Developing iOS Applications

The OData SDK is used to develop a device application for the iOS platform. An application consists of reusable building blocks, which a developer can use to start the application and perform functions needed for the application. The target audience is advanced developers who are familiar working with APIs, but who may be new to SAP Mobile Platform.

1. Creating a Project and Importing the OData Libraries and Bundles
   Set up the iOS development environment by downloading the required plugins and import the associated iOS libraries into the iOS development environment.
2. Initializing an Application
   You must initialize each application the first time you start it, as well as each restart thereafter.
3. Creating a Request
   Send a data request to the backend through the SAP Mobile Platform Server asynchronously or synchronously. If there is no network connectivity, Request library requests are queued in a persistent database, and invoked when the network becomes available. Use the Request library to develop applications with direct connectivity to Gateway, or to register users in the Management Cockpit.
4. Parsing the Data
   Parse the response from the backend to the device.
5. Caching the Data
   (Optional, offline mode only) Caching is an important part of getting an application to work in offline mode. The Cache method is used to cache and persist data, when the mobile device is out of the network range, and process the data, when it is within the range of the network.
6. Updating Settings at Runtime
   (Optional) To update application settings, for both the client and the SAP Mobile Platform Server, use OData SDK.
7. Enabling Apple Push Notifications (APNS)
   (Optional) Subscribe to Apple Push Notifications (APNS).
8. API Reference
   The iOS OData SDK provides the means to easily build an app which relies on the OData protocol and the additions made by SAP.
9. Developing with MAF Logon
   MAF logon components consist of MAF Logon UI and MAF Logon Manager and support user onboarding.
10. Developing with iOS Reusable UI Components
    MAF reusable controls allow you to use native iOS UI controls (such as buttons and labels) that display a default SAP style, from a prebuilt library. You can skin these components at runtime to match customer branding, without recompiling the source code. MAF also contains a set of complex controls, such as the calendar, the tree view, and locale-aware controls. These complex controls, which provide additional runtime skinning capabilities, are built from the simple MAF controls.
11. Developing with the Extensibility Framework
    The Extensibility Framework is an SDK for iOS applications, providing to developers the ability to add or replace screens or subviews, change navigation patters, update the data model, add custom actions, and so on. You can use it when developing new applications, but you can also extend existing applications with little effort; you need not recompile and redistribute the apps.