SAP How to create custom CDS view

Introduction- SAP Create Custom CDS View

SAP Create Custom CDS View can be used to generate the user’s own data access, in case they require access to data in the ERP system which is either not available in the standard apps or a report is needed to give more visibility to stakeholders or to create custom application that reads data from SAP.

Generally, the data of an application is spread across numerous database tables. SAP create custom CDS view that permits you to model the data access without altering underlying database tables. You can reorganize the table fields and define the metadata of the fields that fit into one object but then are set in different databases. Follow these steps when you are ready to create an app through the SAP create Custom CDS view.

Below is the summary of the steps we would be following 

1. Creating CDS View
2. Specify Join condition

Create Custom CDS view

Custom CDS view to create an app. Go to Custom CDS view and click on create to add new

Specify the CDS view name, Label and scenario get automatically selected

However, I prefer to create an analytical dimension

Note the scenario once selected cannot be changed later.

Create the CDS view and then click to add data source 

1. Click on Add button
2. Type the data source in the search
3. Select the data source

Note that it would show you the data source based on the Analytics data category so if your CDS view was a standard CDS view the Analytics data category if dimension would not show up

This adds the primary data source. Now we add the associated data source to this

And now add the join condition between primary and associated data sources

Specify Join condition 

1. Select cardinality
2. Select how both primary and associated data sources are connected as seen below

And select the fields needed from both views by selecting the specific field.

So the fields show on the Elements screen now which was selected

Also remember to select the entire I_product and add as its own reference as highlighted below

In the element Tab, you could specify the master data view. It is not mandatory but sometimes it does give errors. If it does not show the right view in the dropdown then use the previous step to add to the elements section where you could see _i_Product and then it would show up in the dropdown as below

Check the log there should not be any error and publishing should be successful. Click on preview

Check Preview and it opens up the next view where you would see the result of the CDS view created.

Conclusion – How to Create Custom CDS View

In this article, we talked about the steps used to create an app with the help of the Custom CDS View. Which in general, are intended to be consumed by a UI, analytics, or other systems.

Follow these steps and it should be easy to create a Custom CDS view in the system.

If you would like to know how to use this CDS view created to create a custom analytical query please refer the blog  How to create Custom Analytical Query