SAP HANA is SAP’s in-memory database technology which offers real-time analytics and retrieval. With it, you can dramatically speed up your business processes, predictive analysis, or analytics.
Software Development on the SAP HANA Platform covers all aspects of the SAP HANA software, taking you from your first introductions, right through to more advanced uses and integrations of the tool.
Starting with an initial introduction and succinct guides to installation, Software Development on the SAP HANA Platform will then go on to guide you through your first development in an Attribute View. From here, we build on and consolidate SAP HANA knowledge through discussing analytic views, data authorizations, deployment, and integration with other SAP services.
Approach
Software Development on the SAP HANA Platform is a general tutorial guide to SAP HANA.
Who this book is for
This book is written for beginners to the SAP HANA platform. No knowledge of SAP HANA is necessary to start using this book.
Please note: the publisher provided a free copy of the digital version of the book to me for the purposes of review.
I have mixed feelings about this book. Most the content is pretty good, but there are two major points I would make against this book which I think potential readers should take into consideration.
1. The title and description is completely inaccurate. This isn't a book about Software Development on HANA. It is a book about Information Modeling on HANA. It doesn't cover SQLScript Procedures/AFL/Table Creation/Schemas/Sequences/etc. It is OK for information modeling; but that alone. If your focus is only learning more about Information Modeling, then this is probably a source you should check out. However if you want holistic SAP HANA Development, you will certainly be disappointed by how much this book doesn't cover.
2. While true that it contains one chapter on XSJS/UI5; the approach suggested by this chapter is completely wrong. I can't possibly stress this enough: I strongly warn people that the information in this chapter should largely be avoided at all costs and will actually lead you down a very incorrect path. I think the author completely misunderstands how XSJS should work and that misunderstanding comes out strongly in this chapter. The author proposes using XSJS to generate HTML mixed with your data. This is so completely against everything SAP suggests for the use of UI5 and XSJS. XSJS services should be pure data and contain no UI formating. The UI should be client side and only call XSJS services as REST services when data is needed or events which need processing on the server occur.
Furthermore I tracked a list of smaller items of inaccuracy and outright incorrect information.
My overall opinion: The author is someone who is strong in creating information models (Attribute/Analytic/Calculation views), but doesn't really have good experience with SAP HANA Development in the broader sense. If the book had only been advertised and contained information on this subset, it would actually be quite good. However by trying to expand into areas the author doesn't really understand, he does a disservice to the reader.
A good modeling book to work out with SAP HANA. We use it to train our young consultants on SAP HANA. The subject is very large and subject to change all the time. So the risk is tat the content may be obsolete next year but we definitely need similar books on the markeplaces. Good job done by the author anyway to cover so many technological stacks in a book without loosing the reader.