In order for your ABAP code to work with SAP NetWeaver using SAP HANA as the database, you will need to validate if the code is truly database independent and is not reliant on unique behavior of a specific database.
Adapting for SAP HANA means make your ABAP code database independent
What does it mean for ABAP code to be database independent? Let me illustrate this with an example. With some databases the use of SELECT statement without ORDER BY will result in the records returned in the order of the index used to retrieve them from the database. This result is neither a feature of standard SQL nor of the specific database. It seems it is just luck the order used by the database is also the order you needed for retrieving the records. If someone then creates a different index or deletes the index used, then the database will return the records in a different order. If you move to a different database such as SAP HANA, the records returned may be in a different order then the order returned in the previous database. Standard SQL code without ORDER BY does not specify the order in which records are returned.
This is but one example of the many items which need to be reviewed and possibly changed when adapting ABAP code for SAP HANA. Based on SAP’s current knowledge of what is needed to make ABAP/OpenSQL compliant with standard SQL, SAP has developed tools to find these coding mistakes and help automate this process. These tools are: Code Inspector and Runtime Check Monitor are available with SAP NetWeaver. The
"Mandatory Steps to Adapt ABAP Code for SAP HANA" https://www.sap.com/documents/2016/06/6443c2b7-757c-0010-82c7-eda71af511fa.html is detailed presentation providing more information about how to use these tools, including which code is identified and why this code needs to be changed. Over 100 SAP Partners have used this presentation as a guide when using these tools to adapt their software written in ABAP/OpenSQL to be ready for SAP HANA.
Adapt your ABAP code before you have SAP HANA
Following the method outlined in the presentation
"Mandatory Steps to Adapt ABAP Code for SAP HANA” https://www.sap.com/documents/2016/06/6443c2b7-757c-0010-82c7-eda71af511fa.html and using tools delivered by SAP, you can ready your ABAP code for SAP HANA without having SAP HANA. The tools work the same way with or without SAP HANA. By adapting the ABAP code for SAP HANA will result in the code becoming database independent. It will work on any database supported by SAP NetWeaver. This will also give you a head start when you move to SAP HANA.
