Creating your own namespace – how?
It took about 12 years of working in the SAP domain until this happened: Today, I was confronted with the task of creating a SAP namespace.
It’s actually not that hard, and I took some screenshots while doing so, and will now gladly walk you through it.
(Please note: I do not touch the topic of why you would want to create your own namespace in the first place (rather than using Y* or Z*) here. I want to leave this to either a discussion via comments or another blog maybe!)
1. Creation a new namespace? There’s an App for that!
Find it in SAP ONE SUPPORT Launchpad:
2. Choose a name. Tipp: keep it as short as possible – Namespace-Characters are deducted from the available total characters.
(Z_MY_COOL_TABLE1 vs. /MYNMSPC/MY_TABL )
3. Give a description and your customer number (or: one of your system’s installation number).
4. Agree to some legal text
5. Shortly watch the nice turning arrows 🙂
6. There you go: your namespace is registered!
7. Now – with just a click – you can create the Dev- and Repair-keys with it.
Remembering (well, copy!) those, you can leave the SAP ONE Launchpad.
8. In your dev system, in SE03 there’s the namespace-section:
9. Enter the data of your newly created namespace + save.
10: Now go ahead and try it out: se21: create a package. AdT/Eclipse: create some demo report.
Your done! 🙂
Now over to you:
Have you ever created a Namespace? Or maybe even multiple ones?
What experiences, learning and considerations can you share?
Your input is most welcome!
Best
Joachim
Hi Joachim,
Thanks for sharing it.
My experience with namespaces:
For me it made sense for Add-on development scenario, for normal Z* development it makes no sense.
Best regards,
Peter
Found it: SAP Note 104010 - Restrictions for development in namespaces:
https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/104010
Hi Peter,
thanks for your feedback!
I do remember we had some issues once with ITSmoblie and namspaces, the note I found for it is:
1323339 - ITSmobile: Services with a namespace
best
Joachim
Thanks for sharing Joachim,
Also, when you need to modify an object in the namespace in a customer system, you can change the namespace settings in SE03. I wouldn't recommend it though, since namespaces fit better for add-on developments.
Best regards,
Christian Tapia.
Thanks for your feedback, Christian!
And also for the note on how to set foreign namespaces to editable and that it’s not recommended (unless you know what you are doing
) – please note that further down the comments (Abap2Xslx) I talk about doing just that! 😉
best
Joachim
Wouldn't it be great if Abap2xlsx could have its own namespace. /A2X/ seems appropriate.
Hey Matthew,
I guess it would be great, yes! And I just checked, as of now /A2X/ is still available!
I put a little thought in how this might actually work:
This is my take: (please - as always- do correct me if I'm wrong!)
On those systems, Abap2xlsx developments could be done very smoothly (as in: it's no modification!), using that namespace (SE03, Role: Producer).
But: I didn't look into it (I probably should at some point), but I take Abap2xlsx is developed decentralized, on many different systems. How could they use the namespace?
So:
-> The now could create objects in that namespace in their systems. (Note that those are "Modifications”!)
(The last two points I actually tried out, so this is not speculation but "experience").
So: thanks for the input and the opportunity to look a little more into how namespaces actually work.
Please do let us know, if Abap2xlsx (or other projects) go ahead with their own namespace!
best
Joachim
Is namespace registration linked to installaion number?
As far as I can tell not installation-number, but customer number.
In my blogs screenshot right under number 7 you can tell that my S-User (connected with a Customer-/Partner-Account) is linked to 55 installations .
I (or my colleagues) could generate Dev-Keys for any of those (but not for installations that are not under our account).
Object keys, for example, use installation number to generate the key. If installation number isn’t required for namespace keys, that would suggest to me that the same development license key could be used by everyone.
Oh, sorry for the confusion, I miss-interpreted "namespace registration" in this context.
Fact is: development keys ARE linked to an installation-number (-> they are different for each installation (I checked this for a namespace with multiple DEV-Systems)).
(But, as I pointed out: repair-keys could be sahred!)
So no easy sharing here...
(then again, the whole namespace thing is probalby "just ABAP", if so, you could get arround it).
(then again, the whole namespace thing is probably “just ABAP”, if so, you could get around it).
Oh yes. Quite easily. Allegedly... 😉
Still use it. Still love it. I would vote for the name space. Of course I've never bothered with one. I've used packaging.
Still it's nice to think about.
Michelle
Hi,
does it cost something to register your own namespace?
I had the impression only bigger companies or consulting companies get their own namespace.
If it's for free...would you recomend to get only one namespace for a group or a namespace for the head company and for each subsidiary?
Thanks for your feedback.
Hi Anja,
as far as I know it doesn’t cost anything (besides some nerves, maybe 🙂 ) to register on one’s namespace.
I know of one customer who has his own namespace (although the reason why is unknown to me - I think it was somehow recommended to him, and he followed that).
As for the question if it's best to get 0, 1 or more namespaces: it depends. 😉
A general consideration could be: If you write code, that will (or might) be deployed in a System-Landscape you don't control , a Namespace is a good idea.
This code might be
- something you sell as a primary business goal, (being a Partner, doing AddOn development for a living)
- code, you wrote for you own use, but also sell it to others (as some kind of secondary usage)
- code you write for your own, but your group might buy another company (and let them keep using their original SAP system). You also want this company to use your Code (=AddOn).
So whenever you code could be called some kind of "product", you might think about a Namespace.
Hope this helps somehow, and @ others: do feel welcome to also comment!
best
Joachim
According to this SAP note, it's for free: https://launchpad.support.sap.com/#/notes/84282
Useful also for using an existing namespace from one's company in a new deployment. It is critical to generate the dev key and maintenance key for the matching installation number or SE03 will refuse to save.