When we are looged on the miniSAP, we can see the SAP Easy Access screen, this is the starting point to all the SAP software, and in our case to all the development tools, that we need to develop an ABAP program.
You can be worried about the moment where we can begin to write code here, but first of that we must deal with some configuration tasks, we must to create our Development Request.
With SAP you must follow some best practices to do all, then before you can open a text editor and begin to write your first application, you must to create some things, for example a development request, on a world real development may be you cannot be worried for this task, becouse the transport layer and development request that you must to use is already created by other person, maybe one NW Basis Consultant, your ABAP leader or other more ranged consultant in the proyect, in real proyects you are not alone, there are many people working around you, but here in miniSAP you are the one user and developer. This situation is good becouse you can know some tasks that are happening aroung you, and it's good to know.
Ok, let's start... SAP have usually three different systems, the first and more important for us is the development system, here and only here we create our ABAP programs, and we can test and debug our program here until we can say that the program is completed, when the program is completed this program must be transported to other system, usually called QAS, in this system some SAP users test your development and if they see all ok, your program is finally transported to the final system: the production one.
Then the transport layer is the layer, path or way, that will transport your development between the SAP systems, and this layer must to exists before you begin your development. By default this MiniSAP have only the transport layer called SAP, this layer must be used only by objects created by SAP. MiniSAP don't have three systems, just have one for development, but it's good to know what happen on a real SAP enviroment.
Creating a project
In SAP when you are doing a development, is not important if you are doing a new or editing one existing program, you are into a project, this project must be defined and created, for example can be named: Enhancing the inventory or Learning ABAP. Keep in mind that we must to create a project to map it to one development request, again... this task usually is maked by other consultant, but here in MiniSAP we must to care of this:
- In the transaction input enter the transaction SPRO y push enter
- Now we can go in the menu bar to the Go To option and next to the Project Management.
- In this screen we can clic on the create button, and bring a name for our project, for example LEARN_ABAP, you cannot use spaces in the name
- Now you can fill other project related information as the project title, the duration plan, project team, etc. you can see that you (BCUSER) are the person responsible of the project, you can fill all the detail information and push click on the save button
- Next you must to enter to the Trasp. Request tab and Activate the CTS functionality
Now we have a project, you are the responsive, with this we can now create the development request.
Create the Transport Layer
Now that we have a project, we can create the development request, from the SAP Easy Access go to the transaction SE09, you can go at the same tool navigating throw the SAP menu with Tools > ABAP Workbench > Overview > SE09 Transport Organizer-
On the Transport Organizer we can create a new transport request, just clic on the new button as you can see in the next screen:
We will be developing new objects, so we can choose the Workbench request option, in the next screen you can fill a short description with the activity to develo, for example you can say that you are going to create a package, a program and a new transaction. You can choose the project created and the previus step too.
In this request tree you can see all the tasks that have the project, and the users that are responsibles for this tasks. For example you can see that the BCUSER must to develop the package, program and transaction for the project LEARN_ABAP.