General Concepts Message Handling – Overview

Updated: October 5, 2017
SAPUI5 Version 1.48

Message Handling

Intro

This article describes how to display messages to the user such as errors, warnings, success messages, confirmation, and information. You can choose from various controls to display different types of messages.

Messages should be expressed in plain language (no codes), precisely indicate the problem, and constructively suggest a solution. Always help your user to recognize, diagnose, and resolve messages. Good messages are important, but a careful design that prevents a problem from occurring in the first place is even better.

Types of Messages

The following message categories are available:

  • Error
  • Warning
  • Success
  • Information
  • Confirmation

Components

Form Field Validation

Error, warnings and success messages on form fields are shown directly on the form by setting the status of the field (valueState) and by providing a meaning full text to the user. For more information, see form field validation.

Controls

The following controls can be used to display inline error, warning, and success messages. Consequently, the application can set the status of a control error, warning, or success state.

  • sap.m.ComboBox
  • sap.m.DatePicker
  • sap.m.DateTimeInput
  • sap.m.DateRangeSelection
  • sap.m.MultiComboBox
  • sap.m.MultiInput
  • sap.m.Input
  • sap.m.TextArea
Example of a form field validation
Example of a form field validation

Message Popover

The message popover (sap.m.MessagePopover) control can communicate automatically with a message manager. With a message popover, the application can easily display multiple messages that occur after a UI interaction. For more information, see message popover.

Message popover in SAP Fiori
Message popover in SAP Fiori

Message Box

The message box (sap.m.MessageBox) displays a message that interrupts the user in the course of an action. We recommend that you use the message box carefully because of its disruptive behavior. For more information, see message box.

Message box with a helpful error message
Message box with a helpful error message

Message Toast

This is a standard message component for success messages. For more information, see message toast.

Example of a message toast
Example of a message toast

Message Strip

The message strip is used to display general information or inform about a status of an object. It can be placed within the detail area of a page. For more information, see message strip.

Message strip with a warning message
Message strip with a warning message

Behavior and Interaction

Highlight the Fields

Change the Value State

Messages are intended to help the user to rectify a problem which is generally field-related. As such, it’s very important that you highlight all relevant fields to which the message relates. This section gives an overview of the changes that should appear on the UI after a validation.

If a value is incorrect:

  • Highlight the relevant field and add a useful message to the value state.
  • Display a button for the message popover on the left side of the footer toolbar.
  • If the user is still allowed to continue the action, the message no longer needs to be displayed.

As SAP Fiori is role-based, there may also be situations in which the application cannot establish a relation to a field, such as issues concerning configuration, data needing to be changed in a different system, and so on. In this case, you can still display a message box that interrupts the user in the course of an action. For more information, see message box.

Data Loss

Quick Confirmation Popover

Quick Confirmation for “Cancel” Use Case

The quick confirmation popover can be used to display a confirmation message in case the user selects Cancel. The quick confirmation popover is less disruptive than a dialog and the following guidelines apply:

  • It should be displayed close to the action the user has triggered (such as Cancel)
  • For all the other confirmation use cases (including Delete), please use a dialog.

“Create” Case

If the user creates an object and presses Cancel, show a quick confirmation popover with the following text:

Text: “Discard this draft?”
Button: “Discard”

“Edit” Case

If the user edits an object and presses Cancel, show a quick confirmation popover with the following text:

Text: “Discard all changes?”
Button: “Discard”

Quick confirmation popover for
Quick confirmation popover for "create" case
Quick confirmation popover for
Quick confirmation popover for "edit" case

Data Loss Message Box

Behavior for “Cancel” Use Case

If a data loss popover is not feasible, display a data loss warning in a message box.

Data loss warning in a message box
Data loss warning in a message box

Guidelines

Messaging Overview

  • No messages to display?
    If there are no messages to display, do not show a messages button in the toolbar.
  • Highlight the fields
    If possible, first highlight the relevant field(s) and change its value state according to the message type, such as error, warning, or success.
  • Message popover
    In addition highlighting the fields, a button appears in the toolbar displaying an icon and the number of messages that occurred. This number matches the number of fields that have been highlighted. If multiple messages occurred, they should be displayed in the message popover, which can be triggered via a button on the left side, inside the footer toolbar.
  • Display single messages in a message box
    There may also be messages that have to interrupt the user. At present, we are only aware of technical issues such as network errors and connection issues.

Resources

Want to dive deeper? Follow the links below to find out more about related controls, the SAPUI5 implementation, and the visual design.

Elements and Controls

Implementation

  • No links.