Overview of the ABAP Editor 
Purpose
You use the ABAP Editor to write and edit ABAP programs, class methods, function modules, screen flow logic, type groups, and logical databases.
Integration
If you want to use
the ABAP Editor together with the Modification Assistant, read the
documentation about 
Modifications in
programs.
Features
The ABAP Editor has three different modes:
· Front-End Editor (source code mode - new)
· Front-End Editor (plain text mode - old)
· Back-End Editor (line-based mode)
The three editor modes are fully compatible and interchangeable. Source code created using one mode is properly displayed by the system in all other modes.
The Source Code Mode of the Front-End Editor offers enhanced functionality over the Plain Text Mode by allowing syntax highlighting, collapsing and expanding language blocks, code templates, code completion and so on.
The new Front-End Editor is available with SAP GUI 6.40 Patch Level 10 or higher. However, in order to have the editor integrated into the ABAP Workbench and to use all related transactions, you need the appropriate SAP system version. The first version supporting the new editor is SAP NetWeaver 2004s.
For more information, see Front-End Editor (Source Code Mode).
See also:
The Front-End Editor (Plain Text Mode)