Hey SAP enthusiasts!
If you’ve ever found yourself questioning the impact of AI on SAP roles, especially in the realm of ABAP, it’s time to rethink that stance. We’re standing on the brink of something exciting! SAP is gearing up to revolutionize ABAP development with Joule—an innovation that showcases SAP’s dedication to weaving AI into the very fabric of its ecosystem. it is already available for CAP – Cloud application Programming with Build Code. SAP will launch something for ABAP sooner or later.
So, what does this mean for us in the SAP development landscape? Let’s dive into how AI is transforming our work lives and making the development process more efficient, innovative, and, dare I say, a bit more fun!
Why AI Matters in SAP Development and Clean Core
With the advent of SAP Cloud, extensibility models and the ‘Clean Core’ philosophy, there is a shift in how we approach SAP development. It’s no longer just about writing code; it’s about harnessing intelligent tools that can help us create better applications while keeping our core systems adaptable and resilient.
Imagine this: AI chatbots are not just quirky features anymore; they’re now our trusty companions that provide instant coding support. Sounds intriguing, right? Let’s explore some real-world scenarios that highlight this transformative journey.
Scenario 1: The Fast Track for Functional Specifications ( FS To Code )
Picture this: you upload all your Functional Specifications (FS) into a custom Fiori tool designed to streamline our development process. As the AI quickly grasps each FS, it sends an email to the developer assigned to the task. Imagine the thrill of receiving a Fiori Inbox notification that says, “New Development Task!” But here’s the kicker—you find that AI has already prewritten 20-40% of the objects and code you need. Talk about a head start!
Scenario 2: CoPilot for Code ( Code Assistant )
Now, let’s dive deeper. When you’re tasked with writing an ABAP class, AI steps in to make your life easier.
Functional Requirement Clarification: No more endless back-and-forth with consultants! AI can explain and clarify functional requirements, saving you time and headaches.AI-Based Code Completion: Ever wish you had a coding buddy who could predict your next move? AI tools do just that, filling in code as you type and minimizing those pesky errors.Intelligent Commenting: You write the code, and AI does the rest—adding comments that enhance readability and maintainability. It’s like having a personal assistant who knows exactly what you need!
Scenario 3: Optimizing Your Code ( Assistance for Optimization and Conversion )
We all know that maintaining clean code is crucial. AI can help with that too!
Code Modularization: AI can suggest ways to break down complex code into manageable, reusable modules.Redundancy Removal: Let’s get rid of the clutter! AI identifies and helps remove duplicate or unnecessary code, keeping your codebase streamlined.HANA and ABAP Golden Rules: Logic and Context aware AI assistant can enforce application of golden rules of ABAP and SQL.ECC to S/4HANA Code Conversion: If you’re dealing with legacy ECC code, AI can assist in converting it to meet S/4HANA standards, ensuring you’re ready for the cloud.
Scenario 4: Cloud Compliance Made Easy ( Dev Assistant for Clean Core )
With AI, compliance is a breeze. It integrates with Cloudification libraries or ABAP-Cloud-Readiness ATC Checks to ensure your code adheres to cloud standards. Plus, it can:
RAP-Based Fiori App Generation: AI assistant can transform your ABAP reports into RAP applications, generating Fiori Elements UI with minimal developer input. How cool is that?Cloud Compliant Code: ATC Checks can find cloud readiness errors, but cannot solve it. AI tools can solve errors and make it cloud ready with single click. How? It knows what code is written for, and has analysis of ATC Checks or Cloudification library, it can replace deprecated APIs and other constructs with their successors. If no Successor is available, it can suggest work around of creating a wrapper with 3-tier extensibility model.
Scenario 5: AI to create Technical Specs from FS and Code ( Code To TS )
No Developer likes writing TS. Period.
Test Script Writing and Execution: Writing test scripts based on your code logic? AI has got your back, executing them to validate functionality.TS Technical Specification and TUT Preparation: Say goodbye to writing TS and TUT Documents manually ! AI understands the overall context with Functional specs and code. It can create templates for us, moreover, it can write TS on behalf of us. From the test scripts, it can put placeholders for developer to paste screenshot once TUT is done.
