ABAP Cloud vs Classic ABAP: The Complete Comparison 2025

DATA lv_name TYPE string.
DATA lv_count TYPE i.
lv_name = 'Max Mustermann'.
lv_count = 42.

DATA lt_customers TYPE TABLE OF ty_customer.
DATA ls_customer TYPE ty_customer.

" Inline declaration preferred
DATA(lv_name) = 'Max Mustermann'.
DATA(lv_count) = 42.

DATA(lt_customers) = VALUE ty_customer_table(
  ( id = 1 name = 'Max' )
  ( id = 2 name = 'Anna' )
).

DATA lv_full_name TYPE string.
CONCATENATE lv_first_name lv_last_name
  INTO lv_full_name
  SEPARATED BY space.

" Or
CONCATENATE 'Hello ' lv_name '!' INTO lv_greeting.

" String Templates
DATA(lv_full_name) = |{ lv_first_name } { lv_last_name }|.
DATA(lv_greeting) = |Hello { lv_name }!|.

" With formatting
DATA(lv_price) = |Price: { lv_amount CURRENCY = lv_currency }|.

DATA ls_customer TYPE ty_customer.

READ TABLE lt_customers INTO ls_customer
  WITH KEY id = lv_id.

IF sy-subrc = 0.
  " Customer found
  WRITE: ls_customer-name.
ENDIF.

" Modify row
ls_customer-name = 'New Name'.
MODIFY TABLE lt_customers FROM ls_customer.

" Table Expression
TRY.
    DATA(ls_customer) = lt_customers[ id = lv_id ].
    " Customer found
    cl_demo_output=>display( ls_customer-name ).

    " Modify row directly
    lt_customers[ id = lv_id ]-name = 'New Name'.

  CATCH cx_sy_itab_line_not_found.
    " Not found
ENDTRY.

" Or: With OPTIONAL (no exception)
DATA(ls_customer) = VALUE #( lt_customers[ id = lv_id ] OPTIONAL ).

IF lv_status = 'A'.
  lv_message = 'Active'.
ELSEIF lv_status = 'I'.
  lv_message = 'Inactive'.
ELSE.
  lv_message = 'Unknown'.
ENDIF.

CASE lv_type.
  WHEN 'A'.
    lv_result = 'Type A'.
  WHEN 'B'.
    lv_result = 'Type B'.
  WHEN OTHERS.
    lv_result = 'Other type'.
ENDCASE.

" COND Expression (Inline IF)
DATA(lv_message) = COND string(
  WHEN lv_status = 'A' THEN 'Active'
  WHEN lv_status = 'I' THEN 'Inactive'
  ELSE 'Unknown'
).

" SWITCH Expression (Inline CASE)
DATA(lv_result) = SWITCH string( lv_type
  WHEN 'A' THEN 'Type A'
  WHEN 'B' THEN 'Type B'
  ELSE 'Other type'
).

DATA lv_total TYPE i VALUE 0.
LOOP AT lt_orders INTO DATA(ls_order).
  lv_total = lv_total + ls_order-amount.
ENDLOOP.

" Extract names
DATA lt_names TYPE TABLE OF string.
DATA ls_name TYPE string.
LOOP AT lt_customers INTO DATA(ls_customer).
  ls_name = ls_customer-name.
  APPEND ls_name TO lt_names.
ENDLOOP.

" REDUCE (for aggregations)
DATA(lv_total) = REDUCE i( INIT sum = 0
  FOR ls_order IN lt_orders
  NEXT sum = sum + ls_order-amount ).

" FOR Expression (for transformations)
DATA(lt_names) = VALUE string_table(
  FOR ls_customer IN lt_customers
  ( ls_customer-name )
).

" With filter
DATA(lt_active_names) = VALUE string_table(
  FOR ls_cust IN lt_customers
  WHERE ( status = 'ACTIVE' )
  ( ls_cust-name )
).

" SELECT * not recommended, but allowed
SELECT * FROM mara
  INTO TABLE @DATA(lt_materials)
  WHERE mtart = 'FERT'.

" Without @-escaping (old syntax)
SELECT matnr maktx FROM mara
  INTO TABLE lt_materials
  WHERE mtart = 'FERT'.

" SELECT * FORBIDDEN in ABAP Cloud
" Only Released CDS Views + Explicit fields
SELECT Product, ProductDescription
  FROM I_Product
  INTO TABLE @DATA(lt_products)
  WHERE ProductType = 'FERT'.

" @-escaping is MANDATORY

" Allowed in Classic
FORM calculate_total USING pv_amount TYPE p
                     CHANGING pv_total TYPE p.
  pv_total = pv_amount * '1.19'.
ENDFORM.

PERFORM calculate_total USING lv_amount
                        CHANGING lv_total.

