SAP Fiori tools May 2024 release adds closer integration with ABAP Development Tools

SAP Fiori tools May 2024 release adds closer integration with ABAP Development Tools 

With the 2405 client release of ABAP Development Tools (ADT), combined with the latest SAP Fiori tools release, users can now have a more integrated experience when working between ADT at the backend and SAP Fiori tools for front-end development. No longer does the developer need to manually switch between the tooling environments and remember which system and entity they wish to use. Instead, with one button click in ADT, users can seamlessly switch from ABAP to SAP Fiori development. 

As mentioned in our SAP Fiori tools March update, SAP Fiori tools now enables users to launch the Application Generator directly from ADT and skip having to select a data source and entity in the generator if they already have the SAP system and entity chosen in ADT. With the 2405 client release of ADT, the development work has been completed and the feature is available to our cloud customers. 

Setting up ADT integration with SAP Fiori tools 

You can choose to either launch the Application Generator from SAP Fiori tools in SAP Business Application Studio (BAS) in your browser or directly launch Visual Studio Code locally if that is your preferred integrated development environment (IDE). 

The first step is to configure the integration between ADT and SAP Fiori tools. This is a one-time setup within ADT for each system you want to integrate. 

• Choose the system you want to integrate, right-click on it and select ‘Properties’. From here, choose ‘ABAP Development -> IDE Configuration’. 
• Enable the `Configure the target IDE` checkbox and decide whether you wish to launch SAP Business Application Studio or Visual Studio Code. 

Below I’ll detail how you can get started in either scenario. 

Integrating with SAP Business Application Studio

When working with SAP Business Application Studio, you will need the following items: 

• URL: The URL of your Business Application Studio landscape. 
• Development Space ID: The ID development space in Business Application Studio that you have already created. The development space must include SAP Fiori tools as an installed SAP extension. 

The following development spaces will have SAP Fiori tools pre-installed: 

• SAP Fiori 
• Full-Stack Application Using Productivity Tools 
• Full Stack Cloud Application 

 

- Destination Name: In order for the ABAP system to be available in SAP Business Application Studio, it must be configured as a destination in your SAP BTP cockpit. Once the destination has been created, enter the destination name in this box.

The system settings for SAP Fiori tools integration in ADT 

Integrating with Visual Studio Code 

If you wish to work with Visual Studio Code, you only need to check the relevant checkbox in system settings. However, you will then need to ensure the following are installed: 

• Visual Studio Code: You will need the Visual Studio Code editor installed locally. If not available, you will see an error message when attempting to launch SAP Fiori tools from ADT. 
• SAP Fiori tools: SAP Fiori tools should be installed from the Visual Studio Code marketplace. If the tools are not installed, then Visual Studio Code will ask you if you want to install them when you try and launch from ADT. 
• Saved SAP System: You must have an SAP Saved System stored in Visual Studio Code that refers to your ABAP system. This will ensure that the Application Generator can automatically launch and connect to the system within Visual Studio Code. 

Creating your SAP Fiori project 

Once configured, you will see a new button alongside the service details in ADT. “Create Fiori Project” will launch your IDE environment and automatically start the SAP Fiori generator with these system details.

“Create Fiori Project” button to launch the SAP Fiori Generator 

Once the SAP Fiori generator launches, the data source selection step will be skipped (you’ve already selected your data source in ADT), and the main entity for your template will be pre-selected with the entity chosen in ADT. 

More integrations with ADT coming soon 

There are other enhancements planned between the development environments to make life easier for developers when working between ADT and SAP Fiori tools. Standby for more information in the coming months. 

Let me finish by summarizing the power of both tools and why integrating between them is something we are focused on. ADT provides a dedicated ABAP development perspective within the Eclipse IDE which makes it easier for developers to navigate and work with ABAP code. Developers can efficiently build and maintain backend logic, business logic, and data models using ADT's comprehensive suite of tools. On the other hand, SAP Fiori tools offer a rich set of UI controls, templates, and design principles for creating modern and intuitive user interfaces.

This integration empowers developers to effortlessly navigate from ADT to SAP Fiori tools, streamlining their workflow, enhancing productivity, and ultimately enabling developers to deliver high-quality applications more rapidly and effectively.