Not possible to run ABAP program in Eclipse environment?

Following situation usually happens when someone starts with ABAP development in ABAP from Eclipse (so called ABAP in Eclipse (AiE)). It is either SAP HANA Studio or just regular Eclipse (version like Neon, Photon, etc.) they all use ABAP Development Tools (ADT). The ADT is suite of Eclipse plug-ins that enable the Eclipse to connect to the SAP NetWeaver system and do the ABAP development from the Eclipse. Doing ABAP development in the Eclipse; replaces t-codes like SE80/Se38/SE37 etc.

For freshers when they start with the new SAP system and try to make an attempt to run their ABAP programs in the Eclipse there can below error message popping up:

"Skip Initial Screen" is not permitted for transaction SADT_START_WB_URI

    Message No. 00131

Diagnosis

    "Skip Initial Screen" is not permitted for transaction &

System Response

    You tried to start the transaction & with the option "Skip Initial

    Screen" using an SAPGUI shortcut, a start transaction, or a URL.

Procedure

    This is not permitted with this transaction.

Procedure for System Administration

In order to fix this; following entries need to be added into the view V_TSTCS:

SADT_START_TCODE

SADT_START_WB_URI

Other option is to disable profile parameter dynp/checkskip1screen completely. As the latter option is normally to be done by SAP Basis the first option is more feasible. The view/parameter carries a client-specific checks on whether it is permitted to start a transaction with the “Skip Initial Screen” option.

Enjoy coding in the Eclipse :)

Connecting to SAP backend with Eclipse

I bet that many of you already tried ABAP development in Eclipse (AiE). The Eclipse is modern development platform and has a lot to offer also to ABAP developers. I tried the Eclipse recently (see my post: How to install SAP NetWeaver Application Server ABAP 7.03 SP04 Trial – Ready for ABAP in Ecplipse (AiE)) and I must say I like it and currently it is my preferred way of developer IDE. Needless to say that Eclipse is not only for ABAP development but currently there are many other SAP development objects backed by the Eclipse.

Once I started with AiE I tried to use it in as many systems as I have an access to. For some of them it worked for some it didn't. Actually my attempt to connect SAP back-end ended with following error message:

User xyz is not authorized to access system ABC via ABAP in Eclipse (The system does not support Eclipse based ABAP Development Tools).

Therefore I started to look what are prerequisites to connect with the Eclipse to SAP backend system. What needs to be deployed in SAP NEtWeaver ABAP backend is software component called SAP_BASIS_AIE. There are following versions of this component:

SAP_BASIS_AIE version	Available as of	SAP Note
2.0	20.11.2012	1718399 - RTC of ABAP Development Tools for SAP NetWeaver
2.7	07.05.2013	1856574 - RTC of ABAP development tools for SAP NetWeaver 2.7
2.13	12.07.2013	1886449 - RTC of ABAP development tools for SAP NetWeaver 2.13
2.16	20.09.2013	1916008 - RTC of ABAP development tools for SAP NetWeaver 2.16
2.19	04.12.2013	1950493 - RTC of ABAP development tools for SAP NetWeaver 2.19
2.24	28.02.2014	1985505 - RTC of ABAP development tools for SAP NetWeaver 2.24
2.28	22.05.2014	2020847 - RTC of ABAP development tools for SAP NetWeaver 2.28
2.31	14.07.2014	2041627 - RTC of ABAP development tools for SAP NetWeaver 2.31

They all need at least SAP enhancement package 3 for SAP NetWeaver 7.0. Means any SAP NetWeaver ABAP 7.03 SP04 or 7.4 SP00 and higher system.

More information:

http://www.slideshare.net/wolf.gregor/abap-in-eclipse-26193311

What are Eclipse based SAP development tools?

For SAP an Eclipse become an strategic tool. As seen in last few years more and more development tools are moving to Eclipse. The Eclipse is not only the tools for JAVA like languages but SAP is embracing it into more and more offerings for different areas of SAP related development.

Architecture of the tool is as follows. There is a standard open source Integrated Development Environment (IDE) framework of Eclipse. Furthermore there are so called SAP relevant plug-ins into the Eclipse which enhances its functionality for SAP development objects. Plug-in appears in the tool as perspective. There are many different perspectives for different SAP objects.

Here's a short summary of the currently available development tools that are based on the Eclipse:

SAP Visual Composer - A design tool that facilitates the creation of SAP Enterprise Portal content using a visual user interface, rather than writing code. The tool appeared for first time approximately in 2004. Download.

