Business Data Catalog: Application Definition File issue

Question

I created my BDC application definition file with the help of Application Definition Designer. Before exporting the file, I executed the methods and they are all executing fine without issues. I then exported the file and imported it in my SSP which got imported without issues.

However, when I try to add the Business Data List webpart and tried to browse the business data type, I am unable to get the just imported application file. I tried the same steps with BDC meta man and I am able to view my Business data in SharePoint.

Do I need to do any specific changes before exporting my ADF file while using Application Definition Designer?

Answer 1

Hi,

Can you compare these ADF files and find the difference?

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Dmitry

Lightning Tools Check out our SharePoint tools and web parts | Lightning Tools Blog

Answer 2

I tried and compared. There is a difference of just one extra method when I created the App definition file through BDC metaman. One more thing i noticed was that, there was an article which stated to change the MethodInstanceType from SpecificFinder to Finder. I changed that. Still the same results. Any help would be appreciated.

Answer 3

Please post here ADF that doesn't work.

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Dmitry

Lightning Tools Check out our SharePoint tools and web parts | Lightning Tools Blog

Answer 4

Here it is:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" standalone="yes"?>
<LobSystem xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/03/BusinessDataCatalog BDCMetadata.xsd" Type="Database" Version="1.0.0.0" Name="AdventureWorks" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2006/03/BusinessDataCatalog">
  <LobSystemInstances>
    <LobSystemInstance Name="AdventureWorks_Instance">
      <Properties>
        <Property Name="DatabaseAccessProvider" Type="Microsoft.Office.Server.ApplicationRegistry.SystemSpecific.Db.DbAccessProvider">SqlServer</Property>
        <Property Name="AuthenticationMode" Type="Microsoft.Office.Server.ApplicationRegistry.SystemSpecific.Db.DbAuthenticationMode">PassThrough</Property>
        <Property Name="rdbconnectionData Source" Type="System.String">local</Property>
        <Property Name="rdbconnectionInitial Catalog" Type="System.String">AdventureWorks</Property>
        <Property Name="rdbconnectionIntegrated Security" Type="System.Boolean">true</Property>
        <Property Name="rdbconnectionUser ID" Type="System.String">test</Property>
        <Property Name="rdbconnectionPassword" Type="System.String">test</Property>
      </Properties>
    </LobSystemInstance>
  </LobSystemInstances>
  <Entities>
    <Entity EstimatedInstanceCount="10000" Name="[AdventureWorks].[Person].[Contact]">
      <Identifiers>
        <Identifier TypeName="System.Int32" Name="ContactID" />
      </Identifiers>
      <Methods>
        <Method Name="Find_[AdventureWorks].[Person].[Contact]">
          <Properties>
            <Property Name="RdbCommandType" Type="System.Data.CommandType, System.Data, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">Text</Property>
            <Property Name="RdbCommandText" Type="System.String">Select "ContactID","NameStyle","Title","FirstName","MiddleName","LastName","Suffix","EmailAddress","EmailPromotion","Phone","PasswordHash","PasswordSalt","AdditionalContactInfo","rowguid","ModifiedDate" from  [AdventureWorks].[Person].[Contact] where ContactID=@ContactID</Property>
          </Properties>
          <Parameters>
            <Parameter Direction="In" Name="@ContactID">
              <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Int32, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" IdentifierName="ContactID" Name="ContactID" />
            </Parameter>
            <Parameter Direction="Return" Name="@[AdventureWorks].[Person].[Contact]">
              <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Data.IDataReader, System.Data, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" IsCollection="true" Name="Reader">
                <TypeDescriptors>
                  <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Data.IDataRecord, System.Data, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="Record">
                    <TypeDescriptors>
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Int32, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" IdentifierName="ContactID" Name="ContactID" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Boolean, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="NameStyle" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="Title" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="FirstName" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="MiddleName" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="LastName" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="Suffix" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="EmailAddress" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Int32, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="EmailPromotion" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="Phone" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="PasswordHash" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="PasswordSalt" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.String, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="AdditionalContactInfo" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Guid, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="rowguid" />
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.DateTime, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="ModifiedDate" />
                    </TypeDescriptors>
                  </TypeDescriptor>
                </TypeDescriptors>
              </TypeDescriptor>
            </Parameter>
          </Parameters>
          <MethodInstances>
            <MethodInstance Type="SpecificFinder" ReturnParameterName="@[AdventureWorks].[Person].[Contact]" ReturnTypeDescriptorName="Reader" ReturnTypeDescriptorLevel="0" Name="Find_[AdventureWorks].[Person].[Contact]_Instance" />
          </MethodInstances>
        </Method>
        <Method Name="FindAll_[AdventureWorks].[Person].[Contact]">
          <Properties>
            <Property Name="RdbCommandType" Type="System.Data.CommandType, System.Data, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089">Text</Property>
            <Property Name="RdbCommandText" Type="System.String">Select "ContactID" from  [AdventureWorks].[Person].[Contact]</Property>
          </Properties>
          <Parameters>
            <Parameter Direction="Return" Name="@[AdventureWorks].[Person].[Contact]">
              <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Data.IDataReader, System.Data, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" IsCollection="true" Name="Reader">
                <TypeDescriptors>
                  <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Data.IDataRecord, System.Data, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" Name="Record">
                    <TypeDescriptors>
                      <TypeDescriptor TypeName="System.Int32, mscorlib, Version=2.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089" IdentifierName="ContactID" Name="ContactID" />
                    </TypeDescriptors>
                  </TypeDescriptor>
                </TypeDescriptors>
              </TypeDescriptor>
            </Parameter>
          </Parameters>
          <MethodInstances>
            <MethodInstance Type="IdEnumerator" ReturnParameterName="@[AdventureWorks].[Person].[Contact]" ReturnTypeDescriptorName="Reader" ReturnTypeDescriptorLevel="0" Name="FindAll_[AdventureWorks].[Person].[Contact]_Instance" />
          </MethodInstances>
        </Method>
      </Methods>
    </Entity>
  </Entities>
</LobSystem>

Answer 5

You have to define Finder method in your ADF. Your current ADF should be visible in Business Data Item Web Part.

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Dmitry

Lightning Tools Check out our SharePoint tools and web parts | Lightning Tools Blog

Answer 6

Do I need to manually add a finder method? If yes, can you please show me how do that and with what values?

Answer 7

You may add it manually and you may take it from the ADF generated with BDC MetaMan.

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Dmitry

Lightning Tools Check out our SharePoint tools and web parts | Lightning Tools Blog

Answer 8

But when we build the App Definition file with Application Definition Designer, all methods should be built. Is there a way I can generate it automatically via the tools itself? Manually adding or copying from BDC is a temp solution.

Answer 9

Please find a couple examples (how to create ADF with Application Definition Designer) in these articles:

• SharePoint BDC Part 1: Getting Started with the Business Data Catalog
• Business Data Catalog (BDC)

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Dmitry

Lightning Tools Check out our SharePoint tools and web parts | Lightning Tools Blog

Answer 10

Thanks for the reply Dmitry. I already followed the same links to start with and was facing issues there after. If you have any more help articles would be really grateful.

Answer 11

This is a bug in the Application Definition Designer. Please take a look at this article that contains possible workaround There are no Business Data Types loaded in the Catalog – Business Data Type Picker

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Dmitry

Lightning Tools Check out our SharePoint tools and web parts | Lightning Tools Blog