BRFplus-Business Rule Management for ABAP Applications

... Foreword ... 13

... Introduction ... 17

1 ... About Business Rules ... 21
... 1.1 ... Definition ... 21
... 1.2 ... Ubiquity of Business Rules ... 22
... 1.3 ... Business Rule Management Systems ... 23
... 1.4 ... Rule Representation ... 26
... 1.5 ... Application Architecture ... 29
... 1.6 ... Business Rules at SAP ... 32

2 ... BRFplus--a Brief Walk-Through ... 39
... 2.1 ... BRFplus Workbench ... 39
... 2.2 ... Workflow ... 53
... 2.3 ... The Example ... 53
... 2.4 ... Application--Container for BRFplus Objects ... 55
... 2.5 ... Function--Interface Between Code and Rules ... 57
... 2.6 ... Data Object--Data Carriers ... 59
... 2.7 ... Ruleset--Collection of Rules ... 61
... 2.8 ... Rule--Central Entity ... 63
... 2.9 ... Expressions--Computational Units ... 64
... 2.10 ... Actions--Performing Tasks Outside of BRFplus ... 67
... 2.11 ... Catalog--Visualization and Navigation Help ... 68
... 2.12 ... Simulating and Testing Rules ... 69
... 2.13 ... Function Processing and Rules Evaluation ... 72
... 2.14 ... BRFplus Releases ... 73

3 ... Tutorials ... 77
... 3.1 ... Creation of a Pricing Application with the BRFplus Workbench ... 77
... 3.2 ... Creation of a Pricing Application with the API ... 106

4 ... Object Management ... 121
... 4.1 ... Basic Object Handling ... 122
... 4.2 ... Basic Object API ... 130
... 4.3 ... Common Object Settings ... 142
... 4.4 ... Applications ... 157
... 4.5 ... Catalogs ... 164

5 ... Objects ... 169
... 5.1 ... Functions ... 169
... 5.2 ... Data Objects ... 180
... 5.3 ... Rulesets ... 202
... 5.4 ... Rules ... 211
... 5.5 ... Expressions ... 215
... 5.6 ... Actions ... 281

6 ... Tools and Administration ... 297
... 6.1 ... Simulation Tool ... 299
... 6.2 ... XML Export and Import ... 304
... 6.3 ... Web Service Generation Tool ... 314
... 6.4 ... Application Usage Tool ... 318
... 6.5 ... Application

Albrecht, ThomasThomas Albrecht is a senior software developer in the Business Rule Framework plus (BRFplus) team. After completing his studies with a master's degree in computer science, he joined SAP in 2003. He started working in and driving several development projects in the ERP Travel Management department with focus on architecture and user interfaces. In 2008 he delved into the area of BRFplus and quickly became a key member of the development team. Ziegler, CarstenCarsten Ziegler is the inventor, chief product owner, and architect of Business Rules Framework plus (BRFplus) at SAP. He joined SAP in 2000, working in multiple roles including developer, development architect, and project manager for numerous projects in the area of technical tools and frameworks and financials applications. Since 2006 he has driven SAP's business rules strategy and he is responsible for the BRFplus architecture and development as well as its adoption within in SAP's applications. Carsten is also a key contributor to defining SAP's overall business process strategy for SAP's business suite and successfully prepared the acquisition of Yasu in 2007. He has a track record of guiding many large-scale projects, in terms of both setting up and using business rules and business process management technology. Drawing upon this extensive experience, he provides global business rules expertise support for sales, consulting, development, and solution management. Carsten holds a diploma in Business Administration.