ABAP Cleaner: Automatic Code Cleanup

What is ABAP Cleaner?

ABAP Cleaner analyzes ABAP code and automatically transforms it according to configurable rules. Unlike the Pretty Printer, ABAP Cleaner goes far beyond pure formatting and also modernizes language constructs.

Aspect	Pretty Printer	ABAP Cleaner
Focus	Indentation, case	Complete code modernization
Rules	~5 basic rules	60+ configurable rules
Language constructs	No changes	Modernization (e.g., NEW instead of CREATE OBJECT)
Empty lines	Simple rules	Intelligent grouping
Comments	No changes	Alignment and formatting
Performance	-	Removal of unnecessary statements
Profiles	Fixed	Individually configurable

Benefits

Consistency: Uniform code style across the entire team
Productivity: Automatic cleanup saves manual work
Modernization: Old syntax is automatically updated
Readability: Better structure and formatting
Code Review: Fewer discussions about style questions
Onboarding: New team members write compliant code immediately

Installation in ADT

Prerequisites

Eclipse with ADT (ABAP Development Tools)
Eclipse version 2022-03 or newer
Java 11 or newer

Installation via Eclipse Marketplace

Open Eclipse and navigate to Help → Eclipse Marketplace
Search for “ABAP Cleaner”
Click Install and follow the instructions
Restart Eclipse

Manual Installation via Update Site

If the Marketplace is not available:

Help → Install New Software...

Update Site URL:
https://sap.github.io/abap-cleaner/updatesite

Available Features:
☑ ABAP Cleaner

→ Next → Accept License → Finish → Restart Eclipse

Verify Installation

After restart, ABAP Cleaner should be available:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  ADT Toolbar                                                   │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                │
│  [📁] [💾] [↩️] [↪️] ... [🧹 ABAP Cleaner]                     │
│                                                                │
│  Or: Source → Clean Up With Interactive ABAP Cleaner...       │
│  Shortcut: Ctrl+4 (configurable)                              │
│                                                                │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Key Cleanup Rules

ABAP Cleaner groups its rules into categories. Here are the most important ones:

1. Empty Lines - Optimize Whitespace

Intelligent grouping of code blocks:

Before:

METHOD process_order.


  DATA lv_status TYPE string.
  DATA lv_amount TYPE p DECIMALS 2.


  SELECT SINGLE status
    FROM zorders
    INTO lv_status
    WHERE order_id = iv_order_id.


  IF lv_status = 'OPEN'.
    lv_amount = calculate_total( ).


    update_order( lv_amount ).
  ENDIF.


ENDMETHOD.

After:

METHOD process_order.
  DATA lv_status TYPE string.
  DATA lv_amount TYPE p DECIMALS 2.

  SELECT SINGLE status
    FROM zorders
    INTO lv_status
    WHERE order_id = iv_order_id.

  IF lv_status = 'OPEN'.
    lv_amount = calculate_total( ).
    update_order( lv_amount ).
  ENDIF.
ENDMETHOD.

2. Declarations - Modernize Declarations

Before:

DATA: lv_count TYPE i,
      lt_items TYPE TABLE OF zitem,
      ls_item  TYPE zitem,
      lo_processor TYPE REF TO zcl_processor.

CREATE OBJECT lo_processor.
CLEAR lt_items.

After:

DATA lv_count    TYPE i.
DATA lt_items    TYPE TABLE OF zitem.
DATA ls_item     TYPE zitem.
DATA lo_processor TYPE REF TO zcl_processor.

lo_processor = NEW #( ).
CLEAR lt_items.

3. Syntax - Use Modern ABAP Syntax

Before:

CALL METHOD lo_service->get_data
  EXPORTING
    iv_id = lv_id
  RECEIVING
    rt_data = lt_data.

IF lt_data IS INITIAL.
  " ...
ENDIF.

LOOP AT lt_data INTO ls_data.
  MOVE-CORRESPONDING ls_data TO ls_result.
  APPEND ls_result TO lt_result.
ENDLOOP.

After:

lt_data = lo_service->get_data( iv_id = lv_id ).

IF lt_data IS INITIAL.
  " ...
ENDIF.

LOOP AT lt_data INTO DATA(ls_data).
  lt_result = VALUE #( BASE lt_result ( CORRESPONDING #( ls_data ) ) ).
ENDLOOP.

4. Commands - Remove Unnecessary Statements

Before:

CLEAR lv_result.
lv_result = calculate_value( ).

IF sy-subrc = 0.
  " Success
ENDIF.

