Solutions

Unit: User Interface API

Topic: Basics

1-1

Implement a connection to a running SAP Business One application.

1-1-1

Create a new Visual Studio project for a windowless add-on

application and add a reference to the SAP Business One DI API COM
library and UI API COM library.

1-1-2

Define the variables you need for a connection to a running SAP

Business One application.
Private WithEvents SBO_Application As SAPbouiCOM.Application
Dim SboGuiApi As SAPbouiCOM.SboGuiApi
Dim sConnectionString As String

1-1-3

Connect to the SAP Business One SboGuiApi and get a handle to the
running application.
SboGuiApi = New SAPbouiCOM.SboGuiApi
sConnectionString = Environment.GetCommandLineArgs.GetValue(1)
SboGuiApi.Connect(sConnectionString)
SBO_Application = SboGuiApi.GetApplication()

1-2

Display a MessageBox within SAP Business One.

1-2-1

The method to display a MessageBox has several optional parameters.

Check them out.
SBO_Application.MessageBox("Connected", 1, "Continue", "Cancel")

1-3

Use the Single-Sign-On feature (and/or the Multiple Add-On feature) to

connect to DI API as well.
Private oCompany As SAPbobsCOM.Company
oCompany = New SAPbobsCOM.Company
oCompany = SBO_Application.Company.GetDICompany()

1-4

Define the AppEvent handler and implement the handling of these events
(which are mandatory to be handled).

Solutions can be found in the SDK Help Center documentation and SDK
samples (in the SDK Folder see Appendix SDK Installations for more
information),
COM UI / VB .NET / 01.HelloWorld
COM UI / VB .NET / 02.CatchingEvents
COM UI DI / VB .NET / Hello World

Solutions
Unit: User Interface API
Topic: Creating Forms

2-1

Create a new form within SAP Business One. The form should contain the
following items:

Some example code:

Form Creation:
creationPackage =
SBO_Application.CreateObject(SAPbouiCOM.BoCreatableObjectType.cot_FormCreationPa
rams)

creationPackage.UniqueID = "TB1_DVDAvailability"
creationPackage.FormType = "TB1_DVDAvailability"
creationPackage.ObjectType = "TB1_DVDAvail"

link form to your UDO

oForm = SBO_Application.Forms.AddEx(creationPackage)

oForm.Title = "DVD Availability Check"

oForm.Left = 336
oForm.ClientWidth = 280
oForm.Top = 44
oForm.ClientHeight = 200

Button creation:
oItem = oForm.Items.Add("RentDVD",
SAPbouiCOM.BoFormItemTypes.it_BUTTON)
oItem.Left = 200
oItem.Width = 65
oItem.Top = 170
oItem.Height = 19

oButton = oItem.Specific
oButton.Caption = "Rent DVD"

Choose from List

Dim oCFLs As SAPbouiCOM.ChooseFromListCollection
oCFLs = oForm.ChooseFromLists

Dim oCFL As SAPbouiCOM.ChooseFromList

Dim oCFLCreationParams As SAPbouiCOM.ChooseFromListCreationParams
oCFLCreationParams =
SBO_Application.CreateObject(SAPbouiCOM.BoCreatableObjectType.cot_ChooseFromListCreationP
arams)

oCFLCreationParams.ObjectType = "TB1_DVDAvail" Note this is the Code you gave in the wizard
when you registgered the UDO for TB1_DVD in the UDO exercises
oCFLCreationParams.UniqueID = "DVDCFL"
oCFL = oCFLs.Add(oCFLCreationParams)

EditText Creation
oItem = oForm.Items.Add("DVDNameT", SAPbouiCOM.BoFormItemTypes.it_EDIT)
oItem.Left = 90
oItem.Width = 163
oItem.Top = 25
oItem.Height = 14
oItem.LinkTo = "DVDNameL" link it to the associated Static

oEditText = oItem.Specific
oEditText.DataBind.SetBound(True, "", "DVDName")
oEditText.ChooseFromListUID = "DVDCFL"

2-2

Enhance your program so that the form will be saved as an XML file.
Firstly add a reference to Microsoft XML this references .NETs System.Xml
library
oXmlDoc = New Xml.XmlDocument
sXmlString = oForm.GetAsXML
oXmlDoc.LoadXml(sXmlString)
oXmlDoc.Save("File location \" & "DVDAvailability.xml")

