpriseSession

First of all , if you are developing an application with BO SDK you need to know IEnterpriseSession object as a start point. This object lets you to ;

• log in to Business Objects Platform
• execute queries from repository (For query help you can use AdminTools application which will mentioned)
• get BO Services for working on Desktop Intelligence and Web Intelligence

During login process you give a username from Business Objects Platform, like Administrator, and with this user’s rights you can do what you want. It means if you are using a user who has no right for opening Web Intelligence Document you can’t do it with your application. IEnterpriseSession object is also restricted as in InfoViewApp.

With these IEnterpriseSession object has a default token String object with this object you can login with other applications that are written with .Net .  It is a application , programming language and application server free token.

If you can’t a get a valid IEnterpriseSession object you can’t do anything on BO Repository.

Sample Code :

ISessionMgr sessionMgr = CrystalEnterprise.getSessionMgr();

IEntepriseSession entSession = sessionMgr.logon(“USERNAME”,”PASSWORD”,”CMSNAME”,”secEnterprise”);

1.2 IInfoStore

In your application you will want to modify  Folders, Web Intelligence or Desktop Intelligence Documents,Users ,Groups or Servers. For doing this you need to get The Object which is stored in the repository. For this you need to create a query which is executed by IInfoStore service. This service is taken from IEnterpriseSession object.

When you execute a query with IInfoStore it returns you a list of results as an instance of IInfoObjects. And you can use this IInfoObjects to get your object which leads IInfoObject.

IInfoObject is the basic class of all objects which are stored in repository.And with a query, like SELECT * FROM CI_INFOOBJECT , you can get objects from repository. And each object,like users,groups,documents , have basic properties like its name, parent folder id etc.

I will mention how to create queries for getting objects from BO Repository.

And here is the sample code that lets you to get IInfoStore object:

IInfoStore infoStore = (IInfoStore)entSession.getService(“InfoStore”);

1.3 ReportEngines

ReportEngines object gives you a DocumentInstance object which is saved to repository and filestore. This DocumentInstance object leads to your Desktop Intelligence and Web Intelligence Documents. You can work with this DocumentInstance object for your documents but you have to get this object from ReportEngines services.

Here is the sample code :

ReportEngines reportEngines = (ReportEngines) entSession.getService(“ReportEngines”);

This entry and following ones will be explain Rebean and Administation Libraries of Business Objects platform. These libraries lets you to work on ;

• Users and Groups
• Web and Desktop Intelligence Documents
• Folder and Categories
• Universe List
• Server List

1.4 AdminTools

Business Objects default installation presents you web applications deployed on Tomcat.( It does not matter which application server, applications matter in this paragraph) In these web applications you can use InfoView and Central Management Console. And you can reach these with a link placed under the Start button. With these applications Business Objects deploy an extra application which is AdminTools that gives you an ability which can execute queries. You can reach this application with :

http://SERVERNAME:SERVERPORT/AdminTools link .  Servername leads your tomcat servername and server port leads to your Tomcat server port.

With this application you can able to execute queries from your repository.

Some sample queries ;

SELECT * FROM CI_INFOOBJECTS  ( with this query you can get all of your objects which can be seen under InfoView : Folders, Categories,Report Documents, Uploaded Documents)

SELECT * FROM CI_SYSTEMOBJECTS ( with this query you can get all of your system objects like users, groups,servers)

SELECT * FROM CI_APPOBJECTS ( with this query you can get universe object but not its metadata, for this you need to work with COM Sdk)

For general information of Business Objects SDK Libraries you can get from this link  Business Objects SDK Libraries Overview