---
parser: v2
auto_validation: true
time: 10
tags: [ tutorial>beginner, software-product>sap-btp--cloud-foundry-runtime-and-environment]
primary_tag: software-product-function>sap-cloud-application-programming-model
slug: cap-extend-sfsf-import-services
canonical_url: https://developers.sap.com/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services
---

# Import SAP SuccessFactors OData Services definitions
<!-- description --> In this phase of the extension development you will import the definition of the required OData services

## Prerequisites
 - Complete the tutorial: [**Prepare to Develop the SAP SuccessFactors Extension**](cap-extend-sfsf-intro)
 - Complete the tutorial: [**Jump start the SAP SuccessFactors Extension CAP Project**](cap-extend-sfsf-jumpstart)

## You will learn
  - How to import OData services definitions to a CAP project via **Entity Data Model XML (EDMX)** files
  - Understand how the EDMX is translated into the **Core Schema Notation (CSN)** (basically a JSON file) from the **CAP framework**
  - Understand the changes made to `package.json` by the import process
  - How to create **destination** and **XSUAA** service instances on BTP Cloud Foundry
  - How to **bind service instances** to your local CAP project

---

### Get services metadata


The first thing you need to do is to get the XML files (EDM XML – Entity Data Model XML – in short **EDMX**) which define the entities that compose the OData services to be consumed in the application. You can get such files from **SAP API Business Hub**.

1- Access `https://api.sap.com`:

![Figure 1 – SAP API Business Hub](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/sap-api-bussines-hub.png)

2- In the search bar type `ECEmployeeProfile` and press **Enter**.

![Figure 2 – Find the ECEmployeeProfile OData Service](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/find-service-edmx.png)

3- Click on the item from the search result and in the **API Specification** at the **bottom of the page** click on the **down arrow** next to the **EDMX** option.

![Figure 3 – Download EDMX file](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/download-service-edmx.png)

4- Save the `ECEmployeeProfile.edmx` file (keep that file name) to a folder in your local computer.

5- Click on the **SAP logo** at the top left corner of the page to **return** to the **home page** and repeat the exact same procedure from **steps 2 to 4**, but now searching for the `PLTUserManagement` OData service to save the `PLTUserManagement.edmx` file to your local computer.


### Import files to the CAP project


Now that you've got both EDMX files in our local computer, it's time to import them to your **CAP project** in order for CDS to generate the corresponding definitions using the so-called **Core Schema Notation** (CSN) which is described in **JSON format**.

1- Simply **drag & drop** the two **EDMX files** to the `srv` folder of your CAP project in **SAP Business Application Studio**.

![Figure 4 – EDMX files copied to the CAP project](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/edmx-copied.png)

2- In the terminal window type `cds import srv/ECEmployeeProfile.edmx` and press **Enter**. This should be the **expected output**:

![Figure 5 – CDS import outcome](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/cds-import.png)

3- Repeat the **same procedure from step 2**, but this time type `cds import srv/PLTUserManagement.edmx` to import the second service definition. In the **left-hand pane** you'll notice that an **external** folder has been created under `srv`. Expand it to see the **generated** `csn` files:

![Figure 6 – CSN files with service definitions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/csn-files.png)

4- Now you can **delete the EDMX files** from the `srv` folder. Just **right-click** each one and select **delete**.


### Checkout the import results


Now, inspect what happened after executing those command lines. First, click on the `ECEmployeeProfile.csn` file in the `srv/external` folder:

![Figure 7 – CSN of the ECEmployeeProfile service](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/csn-employee-profile.png)

You can see the content is nothing else than a **JSON representation** of the service metadata with the **description of the entities contained in it**. This JSON is used by the **CDS framework** to let you make **type-safe OData calls** to the service in the form of simple queries via the **easy-to-use** low-code **CDS Query Language** (CQL).

Press `CTRL+F` to open the find bar and search for `Background_SpecialAssign`:

![Figure 8 – The Background_SpecialAssign entity](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/csn-background.png)

You'll find the definition for the `Background_SpecialAssign` entity. You'll use that entity to insert the project participation info into the **Employee Profile** as part of the historical professional background. So, whenever an employee is assigned to a project with a certain role, that information is stored in his/her professional background.

Now, open the `PLTUserManagement.csn` file and search for `PLTUserManagement.User`:

![Figure 9 – The User entity](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/csn-user.png)

That's the entity you are going to use to fetch the **relevant employee data** (you won't use all of its attributes) to assign to the **projects teams**.

