Tag: Clean ABAP

Clean ABAP code ATC variant

Clean ABAP is the ABAP variant of the clean code principles. All background on clean ABAP code can be read in this blog.

This blog will explain how to upload the ABAP coding for the Clean ABAP ATC variant in your system and activate it.

Load ABAP Git code

To load the ATC variant code for clean ABAP you first need to install the ABAP Git code. Follow the instructions in this blog to do so. Simplest is the offline variant.

Download the ABAP clean code package

Now go to the Github code pal site for ABAP clean code and download the package:

Select the button Code and choose the option Download ZIP.

Upload the package

Now start the ABAP git that you loaded in your first step. Choose the option New Offline:

Give the repository a name and select a package:

Then push the button Create Offline Repo.

Now select Import Zip:

Import the file you downloaded in step 2 from the code pal site.

Next step is the Pull zip:

You might get a screen with differences. Do not select anything there, only press Ok.

Then wait until all the Y objects are pulled into the system. This might take 5 to 10 minutes.

Activating the SCI checks

Now start transaction SCI. Select menu option Code Inspector, Management of, Tests. Select all the newly load Y checks for Clean ABAP code:

Important now: Save them!

Now you can create a global SCI variant:

Select all the Clean code ABAP checks and save the variant:

You might get weird issues upon saving for other items, like for example missing CL_CI_CATEGORY_TOP. In that case, go to transaction SE16 -> look for table SCITESTS -> and look for CL_CI_CATEGORY_TOP if there is no entry. Enter the table SCITESTS and click "Create Entry", add CL_CI_CATEGORY_TOP entry and save.

Test and usage

Take a program you want check. Then select menu option Program, Check, ABAP Test Cockpit with….:

Select the ZCLEAN_ABAP SCI check we created above. Run the checks.

Results:

Tip: click on the blue line to jump to the Clean Code site exactly explaining about the issue.

Clean ABAP Eclipse plug-in: ABAP cleaner

To speed up clean ABAP in practice, you can install the clean ABAP cleaner plug-in. Read this blog on how to do this.

Clean ABAP

Clean ABAP is the ABAP implementation of Clean code. Clean code is one of the key principles to adhere to when going Agile. Clean code is part of agile software development craftmanship. Read more on clean code in the original book.

Clean ABAP reference site

Clean ABAP is published and maintained on a dedicated Clean ABAP Github site.

The site itself is excellent and also has a special chapter how to best start with Clean ABAP.

The site is extensive and might be overwhelming. If you are a more traditional person, you can also read the SAP Press book on Clean ABAP code.

Blog on SAP site on clean ABAP can be found here and here.

Patterns and anti-patterns

The Clean ABAP explanation on the site contains both patterns (how you should do) and anti-patterns (how you should not do).

Anyhow the Clean ABAP principles are fully built on Object Orientation. That is a must.

Introducing Clean ABAP in your organization

Regardless if your organization is doing Agile or Waterfall development, or other development methodologies, Clean ABAP can be applied anyhow.

First step is to embrace the Clean ABAP as a principle direction. It will take time to get there. Not all developers will pick up as fast as you might want to. It also takes time to refactor old code to the Clean ABAP principles.

Discuss as developers as a team which part of the principles and improvements you want to pick up first. If you master a few, you can make it mandatory. Then take the next set. Some might pick up more at a higher pace. But keep the discussion going to improve and pick up every 2 weeks (sprint) at least 1 improvement item.

For a nice overview: read this SAP blog.

Peer review or pair programming: ATC variant

You can make the Clean ABAP code rules a part of your peer review or pair programming.

There is an ATC variant that can be uploaded that check for the clean ABAP code rules. Read this blog for instructions on how to do this.

Boy Scout rule

The boy scout rule is as follows: leave the place nicer than when you arrived, even though you didn’t make the mess. When you do this repetitively the world becomes a cleaner place.

This also applies to poor code: don’t just do your change, but take along some minor improvements as well. When you do this a couple of times, the poor code will improve every time towards good code.

But this principle you also need to embrace and explain. There might be unlucky situations where the clean up part might cause unexpected bug. This might happen in 0.01% of the cases. When it happens you might get resistance and pushback. But stand up for the principle, and simply correct the bug. It is worth it in the long run.

Clean ABAP Eclipse plug-in: ABAP cleaner

To speed up clean ABAP in practice, you can install the clean ABAP cleaner plug-in. Read this blog on how to do this.