ABAP Cheat Sheets

Explore ABAP syntax in a nutshell & executable examples

How to Use · Cheat Sheets · Examples

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ABAP cheat sheets¹ ...

• provide a collection of information on selected ABAP topics in a nutshell for your reference.
• focus on ABAP syntax.
• include code snippets.
• are supported by easy-to-consume demonstration examples that you can import into your SAP BTP ABAP environment or on-premise ABAP system using abapGit to run and check out ABAP syntax in action in simple contexts.
• are enriched by links to glossary entries and chapters of the ABAP Keyword Documentation (the F1 help) for you to deep dive into the respective ABAP topics and get more comprehensive information.

💡 Note

• Since the ABAP cheat sheets provide information in a nutshell, they do not claim to be fully comprehensive as far as the described syntax and concepts are concerned. If you need more details, you can always consult the ABAP Keyword Documentation, for example, by choosing F1 on a keyword in your code, or by searching directly using the online or the system-internal version.
• Unless otherwise stated in the cheat sheets and examples, the content of this repository are relevant for these ABAP language versions:
  • ABAP for Cloud Development: Restricted ABAP language scope for developments in the SAP BTP ABAP environment → Online version of the documentation
  • Standard ABAP: Unrestricted ABAP language scope, for example, for developments in an on-premise ABAP system → Online version of the documentation (latest version)
• Check the Known Issues and Disclaimer.
• The cheat sheets provide links to glossary entries and topics in the ABAP Keyword Documentation. Note that in most cases, these links refer to the ABAP for Cloud Development version.

🏗️ How to Use

1. ABAP syntax info: Get info in a nutshell on ABAP syntax and concepts related to various ABAP topics in the ABAP cheat sheets.
2. Demo examples: Import the ABAP development objects of this repository into your system using abapGit as described here and run the demo classes by choosing F9 in the ABAP Development Tools (ADT) for checking out the ABAP syntax in action.

📝 ABAP Cheat Sheets Overview

Cheat Sheet	Topics Covered	Demo Example
Data Types and Data Objects	Contains basic information about data types and data objects in ABAP	zcl_demo_abap_dtype_dobj
Working with Internal Tables	Creating, filling, reading from, sorting, modifying internal tables	zcl_demo_abap_internal_tables
Working with Structures	Creating structures and structured types, variants of structures, accessing components of structures, filling structures, clearing structures, structures in use in the context of tables	zcl_demo_abap_structures
ABAP SQL in Use	Reading from database tables using SELECT, changing data in database tables using INSERT, UPDATE, MODIFY and DELETE	zcl_demo_abap_sql
ABAP Object Orientation	Working with objects and components, concepts like inheritance, interfaces, and more	zcl_demo_abap_objects
Working with Constructor Expressions	Operators VALUE, CORRESPONDING, NEW, CONV, EXACT, REF, CAST, COND, SWITCH, FILTER, REDUCE, iteration expressions with FOR, LET expressions	zcl_demo_abap_constructor_expr
Dynamic Programming	Covers field symbols and data references as supporting elements for dynamic programming, dynamic ABAP syntax components, runtime type services (RTTS), i. e. runtime type identification (RTTI) and runtime type creation (RTTC)	zcl_demo_abap_dynamic_prog
String Processing	Creating strings and assigning values, chaining strings, string templates, concatenating, splitting, modifying strings, searching and replacing, regular expressions	zcl_demo_abap_string_proc
ABAP for RAP: Entity Manipulation Language (ABAP EML)	Setting EML in the context of RAP, standard (create, read, update, delete) and non-standard operations (actions)	Demo RAP scenario with a managed RAP BO, external numbering (zcl_demo_abap_rap_ext_num_m) Demo RAP scenario with an unmanaged RAP BO, external numbering (zcl_demo_abap_rap_ext_num_u) Demo RAP scenario ("RAP calculator") with a managed, draft-enabled RAP BO, late numbering (zcl_demo_abap_rap_draft_ln_m) Note that this example can also be checked out using the preview version of an SAP Fiori UI. Check the comments in the class for the steps.
Excursion Down to Bits and Bytes	Covers the technical background of data types and data objects	-
ABAP SQL: Working with Hierarchies	Summarizes the functions ABAP SQL offers together with ABAP CDS for working with hierarchical data that is stored in database tables	-
ABAP SQL: Grouping Internal Tables	Covers the GROUP BY clause in ABAP SQL	zcl_demo_abap_sql_group_by
ABAP Managed Database Procedures (AMDP)	Covers ABAP Managed Database Procedures (AMDP): AMDP Procedures and AMDP Functions (including CDS Table Functions)	zcl_demo_abap_amdp
Program Flow Logic	Deals with control structures (IF, CASE), loops (DO, WHILE) and exception handling	zcl_demo_abap_prog_flow_logic
ABAP Unit Tests	Contains basic information about unit testing in ABAP	zcl_demo_abap_unit_test
CDS View Entities	Note that cheat sheet content is available in this blog. The focus here is on the example CDS artifacts and the executable example class, which include comments.	zcl_demo_abap_cds_ve

