Announcing the SAP Build Apps Sandbox

JoeBinkley · ‎12-16-2022

[Updated Novemberr 14, 2023]

The SAP Builds Apps Sandbox will be deprecated at the end of 2023. As a replacement, you are invited to experience and evaluate SAP Builds Apps with an SAP BTP Trial Account. The trial is available for 90 days, an improvement over the 30-day period for the SAP Build Apps Sandbox. SAP Build Process Automation and SAP Build Work Zone are alos available in the same trial environment, so you can now build end-to-end experiences that use all three SAP Build low-code solutions.

For more details, please see this blog: Get started with SAP Build Apps with an SAP BTP Trial Account

[Updated February 16, 2023]

I'm happy to announce that SAP has made a "sandbox" instance of SAP Build Apps available. With the SAP Build Apps Sandbox, you can explore and try SAP Build Apps for a 30 day period without the need to create and configure a BTP account.

The sandbox is for learning and evaluation purposes only and is not to be used in any productive or commercial manner. It is limited to just SAP Build Apps and does not provide access to BTP, SAP Build Process Automation, or SAP Build Work Zone. You should not store private or personal information in the sandbox or any app that you create in the sandbox.

Sign-up and Use SAP Build Apps Sandbox

1. The entry point for the sandbox is the SAP Build lobby.
(https://build-sb1.eu10.build.cloud.sap/lobby)

2. As a new user, you will need to register for an account. Only a name, email address, and country are required.

3. Wait for an email and then activate your account.

4. You can start building apps immediately. Web & Mobile Applications as well as Application Backends are available.

How it works

The sandbox is implemented using a normal instance of SAP Build Apps running in a BTP account. The user experience is very similar to what a business expert outside of IT might experience. That is, the IT organization (in this case SAP) manages the BTP accounts and sub-accounts used for SAP Build Apps. The business expert just works in SAP Build Apps tool. (The ability to share projects between users has been disabled.)

What should you try first?

[note: this section has been updated to reflect the improved state of the Quick Start To-Do application.]

A good starting place for your exploration begins with using the Quick Start feature. Use it to create a sample To-Do application.

In the UI canvas, you can see the layout and how the various controls are configured.

Use the "LAUNCH" button to start a preview of the App.

And, try it out.

Additional Notes:

For those interested in building app for mobile devices, the SAP Build Apps Preview app (available in the Apple App Store and iGoogle Play) can be used to try out your app on a mobile device. @dan_wroblewski has published an excellent video that shows how to get started with the preview app.

The SAP Build Apps Sandbox is intended as a way for individuals to try out SAP Build Apps without the additional work of setting up an SAP BTP account and using the Free Tier option. It does not replace SAP Build Apps Free Tier. You can, however, export your work and import it to an instance of SAP Build Apps running on your SAP BTP account.

Issues with the SAP build Apps Sandbox should be directed to buildapps@sap.com

Murali_Shan · ‎01-11-2023

Hi Joe, Thanks for this - a quick way to get started. Would the account reset after 30 days which means all the saved projects would be wiped out?

MaiaraEllwanger · ‎01-12-2023

Hi @Murali_Shan ,

after 30 days your user and projects will not be available anymore. If you want to keep the projects, you can export them to be imported to a paid SAP Build Apps account or the fee tier for further evaluation.

bharanidharan · ‎01-23-2023

Hi @JoeBinkley and @MaiaraEllwanger ; Post 30 days can we re-register to try the sandbox again?

Regards,

Bharanidharan S P M

JoeBinkley · ‎01-23-2023

@bharanidharan - After 30 days, when you attempt to login, you'll be directed to visit the SAP Discovery Center to explore options for getting your own instance of SAP Build Apps.

The intent of the sandbox is to make it very easy for you to try-out SAP Build Apps before taking on the additional work of setting up a BTP account (if required) and subscribing to SAP Build Apps. SAP Build Apps is available under SAP Free Tier plan and you will not be subject to the 30 days limit that we have with the sandbox.

aelghannam · ‎01-31-2023

Hey Joe,

What is the difference between this and AppGyver ?

RichDBlumberg · ‎01-31-2023

Hi! SAP Build Apps are the evolution of SAP AppGyver, The name changed at the time of TechEd '22 to unify 3 Low-Code/No-Code products (and others may join this grouping later): SAP Build Process Automation, SAP Build Apps (formerly AppGyver) and SAP Build Work Zone. FYI: I'm taking the learning journey, which is a great place to learn more and use this sandbox! Happy to see comments from others taking this self-training!

tharney · ‎02-02-2023

Now this was EASY.

Why can't this be the process for the Free Tier for AppGyver / SAP Build?

I need to figure out how to tag Beatrice Pasch on this comment.

https://people.sap.com/beatrice.pasch

This process is way too complicated.

https://blogs.sap.com/2022/11/25/sap-build-apps-free-tier-individual-access/

tharney · ‎02-02-2023

When you run the Build service, why must we know what version? Why can't this auto-populate?

