SAP R/3 Version 3.x to 4.x

Delta Changes

Introduction to ABAP

ABAP used to be called ABAP/4 in release 3.x. The “4” stood for “fourth generation language.”

The ABAP Workbench used to be known as the ABAP/4 Development Workbench.

Program names were limited to 8 characters in the 3.x release.

The following options were not available in the 3.x releases under the Settings menu in the ABAP Editor:

• Compress/Decompress code blocks

• Setting case of code to KEYWORD LARGE

• The Edit Locally option

Type 1 program type used to be called “Online Program” in previous releases. Due to the confusion with module pool programming, the description is now “Executable Program.”

You used to be limited to 4 fields in the Field view of the Debugger in 3.x.

Prior to the 4.0 release, program structures were simply called “field strings.”

2.07.5

In previous releases, there was only one single kind of internal. That type is now known as a standard internal table. The two new ones are sorted and hashed. The last 2 are not covered in this course.

2.07.6

In previous versions, there was only one type of internal table, so the STANDARD TABLE OF addition was not necessary. Also the INITIAL SIZE extension was called OCCURS. An internal table declaration in 3.x would have looked like this:

TYPES: BEGIN OF EMP,

ID LIKE EMPLOYEE-ID,

NAME1 LIKE EMPLOYEE-NAME1,

COUNTRY LIKE EMPLOYEE-COUNTRY,

END OF EMP.

DATA: EMPTAB TYPE EMP OCCURS 10 WITH HEADER LINE.

An internal table declaration in 2.x would have looked like this. Back then, TYPES did not exist, and you could not make an internal table with a separate work area. A header line was implied.

DATA: BEGIN OF EMP OCCURS 10,

ID LIKE EMPLOYEE-ID,

NAME1 LIKE EMPLOYEE-NAME1,

COUNTRY LIKE EMPLOYEE-COUNTRY,

END OF EMP.

Both 2.x and 3.x versions will continue to be recognized in 4.x.

2.07.7

User-defined keys are new in 4.0. You would only be able to use the implicit key in previous releases.

2.07.29

The READ TABLE WITH TABLE KEY… option was not previously available, since having a user-defined key is new in 4.x.

2.08.11

The Function Builder used to be called the Function Library in 3.x.

2.08.13

In previous releases, function group names were limited to 4 characters.

2.10.11

Inner joins are new as of 3.1h, and left outer joins are new as of 4.x.

2.10.21

Subqueries are new as of 4.x.

2.10.23

The HAVING clause is new as of 4.x.

2.12.7

The CATCH keyword is new in 4.0.

2.13.5

Logical database names used to be limited to 3 characters in 3.0. Now they can be up to 20.

2.15.2

Although much of the functionality of the debugger is the same as before, there are visual differences of pushbuttons with text becoming pushbuttons with an icon, and vice versa.

Page 1 March, 2001

Version 2.0

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