🎬 Getting Started with the Examples

The executable examples are designed to be imported into the SAP BTP ABAP environment, but they are basically suitable for both on-premise systems (ABAP release >= 7.56; especially the RAP examples) and the SAP BTP ABAP environment (hence there are no ABAP reports included). Therefore, check the information in the following collapsible sections for your system environment and perform the required steps.

1) General info

• Some DDIC artifacts, such as database tables, are part of the repository. They are used by the examples to ensure self-contained examples. All artifacts must be imported for all examples to work.
• All examples are designed to display some output in the ADT console. Once successfully imported, you can run the examples in ADT by choosing F9 to display the output in the ADT console.
• The examples include descriptions and comments in the code to provide explanations and set the context.

2a) SAP BTP ABAP environment

Prerequisites

• You have access to an SAP BTP ABAP Environment instance (see here for additional information).
• You have downloaded and installed the ABAP Development Tools (ADT). Make sure that you are using the latest version, as indicated on the installation page.
• Before importing the code, you have performed a system-wide search for classes named ZCL_DEMO_ABAP*, for example, so that you do not run into errors when you try to import the code. If someone has already imported the content into the system, you can simply check out that imported version and proceed to the step 3) Run the code.
• You have created an ABAP cloud project in ADT that allows you to access your SAP BTP ABAP Environment instance (see here for more information). Your login language is English.
• You have installed the abapGit plug-in for ADT from the update site.

Import Code

Use the abapGit plug-in to install the ABAP Cheat Sheets by carrying out the following steps:

1. In your ABAP cloud project, create a package, for example, ZABAP_CHEAT_SHEETS as the target package. It is recommended that you assign the package to a transport request that is suitable for demo content.

2. Add the package to the Favorite Packages in the Project Explorer view in ADT.

3. To add the abapGit Repositories view to the ABAP perspective, choose Window → Show View → Other... from the menu bar and choose abapGit Repositories.

4. In the abapGit Repositories view, click the + icon in the upper right corner of the ADT tab to link a new abapGit repository.
   

5. The Link abapGit Repository popup appears. Enter the following URL:

https://github.com/SAP-samples/abap-cheat-sheets.git

6. Choose Next.

7. On the Branch and Package Selection screen, enter the name of the created package (for example, ZABAP_CHEAT_SHEETS) in the Package field.

8. Choose Next.

9. On the Select Transport Request screen, select the created transport request that is suitable for the demo content and choose Finish to link the Git repository to your ABAP cloud project. If the created package is already assigned to a transport request for the demo content, and a message appears that an object is already locked in a transport request, choose Finish, too.

10. In the abapGit Repositories view, filter for your package. The repository appears in the abapGit Repositories view with the status Linked.

11. Right-click on the new abapGit repository and choose Pull... to start the cloning of the repository contents.

12. On the Branch and Package Selection screen, choose Next.

13. If the Locally Modified Object screen is displayed, select the objects (for example, the package to automatically select all artifacts) from the list and choose Next.

