ceon abap eclipse editor abap eclipse editor eu.pdf · ceon business systems and marketing pty ltd....

CEON Business Systems and Marketing Pty Ltd.

CEON – ABAP™ Eclipse Editor

White Paper


1. Introduction

ABAP™ Eclipse Editor is an external ABAP™ editor for SAP®. It is an easy to use developmenttool, which successfully extends the ABAP™ development capabilities of SAP® to the Eclipsedevelopment environment (including the SAP® NetWeaver Developer Studio environment). Itaccelerates time-to-market for developers building ABAP™ services/applications. The plug-inconnects to SAP® like the SAP's SAPGUI® using the same user authentication methods.Because of this, ABAP™ Eclipse Editor users must be registered in the SAP system as a SAPdeveloper, like when they are developing with SAPGUI® itself.

SAP customers use ABAP™ (Advanced Business Application Programming) for their owndevelopments. Such developments can be important for adapting SAP ERP standard solutions tospecific problems. The ABAP™ Development Workbench contains all the tools you need tocreate and maintain ABAP™ programs, however, the standard SAP ABAP™ editor does nothave the features the ABAP™ Eclipse Editor holds, which enables developers to significantlyimprove efficiency of their development work.

Why did we develop the ABAP Eclipse editor?

Main reason is that ABAP™ development resources are scarce and expensive. Therefore wewanted to increase efficiency of development work by improving tools that support developers incarrying out development work. We focused on development processes that take time and areprone to errors and thus achieved to significantly increase efficiency of development effort.

The best of two worlds...We have combined the power of the well known Eclipse™ IDE with the proven functionality of theSAP® ABAP™ Workbench to develop an innovative new ABAP Editor.

Hereafter we explain and demonstrate a couple of features that are available in the ABAP Eclipseeditor.


2. Code Assistant

Writing of source code.Writing of source code will be easier and more effective using the Eclipse editor. While typing thefirst few letters of variable names, statements etc. the editor suggests the most likely variablenames/statements etc. you intend to use. This saves a significant amount of effort.

While writing source code, you frequently need information about different program objects(global/local variables, method parameter, FIELD-SYMBOLS, INCLUDE etc.).Simply move the mouse cursor onto an object name (as shown below with the SELECTstatement and transparent table SCARR). The Editor informs you about the program object via acontext sensitively tool tip.

Developer for exampleenters SE subsequently alist of statementsappears.


Data/ABAP™ Dictionary information can also be retrieved via the Data Dictionary view. The Datadictionary will be displayed next to the source code so no screen navigation is needed.Smart navigation between reports, function modules, objects, interfaces, data dictionary objectsetc. is easily been done by holding the ctrl key and pressing the object.

Data Dictionary objects like Domain, Structures, Data element etc. can be maintained with theData Dictionary editors included in Eclipse.

Code Template.

Why would you want to type in frequently used lines of code again and again?Frequently used templates (written by experts) containing hundreds of lines of code are available.You can also build your own templates.

Predefined statements and combinations of statements are in the background available whichmakes it easier to select when needed the respective coding thus improving the effectiveness ofdevelopment work.

Developer enters forexample ‘l’, a list oftemplates now appears.After clicking the selectedtemplate code is inserted.


Retrieve methods and attributes from objects.Methods and attributes from objects can be quickly searched from the selected object andinterface.This saves costly development effort.

Package InheritancePackage inheritance enables to drop down from module level to the lowest possible level in orderto retrieve/select module components required forunderstanding the module as shown below. Thus it allowsto get a quick overview of the program's packagestructure.

After entry of the object instancename a list of methods andattributes of the object type isshown.


Retrieve components/fields from structures.

Fields of a table or type structures are often used during daily programming tasks.

So why search for the exact field names in the DDIC (e.g. via double clicking)?The ABAP Eclipse editor helps you interactively:If you type in a variable of a structure type e.g. lv_sflight- the Eclipse editor displays a pop upwindow with all available table fields in the structure (incl. Data element, type, name, description,length). With the Enter key you can insert the complete field name in one step. No additionaltyping is necessary.

As you can see after entry of ‘-‘ a list of components are shown, selecting component CONNDshows characteristics of this component.

Forward navigationHold the ctrl key and click on an object to navigate to this object. Or double click on an ABAPobject for example in the Data Dictionary view or Class attribute in the Class Editor etc. and youwill be navigated to this object.


ABAP™ Objects

Maintain ABAP™ classes and interfaces from within Eclipse. With the ABAP Class Editor you canimplement methods, change method interfaces, Add method parameters, inherent superclasses,change class attributes, maintain class interfaces etc etc.


3. ABAP™ Objects UML Diagrams

This feature gives an excellent overview of the structure of ABAP objects. Objects and Interfacesare shown in a graphical way. Thus it enables developers to quickly understand the structure ofsoftware. It allows as well to easily navigate from a UML-diagram to code and vice versa. FromUML one can update Classes or Interfaces. UML Class diagrams can be imported and exportedin XMI files. The UML Class diagram can be automatically generated from an ABAP ObjectsClass or ABAP Objects Interface in the back-end system. Or ABAP Objects classes can beautomatically generated based on the designed class diagram in Eclipse. The UML ClassDiagrams can be easily be maintained in the ABAP explorer.


4. Close to other development environments

As shown below, editing methods can be done just like SAP transaction SE24. But now with thecombination of both worlds ABAP™ and Eclipse.

- ABAP™ Integrated in Eclipse features like To-do/tasks, cheat sheet, help, templates etc.etc.

- Code generation for other programming languages such as;C++, Java, PHP etc.

- Familiar development environment.- Easy accessibility to other development environments.- Other programming languages can be applied in the Eclipse editor as well.

SAPGUI® for Javaintegrated in Eclipse.


