Technology Blogs by SAP
Learn how to extend and personalize SAP applications. Follow the SAP technology blog for insights into SAP BTP, ABAP, SAP Analytics Cloud, SAP HANA, and more.
cancel
Showing results for 
Search instead for 
Did you mean: 
julieplummer20
Product and Topic Expert
Product and Topic Expert

Dear all,

ABAP Cloud Developer Trial 2022 is now available on Docker:

https://hub.docker.com/r/sapse/abap-cloud-developer-trial/tags -> 2022

ABAP Cloud Developer Trial is a free, downloadable ABAP Platform on SAP HANA 2.0 for trying out the ABAP language and toolset. It is extensively pre-configured with SAP Fiori launchpad, SAP Cloud Connector, pre-configured backend /frontend connections, roles, and sample applications.

This solution is intended for two groups of developers:

  • Non-ABAP developers, who are interested in learning more about the ABAP language and development tools
  • ABAP developers, who are interested in learning about new features (see below for some examples)

Note: This is the new name for ABAP Platform Trial. The name change is to highlight that you can now develop in the new ABAP Language Version, ABAP for Cloud Development. For more information, see the Highlights below. By the way, if you are interested in our overall release strategy for the Trial, see Karl Kessler’s announcement blog post from 2023: Now available: ABAP Platform Trial

julieplummer20_0-1707312743960.png

IMPORTANT:

All: Before you pull the image, make sure:

  • You understand the principles of docker container technology
  • You know the entities docker image / docker container and their relationship
  • You know the basic commands to work with images and containers

Mac Users: Previously, ABAP Platform Trial ran on both Intel and M-series processors. Since then, Apple has upgraded its iOS. Thus, on the newest MacOS version, you can no longer run ABAP Cloud Developer Trial on Docker Desktop for MacBooks with an M-seríes processor. This is not a SAP-specific issue. So for now, you have two options:

  • Run Docker Desktop with a MacBook that has an Intel processor.
  • Use the UTM app to emulate an AMD64 Linux distro via Apple QEMU.

Many many thanks to Community member @dylan-drummond for researching this. Dylan has written an exhaustive guide to this: 

M-series Apple Chip MacBooks and Abap Platform Trial containers using Docker and Podman 

This is Community content, so consume at your own risk; however, this could be very helpful to many Mac users.

ABAP License

The ABAP license supplied with the Docker image lasts only three months. Therefore, you should download and import the demo license as follows:

  1. Logon to your ABAP system with the user SAP*, client 000, same password as for DEVELOPER (DEVELOPER , client 001, is locked).
  2. Start transaction SLICENSE; copy the hardware key.
  3. Get the license from minisap , choosing the system A4H.
  4. Back in your ABAP System, log off, then log on with the user DEVELOPER, client 001.
  5. Choose Install.
  6. The old ("INITIAL") license(s) should be deleted automatically. If not, start SLICENSE again; remove the old invalid licenses. (sap* is not allowed to delete licenses).

Update, 23rd April, 2024: 2022 as a Cloud Appliance (CAL)

Dear all, As an alternative to the Docker download, we have also released the same version of the Trial, under the name SAP ABAP Platform 2022, Developer Edition:

https://cal.sap.com/catalog#/applianceTemplates/c12a3b3d-99b0-4b44-a0c7-6509fe279a3d 

Enjoy!

Highlights of the 2022 Edition

ABAP Cloud Development: Developer Extensibility Scenario

julieplummer20_0-1713188198928.png  

ABAP Cloud map

ABAP Cloud is the ABAP development model you need to build cloud-ready business apps, services, and extensions. Including it in the ABAP Cloud Developer Trial means that you can get a feel for the concepts pertaining to ABAP Cloud Development and to a clean core when extending SAP S/4HANA. This scenario lets you build extensions directly on the SAP S/4HANA stack - tightly coupled, cloud-ready, and upgrade-stable. Of course, we don't offer the strictly business content from SAP S/4HANA. However, we do offer all the language elements - RAP cloud-optimized language, and released APIs and extension points. 

