ABAP/ 4 Programming Language
Objectives
* Upon completion of this topic, you should be able to:
# Define the general terms associated with the ABAP/4 Workbench.
# Work with the ABAP/4 Object Browser.
# Create a program object.
# Access tables to generate a report.
Topics
* ABAP/4 Development Workbench
* ABAP/4 Data Dictionary
* ABAP/4 Repository Information
ABAP/4 Development Workbench Architecture
* The Development Workbench provides access to SAP’s development tools.
ABAP/4 Development Workbench Architecture
* All programs are stored in the R/3 Repository.
n A program is simply an object.
* All definitions are kept in the data dictionary.
n e.g. variable descriptions and parameters of fields.
* Double-clicking will navigate you to wherever the object is stored.
* Remote call functions let you access other systems.
Reporting and Dialog Programming
* In reporting you use the ABAP/4 Open SQL to read data from the R/3 database
n A report consists of a selection screen on which you define the dataset you wish to display, and a list which displays the data itself.
* In dialog programming you use the screen painter to create screens and program the sequence in which they appear.
ABAP/4 Program Objects
* You can use the ABAP/4 Development Workbench to create ABAP/4 programs.
* You can call objects from the object list generated from the Object Browser’s initial screen.
ABAP/4 Programs
All ABAP/4 programs (objects) are made up of:
* Source code
* Text elements
* Attributes
Creating Programs
* Begin by first specifying a development class.
# Development classes are categories of SAP objects (e.g. program object).
* Customer-specific program names begin with Y or Z.
* If you are creating a test object which you do not wish to be transported, choose Local Object.
# The development class is then set to $TMP automatically.
The ABAP/4 Editor
* The ABAP/4 Editor can run in three different modes:
1. Command mode
2. PC mode with line numbering
3. PC mode without line numbering
* You can switch between editor modes by choosing Settings ® Editor mode
# It is recommended that you do your work in PC mode with line numbering
ABAP/4 Syntax
* An ABAP/4 program consists of individual statements
# Each statement must end with a period.
# The first word of a statement is known as the key word.
# Words are separated from each other by at least one blank.
# Statements can be indented.
# Statements can extend over several lines.
* You can concatenate several consecutive statements with an identical key word (e.g. WRITE: ).
# Follow the key word with a colon.
# Separate each concatenated part with a comma.
# End the lines of the concatenated statements with a period.
* You can insert comments into a program in two ways:
1. An asterisk (*) in column 1 flags the whole line as a comment.
2. A quotation mark (“) within a line flags the remainder of the line as a comment.
Tables and the Select Statement
* The Tables: <name> statement declares an ABAP/4 Dictionary table in the ABAP/4 program and allocates a table work area with the structure of <name>.
# The Select statement reads the table <name> line by line and places each line read in the
# Note: Double-clicking on the Tables: statement in the editor will display how the table is defined in the data dictionary.
Accessing Tables (In summary…)
ABAP/4 Data Dictionary
Basic Dictionary Objects
* Tables - collection of records of data in fields.
* Data elements - contain the semantic definition (e.g. short description) of what is contained w/in a field.
* Domains - describe the technical attributes of the table’s fields (e.g. field type, length, value range, etc.).
Structures and Aggregated Objects (Views)
* Besides defining tables stored in the database, you can also define the structure of data which occurs when performing calculations in programs, or when passing data between programs.
# Structures are defined and activated in the ABAP/4 Dictionary.
# While data can be permanently stored in the database, data in structures exists only during the runtime of a program.
* Aggregated objects are objects which come from several different tables.
n Views are application-specific views of different ABAP/4 Dictionary tables.
n Views allow you to gather information from fields of different tables and present it to users in the form they require.
ABAP/4 Dictionary (In summary)
* The ABAP/4 Dictionary is the central facility in the system where you can create and maintain data declarations, tables, structures and aggregated objects.
* Since it is integrated into the ABAP/4 Development Workbench as an active component, any change made in the ABAP/4 Dictionary takes immediate effect in programs affected.
ABAP/4 Repository Information
* The ABAP/4 Repository Information System allows you to obtain information about objects (tables, fields, domains, etc.) in the ABAP/4 Repository.
* You can find anything that is used in programs by using the Data Repository.
ABAP/4 Repository (In summary)
* The ABAP/4 Repository Information System allows search for ABAP/4 Development Workbench objects by specifying required attributes.
From the ABAP/4 Development Workbench:
Overview ® Repository Infosy.
This Notes Presented By
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
