Introduction to MDK  |   Release Notes

 

What's new in MDK 2.5?

MDK 2.5 is based on MDK 2.1 4th and revised edition and adds new information on all features that are new in MI 2.5. Furthermore, being fully integrated into SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio, MDK changed its looks and shipment. Minor features where added on the tools-side.

Below you find a complete list of changes:

New features in MDK 2.5
SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio Integration

MDK is completely integrated into SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio and all its contents are only available as part of SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio. This has the following implications:

New plug-in features include the following:

New MDK documentation topics

The new MI 2.5 features that are relevant to developers (see below) have been described in individual chapters. Some topics (esp. in Smart Sync) have not yet been covered in full depth and the next edition of MDK will look into them in more detail. In the meantime, please consult the Javadoc for more information.

MDK examples now all use the new Logging API. To ensure that getApplicationName(), MCD name and archive name are always identical, the constant MI_APPLICATION_NAME is defined in the Constants interface of the examples and evaluated by the Export functionality of the plug-in.

MDK includes new AWT examples.

New Features in MI 2.5

The release notes at help.sap.com -> NetWeaver -> MI 2.5 contain the high-level view on new features in MI 2.5. In the below table, we want to concentrate on those features that are relevant to developers, leaving aside new administrative functions like CCMS integration, central tracing, central configuration information etc.

API enhancements
Feature name Description Affected packages or classes
User localization

The new user localization allows application developers to

  • display persistently stored data and time in form of local data and time.
  • Change display formats depending on nationality of client user in multi-national oper-tions

End-users choose their language during login. They can also specifiy time zone and country in their private MI settings.

com.sap.ip.me.api.conf.Localization
com.sap.ip.me.api.services.DateConverter

Application Deployment

As part of MI's initiative to support native drivers, the deployment was extended in such a way that driver add-on packages can execute driver-specific installation routines during deployment and can adjust the class path to their needs.

Application developers should not use this feature.

com.sap.ip.me.api.deploy
Logging

MI featues a new logging concept and has extended the original tracing concept considerably. Click here to read more.

com.sap.ip.me.api.logging
JSP
  • Some new convenience methods added in AbstractMEHttpServlet (getMIHome, encodeForHTML).
  • New class ParameterConverter

 

com.sap.ip.me.api.runtime.jsp

User-specific data filtering service

MI Client tightly integrates into NetWeaver's authorization concept by

  • allowing applications to declare which authorizations they want to check on the client
  • replicating the corresponding authorization information to the MI client during sync
  • offering applications a special API for checking authorizations of a given user

Click here to read more.

com.sap.ip.me.api.security
com.sap.ip.me.api.user

Configuration Some configuration keys have been added to the PropertyKeys interface. The Configuration class now gives you the possibility to find all keys with a common prefix (e.g. your application's name) com.sap.ip.me.api.conf
Sync password <> Logon password To enhance client-side security and avoid storing of WebAS passwords on the mobile device itself, logon password and synchronization password have been decoupled.

com.sap.ip.me.api.sync
com.sap.ip.me.api.user

 

AWT changes

Applications can do post-initialization (set focus, change window name) steps via the InitInterface. The FrameworkInterface has been enhanced by the possibility to create new dialog boxes.

com.sap.ip.me.api.runtime.awt

 

Software Logistics - Mobile Component Descriptor
Smart Sync Enhancements

A couple of new things happened in the Smart Sync arena for application developers. For changes about individual transactions, visit SAP Help Portal > NetWeaver > MI. The next MDK edition will cover all client-side topics with individual chapters.

Terminology