Programming the User Interface and Navigation 

Graphical tools are available for designing and implementing the Web interface. The Navigation Modeler provides support when you create the logical interface elements (known as views) for the Web Dynpro application; it also supports the arrangement of these views on the screen. With the view definition you create an element that firstly acts as a container for your Web interface definitions and secondly contains the active part, the context. You then assign the elements to the interface and supply them with data; both these steps are carried out in other Web Dynpro tools. The Web Dynpro tools provide preconfigured files in which you can embed graphical interface elements; these application elements are known as view sets. The Web Dynpro application element that represents the top node in the interface definition hierarchy is the window. The active part of the interface, the controller, is programmed using the Controller/Context Editor.

You also use the Navigation Modeler to define the screen change, which is known as navigation definition. The Web Dynpro elements you create for navigating are the plug and the link. In the case of the plug element, we in turn differentiate between inbound plugs and outbound plugs; the former makes a view the start view, while the latter defines a view as a subsequent view.

You also have the option of using the graphical Data Modeler tool to define the views. The main purpose of this tool is the implementation of back end interfaces, component uses, and data flow.

The graphical View Designer tool provides support when you create the actual user interface with elements such as text fields, input fields, buttons, and so on. The tool offers a wide range of preconfigured user interface elements, which you can define for the interface using Drag&Drop. As well as the traditional elements, numerous complex elements, such as a table or container, and business graphics with a number of different display options are also available. When using business graphics, you use a URL to access the relevant memory location of your Internet Graphics Server (IGS).