ABAP, NetWeaver, ERP Tutorial

I have written a post – How to be a senior developer in SAP Java world to give some guidelines on how to study SAP Java. In this post, I try to provide some hints for the ABAP programming. ABAP is just another programming language like Java, C#, etc. I summarized the knowledge of ABAP programming into three categories: ABAP programming language, runtime environment and development environment.

Compared to other programming languages, ABAP has its own features:

• Tailor-made data types for business programming – for example, the internal table
• Support the dynamic programming from dynamic data generation to dynamic creation of types and entire programs
• Simple management of internationalization
• Integration of SML part of SQL into the language
• Simple handling of transactions
• Possibility to prepare program enhancements so that customers can enhance programs without modification

There is a incomplete checklist for each category. Please let me know if you think something missed in the list.

ABAP Programming Language

ABAP programming language is the specification that guide you how to write your ABAP programs.

• Structure of ABAP program
• ABAP Program types
• ABAP syntax
• Data types and Data objects
• Internal table handling
• ABAP objects
• Screen processing
• Open SQL, Transactions, Locking

There are many other features which you should have a good command of. I didn’t list all of them here. For more information, you can refer to SAP help portal – ABAP programming

ABAP Runtime Environment

All the ABAP programs are executed in the NetWeaver AS ABAP stack.

• Architecture of NetWeaver AS ABAP
• How ABAP programs are executed at runtime
• Memory management
• Administration Tools

ABAP Development Environment

• Development tools for different type of programs
• Code check/inspector/SQL trace/ABAP trace/screen trace
• Test tools
• Debugging tools
• Transport Tools

I prefer to call above ABAP programming technology as core ABAP programming. SAP has introduced many other specific technologies based on ABAP to satisfy different kinds of business scenario. Such as BDC, BAPI, ALE/IDoc, LSMW, PI, BADI, Enhancement Framework, Workflow, ITS, BSP, Web Dynpro for ABAP, etc. You still can category the knowledge of each technology into: programming model, runtime environment, development environment. You should be familiar with all these technologies in order to be a senior ABAP consultant. But you still need other skills for a senior ABAP consultant, please refer to my another post – SAP Technical Consultant Skillset.