What is ABAP Cloud, Really?
ABAP Cloud is a development model designed to build:
Tightly-coupled extensions within SAP S/4HANA Cloud (Public and Private Editions).
Side-by-side extensions or standalone applications on the SAP Business Technology Platform (BTP) ABAP Environment.
The overarching goal? Clean Core and Upgrade Stability. This means your custom developments must not interfere with the standard SAP codebase, ensuring that system upgrades are smoother, faster, and less risky.
ABAP Cloud achieves this through a stricter, more modern development paradigm:
Released APIs Only: Interaction with SAP objects (tables, classes, CDS views, etc.) is restricted to publicly released, stable, and well-defined local APIs. No more direct access to underlying SAP tables that aren’t explicitly released!
Exclusive Use of ABAP Development Tools (ADT) in Eclipse: Say goodbye to SE80, SE38, SE11 (for direct table changes), etc., for ABAP Cloud development. ADT is your sole environment.
Restricted ABAP Language Scope: A subset of the ABAP language is enforced. Obsolete statements (e.g., classical Dynpros, WRITE statements for UI) and direct modifications to SAP standard objects (outside defined extension points) are prohibited.
Why the Shift to ABAP Cloud?
The move to ABAP Cloud is driven by clear benefits:
Accelerated SAP Innovation: SAP can deliver updates and new features for S/4HANA Cloud more rapidly without the fear of breaking countless custom code adaptations.
Simplified Customer Upgrades: By keeping the core clean, upgrades become significantly less complex, time-consuming, and costly for customers.
Cloud-Native Principles: Aligns ABAP development with modern cloud practices, fostering API-first approaches and greater agility.
ABAP Cloud vs. Traditional ABAP (SAP GUI Era)
For developers seasoned in the ways of SAP GUI-based development, ABAP Cloud introduces significant changes:
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ABAP Cloud vs. ABAP 7.4 Standard (On-Premise Context)
ABAP 7.4 was a pivotal release, introducing many modern ABAP features that are now cornerstones of ABAP Cloud. However, the application and enforcement of these features differ:
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What Stays the Same (or is Built Upon)?
Core ABAP Language Fundamentals: Your solid understanding of data types, control structures, object-oriented programming in ABAP remains invaluable.
Modern ABAP Syntax: Skills with features introduced from ABAP 7.4 onwards (like CDS, AMDP, new Open SQL, inline declarations) are not just transferable but essential for ABAP Cloud.
Problem-Solving & Business Logic: The ability to translate business requirements into effective and robust technical solutions is always paramount.
Sources
The original post by boris_gebhardt: ABAP Cloud
ABAP Development Topic Page: community.sap.com/topics/abap
SAP BTP ABAP Environment Topic Page: community.sap.com/topics/btp-abap-environment