14. On the next screen, select a transport request and choose Finish. Same as above, if an object already locked message is displayed, choose Finish as well. The status in the abapGit Repositories view changes to Pull running.... Note that the pull run may take several minutes.

15. Once the cloning is complete, the status changes to Pulled Successfully. You may need to refresh the abapGit Repositories view to see the progress of the import. To do this, choose the Refresh icon in the upper right corner of the view.

16. Refresh your project tree. For example, in ADT, right-click the package and choose Refresh or F5. The package should contain all the artifacts from the GitHub repository.

17. Make sure that all artifacts are active. To activate all inactive development objects, choose the Activate all inactive ABAP development objects button from the menu (or choose CTRL+Shift+F3).

2b) Application Server ABAP On-Premise

Prerequisites

• It is assumed that you are running the latest ABAP release. Note that the RAP examples, for example, require at least ABAP version 7.56.
• Before importing the code, you have performed a system-wide search for classes named ZCL_DEMO_ABAP*, for example, to avoid errors when you try to import the code. If someone has already imported the content into the system, you can simply check out that imported version and proceed to the step 3) Run the code.
• You have downloaded and installed the ABAP Development Tools (ADT). Make sure that you are using the latest version, as indicated on the installation page.
• You have created an ABAP project in ADT that allows you to access your application server as mentioned above. Your login language is English.
• You have downloaded and installed the standalone version of the abapGit report. Make sure you are using the latest version, as indicated on the installation page. You can create a report, for example, zabapgit_standalone, and copy and paste this code into the program.

Import Code

Use the standalone version of the abapGit report to import the demo examples of the ABAP cheat sheets by performing the following steps:

1. In your ABAP project, create a package, such as TEST_ABAP_CHEAT_SHEETS as a target package suitable for demo content (for example, by using LOCAL as the software component).
2. Add the package to the Favorite Packages in the Project Explorer view in ADT.
3. Run the standalone version of the abapGit report.
4. Choose the New Online button. If the button is not available, for example, if another repository is already open, choose the Repository List button.
5. On the New Online Repository screen, make the following entries:

   • Git Repository URL:

     https://github.com/SAP-samples/abap-cheat-sheets.git
     

   • Package: Your demo package, for example, TEST_ABAP_CHEAT_SHEETS

6. Leave the other fields unchanged and choose Create Online Repo.
7. The Repository screen displays the available ABAP artifacts to be imported into your ABAP system.
8. Choose the Pull button. The import of the artifacts is triggered. This may take several minutes.
9. If the Inactive Objects popup is displayed, select all artifacts and choose Continue (✔️).
10. When the cloning is complete, refresh your project tree. For example, in ADT, right-click on the package and choose Refresh or F5. The package should contain all artifacts from the GitHub repository.
11. Make sure that all artifacts are active. To activate all inactive development objects, choose the Activate all inactive ABAP development objects button from the menu (or choose CTRL+Shift+F3).

3) Run the code

• Open the package you created containing the imported ABAP artifacts in the ABAP Development Tools (ADT).
• Open one of the ABAP cheat sheet example classes listed in the ABAP Cheat Sheets Overview section, for example, zcl_demo_abap_string_proc. The classes are located in the Source Code Library → Classes folder.
• Choose F9 to run the class. Alternatively, choose Run → Run As → 2 ABAP Application (Console) from the menu.
• Check the console output.

💡 Note

• Check the notes on the context and the ABAP syntax used that are included as comments in the class.
• Due to the amount of output in the console, the examples include numbers (e.g. 1) ..., 2) ..., 3) ...) that represent the headers of each example code section. Also, in most cases, the variable name is displayed in the console. Therefore, to find the relevant output in the console more easily and quickly, simply search the console for the number (e.g. search for 3) for the particular output) or variable name (CTRL+F in the console), or use breakpoints in the code to check variables in the debugger.
• You may want to clear the console by right-clicking in the console and choosing Clear before running another demo class to avoid confusing the output of multiple classes.

