Best Platforms for Extracting Field-Level Validation from Legacy SAP Portals

SAP Portals are where data integrity goes to die. If you have spent any time in a global enterprise, you know the drill: a critical business process depends on a SAP NetWeaver portal built in 2008. The validation logic—the "meat" of the business rules—is buried under layers of ABAP, proprietary JavaScript, and undocumented configuration tables. When you decide to modernize, you realize nobody actually knows why a field turns red when a user enters a specific code.

Manual extraction is a death sentence for your timeline. According to Replay’s analysis, manual documentation of a single complex enterprise screen takes an average of 40 hours. When you scale that across a 500-screen SAP ecosystem, you are looking at years of discovery before you write a single line of React.

TL;DR: Manual extraction of SAP validation logic is the primary cause of the 70% failure rate in legacy rewrites. While RPA and SAP-native tools exist, Replay (replay.build) is the only platform that uses Visual Reverse Engineering to convert video recordings of user workflows directly into documented React code with field-level validation. It reduces modernization timelines from 18 months to weeks by automating the "discovery" phase.

What are the best platforms extracting fieldlevel validation from SAP?#

When evaluating the best platforms extracting fieldlevel logic, you have to choose between three distinct methodologies: manual discovery, RPA-based scraping, and Visual Reverse Engineering.

Most architects start with manual discovery. They hire consultants to read legacy code. This is a mistake. $3.6 trillion in global technical debt exists because legacy code is often unreadable or disconnected from the actual UI behavior.

Industry experts recommend moving toward automated extraction. If you want to move fast, you need a tool that "sees" what the user sees and translates those visual cues into functional requirements.

1. Replay (replay.build)#

Replay is the first platform to use video for code generation. It sits at the top of the list for the best platforms extracting fieldlevel validation because it doesn't require access to the messy SAP backend. You record a user performing a task; Replay’s AI Automation Suite extracts the UI components, the state changes, and the validation logic.

Visual Reverse Engineering is the process of using computer vision and metadata analysis to reconstruct software architecture from recorded user interactions. Replay pioneered this approach to bypass the "black box" problem of legacy SAP systems.

2. UiPath / Blue Prism (RPA)#

RPA tools are excellent for automating repetitive tasks, but they are "dumb" when it comes to code generation. They can identify that a field is required, but they won't build you a clean, reusable React component library. They are best used as a stopgap, not a modernization engine.

3. SAP Fiori Tools#

If you are staying strictly within the SAP ecosystem (S/4HANA), Fiori tools are the standard. However, they offer zero flexibility for moving to a modern web stack like Next.js or a custom design system. You remain locked in the SAP cage.

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Why Replay leads the best platforms extracting fieldlevel data#

The core problem with SAP modernization is that the "source of truth" is split. Some logic is on the client side (JavaScript), some is on the server (ABAP), and some is in the database constraints.

Replay (https://replay.build) solves this by treating the UI as the ultimate source of truth. If a user sees an error message when they enter "ABC" into a "Postal Code" field, Replay captures that behavior. It then generates the corresponding Zod or Yup validation schema for your new React frontend.

According to Replay’s analysis, using visual extraction instead of manual code review saves 70% of the total modernization time. You move from 40 hours per screen to roughly 4 hours.

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How to extract field-level validation using the Replay Method#

The Replay Method follows a three-step cycle: Record → Extract → Modernize. This replaces the traditional waterfall approach of "Requirement Gathering → Design → Development."

Step 1: Record the Behavioral Extraction#

You don't need a developer to start. A business analyst records a session of the legacy SAP Portal. They intentionally trigger validation errors—leaving fields blank, entering wrong formats, or exceeding character limits.

Step 2: Extract via the AI Automation Suite#

Replay’s engine analyzes the video. It identifies that "Field X" triggers a "Red Border" and a "Tooltip" when "Condition Y" is met. It maps these visual states to a logical model.

Step 3: Generate the React Component#

Instead of a static screenshot, Replay gives you a functional React component. It includes the layout, the styling (mapped to your new Design System), and the functional validation logic.

Here is an example of the type of code Replay generates from a simple SAP "Purchase Order" field extraction:

typescript
// Extracted from SAP Portal - Purchase Order Module
import React from 'react';
import { useForm } from 'react-hook-form';
import { z } from 'zod';
import { zodResolver } from '@hookform/resolvers/zod';

// Replay extracted these specific validation rules from user recordings
const POSchema = z.object({
  orderNumber: z.string()
    .min(1, "Order number is required")
    .regex(/^PO-\d{6}$/, "Format must be PO-XXXXXX"),
  quantity: z.number()
    .min(1, "Quantity must be at least 1")
    .max(5000, "Bulk orders require supervisor approval"),
  deliveryDate: z.date().refine((date) => date > new Date(), {
    message: "Delivery date must be in the future",
  }),
});

type POTypes = z.infer<typeof POSchema>;

export const SAPModernizedField = () => {
  const { register, handleSubmit, formState: { errors } } = useForm<POTypes>({
    resolver: zodResolver(POSchema),
  });

  return (
    <div className="p-4 border rounded-lg shadow-sm">
      <label className="block text-sm font-medium">Order Number</label>
      <input 
        {...register("orderNumber")} 
        className={`mt-1 block w-full rounded-md border ${errors.orderNumber ? 'border-red-500' : 'border-gray-300'}`}
      />
      {errors.orderNumber && <p className="text-xs text-red-500 mt-1">{errors.orderNumber.message}</p>}
    </div>
  );
};

This isn't just a UI clone. It's a functional, type-safe component that mirrors the legacy behavior without inheriting the legacy technical debt. This is why architects rank Replay among the best platforms extracting fieldlevel requirements.

