/sap-abap

SAP ABAP Skill Reference Guide

This document provides a comprehensive guide to all reference materials available for the SAP ABAP skill.

Core Language References

Data Types and Declarations

• Internal Tables: references/internal-tables.md - Complete table operations, keys, grouping, table expressions
• ABAP Dictionary: references/abap-dictionary.md - Data elements, domains, structures, table types
• Date and Time: references/date-time.md - Type d, t, utclong, timestamps, XCO library
• Numeric Operations: references/numeric-operations.md - Math functions, big integers, decimal floating points
• Bits and Bytes: references/bits-bytes.md - Binary operations, CASTING, bit manipulation
• String Processing: references/string-processing.md - String functions, templates, FIND, REPLACE, regex

Program Flow and Control

• Program Flow: references/program-flow.md - IF, CASE, LOOP, DO, WHILE, control statements
• Constructor Expressions: references/constructor-expressions.md - VALUE, NEW, CONV, CORRESPONDING, COND, REDUCE
• Built-in Functions: references/builtin-functions.md - String, numeric, table, logical functions

ABAP SQL and Database Access

• ABAP SQL: references/abap-sql.md - SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, DELETE, JOINs, CTEs, aggregate functions
• SQL Hierarchies: references/sql-hierarchies.md - CTE hierarchies, HIERARCHY descendants/ancestors
• WHERE Conditions: references/where-conditions.md - SQL and table WHERE patterns, operators
• SAP LUW: references/sap-luw.md - Logical Unit of Work, COMMIT, ROLLBACK, database transactions

Object-Oriented Programming

• Object Orientation: references/object-orientation.md - Classes, interfaces, inheritance, polymorphism
• Design Patterns: references/design-patterns.md - Factory, Singleton, Strategy, Observer patterns
• Dynamic Programming: references/dynamic-programming.md - RTTI, RTTC, field symbols, data references

Modern ABAP and RAP

• RAP and EML: references/rap-eml.md - RESTful Application Programming Model, EML statements
• CDS Views: references/cds-views.md - Core Data Services, view entities, associations
• ABAP Cloud: references/cloud-development.md - Cloud-ready development, released APIs
• Released Classes: references/released-classes.md - Released API catalog for ABAP Cloud
• AMDP: references/amdp.md - ABAP Managed Database Procedures, SQLScript integration

Testing and Error Handling

• Unit Testing: references/unit-testing.md - ABAP Unit framework, test classes, assertions
• Exception Handling: references/exceptions.md - TRY/CATCH, exception classes, error handling
• Authorization: references/authorization.md - AUTHORITY-CHECK, DCL, access control

Performance and Optimization

• Performance: references/performance.md - Database access optimization, internal table performance
• Table Grouping: references/table-grouping.md - GROUP BY loops, aggregation patterns

Data Exchange and Integration

• XML/JSON Processing: references/xml-json.md - iXML, sXML, CALL TRANSFORMATION
• Generative AI: references/generative-ai.md - AI SDK, LLM integration, Joule

Source Documentation

All content based on official SAP ABAP Cheat Sheets:

• Repository: https://github.com/SAP-samples/abap-cheat-sheets
• SAP Help: https://help.sap.com/doc/abapdocu_latest_index_htm/latest/en-US/index.htm

How to Use This Guide

1. Quick Reference: Look at SKILL.md for commonly used patterns
2. Detailed Information: Navigate to specific reference files using this guide
3. Examples: Each reference file contains practical code examples
4. Best Practices: All references include performance tips and common pitfalls

Skill Structure

sap-abap/
├── SKILL.md                        # Quick reference and common patterns
├── README.md                       # Skill overview and auto-trigger keywords
└── references/                     # Detailed reference files (28 files)
    ├── skill-reference-guide.md    # This file - complete guide to references
    ├── internal-tables.md         # Table operations (562 lines)
    ├── abap-sql.md                # SQL reference (563 lines)
    ├── string-processing.md       # String functions (563 lines)
    ... and 25 more specialized references

Last Updated

• Skill Version: 1.1.0
• Last Updated: 2026-04-02
• ABAP Release: 7.40 SP08+ / 7.50+ / ABAP Cloud
• Reference Files: 28
• Total Lines: ~25,000 across all reference files

Version Compatibility

This skill targets ABAP 7.40 SP08 and above. Features requiring higher releases are annotated in individual reference files. Key boundaries:

• 7.40 SP02: Inline declarations, constructor expressions, table expressions, string templates
• 7.40 SP05: @ host variables, comma syntax, SQL expressions, CORRESPONDING, LET, FOR
• 7.40 SP08: REDUCE, FILTER, BASE, GROUP BY for internal tables, CDS parameters
• 7.50: FINAL(...), host expressions @(...), UNION, IS INSTANCE OF, CDS table functions
• 7.51: CTEs (WITH), OFFSET, UPPER/LOWER in SQL, enumerated types
• 7.52: FROM @itab, WITH PRIVILEGED ACCESS, virtual sort

See the Version Compatibility table in SKILL.md for the complete feature matrix.