New vs. Not so New - Version 6.0, Hana s/4, Newer versions

[mmcisme1]

Have you ever purchased a new car?  You drive off the lot and suddenly, bang!  Your new car is a used car and worth significantly less.  Sometimes that is what I feel like with SAP.  I am now using SAP S/4 HANA.  You would think - aha, Michelle is using a new version of SAP.  You would be wrong.  I'm using HANA version 1709 on-premise.

As we all struggle to keep up with the demands of new syntax, new languages, and well new everything.   Does that mean your skills are no longer needed?  They must be outdated right?

Vintage Mac

Constant Learning

At this point, I get to say I love SAP.  I love the challenge, the constant learning, the problems, and the solutions.   At this point, I get to say I really don't like SAP.  The challenges, the problems and the solutions.

So my point is - start learning now.  It really doesn't matter what version you are on.  You can create a Javascript page without having anything to do with SAP.  Start thinking about documenting - yes, I said it - documenting your code.   Think about how it can be achieved in a different database.   Look at all the different blogs - and even buy a book.  Start to get a feel of CDS and start thinking in that way.  Let me tell you, that is more than half the battle.  CDS is a strange new language.  I am building table into table into to table with very little help from other languages.  Think AMDP.  Ha!  That sounds hard.   What AMDP is (for me) classes/methods.

At this point, I am constantly learning.  More than I ever have had to learn.   I have to hit the downward climb before I reach the top.  Crazy right?

MONLAMAI VICHIENWANITCHKUL - Enablers Space 

Yes, it really looks like this. For the non-early release people, they have to quickly learn how to use SAP.  For those of us that have been on other SAP versions, we have to learn new things.  But when they tell me it's a learning curve - I laugh.  I agree more with the graph above.

Fun?

For me it's fun.  So much to learn is awesome.  But time consuming...  And that is why I lean so much on the SAP Community.   There are so many people here.    They are so willing to help I love it.

Recently read a blog:

Is it bad to use some of the "old" constructs on the newer versions of SAP.  Really the title was "The ABAP-Report it is still relative, right?"

So do you throw out everything you know and embrace this "new" (Not really) way of doing things?  I say and stand by it.  No, it's just another tool in your toolbox.

Do you throw away all this new "stuff".  Why on Earth would you need to know it?  NO! NO! NO!  This new stuff was built for a reason.  Either to make our lives easier or to make the users life easier.  I think you have to add it to your programs as much as you can.

What is troublesome?

As soon as you learn something new, something newer is out there.  You have to pick and choose what you want to learn and incorporate in your development.

Why this blog - what was the point?

Decide if you got anything from the blog at all.  Maybe you didn't.  And that's OK too.

Here's my Summary

• Don't lose your old knowledge.  You need it as you transition into different ways of thinking.


• Do learn the latest and greatest.  If it doesn't fit with your current job, you'll know it after reading the highlights.  My favorite youtube videos.


• Do let the Community help you.  Ask questions, write blogs, message people.  Guess what?  A lot of us are in the same place you are.


• Do look at the tutorials here.


• Do try to do an Open Sap course.


• Do, Enjoy all the new "toys".  You'll learn to love some of them most of the time.  Have fun doing so.


• Do remember when you started programming in real life.  I has a lot to learn.

And everything is coming at us in an amazing speed.  What are your suggestions to make it easier?