2-3

Change your program. The form should now be loaded from the XML file you
have created in the last step. Display the form in the SAP Business One
window.
This code uses MSXML library so this is just for demonstration. Its
preferable to use LoadBatchActions for updates and Forms.AddEx to load
forms.
Private Sub LoadFromXML(ByVal Filename As String)
Dim oXMLDoc As MSXML2.DOMDocument
oXMLDoc = New MSXML2.DOMDocument

oXMLDoc.load("File Location\" & Filename)

SBO_Application.LoadBatchActions((oXMLDoc.xml)
End Sub

2-4

Use the tools from the B1TE toolset (essentially Form Checker) to check
whether you have designed your form(s) according to some important UI
guidelines
Similar solution can be found in the SDK UI samples (in the SDK Folder see
Appendix SDK Installations for more information),
COM UI/03.SimpleForm, 06.MatrixAndDataSources and 04.WorkingWithXML

Some helpful data for designing Forms

Form
Height

413px

Width

557px

Controls common
Distance to left edge

5px

Distance to right edge

5px

Distance to top edge

5px

Distance to bottom edge

5px

Button
Height

19px

Width

65px

Spacing

5px

Label Field
Height

14px

Width

Depends on text

Horizontal spacing

>=12px (ungrouped)

Vertical spacing

1px (grouped)
>=3px (ungrouped)

Input Field
Height

14px

Width

Enough to show complete field value

Horizontal Spacing

>=12px (ungrouped)

Vertical spacing

1px (grouped)
>=3px (ungrouped)

Field Help
Vertical distance to input
field

1px

Matrix Objects
Width

Form width minus 2 times 5px to the left and right

edge

Number of rows

<=7 rows, add scrollbars if more necessary

Please note that more exhaustive information is available in the User Interface:
Standards and Guidelines in the SAP Business One Topic Search on SAP
Servicemarketplace at http://service.sap.com/smb/sbo/resources (October 2007).

Solutions
Unit: User Interface API
Topic: Additional Event Handling

3-1

Catch FormLoad event for Order form

If pVal.FormType = "139" And pVal.EventType =
SAPbouiCOM.BoEventTypes.et_FORM_LOAD And pVal.BeforeAction = False Then
End If

3-2

Display the message "Caught Order FormLoad Event" when the FormLoad
event for the Order form arrives (use the Application.Message method).
SBO_Application.MessageBox("Caught Order FormLoad Event")

3-3

Catch the click event on the Rent DVD button you've added in the previous
exercise. Again display a message once the event is caught.
If FormUID = "TB1_DVDAvailability" And pVal.ItemUID = "RentDVD" And
pVal.EventType = SAPbouiCOM.BoEventTypes.et_ITEM_PRESSED Then
SBO_Application.MessageBox("Caught click on Rent DVD button")
End If

3-4

Create a filter to only receive the events we are interested in.

Public oFilters As SAPbouiCOM.EventFilters
Public oFilter As SAPbouiCOM.EventFilter
oFilters = New SAPbouiCOM.EventFilters()

oFilter = oFilters.Add(SAPbouiCOM.BoEventTypes.et_ITEM_PRESSED)
oFilter.AddEx("139") 'Orders Form
oFilter.AddEx(TB1_DVDAvailability)
SBO_Application.SetFilter(oFilters)

A solution implementing events catching can be found in the SDK UI samples

(in the SDK Folder see Appendix SDK Installations for more information),
COM UI/ 02.CatchingEvents.

Solutions
Unit: User Interface API
Topic: New Menu entries in SAP Business One window

4-1

Add a menu entry to the "Modules" menu called DVD Store. Those are the
menu entries which are also displayed in the Main Menu. Add a new sub-menu
to that menu entry called DVD Availability.
Dim oMenus As SAPbouiCOM.Menus
Dim oMenuItem As SAPbouiCOM.MenuItem
oMenus = SBO_Application.Menus
Dim oCreationPackage As SAPbouiCOM.MenuCreationParams
oCreationPackage =
SBO_Application.CreateObject(SAPbouiCOM.BoCreatableObjectType.cot_Me
nuCreationParams)
oMenuItem = SBO_Application.Menus.Item("43520") 'Modules
Dim sPath As String
sPath = Application.StartupPath
sPath = sPath.Remove(sPath.Length - 3, 3)
oCreationPackage.Type = SAPbouiCOM.BoMenuType.mt_POPUP
oCreationPackage.UniqueID = "TB1_DVDStore"
oCreationPackage.String = "DVD Store"
oCreationPackage.Enabled = True
oCreationPackage.Image = sPath & "dvd.bmp"
oMenus = oMenuItem.SubMenus
Try
oMenus.AddEx(oCreationPackage)
oMenuItem = SBO_Application.Menus.Item("TB1_DVDStore")
oMenus = oMenuItem.SubMenus
oCreationPackage.Type = SAPbouiCOM.BoMenuType.mt_STRING
oCreationPackage.UniqueID = "TB1_Avail"
oCreationPackage.String = "DVD Availability"
oMenus.AddEx(oCreationPackage)
Catch er As Exception ' Menu already exists
SBO_Application.MessageBox("Menu Already Exists")
End Try

