Learn SAP ABAP on HANA

To start learning SAP ABAP on HANA, you should focus on the new development paradigm and key technologies like the ABAP Development Tools (ADT) in Eclipse, Core Data Services (CDS) views, and ABAP Managed Database Procedures (AMDPs). The official SAP Developer Center provides a wide range of tutorials for developers.

Key Concepts & Tools

• Code-to-Data Paradigm: The fundamental shift in ABAP on HANA is moving data-intensive logic to the database layer (HANA) to reduce latency, rather than bringing large amounts of data to the application server.

• ABAP Development Tools (ADT): Modern ABAP development primarily occurs in the Eclipse IDE, not the traditional SAP GUI. ADT provides a rich environment for creating and managing ABAP and HANA objects.

• Core Data Services (CDS): CDS views are a core technology for defining and consuming data models in SAP HANA. They are used to create semantically rich data models that can be used in various applications, including SAP Fiori.

• ABAP Managed Database Procedures (AMDP): AMDPs allow ABAP developers to write native SAP HANA SQLScript code directly within special ABAP class methods, managing the procedure lifecycle within the ABAP environment.

• Enhanced Open SQL: SAP has enhanced Open SQL to include new syntax and capabilities, allowing for more complex operations to be executed directly on the database, like comma-separated fields and host variable escaping.

Recommended Learning Path

1. Set up your Development Environment:

   • Install the Eclipse IDE for ABAP Development.

   • Set up a free SAP HANA trial account or BTP instance for practice.

   • Connect your ADT to the SAP system.

2. Master New ABAP Syntax and Tools:

   • Learn the new Open SQL syntax features (e.g., @ for host variables, | | for concatenation).

   • Familiarize yourself with the ADT interface and useful keyboard shortcuts.

3. Explore Data Modeling:

   • Learn to create basic database tables and dictionary objects in ADT.

   • Dive into creating CDS views and understanding the concept of Virtual Data Models (VDM).

   • Explore how to implement business logic using AMDPs for advanced scenarios.

4. Build Modern Applications:

   • Understand the integration of ABAP on HANA with Fiori applications.

   • Learn the ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model (RAP) for building modern, cloud-ready applications.