Scenario 5: Seamless CI/CD Pipeline / Transport Management Integration and Automation
Integrating AI into your CI/CD pipelines / Transport Management can automate testing and deployment processes. Imagine spending less time on tedious tasks and more time on what you love—creating amazing SAP applications!
Technical Foundations for such AI Integration
Before SAP officially launches something and make our life easier working with SAP and ABAP, let me create
To make all this magic happen, we need a solid foundation. Here are some key elements:
IDE
Custom Solution with Fiori and CAP : Screens to upload FSs in UI5, NodeJS to assign it to one of the available developers, Integration with SolMan for project handling.Integration with ABAP system via OData exposure can provide all repositories of SAP. SAPUI5 already has CodeEditor UI Control that supports many languages including ABAP. It can be extended to add Custom Rules and add UI for a GenAI Assistant.
GenAI
Foundation LLM Model on SAP AICore and GenAI Hub: This is the backbone for our AI functionalities.Grounding Techniques: Resources like help.sap.com, developers.sap.com, and the SAP Learning Hub provide essential knowledge and insights. Webhooks/Tools: By utilizing open-source UI5, CAP, ABAP Lints, and Cloudification libraries, we can ensure our code is cloud-ready.
Stay tuned for another blog on a tool developed with above design and for more Technical details.
Integrating it with existing and widely adopted IDE would be more suited for enterprises.
Eclipse: An Add-on on top of ADT Tools with GenAI Assistant.BAS: Tools such as Joule with Build Code already work well with CAP model on BTP, SAP can extend it to support ABAP Language and integrate with ABAP on Cloud.VSCode: A new add on for ABAP with GenAI Assistant.
Conclusion:
The integration of AI into SAP development is not just a trend; it’s a game changer that will empower us to work smarter, enhance our productivity, and ultimately deliver better solutions to our businesses.
Share your thoughts, experiences, or questions in the comments below. I’d love to hear how you envision AI changing your work life!
Hey SAP enthusiasts!If you’ve ever found yourself questioning the impact of AI on SAP roles, especially in the realm of ABAP, it’s time to rethink that stance. We’re standing on the brink of something exciting! SAP is gearing up to revolutionize ABAP development with Joule—an innovation that showcases SAP’s dedication to weaving AI into the very fabric of its ecosystem. it is already available for CAP – Cloud application Programming with Build Code. SAP will launch something for ABAP sooner or later. So, what does this mean for us in the SAP development landscape? Let’s dive into how AI is transforming our work lives and making the development process more efficient, innovative, and, dare I say, a bit more fun!Why AI Matters in SAP Development and Clean CoreWith the advent of SAP Cloud, extensibility models and the ‘Clean Core’ philosophy, there is a shift in how we approach SAP development. It’s no longer just about writing code; it’s about harnessing intelligent tools that can help us create better applications while keeping our core systems adaptable and resilient.Imagine this: AI chatbots are not just quirky features anymore; they’re now our trusty companions that provide instant coding support. Sounds intriguing, right? Let’s explore some real-world scenarios that highlight this transformative journey. Scenario 1: The Fast Track for Functional Specifications ( FS To Code )Picture this: you upload all your Functional Specifications (FS) into a custom Fiori tool designed to streamline our development process. As the AI quickly grasps each FS, it sends an email to the developer assigned to the task. Imagine the thrill of receiving a Fiori Inbox notification that says, “New Development Task!” But here’s the kicker—you find that AI has already prewritten 20-40% of the objects and code you need. Talk about a head start!Scenario 2: CoPilot for Code ( Code Assistant )Now, let’s dive deeper. When you’re tasked with writing an ABAP class, AI steps in to make your life easier.Functional Requirement Clarification: No more endless back-and-forth with consultants! AI can explain and clarify functional requirements, saving you time and headaches.AI-Based Code Completion: Ever wish you had a coding buddy who could predict your next move? AI tools do just that, filling in code as you type and minimizing those pesky errors.Intelligent Commenting: You write the