Web Dynpro ABAP goes Eclipse

– written by Daniel Schön, SAP Senior Consultant Development, NTT DATA Business Solutions AG –

Last year SAP released the first version of ABAP Development Tools for SAP NetWeaver. Previously, SAP GUI exclusively provided ABAP in Eclipse (AiE) tools that included a wide range of development utilities. With these tools it was possible to develop reports, function modules and classes, but one huge part was still missing: Web Dynpro ABAP.

In May 2013 this gap was closed by version 2.7 of ABAP Development Tools The new AiE version now also supports the development of Web Dynpro ABAP applications in the Eclipse environment.

Last year, NTT DATA Business Solutions had the pleasure to attend – along with 10 other companies – the design partner council for Web Dynpro ABAP in Eclipse.

As a design partner, NTT DATA Business Solutions was privileged to have a sneak preview of the new toolset. Through frequent phone calls and guided test sessions, the design partners also provided feedback to the SAP development team about the implemented features and to prioritize the requirement listto ensure the new features perfectly meet the requirements of a Web Dynpro developer.

The SAP developers did an amazing jobAnd today it is possible to do a nearly complete Web Dynpro ABAP development process in Eclipse, with the few missing steps able to be  done in an integrated SAP GUI.

But why should anybody use Web Dynpro ABAP in Eclipse if it provides the same features as the ABAP Development Workbench?

The first reason is the Eclipse environment itself. It is an integrated development environment, which has matured in the last few years. Eclipse is optimized for development and provides many features that can improve the developer workflow.

The second reason is that SAP developers are now able to completely rebuild the development environment. The ABAP Development Workbench has evolved into a mature and stable development environment.

–          With Eclipse it is now possible to start over and introduce new features easily. Web Dynpro ABAP in Eclipse provides features developers have wanted for years, such as: Selection of multiple UI Elements

–          Graphically supported context mapping

–          The source code of a controller at one page with quick navigation possibilities

And many more new features are on the way.

The new tools can be downloaded in the Service Marketplace (login required) and more detailed information can also be found in this article from SAP  Although the ABAP Development Workbench will still be around for quite a while and Eclipse is not mandatory, it is definitely worth checking out.