MOVE lv_source TO lv_target.

After:

lv_result = calculate_value( ).

IF sy-subrc = 0.
  " Success
ENDIF.

lv_target = lv_source.

5. Alignment - Improve Alignment

Before:

ls_order-order_id = lv_id.
ls_order-customer = lv_customer.
ls_order-status = 'NEW'.
ls_order-created_at = sy-datum.
ls_order-created_by = sy-uname.
ls_order-amount = lv_amount.

After:

ls_order-order_id   = lv_id.
ls_order-customer   = lv_customer.
ls_order-status     = 'NEW'.
ls_order-created_at = sy-datum.
ls_order-created_by = sy-uname.
ls_order-amount     = lv_amount.

6. Pretty Print - Formatting

Before:

IF LV_STATUS='OPEN'AND LV_AMOUNT>100.
  CALL METHOD LO_SERVICE->PROCESS(EXPORTING IV_ID=LV_ID CHANGING CT_DATA=LT_DATA).
ENDIF.

After:

IF lv_status = 'OPEN' AND lv_amount > 100.
  lo_service->process( EXPORTING iv_id   = lv_id
                       CHANGING  ct_data = lt_data ).
ENDIF.

7. Inline Declarations - Use VALUE and NEW

Before:

DATA lt_orders TYPE TABLE OF zorder.
DATA ls_order TYPE zorder.
DATA lo_service TYPE REF TO zcl_order_service.

CREATE OBJECT lo_service
  EXPORTING
    iv_client = sy-mandt.

ls_order-order_id = '12345'.
ls_order-status = 'NEW'.
APPEND ls_order TO lt_orders.

After:

DATA(lo_service) = NEW zcl_order_service( iv_client = sy-mandt ).

DATA(lt_orders) = VALUE zorders_t(
  ( order_id = '12345' status = 'NEW' )
).

8. Comments - Format Comments

Before:

"This method calculates the total price
"incl. VAT and discount.
"Parameter: iv_net_price - Net price
"           iv_discount  - Discount in percent
"Return: Gross price
METHOD calculate_gross_price.

After:

" This method calculates the total price
" incl. VAT and discount.
" Parameter: iv_net_price - Net price
"            iv_discount  - Discount in percent
" Return: Gross price
METHOD calculate_gross_price.

Configuration and Profiles

Profile Concept

ABAP Cleaner uses profiles for configuration. A profile defines which rules are active and how they are applied.

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Profile Manager                                               │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                │
│  Profiles:                                                     │
│  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ [★] Default                                            │   │
│  │ [ ] Team Standard                                      │   │
│  │ [ ] Strict Modernization                               │   │
│  │ [ ] Minimal Changes                                    │   │
│  │ [ ] + Create new profile...                           │   │
│  └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                │
│  [ Edit ] [ Copy ] [ Delete ] [ Export ] [ Import ]           │
│                                                                │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Create and Configure Profile

Open Window → Preferences → ABAP Cleaner
Select Profiles
Click Create new profile

Rule Configuration

Each rule can be individually configured:

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Rule Configuration: "Use inline declarations"                 │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                │
│  ☑ Rule enabled                                               │
│                                                                │
│  Options:                                                      │
│  ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐   │
│  │ Convert DATA declarations:                             │   │
│  │ ○ Only if used once                                   │   │
│  │ ● If used in same block                               │   │
│  │ ○ Always (aggressive)                                 │   │
│  │                                                        │   │
│  │ ☑ Convert FIELD-SYMBOLS                               │   │
│  │ ☑ Keep declarations for complex types                 │   │
│  │ ☐ Convert even if type is lost                        │   │
│  └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘   │
│                                                                │
│  Preview:                                                      │
│  ┌─────────────────────┐  ┌─────────────────────┐             │
│  │ DATA lv_name TYPE   │  │ DATA(lv_name) =     │             │
│  │   string.           │→│   get_name( ).      │             │
│  │ lv_name = get_name( │  │                     │             │
│  └─────────────────────┘  └─────────────────────┘             │
│                                                                │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Profiles can be exported as JSON files and shared within the team:

{
  "profileName": "Team Standard",
  "rules": {
    "EmptyLinesInClassDefinition": {
      "enabled": true,
      "maxEmptyLines": 1
    },
    "UseInlineDeclaration": {
      "enabled": true,
      "convertFieldSymbols": true,
      "onlyIfUsedOnce": false
    },
    "ReplaceCreateObject": {
      "enabled": true
    },
    "RemoveUnusedVariables": {
      "enabled": false
    }
  }
}

Distribute within team:

1. Export profile: Preferences → ABAP Cleaner → Export Profile
2. Place JSON file in Git repository: /config/abap-cleaner-profile.json
3. Team members import: Preferences → ABAP Cleaner → Import Profile

Daily Usage

Interactive Mode

Interactive mode shows all changes before applying them:

Shortcut: Ctrl+4 (or Source → Clean Up With Interactive ABAP Cleaner...)