Now, look at the `package.json` file to see how CAP is referencing those OData services. Open that file and scroll down to the bottom:

![Figure 10 – Services reference](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/services-reference.png)

In the `cds.requires` section you'll notice how CAP is referencing both services. But how does it know where in the cloud those services exist? Well, remember that **destination** you created in the **preparation step** of the [**introductory tutorial**](cap-extend-sfsf-intro) of this group? Now it's come the time to **point** those service references to it **as credentials**. To do so, add the following lines to the `cds.requires` section:

![Figure 11 – Credentials for the OData services](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/services-credentials.png)

With that, you are simply setting the **destination name** and the **path** where the service is hosted within the destination URL.


### Create destination and XSUAA service instances


In order to use that destination for testing your application during development, you need to **bind your project** to **two service instances** in BTP: one for the **destination service** and another for the **XSUAA service**. So, start by creating those service instances and a service key (credentials) for each one in BTP.

In the **BTP cockpit** of your trial account, on the left-hand pane (1) click on **Instances and Subscriptions** then (2) on the **Create** button at the **top-right corner**.

![Figure 12 – Instances and Subscriptions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/instances-subscriprions.png)

Fill-in the **service instance information** like in the **screenshot below** and click **Create**.

![Figure 13 – Destination Service instance](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/destination-service.png)

(1) On **Instances and Subscriptions** (2) click on the **Create** button at the top-right corner again.

![Figure 14 – Instances and Subscriptions](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/instances-subscriprions.png)

Fill-in the **service instance information** like in the **screenshot below** and click **Create**.

![Figure 15 – XSUAA Service instance](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/xsuaa-service.png)

In the **search bar** type `sfsf-` and press **Enter** to easily find your recently created **service instances**.

![Figure 16 – Find instances](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/find-instances.png)

In the line corresponding to the `sfsf-dest` service instance click on the **three dots** at the far right and select **Create Service Key**.

![Figure 17 – Create Service Key for Destination Service instance](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/create-destination-sk.png)

On the dialog, type `sfsf-dest-sk` in the **Service Key Name** and click on **Create**.

![Figure 18 – Service Key for Destination Service instance](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/destination-sk.png)

Click on the line corresponding to the `sfsf-xsuaa` service instance. Then, on the top right corner click on the **three dots** and select **Create Service Key**.

![Figure 19 – Create Service Key for XSUAA Service instance](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/create-xsuaa-sk.png)

On the dialog, type `sfsf-xsuaa-sk` in the **Service Key Name** and click on **Create**.

![Figure 20 – Service Key for XSUAA Service instance](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/xsuaa-sk.png)

Done! You have successfully created both service instances and their corresponding service keys. Now it's time to bind those service instances to your CAP project using their service keys.


### Bind destination and XSUAA service instances to the local CAP project


To be able to use the service instances you created in the previous step during development, you need to bind them to the CAP Project. This is done by creating a file named `default-env.json`. In the file you define the so-called `VCAP_SERVICES` object, which is actually an **environment variable** that **holds all the binding information** of an application.

Whenever you **deploy** an application to **Cloud Foundry**, that variable is automatically created in the application space. In your case, you will create it manually into the `default-env.json` file.

1- In the **root folder** of your project on the **Terminal**, type `touch default-env.json` and press **Enter**.

![Figure 21 – Create default-env.json file](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/create-default-env.png)

2- On the left-hand pane, click on the `default-env.json` file to open it. Then, **copy & paste** the following **code snippet**:

```JSON File Content
{
	"VCAP_SERVICES": {
		"destination": [
			{
				"label": "destination",
				"provider": null,
				"plan": "lite",
				"name": "sfsf-dest",
				"tags": [
					"destination",
					"conn",
					"connsvc"
				],
				"credentials": {

				}
			}
		],
		"xsuaa": [
			{
				"label": "xsuaa",
				"provider": null,
				"plan": "application",
				"name": "sfsf-xsuaa",
				"tags": [
					"xsuaa"
				],
				"credentials": {

				}
			}
		]
	}
}
```

3- Back in the cockpit, (1) click on the line corresponding to the `sfsf-dest` service instance, then (2) on the **Service Keys** tab on the right, then (3) on the **three dots** next to the service key and finally (4) select **View**.

![Figure 22 – View Service Key](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/view-sk.png)

4- On the **dialog**, (1) click on **Copy JSON** and then (2) on **Close**.

![Figure 23 – Copy Service Key](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/copy-json.png)

5- Replace both **curly brackets** right after the **"credentials"** attribute of the **destination service** with the **copied JSON**. The resulting text should look similar to the **screenshot below**:

![Figure 24 – Destination service credentials in default-env.json](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/sap-tutorials/Tutorials/master/tutorials/cap-extend-sfsf-import-services/destination-in-default-env.png)

6- Finally, repeat **steps 3 to 5** for the `sfsf-uaa` service key (name it `sfsf-uaa-sk`) of the **XSUAA service instance**.

With that, you're done **binding** the project to the **destination** and **XSUAA** service instances.


### Check your knowledge