Hybrid Server-Side Rendering for UI5: Bridging CAP and AI-Generated Views

What if your UI5 views could be generated automatically by AI and pre-rendered on the server before ever reaching the browser? This isn't science fiction, it's an experimental approach I've been developing that combines Cloud Application Programming (CAP) with UI5 server-side rendering and AI-powered view generation.

The Core Concept: Hybrid SSR for UI5

Server-side rendering in UI5 doesn't have to mean fully rendering HTML on the server. My approach takes a hybrid path: pre-populating XML views with data on the server using Handlebars templating, while still letting UI5 handle the final rendering on the client.

This creates a practical architecture that addresses two critical concerns in enterprise applications:

• Enhanced Security: By populating data directly into XML views on the server, you avoid exposing raw OData services to the client. Users receive only XML files with the specific data they need, no access to full OData endpoints through browser debugging tools.
• Improved Performance: Rather than making separate OData calls for each view, the application receives XML views with data already embedded, reducing round trips and potentially improving load times.

From Concept to Reality

I first introduced this concept at reCAP, where I demonstrated how to combine UI5 and CAP to implement server-side pre-rendering of UI5 artifacts. The session covered:

• Pre-rendering UI5 fragments and views using CAP
• How these two SAP frameworks can enhance each other's capabilities
• My approach to implementation and ideas for future improvements

The goal was to show how leveraging UI5 and CAP together can elevate both frameworks to the next level.

Watch the reCAP session: Hybrid UI5 Server-Side Rendering with CAP

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Taking It Further: AI-Generated Views

At Devtoberfest, I pushed this concept into really exciting territory by adding AI-powered view generation. This is where things get interesting.

How AI Changes Everything

Traditional UI5 development requires developers to manually create XML views for every entity, form, and table in their application. What if AI could do this work for you, not just as a one-time code generator, but dynamically, on every request?

Here's how it works:

1. AI analyzes your CAP entity definitions - It understands your data model, relationships, field types, and annotations
2. AI generates appropriate UI5 views - Forms for editing, tables for lists, master-detail layouts, whatever makes sense for your data
3. Views are pre-rendered on the server with actual data from your OData service
4. Instant delivery to the client - Pre-populated, ready-to-display views arrive in milliseconds

The Power of On-Demand UI Generation

This approach means your UIs are generated fresh when needed, rather than maintained as static files. Imagine:

• Zero view maintenance: Change your entity model, and your UI automatically adapts
• Instant prototyping: From data model to working UI in seconds
• Smart adaptability: AI can generate different views based on user roles, device types, or business context
• Automatic best practices: The AI understands your annotations and generates appropriate labels, help text, and validations

Watch the Devtoberfest session: Taking UI5 Server-Side Rendering to the Next Level with AI

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Get Started: Available Resources

Ready to experiment with this approach? I've made everything available as open-source plugins and a demo application:

CAP Backend Plugin

ui5-cap-serverside-rendering-plugin
Enables server-side rendering capabilities in your CAP backend. Handles Handlebars templating, data population, and view serving.

UI5 Frontend Library

be.wl.serversiderendering.library
The UI5 library that enables client-side handling of server-rendered views, including custom routing and view management.

Complete Demo Application

ui5-cap-serverside-rendering-demo
A fully functional example showing how to integrate both plugins, configure routing, and implement server-side rendering in a real application.

Try It Out

This is an ongoing experiment, and I'd love to see what the community builds with these tools. Whether you're interested in the basic SSR approach or the AI integration, the plugins and demo provide everything you need to start experimenting.