How to Create Custom CDS View in SAP S/4 HANA

CDS stands for Core Data Services, which is a framework for defining and consuming data models in SAP applications. CDS views are one of the key features of CDS, which allow developers to create reusable and consistent data definitions that can be accessed by various tools and technologies.

One of the main benefits of using CDS views is that they enable a simplified and harmonized data access layer for SAP S/4 HANA, the next-generation ERP system from SAP. CDS views can leverage the power and performance of SAP HANA’s in-memory database, as well as provide a common semantic layer for reporting and analytics.

Why Custom CDS Views is used in SAP S/4 HANA ?
Sometimes the standard CDS views provided by SAP may not meet the specific business requirements or scenarios of the customers. In such cases, customers can create their own custom CDS views to extend or enhance the existing data models. Custom CDS views can be created using the ABAP Development Tools (ADT) in Eclipse, which provide a graphical editor and a code editor for defining the CDS view properties and logic.

Some of the use cases for creating custom CDS views are:

– To add additional fields or calculations to an existing CDS view
– To join or aggregate data from multiple CDS views or tables
– To filter or restrict data based on certain conditions or parameters
– To expose custom fields or annotations for consumption by other applications or tools

Custom CDS views can be consumed by various SAP technologies, such as ABAP programs, OData services, Fiori apps, Smart Business KPIs, etc. They can also be exposed to external tools or systems via SQL or REST interfaces.

Custom CDS views are an important and flexible way to tailor the data models in SAP S/4 HANA to suit the customer’s needs and preferences. They can help to optimize the performance, usability, and maintainability of the data access layer in SAP S/4 HANA.

In this document, the author illustrates how CDS views can be created with oDATA

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New Developer’s Guide to IDocs in SAP

The SAP IDoc Technology is used in ALE, EDI, and 3rd Party Systems Integration scenarios. An IDoc stands for intermediate document and is simply a data container used to exchange information between any two processes that can understand the semantics of the data. IDocs are independent of the direction of data exchange. An inbound and an outbound process can use an IDoc. IDocs in the SAP system are stored in database tables. We can use transactions to view, edit, and process them. When an IDoc is generated in the system, a unique number is assigned to it via a Number Range Object. This number is unique within a client. An IDoc is created as a result of executing an Outbound ALE or EDI process whereas with an inbound ALE or EDI process, an IDoc serves as input to create an application object in SAP, like a Sales Order or PO. Using this technique avoids creating redundant IDoc types.
In this book, you will explore the architecture of an IDoc, IDoc’s definition and runtime components.

  • Basic IDoc Type
  • IDoc RUN Time Components
  • Technical Description of the IDoc Format
  • IDoc extensionsand enhancements. Why do We Need an Extended IDoc?
  • Create a new IDoc Segment using transaction WE31
  • Create a new Custom IDoc Message Type using transaction WE81
  • Create a New IDoc Assignment using transaction WE82
  • IDoc Processing and Message Control
  • Finding and Updating an IDoc Customer Exit Using SMOD

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Optimizing ABAP for SAP HANA: A Three-Step Approach

ABAP is an integral part of SAP customer and partner environments, with a vast amount of business-critical data present in ABAP-based systems such as SAP Business Suite, SAP NetWeaver Business Warehouse (SAP NetWeaver BW), and on-demand offerings from SAP. These environments can benefit from the accelerated processing and analysis supported by SAP’s in-memory database technology offering, SAP HANA. Applications that use SAP HANA follow the “code to data” paradigm in which calculation logic is pushed down from the application server to the database server. The SAP HANA database then performs the calculations and sends the resulting data set back for use by an application. Operations that require high-performance access to mass data can be delegated to SAP HANA while operations used to manage and integrate business processes remain on SAP Net Weaver AS ABAP. Finally, SAP has developed a staged, three-step approach to optimizing SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP for SAP HANA that will help customers and partners gradually integrate in-memory innovation without risking their existing implementations.
After reading this document, you will be able to:

  • Know about the basics of SAP ABAP and SAP HANA
  • Optimization techniques for SAP HANA Database
  • How to access SAP HANA through ABAP applications
  • Basics for migrating ABAP code to SAP HANA
  • Different performance and functional checks
  • About different performance analyzer tools

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ABAP Debugging Tutorial: Beginner’s Guide

Debugging ABAP Programs in SAP S4/HANA is used to spot programming errors easily when you stop a program or transaction at a certain point. Functional consultants also need to have basic debugging ABAP skills which reduces excessive independence to ABAP teams.
This ABAP Debugging tutorial handbook will help functional and development consultants to get high level of understanding debugger. Following list of topics are covered in the document with example scenarios;

  • ABAP Debugging – Brief Overview
  • Important transaction codes in ABAP Debugging
  • Use of Breakpoint Notions
  • Debugging Screens (/h.. transactions)
  • Watchpoints
  • Changing Variable Values On the Fly
  • Real time Debugging :
    • Debugging pop up screen
    • Debugging of Enhancement
    • Debugging an error message

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ABAP & HANA CDS Views Tutorial Presentation

CDS (Full form: Core Data Services) is a “semantically rich” data definition Language created by SAP. CDS allows ABAP users to define entity types (such as orders, products or business partners, ) and the semantic relationships between them, which correspond to foreign key relationships in traditional entity relationship (ER) models.
After reading this training presentation you will learn;

  • What is CDS and how to create it ?
  • ABAP CDS vs HANA CDS
  • How to Create CDS View using AWS ?
  • How to use CDS View in ABAP ?
  • How to Associate CDS entities ?
  • Aggregate Functions in CDS Views
  • CDS View Parameters
  • How to Create HANA CDS View

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LTMC Intro Presentation: New Data Migration Tool in SAP S/4HANA:

LTMC (Full Form: Legacy Transfer Migration Cockpit) in the new tool in SAP S/4 that replaces LSMW for data migration tasks.
LSMW has been used for years as the legacy data migration tool for new implementations and migrations. LSMW is still an available tool in S/4HANA, but LTMC provides a faster through process simplification, automated cross-object value mapping, and re-engineering of data structure with no programming.
This document will provide you a through introduction to Migration Cockpit LTMC in SAP S/4HANA.

  • Changes in data migration
  • What are the different transition scenarios?
  • Availability of LSMW in SAP S/4HANA
  • The S/4HANA Migration Cockpit
  • How does the Migration Cockpit work? – A Step by Step Guide with Example
  • What about objects not supported by the Migration Cockpit?
  • Rapid Data Migration with Data Services
  • Process Overview of 6 Step Rapid Data Migration Solution
  • When to use What?

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ABAP Class Notes from Training Institude (449 Pages)

This ABAP notes document, prepared by a training institute instructor, contains several chapters and will serve as a support document for ABAP Developers/Consultants/Architects who code in ABAP and want to learn how to develop ABAP programs. Main chapters included in this guide are;

  • ERP SAP ABAP Introduction
  • Data Dictionary
  • Modularization Techniques
  • ABAP Queries Fundamentals
  • ALV Reports
  • Module Pool
  • Debugger
  • Forms Page Layout
  • Enhancements
  • Cross Applications
  • OOABAP

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