Introduction

What is ABAP?

• ABAP = Advanced Business Application Programming

• Similarities with Cobol and Pascal

• Established in 1980

• Since 1998 object oriented ABAP objects established

• Fully compatible to older versions

• Multilanguage support

• Embedded SQL statements

• Platform independent

• Database independent

• Reusability of code fragments

Historical view on ABAP:-

Compiling ABAP:-

ABAP Repository:-

In the R/3 system from SAP, the R/3 Repository is the central place where development
components in the ABAP Workbench are stored. These components include all of the: process
models, data models, business object models, business objects, and all data and their
relationships.
Prerequisites for ABAP development:-

1. Access to repository (is maintained in client settings)

2. User with development profile and access key

3. Own package and own transport request

4. Pay attention to the namespaces

Access to repository (is maintained in client settings):

A. Access to repository is needed

B. Check access in transaction SCC4

User with development profile and access key:

– The access key allows development of new programs or changes to existing one

– Access key are always username dependent!

– Access keys must be requested from SAP as license cost increase by the number
of development users

– Access keys can be obtained from your local UCC

Own package and own transport request:

– Own packages enable you to group your developments

– Transport requests enable you to transport new developments to other SAP

systems

– You may develop new programs using the local package $TMP, but transport of
these developments is not possible

Pay attention to the namespaces:

– Only use namespace Y and Z, e.g. ZZ_* or YY_* as these are customer
namespaces

– SAP uses namespace from A to X for own programs and implementations

– Changing SAP objects is not possible unless you have a modification key

Transport of ABAP developments:-

• Developments are transported from DEV to QAS using transport requests

• Exporting transport requests creates files for transportation

• You may either import all or only one transport request in your destination system
Transport hierarchy:-

Transport requests in repository:-

Two types of transport requests are there. Transport of Copies and Relocation Transport.
ToCs are useful when you're doing repeated transports from dev to test, for example. You create
a ToC, and include the contents of your workbench request in it. Only when all is well do you
release your workbench request.
Relocation Transports make the objects on it part of the destination system. I.e. it changes their
source system and/or package.
Transport requests: releasing and exporting:-

• Release of transport requests can be done in Transport Manager TA SE09 or SE10

• First release all tasks, then release transport request
• Tasks have to be released by each developer
• In urgent situations a task can be taken over to complete the export

Exporting Repository Objects Using the Transport Wizard:

1. Call the ES Builder.

2. Choose Tools → Design Objects to call the transport wizard.
3. In the first step, choose the software component version that you want to
transport the design objects for, choose the Transport Using CTS mode and specify a
name for the transport list.
4. In the second step follow the instructions to restrict the object set.
5. If no CTS transport request appears in step three, then no standard request has
been created for this system yet. To create a request in the Transport Organizer, or to
define an existing request as the default, choose Create or Select Request in Transport
Organizer (more information: Creating Transport Requests
6. To display newly created standard requests, refresh the Wizard view in step
three.
7. Choose Finish to start the export.

Exporting Change List Repository Objects:

1. Call the ES Builder.

2. Switch to the Change List tab page. Check whether you have selected
the transportable check box for the filter for change lists. Otherwise your activated
change list will not be displayed on the tab page.
3. Check whether a standard transport request has been created for your transport
in CTS (more information: Creating Transport Requests
4. Call the context menu for Release CTS Transport for the change list you want
to transport.

Steps to write a program:-

1. Create a new package

2. Create a new transport request
3. Create the new program
4. Enter access key
5. Adjust program attributes
6. Assign program to package
7. Save, check and activate program
8. Release and export new program

Online help for ABAP:-

• ABAP help
(http://help.sap.com/saphelp_nw04/helpdata/de/d3/2e974d35c511d1829f0000e829fbfe/fr
ameset.htm)
• SAP marketplace (www.service.sap.com)
• SAP Community Network (www.sdn.sap.com)
• Transaction ABAPDOCU
• Books:
– ABAP-Objects, SAP PRESS, ISBN-13: 978-1592290796
– The Official ABAP Reference, SAP PRESS, ISBN-13: 978-1592290390