With the shift toward intelligent enterprises, SAP ABAP on HANA training has become an essential skill set for SAP developers. As businesses migrate from traditional ECC systems to SAP S/4HANA, the role of ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming) has evolved to leverage the in-memory computing power of SAP HANA.
In this blog, we explore the top 10 advanced features of ABAP on HANA that every developer should master in 2025.
Core Data Services (CDS Views)
CDS Views are at the heart of ABAP on HANA development. They allow developers to define semantic layers directly on the database, reducing the load on the application layer. CDS Views support annotations, associations, and are used extensively in Fiori apps, OData services, and embedded analytics.
Example: Define custom CDS View with @Analytics.query for reporting.
ABAP Managed Database Procedures (AMDP)
AMDP allows you to write HANA-specific logic in SQL Script within ABAP classes. Instead of fetching data into ABAP and processing it there, you process it directly in the database for faster performance.
Ideal for complex calculations, loops, and aggregations on large datasets.
Code Pushdown Paradigm
The golden rule of ABAP on HANA is: “Push logic to the database”. Code pushdown refers to offloading intensive processing (filters, joins, aggregates) to the HANA DB layer using CDS, Open SQL, or AMDP.
Benefit: Drastically improves performance and scalability.
Enhanced Open SQL
Open SQL in ABAP has been extended to include powerful features like inline declarations, CASE statements, aggregate functions, and associations.
Inline declarations with @DATA improve code readability and execution speed.
Table Functions
Table functions allow creation of parameterized CDS views with custom SQLScript logic. They offer flexibility when CDS views alone are not sufficient.
Use case: Building reusable logic that needs more control than static CDS.
Fiori Integration with CDS Annotations
With annotations like @UI, @OData.publish, and @Analytics, developers can generate Data services and Fiori reports directly from CDS views. This enables rapid application development and consistent UI experiences.
Example: Expose analytical CDS views directly as a Fiori app.
ABAP Development Tools (ADT) in Eclipse
ABAP development has shifted from SAP GUI to Eclipse-based ABAP Development Tools (ADT). It supports modern features like code navigation, syntax check, unit testing, and Git integration.
ADT is mandatory for CDS, AMDP, and HANA-specific features.
Performance Optimization Tools
Tools like SQL Monitor (SQLM), ABAP Runtime Analysis (SAT), and Code Inspector (SCI) help identify performance bottlenecks and optimize code using HANA best practices.
Use SQLM to detect slow queries and optimize with code pushdown.
SAP S/4HANA Compatibility and Clean Core
ABAP on HANA promotes clean core principles minimizing custom code in the standard system by using extensions via CDS views, BAdIs, and enhancement frameworks.
Recommended: Use the ABAP Restful Application Programming Model (RAP) for extensibility.
ABAP Restful Application Programming Model (RAP)
RAP is SAP’s future-proof model to build cloud-ready, Fiori-enabled applications. It supports CDS-based data models, business services, and UI integration fully aligned with S/4HANA.
RAP apps are easier to deploy, maintain, and extend in cloud or on-premise systems.
Final Thoughts
In 2025, ABAP developers are expected to go beyond traditional syntax and master HANA-optimized techniques like CDS, AMDP, and RAP. The performance-driven shift to in-memory computing is no longer optional it’s a standard.
To succeed in this evolving landscape:
- Embrace code pushdown principles
- Use Eclipse ADT for modern development
- Build with CDS and Fiori in mind from the start
With these 10 features, your ABAP skills will be future-ready for SAP S/4HANA training transformations and cloud-native development.