⚡ Known Issues

• Only one user on the system can import this repository because all object names must be globally unique. Before importing the code, you should perform a system-wide search for classes named ZCL_DEMO_ABAP*, for example. If someone has already imported the content into the system, you can simply check out that imported code.
• Since the repository contains self-contained examples, i.e. some of them work with demo database tables included in the repository (note that these tables are populated during method executions), all demo artifacts must be imported for all examples to work.
• When importing into an on-premise system, note the following: The demos cover ABAP syntax regardless of the ABAP release to avoid scattering information and to have the information in one go. Therefore and if you are not running the latest ABAP version, there may be syntax that is not yet available in the ABAP version of your on-premise system. In this case, you may want to comment out the affected code sections or ignore the affected artifacts if an activation fails. Note that the RAP examples in particular require at least ABAP version 7.56.
• Regarding possible code check warnings, e.g. for the many strings in the code, not using an ORDER BY clause, or messages regarding using SELECT *, the code deliberately avoids pragmas and pseudo comments in order to focus on the available ABAP syntax. See also the Disclaimer.

ℹ️ More Information

• For the system-internal version of the ABAP Keyword Documentation in your

  • ... on-premise system: Access the documentation in the SAP GUI via the transactions ABAPDOCU (opens the documentation directly) and ABAPHELP (opens an input field with which you can search the documentation content, for example, you can search for a keyword such as SELECT). Or, of course, choose F1 on a keyword in your code. If you are in the SAP GUI (e.g. in SE80), the system-internal version opens. If you are in ADT, the documentation opens in the ABAP Language Help view.
  • ... SAP BTP ABAP environment: In ADT, the documentation is in the ABAP Language Help view, where you can also search. If you choose F1 on a keyword in your code, the documentation opens there.

• Links to the online version of the ABAP Keyword Documentation for:

  • Standard ABAP: Unrestricted ABAP language scope, e.g. for developments in an on-premise ABAP system → Online version of the documentation (latest version). To access the online documentation for a specific ABAP version, e.g. 7.54, you can select the version from the drop-down list here (latest is preselected). The ABAP link under Development will take you to the documentation of choice.
  • ABAP for Cloud Development: Restricted ABAP language scope for developments in the SAP BTP ABAP environment → Online version of the documentation

• Regarding demonstration examples of the ABAP Keyword Documentation in your on-premise system: Have you ever checked out the package SABAPDEMOS? This package contains all the examples used in the ABAP Keyword Documentation. To get the context, program names, etc., see the example page (also available in the system-internal SAP GUI version as a node in the topic tree), which summarizes the executable examples. Of course, you can also find the example topics in the context of the individual ABAP Keyword Documentation topic. The example topics are marked with a ⚙️ icon:

  

• This blog features videos about the ABAP Keyword Documentation in the SAP Help Portal, SAP GUI, and ADT.

⚠️ Disclaimer

The code examples presented in this repository are only syntax examples and are not intended for direct use in a production system environment. The code examples are primarily intended to provide a better explanation and visualization of the syntax and semantics of ABAP statements and not to solve concrete programming tasks. For production application programs, a dedicated solution should therefore always be worked out for each individual case. There is no guarantee for either the correctness or the completeness of the code. In addition, there is no legal responsibility or liability for possible errors or their consequences, which occur through the use of the example code.

📟 Support and Contribution

This is not intended to be a contribution repository, so please do not create pull requests. If you like to address issues or suggestions, please create an issue. However, this project is provided "as-is": there is no guarantee that raised issues will be answered or addressed in future releases.

📜 License

Copyright (c) 2022 SAP SE or an SAP affiliate company. All rights reserved. This project is licensed under the Apache Software License, version 2.0 except as noted otherwise in the LICENSE file.

Footnotes

1. "A written [...] aid (such as a sheet of notes) that can be referred to for help in understanding or remembering something complex" (Definition for "cheat sheet" in Merriam-Webster Dictionary). ↩