October 14, 2008 1

Introduction to ABAP/4

ABAP : Advanced Business Application Programming

4 : Fourth generation Language

October 14, 2008 2

Introduction to ABAP/4 contd. Multi Lingual Only Tool for developing SAP applications. ABAP Workbench contains all tools, we need to

create ABAP/4 Programs. ABAP/4 program contains all usual control

structures and modularization concepts. After coding, we will save and generate. During

generation, the system creates a Run Time object. When we execute, the system executes this Run Time Object.

October 14, 2008 3

Structure of ABAP/4 Programs

These are different from sequential programming languages such as FORTRAN, PASCAL and C.

Instead it shares certain features with event Oriented programming languages such as VB and JAVA.

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Structure of ABAP/4 Prog. contd.

An ABAP/4 program has modular structure. Source text (processing Block) always consists,

Collection of One or more programming modules . Programming module consists of sequential

statements. With in the processing Block, we can use general

Control statements such as DO, IF, WHILE and CASE statements.

October 14, 2008 5

Execution of ABAP/4 Prog.

For Execution of ABAP/4 Programs you need a special Run Time Environment .

This Run Time Environment is responsible for calling the individual program modules one after the other .

This Run Time Environment is nothing but ABAP/4 Processor .

October 14, 2008 6

Characteristics of ABAP/4 Prog.

Declarative Elements for declaring Data. Operational Elements for Manipulating data. Control statements for processing program

flow. Functions for processing character strings. Subroutines with or without passing values. Central Library with special type of

Subroutines called Function modules.

October 14, 2008 7

Charact of ABAP/4 Prog.contd.

Open SQL (a subset of SQL) to read and change data base tables.

Allows you to define and process Internal Tables.

Allows you to store data as Sequential files on Application and Presentation Servers.

October 14, 2008 8

Types of ABAP/4 Programs

Executable program (1) INCLUDE program (I) Module pool (M) Function group (F) Subroutine pool (S)

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Types of ABAP/4 Prog. contd.

SAP differentiates between two general types of ABAP/4 Programs.

Report Programs Dialog Programs

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Report Programs

Reports are stand alone programs. We use reports to read data base tables and

represent results in Lists Reports are collection of processing blocks,

controlled by System calls depending on events.

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Report Programs contd.

Reports can use LDBs or SELECT STATEMENTS defined by DEVELOPER.

Reports can call Dialogue programs and vice versa.

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Dialogue Programs

Dialogue programs are not stand alone programs. (we have to link the dialogue programs to at least one or more SCREENS and TRANSACTION CODES)

We use Dialogue Programs to read and change Database tables.

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Dialogue Programs contd.

Dialogue programs are controlled by Screen flow logic.

Dialogue program is also called as Module pool program or TRANSACTION.

These module pools are separated in to PBO and PAI events.

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Dialogue Programs contd.

Collection of PBO, PAI and a screen is called DYNAMIC PROGRAM (DYNPRO).

A module pool must have at least one DYNPRO.