What’s the Future of SAP ABAP?

SAP Advanced Business Application Programming (SAP ABAP) has been the programming language for SAP applications for decades and is a vital tool for developing custom applications, reports, and interfaces on top of the SAP system. Developers praise the language for its simplicity and ease of learning as well as its ability to run ERP applications. However, as technology continues to evolve, the future of SAP ABAP is becoming a hot topic of discussion within the SAP community. 

Modernizing SAP’s Technology Stack 

The first thing to note is that SAP has been investing in modernizing its technology stack for a while. It has been pushing its cloud offerings like SAP Cloud Platform and SAP S/4HANA Cloud, and these platforms have different programming models that require different skill sets. SAP is also investing in open-source technologies such as Node.js and Python, suggesting that SAP is moving away from its traditional ABAP-centric approach. 

However, ABAP is not going away anytime soon. The core of the SAP system is still written in ABAP, and it will continue to be the foundation of the system. Many businesses have invested heavily in ABAP and have custom applications that depend on it, so it is not feasible for SAP to abandon the language and force businesses to rewrite all of their custom applications. 

Upgrading SAP ABAP Features 

SAP has been actively developing new features and functionalities for ABAP, ensuring that it remains relevant in the current technology landscape. ABAP has been modernized to support modern programming paradigms like object-oriented programming (OOP), and SAP has been investing in ABAP tools like the ABAP Test Cockpit (ATC) to improve the productivity of developers. SAP has also been making efforts to integrate ABAP with other technologies. For example, SAP has integrated ABAP with SAP HANA, enabling developers to leverage the in-memory capabilities so they can write faster and more efficient code. 

Using Low-Code or No-Code Platforms 

Another trend in recent history is the use of low-code/no-code platforms, which are platforms that allow users to develop custom applications without the need for programming skills. SAP has also been investing in this space, as seen with the SAP Fiori solution, which allows users to develop custom applications using a drag-and-drop interface. This trend is not a threat to ABAP, but it does mean that businesses can develop custom applications without having to rely solely on ABAP developers. 

Preparing for the Future of SAP ABAP 

While it is impossible to predict, the future of SAP ABAP does not appear at risk, although it will continue to evolve. While SAP is investing in modernizing its technology stack or in low/no-code platforms, ABAP will continue to be the foundation of the SAP system, and its developers need to keep up with the changes. As ABAP skills will continue to be in demand, especially for businesses that have invested heavily in custom applications, developers need to be versatile and adapt to new technologies while continuing to enhance their skills.  

To learn more, reach out to the BCTG team today.