4-2

Handle the menu event: When you choose the menu entry, your form should be
displayed.
If pVal.MenuUID = "TB1_Avail" And pVal.BeforeAction = False Then
LoadFromXML("DVDAvailability.xml")
End If
Private Sub LoadFromXML(ByVal Filename As String)
Dim oXMLDoc As MSXML2.DOMDocument
Try
oXMLDoc = New MSXML2.DOMDocument
oXMLDoc.load("File location\" & Filename)
SBO_Application.LoadBatchActions(oXMLDoc.xml)
Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
End Try
End Sub

4-3

Add another menu only visible when your form is open. This menu should
appear under the GoTo menu.
Dim oCreationPackage As SAPbouiCOM.MenuCreationParams
oCreationPackage =
SBO_Application.CreateObject(SAPbouiCOM.BoCreatableObjectType.cot_Me
nuCreationParams)
Dim oMenuForm As SAPbouiCOM.Form
oCreationPackage.Type = SAPbouiCOM.BoMenuType.mt_STRING
oCreationPackage.UniqueID = "TB1_TestMenu"
oCreationPackage.String = "Test Menu"
oMenuForm.Menu.AddEx(oCreationPackage)
A similar solution can be found in the SDK UI samples (in the SDK Folder see
Appendix SDK Installations for more information),
COM UI/ 05.AddingMenuItems

Solutions
Unit: User Interface API
Topic: Data Binding

5-1

Declare a DBDataSource and UserDataSource object. Link it to the form you

created in the Creating Forms exercise.
oForm.DataSources.DBDataSources.Add("@TB1_DVD")
oForm.DataSources.UserDataSources.Add("DVDName",
SAPbouiCOM.BoDataType.dt_SHORT_TEXT)
Note the TB1_DVD table should be defined as Master Data UDO table and
registered as a UDO

5-2

Bind the form's items with the corresponding data from the User Defined table
created in the DI exercises (TB1_DVD).
Firstly for each Edit Text field bind the field to its corresponding column in the
User defined table e.g.
oEditText.DataBind.SetBound(True, "@TB1_DVDAVAIL", "U_AISLE")

5-3

Get the data from the data sources and display them in the corresponding fields
on your form. Note you will first need to read the value selected by the user
from the Choose from List (Item Event) and then fill all other fields
accordingly.
If pVal.EventType = SAPbouiCOM.BoEventTypes.et_CHOOSE_FROM_LIST Then
Dim oCFLEvent As SAPbouiCOM.ChooseFromListEvent
Dim oCFL As SAPbouiCOM.ChooseFromList
Dim CFLID As String
Dim oForm As SAPbouiCOM.Form

oCFLEvent = pVal
CFLID = oCFLEvent.ChooseFromListUID
oForm = SBO_Application.Forms.Item(FormUID)
oCFL = oForm.ChooseFromLists.Item(CFLID)
If oCFLEvent.BeforeAction = False Then

Dim oDataTable As SAPbouiCOM.DataTable

oDataTable = oCFLEvent.SelectedObjects
Dim val As String
Try
val = oDataTable.GetValue(1, 0)
Catch ex As Exception
MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
End Try

If pVal.ItemUID = "DVDNameT" Then

oForm.DataSources.UserDataSources.Item("DVDName").ValueEx = val
oDBDataSource = oForm.DataSources.DBDataSources.Item("@TB1_DVD")
oDBDataSource.Query()
End If
End If
End If

5-4

Test your application.

A similar solution can be found in the SDK UI samples (in the SDK Folder see
Appendix SDK Installations for more information),
COM UI/03.SimpleForm and, 06.MatrixAndDataSources