Generated by Jive on 2014-09-23+02:00

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FAQs - ABAP Development Tools for Eclipse
This document tries to answer the most important FAQs about the ABAP Development Tools for Eclipse, the
new Eclipse-based ABAP IDE. This is only a starting point, if you are interested in more specific topics please
take a look at the forum/discussions or post your question there. For more information about how to use the
ABAP development tools please take a look at the Getting Started Guide and the Quick Launch Sheet of ADT.

Frequently Asked Questions on page 1
General on page 1
Why did SAP choose the Eclipse platform to build a new ABAP IDE? on page 2
What are the key benefits of the new ABAP IDE? on page 2
Is there an additional license fee for the ABAP development tools? on page 2
Are the ABAP development tools for Eclipse open source software? on page 2
Which is the lowest SAP NetWeaver release supported by the ABAP development tools? on
page 2
Which AS ABAP release is required for a specific ADT feature? on page 3
Will SAP stop investing in the ABAP workbench (SE80) or even disable it? on page 3
Can I use the ABAP development tools for Eclipse and the ABAP workbench (SE80) in
parallel? on page 3
Installation on page 3
Which operating systems are supported by the ABAP development tools? on page 3
How can I install the ABAP development tools for eclipse? on page 3
What needs to be done on the ABAP backend? on page 4
Is there also a trial version of the ABAP development tools available? on page 4
Core Concepts on page 4
What's the easiest way to get started with ABAP in Eclipse? on page 4
What is the difference of an ABAP project in Eclipse compared to a standard project in
Eclipse? on page 4
Do I have to check in and check out my ABAP source code like in the Java Development Tools
for Eclipse? on page 4
Where are the form-based function and class builder? on page 5
I'm missing some important tools. Where are they? on page 5
How can I debug my application in Eclipse? on page 5
As the open Eclipse platform offers first-class extension points, how about the extensibility of
the ABAP development tools? on page 5
Can I develop classic dynpros within in eclipse? on page 5

Frequently Asked Questions

General

FAQs - ABAP Development Tools for Eclipse
Generated by Jive on 2014-09-23+02:00
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Why did SAP choose the Eclipse platform to build a new ABAP
IDE?
The open Eclipse platform offers first-class user experience, powerful platform capabilities, and a broad and
vivid ecosystem contributing enhancements and extensions. Thus, SAP as active contributor and strategic
developer of the Eclipse foundation continously invests in harmonizing design-time and development tools
on the Eclipse platform like the ABAP development tools or SAP HANA Studio to increase the developer
productivity and enable specific cross-tool interactions.

What are the key benefits of the new ABAP IDE?
Besides the intrinsic benefits of the Eclipse platform the ABAP Development Tools offer failover-safe online
development in multiple AS ABAP systems, advanced source code editing and refactoring support, powerful
search and navigation capabilities, ideal support for task-oriented and test-driven development, and built-in
extensibility by rich extension points (see below). For more information about ADT please refer to the Getting
Started Guide.

Is there an additional license fee for the ABAP development
tools?
No, this is also covered by the standard SAP NetWeaver developer license.

Are the ABAP development tools for Eclipse open source
software?
No. Because of legal obligations we are not allowed to publish the source code. Nevertheless, SAP already
offers a software development kit for the ABAP development tools to allow the community or customers and
partners to extend and enhance the IDE (see below).

Which is the lowest SAP NetWeaver release supported by the
ABAP development tools?
Currently, ADT is compatible with AS ABAP of SAP NetWeaver 7.31/7.03 SP04 onwards. For more information
please refer to this blog post.


FAQs - ABAP Development Tools for Eclipse
Generated by Jive on 2014-09-23+02:00
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Which AS ABAP release is required for a specific ADT feature?
As some ADT features depend on the backend, you can check this blog by Thomas Fiedler for more
information about its availability in a specific AS ABAP release.


Will SAP stop investing in the ABAP workbench (SE80) or even
disable it?
No, SE80 is still supported, but in the future more and more new features will be exclusive to the ABAP
development tools. At the current point in time the ABAP development tools are an additional offering without
replacing the ABAP workbench completely.

Can I use the ABAP development tools for Eclipse and the
ABAP workbench (SE80) in parallel?
Yes, this is possible. Both IDEs share the same source code repository and locking mechanism.


Installation

Which operating systems are supported by the ABAP
development tools?
Currently, the officially supported version runs on Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X and Linux.


How can I install the ABAP development tools for eclipse?
The easiest way to install the ABAP development tools is via the SAP Tools Updatesite: https://
tools.hana.ondemand.com/#abap
Here you find the installation pre-requisites and the installation instructions.


FAQs - ABAP Development Tools for Eclipse
Generated by Jive on 2014-09-23+02:00
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What needs to be done on the ABAP backend?
In order to use the ABAP development tools you need some small adjustments on the ABAP server. Please
find the information in this document:
Configuring the ABAP Back-end for ABAP Developm... | SCN

Is there also a trial version of the ABAP development tools
available?
Yes, there's already a trial version of the ABAP development tools as well as a compatible SAP NetWeaver AS
ABAP backend available. For download links and more information please refer to this document.


Core Concepts

What's the easiest way to get started with ABAP in Eclipse?
The easiest way to learn the handling and the basic features in eclipse is to use the Feature Explorer and start
with the beginners tour. Find the details in the blog Get more out of ABAP in Eclipse with the Feature Explorer

What is the difference of an ABAP project in Eclipse compared
to a standard project in Eclipse?
In ADT the project represents a pre-defined connection to an AS ABAP backend (server/client/user) as if
you would connect to an AS ABAP backend using SAP GUI. Thus, you can develop and compare objects of
different backend systems simultaneously. For more details how to organize your projects please refer to the
ADT documentation.

Do I have to check in and check out my ABAP source code like
in the Java Development Tools for Eclipse?
No, ADT is using the same online development model as the ABAP workbench with the well-known lifecycle
management services of the AS ABAP (e.g. TMS).

FAQs - ABAP Development Tools for Eclipse
Generated by Jive on 2014-09-23+02:00
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Where are the form-based function and class builder?
Our user experience studies have shown that a powerful source code editor is much more efficient than editing
fragmented sources in multiple forms. The new Outline View and the Quick Outline window complement the
new source code editor by providing convenient navigation capabilities and a structured view on your source
code.

I'm missing some important tools. Where are they?
Not every tool has been migrated to the Eclipse platform yet - for different reasons: Some will make their way
into a future release of ABAP development tools, for others we are evaluating new concepts, that fit much
better into SAP's platform strategy. In these cases you can use the tight SAP GUI integration for now which
allows you to use existing transactions with context-aware navigation. For more information please refer to the
documentation.

How can I debug my application in Eclipse?
If you update the kernel of your AS ABAP system to SAP Kernel 7.21 (or higher) you can already use the
native debugger of the ABAP Development Tools. Alternatively, you have to use the GUI-based debugger.

As the open Eclipse platform offers first-class extension points,
how about the extensibility of the ABAP development tools?
Yes, SAP is already offering a software development kit for the ABAP development tools. For more information
please download the SDK and read this blog by Michael Schneider.

Can I develop classic dynpros within in eclipse?
Currently we have no plans to provide native dynpro development tools within eclipse. But you can use the
integrated SAP GUI to run the standard workbench tools like screen painter or menu painter within eclipse.