code, and AI does the rest—adding comments that enhance readability and maintainability. It’s like having a personal assistant who knows exactly what you need!Scenario 3: Optimizing Your Code ( Assistance for Optimization and Conversion )We all know that maintaining clean code is crucial. AI can help with that too!Code Modularization: AI can suggest ways to break down complex code into manageable, reusable modules.Redundancy Removal: Let’s get rid of the clutter! AI identifies and helps remove duplicate or unnecessary code, keeping your codebase streamlined.HANA and ABAP Golden Rules: Logic and Context aware AI assistant can enforce application of golden rules of ABAP and SQL.ECC to S/4HANA Code Conversion: If you’re dealing with legacy ECC code, AI can assist in converting it to meet S/4HANA standards, ensuring you’re ready for the cloud.Scenario 4: Cloud Compliance Made Easy ( Dev Assistant for Clean Core )With AI, compliance is a breeze. It integrates with Cloudification libraries or ABAP-Cloud-Readiness ATC Checks to ensure your code adheres to cloud standards. Plus, it can:RAP-Based Fiori App Generation: AI assistant can transform your ABAP reports into RAP applications, generating Fiori Elements UI with minimal developer input. How cool is that?Cloud Compliant Code: ATC Checks can find cloud readiness errors, but cannot solve it. AI tools can solve errors and make it cloud ready with single click. How? It knows what code is written for, and has analysis of ATC Checks or Cloudification library, it can replace deprecated APIs and other constructs with their successors. If no Successor is available, it can suggest work around of creating a wrapper with 3-tier extensibility model.Scenario 5: AI to create Technical Specs from FS and Code ( Code To TS )No Developer likes writing TS. Period.Test Script Writing and Execution: Writing test scripts based on your code logic? AI has got your back, executing them to validate functionality.TS Technical Specification and TUT Preparation: Say goodbye to writing TS and TUT Documents manually ! AI understands the overall context with Functional specs and code. It can create templates for us, moreover, it can write TS on behalf of us. From the test scripts, it can put placeholders for developer to paste screenshot once TUT is done.Scenario 5: Seamless CI/CD Pipeline / Transport Management Integration and AutomationIntegrating AI into your CI/CD pipelines / Transport Management can automate testing and deployment processes. Imagine spending less time on tedious tasks and more time on what you love—creating amazing SAP applications! Technical Foundations for such AI IntegrationBefore SAP officially launches something and make our life easier working with SAP and ABAP, let me create To make all this magic happen, we need a solid foundation. Here are some key elements:IDE Custom Solution with Fiori and CAP : Screens to upload FSs in UI5, NodeJS to assign it to one of the available developers, Integration with SolMan for project handling.Integration with ABAP system via OData exposure can provide all repositories of SAP. SAPUI5 already has CodeEditor UI Control that supports many languages including ABAP. It can be extended to add Custom Rules and add UI for a GenAI Assistant.GenAIFoundation LLM Model on SAP AICore and GenAI Hub: This is the backbone for our AI functionalities.Grounding Techniques: Resources like help.sap.com, developers.sap.com, and the SAP Learning Hub provide essential knowledge and insights. Webhooks/Tools: By utilizing open-source UI5, CAP, ABAP Lints, and Cloudification libraries, we can ensure our code is cloud-ready.Stay tuned for another blog on a tool developed with above design and for more Technical details. Integrating it with existing and widely adopted IDE would be more suited for enterprises.Eclipse: An Add-on on top of ADT Tools with GenAI Assistant.BAS: Tools such as Joule with Build Code already work well with CAP model on BTP, SAP can extend it to support ABAP Language and integrate with ABAP on Cloud.VSCode: A new add on for ABAP with GenAI Assistant. Conclusion:The integration of AI into SAP development is not just a trend; it’s a game changer that will empower us to work smarter, enhance our productivity, and ultimately deliver better solutions to our businesses.Share your thoughts, experiences, or questions in the comments below. I’d love to hear how you envision AI changing your work life! Read More Technology Blogs by Members articles
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