Similar to the quick view, the smart link triggers a popover from a text link. This popover offers links to related apps for the user to take action, and shows the user additional information such as simple object details.
The smart link is a smart control. It uses metadata annotations to offer the user specific navigation. It analyzes the user’s assigned apps and offers only relevant navigation targets.

Usage

Use the smart link to offer direct navigation to related apps. For example to navigate from a product list to the app to change the pricing, or from a sales order list to the app to see a customer’s balance.

Use the smart link if:

• You want to offer related apps for navigation.
• You want to offer simple object details.

Do not use the smart link if:

• You want to display more or complex information about an object. Use the object page or charts instead.
• There is no metadata accessible, and only a direct link to a website, document or application is needed. Use the standard link instead.
• You need to structure information in a deeper hierarchy. Use the quick view or a list drilldown instead.

Responsiveness

The responsiveness of the smart link is based on the responsiveness of the popover and overlays the content.

Clicking the background closes the popover on desktop and smartphones.

On mobile devices, the smart link opens a dialog that overlays the entire content. Since the content beneath the popover is no longer directly visible to the end user, the dialog has a header that shows the object type. Users close the dialog by clicking the close icon ( ) in the header.

The responsiveness of the smart link is based on the responsiveness of the popover and overlays the content.

A click into the background closes the popover on desktop.

On mobile devices, the smart link opens a dialog that overlays the entire content. Because there the content underneath the popover is no longer directly visible to the end user, the dialog acquires a header and shows the object type. The dialog can be closed by clicking the close icon ( ) in the header.

Layout

The smart link contains the following areas:

Behavior and Interaction

The smart link and its popover are always triggered by clicking or tapping a text element that appears as a link. This text element can be placed in any list, table, or other container. The link label can be individually set. Clicking or tapping the background closes the popover. If only one link is offered with no additional information, the smart link navigates directly to the target without opening the popover.

If the semantic object annotation is not set, the smart link is rendered as sap.m.Text by default. However app developers can also decide to render any other control.

The Related App Area

In breakout scenarios and custom applications, the links offered in this section can be freely chosen. The smart link control will suggest semantic objects that are modifiable. It’s possible to link to any website or app.

The Smart Link in a Smart Table

Within a smart table, the link label of the smart link is automatically set depending on the semantic object annotation. This means that the description cannot be changed in a smart table. Inside the smart table, the smart link is rendered as sap.m.Text if there are no navigation targets.

Guidelines

• Please check the related apps you offer carefully. Only display the ones that are relevant to the user.
• Use comprehensible link names in the link area. Do not use the same link name more than once in the link area. Rename the links if needed (for example, “Add Product” if the link navigates to the app “Manage Products”).

Resources