Important: You are thereby restricted to  cloud-optimized ABAP language. That is, if you are used to developing in Classic ABAP on-premise, and want to try out Cloud development, you must comply with ABAP Cloud Development rules, such as:

  • Use public SAP APIs (local or remote) released by SAP to access SAP functionality and SAP data
  • Use public SAP extension points released by SAP to extend SAP objects. Modifications to SAP objects are not supported. (This includes SFLIGHT, for example.)
  • Use ADT (ABAP Development Tools) as your ABAP IDE
  • Use RAP (ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model) to build Fiori apps and services. SAP technologies like Dynpro or Web Dynpro are not released for ABAP cloud development
  • The software components ZLOCAL and ZCUSTOM_DEVELOPMENT can only be used for ABAP Cloud development - that is, compliant with these rules

More information:

ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model (RAP) - 2022

julieplummer20_2-1707312818813.png

Offers you an efficient way to build enterprise-ready, SAP HANA-optimized, OData-based Fiori UI services and Web APIs in the cloud as well as on-premise.

New features in 2022 include:

  • Custom business objects
  • Event Consumption and Exposure
  • RAP Generator
  • RAP business object Test Double Framework (TDF)

To make it easier for you to get started, we have also added:

More information: 

 

Git-Enabled Change and Transport System (gCTS)

Snag_c56468.png

gCTS = CTS + git

A new way of transporting objects, gCTS enables you to use Git to store your ABAP development objects. gCTS makes use of special Git features, such as working on local copies of a central remote Git repository. Software development takes place in the usual editors like ABAP Development Tools (ADT). Changes to objects are still recorded in transport requests. Current states of objects can be pushed to remote Git repositories, either by releasing a transport request or while you’re working.
For the official documentation overview, see: 

Git-Enabled Change and Transport System (BC-CTS-GIT) | SAP Help Portal

The official documentation for configuration is in two parts:

  1. Configuring Git-Enabled Change and Transport System
    Here, we have preconfigured the first two parts, so you only have to complete parts 3-5:  
     julieplummer20_0-1714132333934.png
  2. Configuring Git Repositories

Some certificates are already available. If you would like to connect to your own GitHub server or to a provider other than github.com, you have to add the appropriate certificates to the ABAP system in transaction STRUST. The configuration has been done for the default user ‘DEVELOPER’.

To get started with gCTS, simply open the gCTS app in the SAP Fiori Launchpad (FLP).

If you are a SAP customer, partner, or employee, the following SAP Note provides additional information: SAP Note: 2821718 . However, the essential configuration has already been done for everyone.

abapGit

julieplummer20_1-1711536855908.png

Yes, abapGit is available out of the box.
Documentation is here: abapGit Documentation
If you are not yet familiar with abapGit, this post by graham.robinson is a great introduction, with how-to videos:
abapGit So Easy

Custom Code Migration with the ABAP Test Cockpit (ATC)

We've pre-configured ABAP Platform Trial to run as a central check system for checking your custom code prior to migration - particularly useful for:

  • SAP S/4HANA Readiness Checks
  • SAP Cloud Readiness Check

You can test this out of the box locally in SAP ADT, then configure the rest of your landscape to work with it.
For more general information on ATC, see these two excellent blogs, by Olga Dolinskaja:

SAP Cloud Connector

julieplummer20_0-1707312915858.png

SAP Cloud Connector provides a link between SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) applications and on-premise systems. It runs as on-premise agent in a secured network; acts as a reverse invoke proxy between the on-premise network and SAP BTP; and lets you use existing on-premise assets without exposing the entire internal landscape.


If you are interested in connecting your ABAP Platform Trial with a licensed version of SAP BTP, ABAP Environment (i.e.“Steampunk”), I have written a tutorial mission on this: Connect Your On-Premise System with SAP BTP, ABAP Environment

For more information, see:

 

Other Highlights of ABAP Platform 2022: Overview

Blog post: ABAP Platform for SAP S/4HANA 2022, from November 2022, by Olga Dolinskaja, including the Overview Presentation

Guides, Tutorials, FAQ, Troubleshooting

If you’re not sure where to start with your new system, we have written several tutorials:

SAP Tutorial Navigator: ABAP On-Premise Tutorials.

I have started putting together FAQs specifically for ABAP Platform Trial / ABAP Cloud Developer Trial on Docker. If you would like to contribute to this, please let me know:

ABAP Trial Platform on Docker: Tips and Tricks

The old FAQs  also contains some non-release-specific info on Cookbook-style projects, by SAP Community members: I will 

FAQ and Troubleshooting for SAP AS ABAP 7.5x

Troubleshooting: One last thing: Now that comments are no longer threaded, it is almost impossible to keep track of / answer your troubleshooting / error questions. Please please create a new question in the SAP Community - ABAP Development forum (which uses the User Tag "abap_trial"). I will try to monitor these questions, but other experienced ABAP users / mentors will also see them.

Enjoy!

29 Comments