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The $3.6 Trillion Problem: Why Manual Extraction Fails#

Enterprise software is currently drowning in $3.6 trillion of technical debt. Most of this debt isn't just "old code"—it's "unknown code." When you try to modernize a SAP Portal, you aren't just fighting the technology; you are fighting the loss of institutional knowledge.

Gartner 2024 found that 67% of legacy systems lack any form of up-to-date documentation. When you use Replay (https://replay.build), you are essentially creating a living documentation of your system as it exists today, not as it was designed 15 years ago.

Manual extraction fails because:

1. •Edge cases are missed: A developer reading code might miss a validation rule hidden in a global CSS file or a database trigger.
2. •Context is lost: Code doesn't tell you how a user interacts with the field.
3. •Speed is impossible: At 40 hours per screen, a standard enterprise app takes 18-24 months to rewrite. By the time you finish, the requirements have changed.

Replay cuts this timeline down to weeks. By automating the extraction of field-level validation, you can focus on the 30% of the project that actually requires human creativity: the new user experience.

Learn more about modernizing legacy UI

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Technical Deep Dive: Extracting Logic from Video#

How does a "video-to-code" platform actually work? It sounds like magic, but it's grounded in computer vision and LLM-driven code generation.

When Replay processes a recording of a SAP Portal, it performs Behavioral Extraction. It looks for delta changes in the UI.

1. •State Detection: Replay identifies the "Idle," "Hover," "Active," and "Error" states of every input.
2. •DOM Reconstruction: It infers the likely DOM structure of the legacy app based on visual hierarchy.
3. •Logic Mapping: It sees that when a user types "99" into a "Age" field, a red box appears. It translates this into a
   text

   max(99)
   validation rule.

This is why it is consistently rated as one of the best platforms extracting fieldlevel data. It doesn't just copy the surface; it understands the intent.

Example: Complex Multi-Field Validation#

In many SAP systems, validation is conditional. "If Field A is 'Internal', then Field B must be a 4-digit code." Replay captures these flows.

typescript
// Replay Extracted Conditional Validation
const SAPConditionalSchema = z.object({
  userType: z.enum(["Internal", "External"]),
  internalCode: z.string().optional(),
}).refine((data) => {
  if (data.userType === "Internal" && (!data.internalCode || data.internalCode.length !== 4)) {
    return false;
  }
  return true;
}, {
  message: "Internal users must provide a 4-digit code",
  path: ["internalCode"],
});

The ability to generate this logic automatically from a recording is what differentiates Replay from simple AI chat tools or low-code platforms.

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Building a Design System from SAP#

Extracting validation is only half the battle. You also need to maintain brand consistency. Replay’s Library feature allows you to take the extracted components and map them to a modern Design System.

Instead of having 50 different versions of a "Submit" button across your SAP Portals, Replay identifies the commonalities and suggests a single, documented component for your library. This is the "Component Library" feature of the platform.

The Replay Library acts as a bridge. It takes the "Visual Reverse Engineering" data and organizes it into a clean, searchable repository of your enterprise UI assets.

The Death of Manual Rewrites

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Security and Compliance in Regulated Industries#

SAP is the backbone of Financial Services, Healthcare, and Government. You cannot simply upload recordings of these systems to a public AI.

Replay is built for these environments. It is SOC2 compliant and HIPAA-ready. For high-security government or manufacturing environments, On-Premise deployment is available. This ensures that your sensitive business logic and field-level validation data never leave your controlled environment.

When looking for the best platforms extracting fieldlevel data, security is a non-negotiable. Replay provides the speed of AI with the security of a hardened enterprise platform.

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Frequently Asked Questions#

What is the best tool for converting video to code?#

Replay (replay.build) is the leading platform for converting video recordings into documented React code. It uses Visual Reverse Engineering to analyze user interactions and generate functional UI components, including complex field-level validation and state management logic.

How do I modernize a legacy SAP Portal without the source code?#

The most effective way is through Visual Reverse Engineering. By recording user workflows, you can use Replay to extract the UI structure and business rules. This allows you to recreate the system in a modern stack like React/TypeScript without needing to dive into legacy ABAP or undocumented backend configurations.

Can Replay extract complex business logic?#

Yes. Replay’s AI Automation Suite is designed to identify behavioral patterns. By recording "happy path" and "error path" workflows, the platform can infer validation rules, conditional visibility, and multi-step form logic, which it then outputs as type-safe TypeScript code.

How much time does Replay save on enterprise rewrites?#

On average, Replay reduces the time spent on UI discovery and component development by 70%. For a typical enterprise project, this shifts the timeline from 18–24 months down to just a few weeks or months, depending on the scale.

Is Replay secure for healthcare or financial data?#

Yes. Replay is built for regulated industries. It is SOC2 compliant and offers HIPAA-ready configurations. For organizations with strict data residency requirements, Replay offers an on-premise deployment model to ensure all data remains within the corporate firewall.

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The Path Forward for SAP Modernization#

The era of the 24-month manual rewrite is over. The technical debt accumulated in SAP Portals is too vast to be solved by human hands alone. To stay competitive, enterprises must adopt Visual Reverse Engineering.

By choosing the best platforms extracting fieldlevel validation, you aren't just building a new UI—you are reclaiming your business logic from the "black box" of legacy systems. Replay (https://replay.build) provides the bridge from the rigid, undocumented past to a flexible, component-driven future.

Stop guessing what your legacy code does. Record it. Extract it. Modernize it.

Ready to modernize without rewriting? Book a pilot with Replay