SAP UI5 stands for SAP user interface for HTML 5 or an innovative UI development toolkit that is used for HTML5 (SAPUI5). With consumer software making its way to corporate enterprises the UI has been designed such that it provides support to application developers in creating quick and easy user interface based on HTML5 and JavaScript for both mobile and web applications.
The advantage of SAPUI5 runtime is that it is a client – side HTML5 rendering library with a set of standard as well as extended user controls. It also lays the groundwork for a light weight programming model for both desktop and mobile applications.
SAPUI5 is based on JavaScript and supports RIA like client side features. It also complies with OpenAjax and can be used with standard JavaScript libraries.
SAPUI5 primarily delivers to different platforms. The SAPUI5 developer guide focuses solely on platform independent topics. If you are looking for details on SAPUI5 and it’s functionality, you may refer to the respective guide on SAPUI5
The goal:
The primary goal of the application is to:
Historically, SAPUI was focused around proprietary UI frameworks like BSP, WEBUI and WebDynPro in ABAP and Java flavours. The technologies were sufficient n delivering the business processes offered by SAP to its customers. With the passage of time, the technologies could not leverage the offers by the clients. It was then that Adobe Flex and Microsoft Silverlight islands.
However, to deliver the UIs, there was a need for developers with different skills which made the clients hesitate to use the technology. SAP then tried to integrate AJAX into WebDynPro so that the UIs can initiate the development of mini HTTP calls on demand. In the past few years there has been a high consensus on updating HTML so that W3C and WHATWG can work in sync to bring HTML5 based on open standards and mobile compatibility.
Over the past few years, SAP has aligned its UI strategy around HTML5. SAPUI5 is based on the same. The entire industry is adapting itself to the SAPUI5 thereby creating a brighter future for the developers.
The scope for SAPUI5 is huge as it runs on desktop, tablet and mobile devices. It also highly responsive in nature and uses JavaScript libraries helping making the application lightweight and RIA. It also makes for an interactive user experience like Drag & Drop, document editing etc.
SAPUI5 supports any data transfer like XML, JSON, OData etc to consume and utlise data from SAP (Systems, Applications, Products in Data Processing) or any other platform.
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