ABAP Learning Journey

ABAP Learning Journey

Whether you're a beginner ABAP developer or an experienced ABAPer, there's always something to learn. Use these resources from SAP PRESS (books, blog posts, and videos) to develop your own career and take the next (or first!) steps into the world of SAP development with the ABAP programming language.

What Is ABAP?

ABAP stands for Advanced Business Application Programming, and is SAP’s proprietary, fourth-generation programming language. It was specifically developed to allow the mass-processing of data in SAP business applications. ABAP is a multi-paradigm programming language, meaning programmers can utilize procedural, object-oriented, and other programming principles. While it is SAP’s primary programming language, programs written with ABAP can run alongside those based on other programming languages such as Java, JavaScript, and SAPUI5.


Getting Started with ABAP Development

How to Create Your First ABAP Program in SAP [13 Steps]

How to Create Your First ABAP Program in SAP [13 Steps]

In this blog post, learn how to easily get started with ABAP development by following the 13 steps outlined. Before you begin, you’ll need developer access to the SAP system with relevant development authorizations and a developer key assigned to your user ID.

An Introduction to ABAP Development Tools

Explore ABAP Development Tools and How to Code ABAP Apps

With the introduction of agile ABAP development, ABAP Development Tools has quickly become a popular and easy tool to use when programming with ABAP. In this post, learn more about these tools and how they can help you create an agile ABAP application for your users. 

What is SFLIGHT and the Flight and Booking Data Model for ABAP?

What Is SFLIGHT and the Flight and Booking Data Model?

SAP's flight and booking data model exists in every ABAP system, and is used in ABAP documentation and training provided by SAP. This blog post takes an introductory look at the tables relevant to specific training exercises you may undertake when learning ABAP.

ABAP: An Introduction

ABAP: An Introduction

Step into ABAP with this beginner's guide. First understand ABAP syntax and find out how to add data and logic to your applications. Then delve into backend programming: learn to work with the ABAP data dictionary, create database objects, and process and store data. Round out your skill set by practicing error handling, modularization, string manipulation, and more. With guided examples, step-by-step instructions, and detailed code you'll become an ABAP developer in no time!


Thinking About a Career in ABAP Development?

Who Are ABAPers And What Do They Do?

Let ABAPer Jelena Perfiljeva fill you in:

"[We do] mostly magic. And debugging. Joking aside, it’s difficult to describe a typical day of an average ABAP developer because our work can be so different. Here are just some examples of the common development tasks:

  • Creating executable programs (ABAP reports) to display business data, perform transactions in the system, or automate complex processes.
  • Enhancements and customizations of the SAP standard, which have odd names like “user exit” and BADI. Output forms using PDF or smart forms.
  • Creating web services that help to integrate SAP ERP with other systems or provide data for UX applications."

In this video, become familiar with how SAP PRESS books can help you on your journey from ABAP beginner to ABAPer extraordinaire!

Whether you're brand-new to the language or looking for next steps, we have something for you! Explore our introduction, complete language guide, and forays into more advanced topics such as abapGit, ABAP in the cloud, CDS, and more.

These books are the perfect resource to consult; they're all available as printed books as well as e-books for easier reading on the go!


Take the Next Steps in Learning ABAP

What is the RESTful ABAP Programming Model 2

What Is the ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model?

If you've been a longtime developer of the ABAP language, you might be wondering what the ABAP RESTful application programming model is. In this post, learn about the new paradigm, along with its similarities and differences from the traditional ABAP approach.

3 Advanced ABAP Testing Things to Know

3 Advanced ABAP Testing Things to Know for Better Programs

The goal of agile software engineering is to continuously improve apps. Test automation is important for this because any improvement starts with the ability to keep the existing functionality – that is, to avoid regression. Learn three testing aspects in this post.

How to Set Up an ABAP Cloud Development Environment

Set Up ABAP in the Cloud with a New  Development Environment

ABAP development has changed a lot in the past few years. This post will teach you about ABAP in the cloud, by utilizing the SAP Business Technology Platform, ABAP environment. The cloud is the future of SAP, and this post will set you up for a successful transition!

The Future of ABAP Development with SAP - Video

Learn about ABAP development from SAP Mentor and ABAP to the Future author Paul Hardy. In this video interview, Paul discusses the future of ABAP development and his thoughts on recent ABAP functionality that you might not have heard of yet. Explore cloud ABAP, CDS views and CDS entities, testing, function models, abapGit, and how ABAP relates to SAP Fiori and SAP S/4HANA. We have interviews like this throughout the year, so make sure to check our social media to see what the next topic will be!

Complete ABAP

Complete ABAP

Get everything you need to code with ABAP, all in one place! Are you a beginner looking for a refresher on the basics? You'll get an overview of SAP architecture and learn syntax. Already an experienced programmer and looking to improve your ABAP skills? Dive right into modifications and code enhancements. Understand the programming environment and build reports, interfaces, and applications with this complete reference to coding with ABAP! Writing code is one thing—but making it work is another. Learn how to debug code using the classic and new debuggers, and put your programs to the test using tools like ABAP Unit and the code inspector.


Show Off Your Knowledge with ABAP Certification

ABAP 7.5 Certification Guide

ABAP 7.5 Certification Guide

Gearing up for your ABAP C_TAW12_750 certification? Make the grade with this guide to the SAP Certified Development Associate exam for ABAP 7.5. Refresh your knowledge with coverage of key concepts and important terminology, and then test yourself with practice questions, answers, and explanations. Study up on the latest in ABAP, like SQL statements, CDS views, ABAP classes, ABAP data types, and more. With this book, focus only on what's important. Review exam subject areas like ABAP Workbench, Unicode, ABAP Dictionary, object-oriented programming, Web Dynpro for ABAP, and more.

What is Clean ABAP?

Applying Robert C. Martin's Clean Code Concept to ABAP

Coders from all corners of the development universe have likely heard of Robert C. Martin's seminal work Clean Code. In this blog post, learn about the fundamental pillar of code readability and why it's so important to current and future developers. Then learn how this idea can be extended to the world of ABAP development with a special book and GitHub repository.

Antifragile ABAP—Combining SAP Development with...Philosophy?

How the Philosophy Concept "Antrifragility" to ABAP Development

As Paul Hardy states, "you don’t find too many computer programmers reading books on philosophy." With a little critical thought, however, some traditional philosophy can be applied to development philosophy. Case in point: the antifragile attribute of a thing. When stressed, the item (in this case, code) becomes better or stays the same. There's no risk of damage. Pretty neat!


Want to Go All In in ABAP? Get a Programming E-Book Subscription!

SAP PRESS Topic Subscription for Programming

Get unlimited access to all SAP PRESS programming books, including our whole ABAP library!

Whether you’re just starting your ABAP journey or are ready to take the next steps, these books will help you dive right in. Explore the basics of ABAP development with ABAP: An Introduction and take a look at advanced concepts with our comprehensive Complete ABAP  tome. Learn how to develop ABAP apps for SAP HANA, use the ABAP RESTful application programming model, and take ABAP to the cloud with SAP BTP. See how to use clean code conventions in your daily development tasks with Clean ABAP, and learn about the cutting edge of ABAP functionality with ABAP to the Future. Lastly, prepare for certification success with ABAP 7.5 Certification Guide.

The subscription includes all of these books! Read them all, and any new books as they release. Choose between monthly and yearly plans, and add team members at attractive rates! Plus, download your favorite books on your mobile devices with our new app for iOS and Android!