In the vast realm of programming languages, some remain shrouded in mystery to many. Certainly, the classic one is ABAP.
If you’re scratching your head wondering, What does ABAP stand for? or you’re simply curious about diving into ABAP native SQL examples, fear not!
This blog aims to shed light on ABAP for dummies and provide a glimpse into its functionalities.
What Does ABAP Stand For?
ABAP stands for Advanced Business Application Programming.
SAP coined the term ABAP, which is a high-level object-oriented programming language specially designed for developing business apps inside the SAP environment.
The original developers had planned that SAP consumers should use it to custom create reports and interfaces.
The language has undergone changes that have made it possible for it to perform many varied tasks such as web application development, data handling and much more.
ABAP for Dummies: Getting Started
If you are a newbie who has never written in ABAP to start with, it most likely appears as if you’ve set yourself off a scary journey.
However, ABAP also has similarities to other programming languages for which it has been made easily available to novices.
Below are the basics to help you catch up quickly:
- Syntax: ABAP is quite easy to understand because the language features a set format similar to COBOL that is very straightforward and easily understandable.
- Integrated Development Environment (IDE): ABAP Workbench is a great integrated development environment for SAP, and you can do your development there, right from writing and debugging to execution of your own ABAP programs.
- Data Dictionary: Although the ABAP Data Dictionary is similar, the term Data Dictionary (DDIC) was coined to describe tables that physically store metadata.
ABAP Native SQL Example
ABAP can issue ROLLBACK or COMMIT operations for the database, with explicit control over the OPEN CURSOR statements and attributes of the database cursor.
So, if you’re ready to embark on your ABAP journey, remember that patience, practice, and persistence will pave the way to becoming an ABAP expert. Happy coding!
Handle exceptions ENDTRY.
In this example:
- DATA: lt_resultset TYPE TABLE OF mara. declares an internal table to store the result set.
- lv_sql stores the SQL query to select data from the mara table where matnr equals ‘ABC123’.
- EXEC SQL … END EXEC block executes the native SQL statement.
- OPEN CURSOR FOR lv_sql prepares the cursor for fetching data.
- FETCH NEXT CURSOR INTO TABLE lt_resultset retrieves data from the cursor and stores it in lt_resultset.
Why Learn ABAP?
Learning ABAP is the key ingredient to unlocking many career prospects in the SAP world.
ABAP opens the door to a multitude of opportunities, especially if you happen to be working within an SAP environment.
Whether you plan to be a functional consultant, a technical developer, or an SAP analyst, knowledge of ABAP is a guarantee that your career will advance.
There are found so many instances when enterprises depend on SAP systems for their business operations.
These are the moments when ABAP becomes to be the most sought-after skill in the job market.
In conclusion, ABAP can be quite intimidating, but it can also be achieved with the appropriate resources and a goal-driven mindset.
Every step, including learning what ABAP is an abbreviation for, inspecting ABAP native SQL examples, and the like, brings you closer to being adept at theSAP programming language needed for business applications.
So, if you’re ready to embark