Part 1: ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model (RAP) - Introduction

Introduction

This tutorial introduces the ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model (RAP), focusing on its features and how to set it up. This model is essential for developing modern applications on the SAP Business Technology Platform. By following this guide, you'll gain a foundational understanding of RAP and learn how to set up your development environment using Eclipse ADT.

Step 1: Set Up Your Development Environment

To start working with the ABAP RAP model, you'll need to set up your development environment. Follow these steps:

1. Install Eclipse IDE:

   • Download the latest version of Eclipse IDE from the official Eclipse website.
   • Choose the "Eclipse IDE for Java Developers" package.

2. Install ABAP Development Tools (ADT):

   • Open Eclipse and go to the "Help" menu.
   • Select "Eclipse Marketplace".
   • Search for "ABAP Development Tools" and install the relevant plugin.

3. Configure the ABAP System Connection:

   • Go to the "Window" menu and select "Preferences".
   • Expand "ABAP Development" and select "Connections".
   • Click on "Add" to create a new ABAP connection.
   • Enter your SAP system credentials and connection details.

Step 2: Access the SAP Business Technology Platform

After setting up your Eclipse environment, you need to access the SAP Business Technology Platform to utilize RAP features effectively.

1. Log in to the SAP Business Technology Platform:

   • Navigate to the SAP BTP cockpit in your web browser.
   • Enter your credentials to log in.

2. Create a Subaccount:

   • In the cockpit, create a subaccount if you don't have one already. This is necessary to manage your services and applications.
   • Ensure you select the appropriate region and space.

3. Enable Services:

   • Go to the "Services" section and enable the necessary services for RAP, such as the "ABAP Environment".

Step 3: Explore RAP Model Features

Familiarize yourself with the core features of the ABAP RAP model to understand its capabilities.

• Business Object: Understand how to define business objects that represent data entities in your application.
• Service Definitions: Learn to create service definitions that expose business objects to external clients.
• Behavior Definitions: Get to know behavior definitions that encapsulate the logic for data manipulation (CRUD operations).
• Projection and Consumption: Discover how to project business objects and consume services in a user-friendly format.

Step 4: Start a Sample Project

To put your knowledge into practice, you can clone a sample project from GitHub.

1. Clone the Repository:

   • Use the following command in your terminal to clone the RAP demo repository:

     git clone https://github.com/miltonchandradas/rapdemo.git
     

2. Import the Project into Eclipse:

   • Open Eclipse and select "File" > "Import".
   • Choose "Existing Projects into Workspace" and select the cloned project directory.

3. Explore the Project Structure:

   • Familiarize yourself with the different components of the project including the business objects, services, and behavior definitions.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you have set up your development environment for the ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model and learned about its key features. You also accessed the SAP Business Technology Platform and started a sample project. As a next step, consider deepening your knowledge by exploring additional tutorials or developing your own applications using RAP.