And if we must, why isn't there a direct link to the documentation outlining all the various versions available?

Perhaps this should be a drop down box, selector input rather than a textbox.

tharney · ‎02-02-2023

Apologies, or am I misunderstanding the purpose of this field? Is this the version of my app?

UPDATE: I think I answered my own question. I thought this was the version of the runtime.
UPDATE 2: This warrants a tool tip next to the Version field.

tharney · ‎02-02-2023

What happened to the Android/iOS build service outlined in the original AppGyver documentation? I realize this requires importing keys and private configuration. I can't even find this in the Free Tier subscription I have just configured.

https://docs.appgyver.com/docs/building-your-app

Dan_Wroblewski · ‎02-05-2023

@tharney SAP Build Apps does not support mobile, yet. I'm sure the mobile preview app will be available soon, and deployments as native mobile apps probably will come after that (DISCLAIMER: I'm not guaranteeing anything.)

RichDBlumberg · ‎02-05-2023

From a Citizen Developer standpoint we're happy to be able to preview what we're building in iOS or android phones. I expect you're referring to something else, but wanted to add that point to this discussion...

From the Learning Journey...
"...you will need the SAP Build Preview app on your phone, which allows you to see what you are building with SAP AppGyver Community Edition or SAP Build Apps in real-time in the mobile experience."

The SAP Build Preview app is free and available for both iOS and android phones - you can get it directly in the app stores:

Mobile.Preview.png

Thanks for clarifying the difference between this preview and the prior point made... As a business Citizen Developer I find it interesting...

gizemsoyluutr · ‎02-09-2023

Hello, Do we have any chance to add new destination on SAP Build Sandbox?

alokranjanct332 · ‎02-09-2023

Hello Team,

i am trying to import project with below error although there are no existing projects.

downloaded project from here.

JoeBinkley · ‎02-09-2023

@alokranjanct332

That's a strange error message. I think it stems from a known limitation with the SAP lobby functionality.

I've posted a work around as the first article in our SAP Builders knowledge base: Workaround for Error Importing Projects in SAP Build Apps

Dan_Wroblewski · ‎02-14-2023

@alokranjanct332 I apologize for the import not working. As Joe explained, there is a current limitation that when you export a project you cannot import it into the same tenant or else their IDs will conflict. And since you are working in the sandbox, everyone is sharing the same tenant -- and I guess someone beat you to it.

Here's a workaround. I apologize ahead of time.

One way to get around this is to unzip the mtar. You will get this file structure.

You have to change 2 files.

Change lobby \ lobby_project.json so the name and ids have different names (and unique for your tenant).

Change META-INF \ mtad.yaml:

Between the 2 files, make sure all the names are the same and all the IDs are the same, and they are unique in your tenant.

Change the name of the last folder to be the same as what you used for all the IDs.

ZIP the files back up (name of file doesn't matter), and reimport. Let me know if that works for you. Again, sorry for the limitation, but I think it will take only a few minutes.

Dan_Wroblewski · ‎02-14-2023

@aelghannam Did you get your answer?

If not, here goes:

SAP AppGyver community edition: A public instance of the "original" AppGyver for use by the large community that long predates the acquisition by SAP.
SAP AppGyver: Was the first version of AppGyver merged into SAP BTP. This is now superseded by SAP Build Apps and people will not acquire this version anymore.
SAP Build Apps is the current version available in SAP BTP.

You can get more info in the Discover Center: https://discovery-center.cloud.sap/serviceCatalog/sap-build-apps?region=all

Dan_Wroblewski · ‎02-14-2023

@tharney We now have mobile preview (not build yet). See my video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UvdCV4-kGAY

Please uninstall any previous preview app you have on your mobile.

If you are using BTP on us10, you must click "Other login options".

Dan_Wroblewski · ‎02-15-2023

@alokranjanct332

The way I explained above is a workaround for the lobby import. But what Joe described is better -- and the way you are supposed to do it -- so I have updated my blog to use his way. It still just takes 5 minutes to do.

See my updated blog: https://blogs.sap.com/2023/02/06/master-sap-build-apps-...-in-about-an-hour/#import

maria12a · ‎06-11-2023

Hi!

The open build service, is blanked. What are the next steps in order to build my app? Thanks! Screenshot 2023-06-11 at 20.45.23.png

Abhyudaya · ‎06-20-2023

Hi Team,

We wanted to connect the build apps with ABAP on cloud instance. How can we do that. Any idea?

ashokkumarreddy_gorla · ‎02-18-2024

Hello Team,

When I click on the link point no 1(https://build-sb1.eu10.build.cloud.sap/lobby), I do not see any register option.

Can you please help me with the registration link.

eshrinivasan · ‎02-18-2024

You might have to use a BTP Trial account and then subscribe to SAP Build Apps. For more details, please see this blog: Get started with SAP Build Apps with an SAP BTP Trial Account

The sandbox option would have been deprecated as per the note on Paragraph 1.