When will SAP Java AS for EE 7 see the light? And NWDS on Eclipse 4.2?

[rolf_paulsen]

Hi,

since thread 2028916 became too long and old - scrolling on mobile devices is a pain -  I decided to start a new thread to discuss the future of the SAP Java AS on premise platform in combination with the development tool NWDS.

Java EE 7 is general available for a year next week. It is difficult to get courses on Java EE 5 and books at the antiquarian bookshop. Eclipse 3.5 underneath NWDS is completely outdated already and out of support on Eclipse side. BPM, SAP's still emerging software, is only availble in this old tooling.

SAP's CTO Sikka left the company giving us the chance to discuss this topic beyond the time of HANA hype.

Hopefully this thread will begin with good news.

Best regards

Rolf

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

this thread is already dead by SAP convention (please don't waste time with NetWeaver anymore).. Let's have a look here, some Providers delivering modern implementations of JavaEE6 and/or JavaEE7 (some for FREE ;-):

Full JavaEE7 Implementations (certified):

-GlassFish 4.0 (Open Source - of course 😉

-WildFly 8.x (wildfly.org)

-TMAX Jeus 8 (tmaxsoft.com)

JavaEE6 Implementations (certified)
:

-GlassFish 3.x

-TMAX Jeus 7

-IBM WebSphere 8.x

-Oracle WebLogic

-JBoss 7.x

... and many more.

Eclipse 4.x is running fine with updated Eclipse Plugins (all Platforms above are running fine with it), with Eclipse 3.5.x you're running in trouble with most of the famous eclipse plugins.

[rolf_paulsen · Accepted solution]

Hi Chantalle,

thank you for your perfect description of the status of NetWeaver Java. You deserve the "correct answer".

Indeed, SAP - e.g. Benny - wasted our time for years, holding the prospect and keeping us hoping that there would be a further development in NetWeaver Java.

Exactly nothing happened.

You need no crystal ball to know the answer to Steffen's question at the end of the thread above, but Benny may answer himself that still nothing happened, not even in the Java EE 6 WebProfile. Maybe they are stuck with JPA 1.0 - 2.0 incompatibility and classloading issues. Maybe they did not even start. We will never know.

The main problem is: What do we do with the dozens of WD Java Screens?

Reimplement using SAP UI5?

Reimplement using a cool JSF framework?

Try to get them running inside Tomcat - we have the Web Dynpro Toolkit for Tomcat as a template?

Keep WD Java on NW Java for a transition period, calling business logic using WebServices running in Tomcat EE?

I am looking forward to further discussion, maybe we will find time for a cup of coffee before christmas.

And I am looking forward to be able to use new-fashioned stuff like Java 7/8, Java EE 7 and state of the art development processes with maven and git.

Cheers,

Rolf

[steffen_spahr2]

Hello Rolf,

I have been waiting for years that there will be a modern EE6 support in NWDS 7.x.

But nothing happend. Now my decision for the future concerning java developement and runtime-environment is clear. If possible, I would change the EE-based sever technology.

There are lots of really convincing alternativ EE 6/7 server on the market. The communication to the SAP-Backend is possible via GateWay (RestFul-Services) or WebServices.

And I think, they are much better supported concerning the implementation of popular java standards.

Sorry, but this is my personal opinion, after years hoping and waiting ... .

Best regards

Steffen

[rolf_paulsen]

Hello Steffen,

thank you for your input. Because of holiday a late answer.

You are absolutely right, and I am sure it is not only your personal opinion, but the simple truth.

NetWeaver Java's right to exist is only as platform for CE tools like PI and BPM engine.

And because SAP cut themselves off Java 7 and EE >=6 standard, even these tools will become outdated quickly. E.g. you run into trouble running current oData libraries on this platform. I cannot recommend anybody to use BPM in new projects - a tool that is running on Java 6 / EE 5 in 2014 and needs a strange and unneccessary concept of "Development Components" at design time.

If we knew what we know today in 2010, we would have abandoned the NW Java platform already and found a nice web frontend. But SAP kept stalling us, so now we have dozens of WD Java that want to be replaced.

What really is striking me at this topic is the hype of the al the important SAP people (mentors etc.) around "kiss of death of WD Java" that kept the social networks busy in 2010 as constrasted with the ignorance regarding the way more substantial decay of the complete SAP NetWeaver Java platform. Our customers and we as software developers could live for the next 10 years with a rock solid and "mature" UI framework like WD Java even without any enhancements, but we cannot bear complete stagnation in our business layer and the platform and development infrastrucure on the whole.

SAP NetWeaver Java is dead, "deader" than WD Java will ever be, but the important people do not even read the death notice. Probably they are out of town in the HANA cloud.

SAP neglected the house for a too long time, the house is decayed, it is too late for cosmetic repairs by SAP, we have to move out.

Best regards

Rolf

[rolf_paulsen]

...of course it should be Eclipse 4.3