" FORM/PERFORM FORBIDDEN
" Only classes & methods

CLASS lcl_calculator DEFINITION.
  PUBLIC SECTION.
    CLASS-METHODS calculate_total
      IMPORTING iv_amount       TYPE p
      RETURNING VALUE(rv_total) TYPE p.
ENDCLASS.

CLASS lcl_calculator IMPLEMENTATION.
  METHOD calculate_total.
    rv_total = iv_amount * '1.19'.
  ENDMETHOD.
ENDCLASS.

DATA(lv_total) = lcl_calculator=>calculate_total( lv_amount ).

" Screen 100 with MODULE
CALL SCREEN 100.

MODULE status_0100 OUTPUT.
  SET PF-STATUS 'MAIN'.
  SET TITLEBAR 'TITLE'.
ENDMODULE.

MODULE user_command_0100 INPUT.
  CASE sy-ucomm.
    WHEN 'SAVE'.
      " Save
    WHEN 'BACK'.
      LEAVE TO SCREEN 0.
  ENDCASE.
ENDMODULE.

" No UI code needed! Automatically generated from annotations

" Service Binding
@EndUserText.label: 'Book Service'
define service ZUI_BOOK_O4 {
  expose ZC_Book as Book;
}

" Metadata Extension (UI layout)
@UI.lineItem: [{ position: 10 }]
@UI.identification: [{ position: 10 }]
BookId;

SELECT matnr maktx FROM mara
  INTO TABLE @DATA(lt_materials)
  WHERE mtart = 'FERT'.

CALL FUNCTION 'BAPI_MATERIAL_GET_DETAIL'
  EXPORTING
    material = lv_matnr
  IMPORTING
    material_general_data = ls_material.

" Released CDS View
SELECT Product, ProductDescription
  FROM I_Product
  INTO TABLE @DATA(lt_products).

" RAP/EML instead of BAPI
READ ENTITIES OF I_Product
  ENTITY Product
    ALL FIELDS
    WITH VALUE #( ( Product = lv_product_id ) )
  RESULT DATA(lt_result).

managed implementation in class zbp_i_book unique;
strict ( 2 );

define behavior for ZI_BOOK alias Book
persistent table zbook_tab
{
  create;
  update;
  delete;

  field ( readonly ) BookId;
  field ( numbering : managed ) BookId;

  validation validateIsbn on save { field Isbn; }
  action markAsRead result [1] $self;
}

LOOP AT lt_customers INTO DATA(ls_customer).
  " SELECT in loop - very slow!
  SELECT SINGLE * FROM kna1
    WHERE kunnr = ls_customer-id
    INTO @DATA(ls_detail).
ENDLOOP.

" One SELECT for all IDs
SELECT FROM I_Customer
  FIELDS Customer, CustomerName
  FOR ALL ENTRIES IN @lt_customers
  WHERE Customer = @lt_customers-id
  INTO TABLE @DATA(lt_details).

CLASS ltc_test DEFINITION FOR TESTING.
  PRIVATE SECTION.
    METHODS test_calculation FOR TESTING.
ENDCLASS.

CLASS ltc_test IMPLEMENTATION.
  METHOD test_calculation.
    DATA(lv_result) = zcl_calculator=>calculate( 10 ).
    cl_abap_unit_assert=>assert_equals(
      act = lv_result
      exp = 12 ).
  ENDMETHOD.
ENDCLASS.

CLASS ltc_test DEFINITION FOR TESTING.
  PRIVATE SECTION.
    CLASS-DATA environment TYPE REF TO if_cds_test_environment.

    CLASS-METHODS class_setup.
    METHODS test_create_book FOR TESTING.
ENDCLASS.

CLASS ltc_test IMPLEMENTATION.
  METHOD class_setup.
    environment = cl_cds_test_environment=>create_for_multiple_cds(
      i_for_entities = VALUE #( ( i_for_entity = 'ZI_BOOK' ) )
    ).
  ENDMETHOD.

  METHOD test_create_book.
    MODIFY ENTITIES OF zi_book
      ENTITY Book CREATE FROM VALUE #( ( %cid = 'B1' Title = 'Test' ) ).
    " Test assertions
  ENDMETHOD.
ENDCLASS.

# Azure DevOps / GitHub Actions
- name: Run ABAP Unit Tests
  run: abap test --package ZBOOK

- name: Deploy to QAS
  run: abap deploy --target QAS

- name: Run Integration Tests
  run: abap integration-test

Classic ABAP
    ↓
Modernize (ABAP Cleaner, new syntax)
    ↓
Identify Released APIs
    ↓
ABAP Cloud-compliant new development
    ↓
Step-by-step migration
    ↓
ABAP Cloud ✓