ABAP Test Cockpit – an Introduction to SAP’s new ABAP Quality Assurance Tool

Bugs in your custom ABAP code can be quite expensive when they impact critical business processes, which is why quality assurance of custom ABAP code is receiving more and more attention in business. SAP also develops a great deal of ABAP code, and for us as well, highest quality is our primary goal. To reach this goal, SAP invested in the ABAP Test Cockpit (ATC), which has become SAP’s main internal quality assurance tool for ABAP.

We asked ourselves, why customers shouldn’t benefit from the ABAP Test Cockpit as well.  We started a pilot project with two customers to find out if the ABAP Test Cockpit can help customers assure the quality of custom code. The results were so positive that SAP decided to adapt and extend the ABAP Test Cockpit for custom code. We collaborated intensively with the pilot customers during the development cycle of the ABAP Test Cockpit. As a result now we have a brand new ABAP check tool developed with the input of customers for customers.

The ATC is already available with EhP2 for SAP NetWeaver 7.0 support package stack 12 (SAP Basis 7.02, SAP Kernel 7.20) and EhP3 for SAP NetWeaver 7.0 support package stack 5 (SAP Basis 7.31, SAP Kernel 7.20).

ABAP Test Cockpit – What is it, what are the benefits?

The ABAP Test Cockpit is a new ABAP check toolset which allows you to run static checks and ABAP Unit tests for your ABAP programs. In order to ensure a smooth migration and comparable check results throughout your company, the ABAP Test Cockpit is compatible with SAP’s Code Inspector. This means you can reuse your custom Code Inspector checks and variants in the ABAP Test Cockpit.

So is it only a Code Inspector ++? We think it is more.

Developers will like the ABAP Test Cockpit because it is directly integrated in the ABAP Develoment Tools for Eclipse (ABAP Test Cockpit for Developers in Eclipse) and ABAP workbench and has superior usability.  Working with ATC findings is very easy and efficient using the new ABAP Test Cockpit filter, navigation, and re-check functionality. Team leads and quality engineers will like the ABAP Test Cockpit because it introduces new quality assurance processes like quality gates, a robust exemption approval process, and periodic regression tests in a quality system.

You can install and run ATC locally in the systems of your development landscape or install ATC centrally as a Hub and check your systems using Remote Code Analysis in ATC. ATC’s support for solid quality processes will minimize the errors in your productive system! In addition, the ATC offers tools to analyze the ABAP Test Cockpit results on the team or project level.  ABAP Test Cockpit is integrated into the SAP Solution Manager (CCLM, CHARM) to allow cross system quality reporting.

Here are the main benefits of ABAP Test Cockpit:

• Standard code quality with functional, performance, security aspects (ABAP Security Checks with the Code Vulnerability Analyzer (CVA))
• The ABAP Test Cockpit is fully integrated in the ABAP Development Tools for Eclipse and in ABAP development workbench with high usability for developers and quality experts. Findings are reported in one prioritized work list.

       ATC in ABAP Development Tools for Eclipse:

       ATC in SE80:

• Easy navigation to the editors to analyze the finding and data flow including the detailed documentation and assistance for the findings
• Configuration of checks takes place via Code Inspector variants
• The ABAP Test Cockpit offers superior and easy to use built-in reporting capabilities with filters and aggregated levels.
• The ABAP Test Cockpit is not only a check tool but supports essential quality assurance techniques like quality gates or regression testing in a consolidation system.

• The ABAP Test Cockpit offers a robust process for managing exemptions (false / positive findings) based on the four-eyes principle.

• Uniform quality standard for the whole system landscape: Remote Code Analysis in ATC – One central check system for multiple systems on various releases
• SAP S/4HANA custom code migration

For more information about the supported quality management processes, please take a look at the corresponding Best Practices document:

• ABAP Test Cockpit: Best Practices for Quality Management Processes

For more details about the involved roles (developers, quality extperts, admins) please take a look at the corresponding Getting Started guides:

• Getting Started with the ABAP Test Cockpit for QMs and Administrators
• Getting Started with the ABAP Test Cockpit for Developers