SAP NetWeaver Business Client (NWBC)

SAP NetWeaver Business Client - FAQ

• What is NWBC?
• What are the main elements of NWBC?
• What are the benefits of NWBC?
• What sort of users benefits most from NWBC?
• What sorts of applications run in the canvas?
• What versions of NWBC are there?
• What platforms does NWBC run on?
• How do you install NWBC?
• What is the relationship between NWBC and SAP GUI?
• What is the significance of the smart client?
• What are POWER Lists?
• What sorts of features does NWBC offer from the Business ByDesign version onwards?
• What features should be coming on stream in future?

What is NWBC?

SAP NetWeaver Business Client (NWBC) is a rich desktop client. It offers a single point of entry to SAP and non-SAP applications including Web Dynpro and SAP GUI.

What are the main elements of NWBC?

The two main elements of NWBC are the:

• Shell
• Canvas

The shell is the frame consisting of the horizontal bar above and the vertical bar to the left of the canvas. It provides a wide range of functions such as role-based navigation, search functions, help, desktop integration, menus, branding, scripting, caching and so on.

The canvas is the area that hosts the applications. It provides a unified environment with embedded rendering engines for the different types of applications.

What are the benefits of NWBC?

NWBC has the following benefits:

• There is a single point of entry for SAP GUI applications and Web Dynpro applications.
• New Web Dynpro applications including POWER Lists improve functionality and usability.
• Desktop integration gives user the potential to leverage everything on the desktop.
• There is powerful search functionality including desktop search and using external search engines.
• The smart client improves the performance of Web Dynpro applications
• Low training effort due to familiar look and feel
• The state-of-the-art UI more than matches the quality of the competition and is has distinctive SAP branding.

What sort of users benefits most from NWBC?

NWBC is ideal for expert/power users who use same few transactions hundreds of times a day, for example a payroll clerk. These users are often familiar with SAP GUI, work with structured data and require excellent performance as well as a user-friendly UI.

What sorts of applications run in the canvas?

What sorts of applications run in the canvas?

All standard applications run in the canvas including:

• Web Dynpro for ABAP
• Web Dynpro for Java
• SAP GUI applications
• BI reports
• Flex content
• Adobe Forms

What versions of NWBC are there?

SAP NetWeaver Business Client for the Business Suite. This was shipped with SAP ERP 6.0, supports tabbed browsing and SAP GUI integration.

SAP NetWeaver Business Client for Business ByDesign. This has been shipped to ByDesign. It uses multi-windows and includes a smart client.

SAP NetWeaver Business Client. This is the latest version to be shipped with SAP NetWeaver 7.0 EHP2.

What platforms does NWBC run on?

NWBC runs on Windows XP and Windows Vista.

How do you install NWBC?

The installation of NWBC is straightforward. It uses SAP setup just like SAP GUI.

What is the relationship between NWBC and SAP GUI?

SAP GUI applications run in the canvas of NWBC. SAP GUI 7.10 has to be installed. One key advantage of NWBC over SAP GUI is that you can also see other types of applications in the canvas area such as Web Dynpro applications (see above).

What is the significance of the smart client?

The smart client is used in NWBC for Business ByDesign and in the latest version of NWBC. These versions contain an XML protocol which improves the performance of the Web Dynpro applications.

What are POWER Lists?

A Power List is a worklist created using Web Dynpro for ABAP. Since they are more user-friendly than SAP GUI transactions the most frequently-used SAP GUI screens are being replaced by Power Lists as the Enhancement Packages are rolled out.
SAP provides preconfigured Power Lists and partners and customers can use the Power List framework to define new Power Lists themselves.

What sorts of features does NWBC offer from the Business ByDesign version onwards?

• Easier data entry including animated focus highlighting the text currently being entered
• Enhanced menu functions (recent menu displaying recently accessed work centers, hover menu)
• Powerful search functionality (desktop search and access to external search engines)
• Smooth scrolling
• Log off function closes all windows in a coordinated manner.

What features should be coming on stream in future?

• Desktop integration with potential extensions for widgets, pipes, mashups, and gadgets 
• Enhanced branding capabilities
• Help improved by means of the Wektra Help Panel
• Interface for the automated test tool