ABAP 7.40

ABAP 7.40: Modernizing a Classic

ABAP, the cornerstone programming language of SAP systems, has undergone significant changes with the introduction of ABAP 7.40. This release brought a wealth of enhancements, streamlining coding, improving performance, and making ABAP development more aligned with contemporary programming practices. In this blog, let’s dive into the key features and benefits ABAP 7.40 offers.

Key New Features

1. Inline Declarations

• • Declare variables right where you need them, improving code readability and maintainability.
• Example:
• ABAP
• DATA(carrname) = CONV string( scarr-carrname ).
• Use code with caution.
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1. Table Expressions

• • Powerfully manipulate internal tables within expressions, eliminating the need for loops in many cases.
• Example:
• ABAP
• itab = VALUE #( FOR wa IN itab WHERE ( carrid = ‘LH’ ) ( carrname wa-carrname ) ).
• Use code with caution.
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1. NEW and VALUE Operators

• • Streamlined object creation and structure initialization.
• Example:
• ABAP
• DATA(output) = NEW cl_demo_output( text = ‘Hello’ ).
• DATA(flight_info) = VALUE #( carrier = ‘LH’ connid = ‘0400’ ).
• Use code with caution.
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1. FOR Expressions

• • Iterate over internal tables with more flexibility and control.
• Example:
• ABAP
• LOOP AT itab INTO wa 
•     FOR INDEX idx FROM 2 WHERE ( carrid = ‘AC’ ). 
•     ” Process …
• ENDLOOP.
• Use code with caution.
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1. Enhanced String Processing

• • New string functions and the string template operator (`) improve string manipulation.
• Example:
• ABAP
•  WRITE: / ‘Flight’, |LH 2021|,’ departs from’, airport. 
• Use code with caution.
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1. Conditional Expressions: COND and SWITCH

• • Make decision logic more concise and readable.
• Example:
• ABAP
• discount = COND #( WHEN sales_volume < 1000 THEN 0
•                     WHEN sales_volume < 5000 THEN 5
•                     ELSE 10 ). 
• Use code with caution.
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Advantages of ABAP 7.40

• Improved Readability: Inline declarations, table expressions, and conditional expressions make your ABAP code cleaner and easier to understand.
• Increased Efficiency: New operators and expressions streamline operations within your code, making development faster.
• Better Performance: Features like table expressions can lead to optimized code execution.
• Modern Development Practices: ABAP 7.40 enables you to employ coding patterns more in line with other modern programming languages.

Getting Started with ABAP 7.40

If you’re ready to take advantage of ABAP 7.40, here are some resources:

• SAP Help Portal: Find official ABAP documentation and tutorials https://help.sap.com/
• SAP Community Blogs: Learn from ABAP experts and get practical examples https://community.sap.com/
• Online Courses: Explore various educational platforms offering ABAP 7.40 courses.

The Future of ABAP

ABAP 7.40 demonstrates a clear commitment to the language’s continued evolution. By embracing these new features, you can bring greater efficiency, readability, and maintainability to your SAP development projects.