┌──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│  Interactive ABAP Cleaner                                      │
├──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│                                                                │
│  Rule: "Replace obsolete ADD with modern syntax"              │
│                                                                │
│  ┌─────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────┐    │
│  │ Before                      │ After                   │    │
│  ├─────────────────────────────┼─────────────────────────┤    │
│  │ ADD 1 TO lv_count.          │ lv_count += 1.          │    │
│  │ ADD lv_amount TO lv_total.  │ lv_total += lv_amount.  │    │
│  └─────────────────────────────┴─────────────────────────┘    │
│                                                                │
│  [✓ Apply] [✗ Skip] [Apply All] [Skip All] [Show Rule Info]  │
│                                                                │
│  Changes: 2 of 15 applied | Profile: Team Standard            │
│                                                                │
└──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Automatic Mode

Apply all rules without confirmation:

Shortcut: Ctrl+Shift+4 (or Source → Clean Up With Automatic ABAP Cleaner)

Cleanup on Save

ABAP Cleaner can be automatically executed on every save:

Preferences → ABAP Cleaner → Clean-up on save

☑ Enable clean-up on save
  Profile: [Team Standard ▼]

  Scope:
  ○ Current method only
  ● Changed code blocks
  ○ Entire source code

☑ Show notification after clean-up

Configure Keyboard Shortcuts

Window → Preferences → General → Keys

Search: "ABAP Cleaner"

Results:
- Clean Up With Interactive ABAP Cleaner: Ctrl+4
- Clean Up With Automatic ABAP Cleaner:   Ctrl+Shift+4
- Open ABAP Cleaner Preferences:          Ctrl+Shift+Alt+4

Complete Before/After Example

Before: Legacy Code

CLASS zcl_order_processor DEFINITION
  PUBLIC
  FINAL
  CREATE PUBLIC.

  PUBLIC SECTION.

    METHODS: process_order
               IMPORTING
                 iv_order_id TYPE zorder_id
               RETURNING
                 VALUE(rv_success) TYPE abap_bool
               RAISING
                 zcx_order_error.

  PRIVATE SECTION.

    DATA: mv_client TYPE mandt.
    DATA: mo_logger TYPE REF TO zcl_logger.

ENDCLASS.

CLASS zcl_order_processor IMPLEMENTATION.


  METHOD process_order.


    DATA: lv_status TYPE zorder_status,
          lt_items TYPE TABLE OF zorder_item,
          ls_item TYPE zorder_item,
          lv_total TYPE p DECIMALS 2,
          lo_validator TYPE REF TO zcl_order_validator.


    CREATE OBJECT lo_validator.


    CLEAR lv_total.


    SELECT SINGLE status
      FROM zorders
      INTO lv_status
      WHERE order_id EQ iv_order_id.


    IF sy-subrc NE 0.
      RAISE EXCEPTION TYPE zcx_order_error.
    ENDIF.


    IF lv_status EQ 'CLOSED'.
      rv_success = abap_false.
      RETURN.
    ENDIF.


    SELECT *
      FROM zorder_items
      INTO TABLE lt_items
      WHERE order_id EQ iv_order_id.


    LOOP AT lt_items INTO ls_item.
      ADD ls_item-amount TO lv_total.
    ENDLOOP.


    CALL METHOD lo_validator->validate
      EXPORTING
        iv_order_id = iv_order_id
        iv_total = lv_total
      RECEIVING
        rv_valid = DATA(lv_valid).


    IF lv_valid EQ abap_true.
      UPDATE zorders SET status = 'PROCESSING' WHERE order_id = iv_order_id.
      rv_success = abap_true.
    ELSE.
      rv_success = abap_false.
    ENDIF.


  ENDMETHOD.


ENDCLASS.

After: Modernized Code

CLASS zcl_order_processor DEFINITION
  PUBLIC FINAL
  CREATE PUBLIC.

  PUBLIC SECTION.
    METHODS process_order
      IMPORTING iv_order_id       TYPE zorder_id
      RETURNING VALUE(rv_success) TYPE abap_bool
      RAISING   zcx_order_error.