5. Debugging

Completed code of new developed functionality can be directly tested from within the Eclipseeditor applying debugging features as shown below.Code can immediately be modified during debugging.

6. Implement Classic and New BAdi.Classic and new BAdi’s (New BAdi’s only available from NetWeaver 7.0+ based systems) can beimplemented direct from Eclipse.

7. BApi Explorer.BApi Explorer (transaction bapi) can be used in Eclipse to find the BApi available in the system.Information about the BApi like which function module and BApi documentation.

8. View Process and ABAP log OverviewWork processes can be monitored via the process overview view like transaction SM50. AndABAP short/long dump log view like ST22 is available in the log view.


9. Future developments

In the coming years innovative developments will be made available in future releases toconstantly improve productivity of ABAP developers.

Subscription to a Yearly Maintenance fee of 10% of the purchase price guarantees you benefitfrom future developments.


6. Cost Benefit Analysis

The time to write ABAP™ source code is reduced Dramatically

According to our statistics approximately 50% of an ABAP™ program can be automaticallyentered by our code completion features. We estimate that you can save 36 minutes per daycompared to a standard ABAP™ editor.

Time consuming search tasks (e.g. during the conception phase) are reduced

When writing ABAP™ source code, the programmer often needs to know the exact names ofcertain variables, Objects, Methods, Data Dictionary structures (which are often not easy toremember, e.g. DRAW-DOKNR) and of course the exact ABAP™ statement names.Traditionally he/she had to look at many places to get this information (ABAP™ help, SAP®Data Dictionary, other ABAP™ include files, etc.). This takes time.The ABAP Eclipse editor provides much of this information right "at the fingertips" of thedeveloper. For example, context sensitive information windows (automatically triggered byentering ABAP™ code) offer Data Dictionary structures with their explanation. Declaredvariable names are automatically shown and can then easily be inserted. Features like theABAP Eclipse editor help to query the complete source code of all related ABAP™ includemembers and show you all declared variables right away.Even if you only spend 2 hours per day to search for this information, we estimate that you willbe able to save at least 7 minutes per day (a conservative estimate in our opinion) by usingthe ABAP Eclipse editor.

The quality of ABAP™ coding is improved, ABAP™ programs will becomemore "readable"

Just by using self-descriptive, informative, longer variable names the source code canbecome more readable and provide a better understanding of the program logic. This alsomeans that training time for external or new programmers (who must understand the ABAP™program first, before they can make changes) can be reduced. Thus the maintenance of theprogram is simplified. Developers quickly understand the structure of the software by usingthe UML feature.By using the ABAP Eclipse editor, a programmer can use long variable names at no additional"typing" costs. He/she just has to enter only the first few letters of the variable name, and therest is automatically inserted by the module.Context sensitive help, live replace functions and the logic group compression furtherfunctions which will improve program handling and reduce the possibility of bugs during thedesign phase.Obviously it is difficult to specify how much time could be saved by improving the quality ofyour ABAP™ code.We estimate 17 minutes per day. Please, decide for yourself how much time could be savedhere; keep the lifetime of your software (maintenance) in mind.


Cost of the ABAP Eclipse editor

A Single user version of the ABAP Eclipse editor costs € 299,-- (incl. VAT).The purchase price of the Multi-user version of the ABAP Eclipse editor is;2 – 5 users: € 265,-- (incl. VAT) per single user6 – 25 users: € 225,-- (incl. VAT) per single user> 25 users: € 200,-- (incl. VAT) per single user

Yearly maintenance fee (free support, new versions) € 50,00 per single user license.(First year free of charge)

Benefit

Item Description Saved man-hoursper year*

Saving in AUD*

1. Writing of source code 15% of 4 hrs * 200 =120 hrs AUD 9.000

2. Code template 3% of 4 hrs * 200 =24 hrs “ 1.800

3. Retrieve methods and attributes fromobjects

2% of 4 hrs * 200 =16 hrs “ 1.200

4. Retrieve components/fields fromstructure

2% of 4 hrs * 200 =16 hrs “ 1.200

5. Package inheritance 1% of 4 hrs * 200 =8 hrs “ 600

6. ABAPTM Objects UML Diagrams Intangible7. Close to other development

environmentsIntangible

8. Debugging 2% of 4 hrs * 200 =16 hrs “ 1.200

Total 25% of 4 hrs * 200 =200 hrs per year AUD 15.000

* Manpower saving is based on development time spent on coding by a developer. Appr. 50% of available developer’s effort is spent on coding. An average developer works 8 hrs per day and spends 200 days per year on development work.

Assumed hourly rate AUD 75,-- per hour.

Estimated Overall benefit per developer in the first year of purchase AUD 15,000.—Efficiency improvement per developer per year 12,5%.


9. Contact

ABAP Eclipse Editor Website: http://www.ceon.com.au/abapeclipseWebsite: http://www.ceon.com.auEmail: [email protected]

CEON Business Systems & Marketing Pty Ltd.Level 11, George Street,Sydney, NSW 2000.Australia

Tel. 02 9262 5599

CEON Business Systems B.V. further does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information,text, graphics, links or other items contained within these materials.CEON Business Systems B.V. shall not be liable for any special, indirect, incidental, or consequentialdamages, including without limitation, lost revenues or lost profits, which may result from the use of thesematerials.The information in these pages is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment onthe part of CEON Business Systems B.V. in the future. The software products marketed by CEON BusinessSystems B.V. and its distributors contain proprietary software components of other software vendors.Microsoft®, WINDOWS®, NT®, are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. SAP®, R/2™, R/3™,ABAP™, are registered trademarks of SAP AG. Java® is registered trademark of Sun® Microsystems.

http://www.ceon.com.au/abapeclipse

http://www.ceon.com.au/

mailto:[email protected]

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