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Use

The Front-End Editor (Source Code Mode) is a universal programming tool, which can work with most programming languages with a defined syntax schema such as eCATT, BSP and so on but has been optimized for ABAP.

Integration

The Front-End Editor is fully integrated into the SAP system environment by means of a specific ABAP wrapper and can be used for all development tasks where the two former editor modes (Front-End Editor (Plain Text Mode) and Back-End Editor) were used.

Prerequisites

The Front-End Editor is available with SAP GUI for Windows 6.40 Patch Level 10 or higher. The SAP system version supporting the new editor is SAP NetWeaver 7.0.

Features

The following figure illustrates the main features of the new Front-End Editor:

The Front-End Editor offers a wide range of modern programming technologies, such as powerful syntax highlighting, outlining of language structures, code hints and auto-completion of language structures and elements.

You have the option of creating new language schemes and adjusting the language syntax by means of XML configuration files. By default, the editor supports a syntax scheme for ABAP but the dynamic plugging of code written in other languages is also possible.

The functional shell for creating and applying user-defined source code templates with editor variables and interactive elements speeds up the development process and reduces the amount of routine coding.

The new Front-End Editor supports color printing with WYSIWYG print preview that facilitates the creation of documents and complex programs listings.

The extensive formatting functions - automatic code indentation, smart tabs, automatic insertion of brackets, case- and mistyping correction - increase the interactivity of the development process and offer significantly improved functionality over the two classical modes of the ABAP Editor: Front-End Editor (Plain Text Mode) and Back-End Editor.

Activities

To switch to the new Front-End Editor:

  1. In any ABAP Workbench tool, Start of the navigation path Utilities Next navigation step Settings End of the navigation path.

  2. On the User Specific Settings screen, choose the ABAP Editor tab page.

  3. Choose the Front-End Editor (New) radio button.

  4. Choose Transfer (Enter).

To open the help file about the Front-End Editor:

  1. Switch to the new Front-End Editor.

  2. Choose the Options button ( ) in the lower right-hand corner of the screen and press F1.

    The Front-End Editor Help screen appears.