SAP ABAP:

What is SAP ABAP?

SAP ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming) is a high-level programming language created by SAP for developing applications in the SAP environment. It is primarily used for customizing SAP ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems, building reports, interfaces, and automating business processes.

Key Features of SAP ABAP

✔ Integrated with SAP Systems – Works within SAP ERP, S/4HANA, and other SAP modules.
✔ Event-Driven & Modular – Uses events and function modules for structured programming.
✔ Database Independent – Supports multiple databases like HANA, Oracle, and SQL Server.
✔ Client-Server Architecture – Runs on ABAP Application Server with centralized data access.
✔ Interoperability – Can integrate with Java, .NET, and other APIs via web services.
✔ Security & Role-Based Access – Uses authorization concepts for data security.
✔ Supports Object-Oriented Programming (OOP) – Introduced in ABAP 7.0.

ABAP Development Environment

SAP ABAP programs are written using the ABAP Workbench, which consists of:
1️⃣ ABAP Editor – Writing & debugging ABAP programs.
2️⃣ Data Dictionary (SE11) – Managing database tables, views, and structures.
3️⃣ Function Builder (SE37) – Creating function modules.
4️⃣ Class Builder (SE24) – Object-oriented programming (OOP).
5️⃣ Screen Painter (SE51) – Designing UI elements for SAP GUI.
6️⃣ Menu Painter (SE41) – Defining menus and user navigation.

Types of ABAP Programs

1️⃣ Reports – Used for data retrieval and display

🔹 Classical Reports – Simple lists output.
🔹 Interactive Reports – Allows user interaction (drill-down reports).
🔹 ALV (ABAP List Viewer) Reports – Advanced tables with sorting, filtering.

2️⃣ Module Pool (Dialog) Programming – GUI-based SAP applications

🔹 Uses screens, transactions, and function modules.
🔹 Example: Custom forms, SAP Fiori apps.

3️⃣ Forms Development – Document printing in SAP

🔹 SAPscript – Old technology for forms.
🔹 SmartForms – GUI-based form design tool.
🔹 Adobe Forms – PDF-based forms for interactive documents.

4️⃣ Interfaces (Data Exchange)

🔹 RFC (Remote Function Call) – Connecting different SAP systems.
🔹 IDocs (Intermediate Documents) – For EDI (Electronic Data Interchange).
🔹 BAPIs (Business Application Programming Interfaces) – Standard SAP APIs.
🔹 Web Services & OData – Integrate SAP with third-party systems.

5️⃣ Enhancements & Modifications – Customizing SAP without changing core code

🔹 User Exits – Old enhancement method (custom code at predefined SAP points).
🔹 Customer Exits – Additional SAP-provided extension points.
🔹 BADI (Business Add-Ins) – Object-oriented enhancements.
🔹 Enhancement Framework – Modern method with implicit/explicit enhancements.

Important ABAP Concepts

1️⃣ Data Types & Structures

🔹 Elementary Types – CHAR, NUMC, INT, FLOAT.
🔹 Structures (Types, Tables) – Define multiple fields together.
🔹 Internal Tables – In-memory datasets like arrays.

2️⃣ Control Statements

🔹 Conditional Statements – IF…ELSE, CASE.
🔹 Loops – DO, WHILE, LOOP AT.
🔹 Modularization – FUNCTION MODULE, METHOD, PERFORM.

3️⃣ Object-Oriented ABAP (OOPs)

🔹 Classes & Objects – CLASS, METHOD, CREATE OBJECT.
🔹 Encapsulation – PRIVATE, PROTECTED, PUBLIC.
🔹 Inheritance – INHERITING FROM.
🔹 Polymorphism – INTERFACE, REDEFINITION.

4️⃣ Database Access

🔹 Open SQL – Standard SQL for any database (e.g., SELECT, INSERT).
🔹 Native SQL – Database-specific SQL commands.
🔹 ABAP CDS Views – For SAP HANA optimization.

ABAP with SAP HANA

SAP HANA is an in-memory database, and ABAP has evolved to support HANA-specific features:
🔹 ABAP Managed Database Procedures (AMDP) – Runs SQL inside HANA.
🔹 Core Data Services (CDS) – Advanced database views with better performance.
🔹 Code Pushdown – Moving logic to the database for speed.
🔹 ABAP on Cloud (BTP) – Running ABAP programs on SAP Business Technology Platform.

SAP ABAP Development Tools

🛠 SAP GUI – Traditional ABAP development tool.
🛠 Eclipse with ADT (ABAP Development Tools) – Modern IDE for ABAP.
🛠 SAP Web IDE – For SAP Fiori & cloud development.

SAP ABAP Certifications

✅ SAP Certified Development Associate – ABAP with SAP NetWeaver
✅ SAP ABAP for HANA Certification
✅ SAP Certified Development Professional – ABAP

Career Opportunities in SAP ABAP

💼 ABAP Developer – Custom development in SAP ERP.
💼 SAP Technical Consultant – Works on ABAP & integrations.
💼 SAP HANA Developer – Specializes in HANA optimization.
💼 SAP Workflow Consultant – Automates SAP processes.
💼 SAP ABAP Freelancer – Provides custom ABAP solutions.