SAP HANA Studio - A collection of tools that manages data and monitors the SAP HANA database. The SAP HANA Studio provides an administration console, a modeler, and a lifecycle management perspective. First time appeared with event of HANA in 2010. Download.

ABAP in Eclipse – First attempts of having Eclipse for ABAP development appeared in Feb 2008. On June 2012 an AiE – ABAP in Eclipse = ABAP Development Tools for SAP NetWaver was released. Download.

SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio – Developers can develop an objects for SAP NetWeaver. Mostly it is related to Web Dynpro for Java applications as there is Web Dynpro perspective available. Also there is a range of toolsets such as the Web Dynpro design time tools, graphical tools for the development of J2EE applications, and Web Service client tools. SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio is integrated into the SAP Java development infrastructure. The SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio appeared approx. in 2005. Download.

SAP NetWeaver Gateway – So called SAP Mobile Platform tools. Development objects are client development objects. The tool helps designing and provisioning OData services for SAP Mobile Platform Download.

SAPUI5 – So called UI Development toolkit for HTML5 (or SAPUI5 tools). SAPUI5 was introduced in 2012. Download.

SAP HANA Cloud Platform tools – Tool for developing of apps for SAP HANA Clpud Platform. Appeared approx. in 2012. Download.

SAP HANA Cloud Integration tools - facilitates the integration of business processes and data across on-premise and cloud applications. Data integration capabilities allow you to efficiently and securely use ETL tasks to move data between on-premises systems and the cloud. It contains following features: Designer and Operations for SAP HANA Cloud Integration. Appeared approx. in 2012. Download.

BW Modeling Tools (for SAP HANA BW)

Whole SAP development world is moving away of SAP GUI. This trend is obvious. ABAP developers can develop their programs in Eclipse for quite some time already. See details e.g. FAQs - ABAP Development Tools for Eclipse. SAP HANA Studio which supports developing of HANA’s artefacts like Attribute/Analytic/Calculation Views, DB schemas, tables, sequences, procedures, table types etc. is also based in Eclipse. It was obvious that soon or later BW will get also possibility of developing its objects outside native SAP GUI’s RSA1 transaction and/or outside BEx Query Designer tool.

I remember back in 2009 there were rumors that next “big tool of BW” will be based in Eclipse. Logically it should be successor of Visual Composer (VC) which was/is based in Eclipse also. After VC there is another tool SAP BusinessObjects Design Studio also based in Eclipse. Design Studio is tool for creation of analysis applications and dashboards based on BW/HANA/Universe based data sources for browsers and mobile devices.

On other hand purpose of BW Modeling Tools is to support modeling of BW’s InfoProviders such as "CompositeProvider" and "Open ODS View". CompProv and Open ODS Views are newly introduced objects which came with SAP NetWeaver 7.40 SP5. The tool further supports consumption of SAP HANA Views in BW Models.

In order to use the tool you need few plugins to be installed into the SAP HANA Studio:

• ABAP Development Tools – current version 2.48 (as of 12/07.2017)
• BW Modeling Tools – current version 1.13 (as of 12/07.2017), Note: 1944835

Both can be downloaded from service.sap.com/swdc -> search for SAP HANA Studio

Installation guide for Modelling Tools is available on SMP here (S* ID required).

Personally I’m very looking forward to “united” developer IDE where all kin dof SAP objects can be developed. On other hand I think I’ll be nostalgic for all the transaction in SAP GUI like SE80, SE38/37 and so on.

PS: explanation of new terms:

CompProv – in this new type of object it is possible to merge data from classic BW InfoProviders with data from SAP HANA models using Union and Join or just merge BW data. See the details here.

You can only use this new CompositeProvider if you are using a SAP HANA database.

Open ODS Views – You can define BW data models using it for integration of existing BW objects (DataSources) without the need to create InfoObjects. Open ODS View represents BW metadata of BW structures. While not having InfoObjects high level of consistency of the data model is not guaranteed. On other hand you can change the model much more quickly comparing to the model with InfoObjects. Also it has no separate storage of master and transaction data. See the details here.

-      Update 02/05/2016 –

BW Modeling Tools are usually referred by abbreviation BWMT

-      Update 12/07/2017 –

Current version for ABAP and BW tools updated. For details see here for BW Modeling Tools and here for ABAP tools.