  PRIVATE SECTION.
    DATA mv_client TYPE mandt.
    DATA mo_logger TYPE REF TO zcl_logger.
ENDCLASS.

CLASS zcl_order_processor IMPLEMENTATION.
  METHOD process_order.
    DATA(lo_validator) = NEW zcl_order_validator( ).

    SELECT SINGLE status
      FROM zorders
      INTO @DATA(lv_status)
      WHERE order_id = @iv_order_id.

    IF sy-subrc <> 0.
      RAISE EXCEPTION TYPE zcx_order_error.
    ENDIF.

    IF lv_status = 'CLOSED'.
      rv_success = abap_false.
      RETURN.
    ENDIF.

    SELECT *
      FROM zorder_items
      INTO TABLE @DATA(lt_items)
      WHERE order_id = @iv_order_id.

    DATA(lv_total) = REDUCE #( INIT sum = 0
                               FOR ls_item IN lt_items
                               NEXT sum += ls_item-amount ).

    DATA(lv_valid) = lo_validator->validate( iv_order_id = iv_order_id
                                              iv_total    = lv_total ).

    IF lv_valid = abap_true.
      UPDATE zorders SET status = 'PROCESSING' WHERE order_id = iv_order_id.
      rv_success = abap_true.
    ELSE.
      rv_success = abap_false.
    ENDIF.
  ENDMETHOD.
ENDCLASS.

Summary of Changes

Category	Change
Empty lines	Removed unnecessary empty lines, logical grouping
Declarations	Resolved chained DATA: declarations
CREATE OBJECT	Replaced with NEW #( )
CLEAR	Removed unnecessary CLEAR (variable is directly assigned)
CALL METHOD	Used functional notation
EQ/NE	Replaced with =/<>
Inline DATA	Inline declarations where appropriate
REDUCE	Replaced LOOP AT with ADD with REDUCE
Alignment	Consistent parameter alignment

CI/CD Integration

ABAP Cleaner can be used as part of the CI/CD pipeline to check code standards:

name: ABAP Style Check

on:
  pull_request:
    paths:
      - 'src/**.abap'

jobs:
  style-check:
    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
    steps:
    - uses: actions/checkout@v4

    - name: Setup Java
      uses: actions/setup-java@v4
      with:
        java-version: '11'
        distribution: 'temurin'

    - name: Run ABAP Cleaner Check
      run: |
        # Download ABAP Cleaner CLI
        wget https://github.com/SAP/abap-cleaner/releases/latest/download/abap-cleaner-cli.jar

        # Check if cleanup changes would be needed
        java -jar abap-cleaner-cli.jar \
          --profile config/abap-cleaner-profile.json \
          --check-only \
          --source src/

    - name: Upload Report
      if: failure()
      uses: actions/upload-artifact@v4
      with:
        name: cleanup-report
        path: cleanup-report.txt

Best Practices

Topic	Recommendation
Profile selection	Start with default profile, adjust gradually
Team standard	Define a shared profile for the entire team
Cleanup on save	Enable for consistent code
Interactive mode	Check interactively first for legacy code
Code review	Perform cleanup before review
New rules	Check new rules on ABAP Cleaner updates
Exceptions	Rules can be disabled for specific files
CI/CD	Integrate as style check in pipeline
Migration	Clean up legacy code gradually, not all at once
Documentation	Document team profile decisions

gCTS - Git-based Transport Management
CI/CD with ABAP Cloud - Automated Pipelines
ADT Tips & Tricks - Efficient Development in Eclipse

ABAP Cleaner: Automatic Code Cleanup

What is ABAP Cleaner?

Benefits

Installation in ADT

Prerequisites

Installation via Eclipse Marketplace

Manual Installation via Update Site

Verify Installation

Key Cleanup Rules

1. Empty Lines - Optimize Whitespace

2. Declarations - Modernize Declarations

3. Syntax - Use Modern ABAP Syntax

4. Commands - Remove Unnecessary Statements

5. Alignment - Improve Alignment

6. Pretty Print - Formatting

7. Inline Declarations - Use VALUE and NEW

8. Comments - Format Comments

Configuration and Profiles

Profile Concept

Create and Configure Profile

Rule Configuration

Export and Share Profile

Daily Usage

Interactive Mode

Automatic Mode

Cleanup on Save

Configure Keyboard Shortcuts

Complete Before/After Example

Before: Legacy Code

After: Modernized Code

Summary of Changes

CI/CD Integration

Best Practices

Related Topics