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ABAP - Keyword Documentation
This documentation describes the syntax and semantics of the keywords of programming languages provided by SAP on an Application Server ABAP (AS ABAP) of an ABAP system for ABAP Cloud. It also provides an introduction to the environment of these languages plus language-related frameworks and their associated system classes.
The language version ABAP for Cloud Development and the frameworks for ABAP Cloud do not cover all elements of the ABAP technology and are restricted to the needs of ABAP Cloud.
ABAP Dictionary is a persistent repository of metadata used to describe data types, database tables, views, and similar objects that can be used in development objects such as ABAP programs or CDS entities. This section of the ABAP keyword documentation provides a full description of the most important ABAP Dictionary objects that are relevant for the programming languages. It also includes documentation for the Dictionary DDL used to define certain dictionary objects in the ABAP development tools for Eclipse (ADT).
The ABAP Core Data Services (ABAP CDS) are the ABAP-specific implementation of SAP's CDS concept. They are used to develop data models that go far beyond the capabilities of ABAP Dictionary. CDS entities can access ABAP Dictionary objects and can be used in ABAP programs. This section of the ABAP keyword documentation introduces the concepts of ABAP CDS and provides full descriptions of the programming languages used to define CDS objects in the ABAP development tools for Eclipse (ADT), such as CDS DDL, CDS DCL, CDS SDL, or RAP BDL.
The ABAP language (ABAP for short) is the main programming language of the ABAP development environment (ABAP DE) provided by an ABAP system. It is the namesake for the Application Server ABAP (or AS ABAP) and many of its components. ABAP is the programming interface of an AS ABAP and is used for the development of system programs and application programs that are usually based on objects in ABAP Dictionary or in ABAP CDS. This section of the ABAP keyword documentation provides a full description of the ABAP programming language and its object-oriented part, ABAP Objects. It also provides descriptions of the XML-based language elements for Simple Transformations.
The ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model (RAP) is a programming model that is RESTful or that meets the requirements of a REST architecture. In ABAP RAP, AS ABAP plays the role of a stateless Web server. OData serves as the RESTful protocol for requests from Web clients and the state of a session can be saved to the standard database. The modeling is based on CDS entities and RAP behavior definitions. This section of the ABAP keyword documentation describes the modeling, implementation, publication, and consumption of RAP business objects, including RAP business services, RAP behavior definitions, and ABAP EML for providing and consuming RAP BOs.
Introductions to frameworks for communication with other systems and to data exchange formats. The frameworks are mainly accessed using APIs but there are also dedicated ABAP language elements that are also described here.
Rules on how to develop robust ABAP programs using released APIs.
List of release-specific changes and enhancements to ABAP and the other programming languages.
Terms in ABAP and their explanations.
Alphabetic index of the language elements of all programming languages described in the ABAP keyword documentation. If not noted otherwise, language elements are part of the ABAP programming language. Language elements in the other programming languages are noted accordingly.
Alphabetic index for searching by subject area.
Alphabetic list of executable ABAP example programs.
Terms and their definitions for specific subject areas.
Hint
The programs and program extracts presented in the ABAP keyword documentation are only syntax examples and are not intended for direct use in a production system environment. The source texts of the 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. The database tables of the flight data model used in the example programs can be filled using the class CL_DEMO_FILL_FLIGHT_MODEL_TABS.