Where Can You Find Your ABAP Source Code? [Link]

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1 van 11 12-5-2023 11:10

Where Can You Find Your ABAP Source Code? [Link]

OVERVIEW
SAP stores your ABAP code in the d a t a b a s e . But what does it actually mean? Let me explain
this on an example.

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YOU CREATE A NEW ABAP PROGRAM

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Where Can You Find Your ABAP Source Code? [Link]

It all starts with that you c r e a t e a new ABAP program. In parallel, the system creates a l o c k
on the Application Server for this ABAP program with your user id. Then you start typing the
source code.

It's a really simple program. It adds two numbers and prints out their results.

Z_ABAP_DEMO

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Where Can You Find Your ABAP Source Code? [Link]

1 REPORT z_abap_demo.
2
3 DATA(result) = 3 + 2.
4 WRITE result.

This program only exists on the Application Server i n t h e m a i n m e m o r y , since you have not
saved it yet.

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YOU SAVE THE ABAP PROGRAM

Once you s a v e the program, the system automatically places the source code into the
database. More precisely, the system places your code into the database table, called
R E P O S R C . So, there is a table in the database, called REPOSRC, into which the system
inserts a new record.

REPOSRC

PROGRAM STATUS SOURCE CODE (COMPRESSED) ...

Z_ABAP_DEMO I FFDC000000121F9D023A0651862006578600... ...

A new record for your newly created ABAP program, called, Z _ A B A P_ D E M O . Of course in
inactive version �rst. But that's not the point. The point is the system places your source code
into a simple t a b l e � e l d .

No, you are wrong. This is your source code, but in a c o m p r e s s e d format.

It is actually compressed using a so-called L e m p e l - Z i v a n d H u f f m a n compression method.

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Where Can You Find Your ABAP Source Code? [Link]

So, if you want, you can write a simple decompression tool, and decompress this value. That
would result this source code above.

But of course, it's not necessary. The A B A P E d i t o r does it for you. Whenever you open this
ABAP program using the ABAP Editor, the system reads this row from the REPOSRC table.
Then decompress the content of this �eld, and display it for you.

Okay. What happens next?

YOU ACTIVATE THE ABAP PROGRAM

Yes. If you're ready, you a c t i v a t e your code. With this activation, the system changes the
status of your program from i n a c t i v e to a c t i v e in the REPOSRC table.

REPOSRC

PROGRAM STATUS SOURCE CODE (COMPRESSED) ...

Z_ABAP_DEMO A FFDC000000121F9D023A0651862006578600... ...

And... In parallel, it translates your ABAP code to a so-called platform-independent b y t e

c o d e by the A B A P c o m p i l e r .

ABAP BYTE CODE

...
21 L ccgi CB 0000 0003 0000 0002
25 S WRIB 01 0000
26 S WRIT 00 001B
27 S WRIB 00 0000
28 S ---- 00 0000
29 N xper 16 0DB9 001C 001D
31 S PERP 80 0001
...

And places this byte code into another table, named R E P O LO A D .

REPOLOAD

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Where Can You Find Your ABAP Source Code? [Link]

PROGRAM STATUS LOAD (COMPRESSED) ...

Z_ABAP_DEMO A FF653F0000121F9D026DD7DA83AB2ACEF8B... ...

So, the system inserts a new record with this generated byte code into this table. Also in a
c o m p r e s s e d format. So, this platform-independent byte code and your ABAP source code
are also i n d e p e n d e n t from any o p e r a t i n g s y s t e m s .

Whenever you modify this source code in the ABAP Editor and then save the changes, the
system will update the corresponding row in the REPOSRC table.

And whenever you activate these changes, the system re-generates the platform-
independent byte code and updates the corresponding row in the REPOLOAD table.

WHY DO WE NEED TWO FORMS OF THE SAME ABAP CODE?

On the one hand, whenever you d i s p l a y or e d i t this ABAP source code for example with the
A B A P E d i t o r , the system will read and update the corresponding row in the REPOSRC table.

So, the �rst form is for d e v e l o p m e n t purposes.

On the other hand, the ABAP byte code is l o a d e d and i n t e r p r e t e d by the A B A P R u n t i m e

E n v i r o n m e n t when you execute the ABAP program.

So, the second form is for r u n t i m e purposes.

DEVELOP, ACTIVATE AND RUN

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Where Can You Find Your ABAP Source Code? [Link]

Alright. Let's see this example once again in one piece.

1 . You c r e a t e a new ABAP program in the ABAP Editor.

2 . After you s a v e it, the system inserts a new record for this program into the R E P O S R C
table.
3 . Once you a c t i v a t e the program,
4 . the system g e n e r a t e s the platform-independent byte code.
5 . Then automatically i n s e r t s this byte code into the R E P O LO A D table.
6 . Finally, when someone r u n s this ABAP program,
7 . the ABAP Runtime Environment l o a d s this byte code to the memory (if it's needed). Then
i n t e r p r e t s it as operating system-speci�c machine language commands.

SUMMARY
So, as you could see the ABAP Source Code and also the ABAP Byte Code are both p l a t f o r m
independent.

The system only translates the byte code to operating system-speci�c machine language
commands at the last stage, a t r u n t i m e .

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Where Can You Find Your ABAP Source Code? [Link]

This makes ABAP operating system independent programming language.

If you liked it , please share it! Thanks!

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