What is the meaning of 'controlAggregation' in the SAPUI5 routing configuration?

Question

I really don't get what the property controlAggregation below does for routing a SAPUI5 application. There is not element with that id. I cant find any reference to 'pages' anywhere in the demo app found here: SAPUI5 routing demo

"routing": {
        "config": {
            "routerClass": "sap.m.routing.Router",
            "viewType": "XML",
            "viewPath": "sap.ui.demo.nav.view",
            "controlId": "app",
            "controlAggregation": "pages",   // what does this do?
            "transition": "slide",
            "bypassed": {
                "target": "notFound"
            }

The views are defined as below- no mention of 'pages'

<mvc:View
    controllerName="sap.ui.demo.nav.controller.App"
    xmlns="sap.m"
    xmlns:mvc="sap.ui.core.mvc"
    displayBlock="true">
    <App id="app"/>
</mvc:View>

And

<mvc:View
    controllerName="sap.ui.demo.nav.controller.Home"
    xmlns="sap.m"
    xmlns:mvc="sap.ui.core.mvc">
    <Page title="{i18n>homePageTitle}" class="sapUiResponsiveContentPadding">
        <content>
            <Button id="displayNotFoundBtn" text="{i18n>DisplayNotFound}" press="onDisplayNotFound" class="sapUiTinyMarginEnd"/>
        </content>
    </Page>
</mvc:View>

where you want to put the view? – Tuhin Jul 27 '16 at 15:24 — Tuhin, Jul 27 '16 at 15:24

score 11 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 01 '17 at 10:55

11

controlAggregation is the target aggregation to which the view is added.

like in this case target is an sap.m.App whose id is app.

app has an aggregation named as pages.

For detail see routing configuration.

UPDATED IN DETAIL:

Assume controlId is the your container for pages and the container's content is going to be changed for each different routes.

Here container's content is nothing but the pages aggregation of app.

While we use routing, you just need a configuration of the routes and there targets. Let's take one example

So when you navigateTo category/{id}, sapui5 finds out what is the target for that pattern in the routes. Here it is category.

Next it finds the viewName for this target(Here it is category) inside the targets object(see after routes array there is a targets object containing catagory,products...). So SapUI5 got the view to render. But where to render this view?

The answer is - it will find the controlAggregation (inside category) mentioned for that viewName. In this example, it is there called masterPages. now it will find what is the controlId in the config. It is splitApp. So Finally it got to know all the required information. i.e:

viewName : Category ,
controlId(the container of view) : splitApp
controlAggregation : masterPage

Now sapui5 will render Category view inside the masterPage aggregation of splitApp.

But Note ----** In your case if controlAggegation is not mentioned in the targets object, It is mentioned in the config. That means for all the views there is a common controlAggregation that is pages.

So In this case sapui5 will render your views inside the pages aggregation of app.

I think you understand the flow now.

edited Dec 01 '17 at 10:55

Alex M

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answered Jul 27 '16 at 15:21

Tuhin

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Also, take a look at the `` in the example: https://sapui5.hana.ondemand.com/sdk/explored.html#/sample/sap.ui.core.tutorial.navigation.01/code/webapp%252Fview%252FApp.view.xml – adam-beck Jul 27 '16 at 15:24
yes I see that in your example - but i dont see pages in the demo called ' Navigation - Step 5 - Display a Target Without Changing the Hash' – Pete_ch Jul 27 '16 at 15:38
does the sap ui5 library add this aggregation by default? – Pete_ch Jul 27 '16 at 15:39
Yes. if you instatanciate a sapui5 control, it automatically creations its aggregations, by default these aggregations will be blank. you need to add it by yourself. like: app.addPage(somePage), layout.addContent(someContent).. So an aggregation indicates inner elements of an element – Tuhin Jul 28 '16 at 06:17
I think my confusion is caused by where these controlaggregations are created - I think they are created by ui5 - and in the config we just refer to them; as opposed to a div /element/object that the developer creates. To verify please answer this - can i decide that i want the controllaggregation to be called 'homepages'? – Pete_ch Jul 29 '16 at 01:01
no you cannot. you can decide the controlId(here it is app). but you have to use whatever aggregations that control provides. app provides an aggregation called pages. If you want to use app as an container then you have to use pages as controlAggregation. Think in different way, If you were use a verticalLayout as container instead of app. You need to use "content" as controlAggregation. – Tuhin Jul 29 '16 at 07:03
Can you please explain what aggregation means, before you build the whole answer on it? I hear this term for the first time in the context of a mvc framework. Thanks. – Denis Oct 09 '17 at 18:00
@Denis "Aggregation" describes the parent and child relationship: https://stackoverflow.com/q/44341132/5846045 – Boghyon Hoffmann Dec 05 '17 at 12:42

What is the meaning of 'controlAggregation' in the SAPUI5 routing configuration?

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