CL_DEMO_OUTPUT invigorated

Some time ago, we introduced CL_DEMO_OUTPUT for simple examples and demonstrations.

CL_DEMO_OUTPUT, Part 1 of 2 – Usage | SAP Blogs

The functionality up to now was already nice and useful, but somehow it was not complete.

Writing a simple piece of code such as

  DATA:
    BEGIN OF super,
      col1 TYPE i VALUE 1,
      BEGIN OF sub,
        col2 TYPE i VALUE 2,
        col3 TYPE i VALUE 3,
      END OF sub,
    END OF super.

  cl_demo_output=>display( super ).

results in

Duh!

We are happy to announce that from ABAP release 7.56, SP01 on, this output will look as follows:

In fact, you can output  (nearly?) everything now:

CLASS demo_class DEFINITION.
  PUBLIC SECTION.
    TYPES:
      BEGIN OF spfli_line,
        carrid   TYPE spfli-carrid,
        connid   TYPE spfli-connid,
        cityfrom TYPE spfli-cityfrom,
        cityto   TYPE spfli-cityto,
      END OF spfli_line,
      spfli_tab TYPE HASHED TABLE OF spfli_line
                     WITH UNIQUE KEY carrid connid,
      BEGIN OF struct,
        carrname TYPE scarr-carrname,
        spfli    TYPE REF TO spfli_tab,
      END OF struct.
    DATA result TYPE SORTED TABLE OF struct WITH UNIQUE KEY carrname.
    METHODS constructor.
ENDCLASS.

CLASS demo_class IMPLEMENTATION.
  METHOD constructor.
    SELECT s~carrname, p~carrid, p~connid, p~cityfrom, p~cityto
           FROM scarr AS s
             INNER JOIN spfli AS p
               ON s~carrid = p~carrid
           ORDER BY s~carrname
           INTO TABLE @DATA(itab).
    LOOP AT itab ASSIGNING FIELD-SYMBOL(<fs>) GROUP BY <fs>-carrname.
      INSERT VALUE #( carrname = <fs>-carrname ) INTO TABLE result
             ASSIGNING FIELD-SYMBOL(<line>).
      <line>-spfli = NEW #(
        FOR <wa> IN GROUP <fs> ( CORRESPONDING #( <wa> ) ) ).
    ENDLOOP.
  ENDMETHOD.
ENDCLASS.

START-OF-SELECTION.

  DATA(oref) = NEW demo_class( ).

  cl_demo_output=>display( oref ).

gives

Note, that simply the name of the reference variable oref is passed to the display method.

This has been achieved by introducing some recursions in CL_DEMO_OUTPUT_STREAM. That means that the intermediate XML coming from CL_DEMO_OUTPUT_STREAM supports nested stuff now and that the conversion capabilities of CL_DEMO_OUTPUT_HTML were enhanced accordingly.

And just for fun, we can also write self-explaining demos now:

DATA(o) = cl_demo_output=>new(
)->write_doc( cl_demo_output_helper=>get_infobox_html(
     `This output is produced by program ` && sy-repid )
)->next_section( 'ABAP CDS View Entity'
)->write_doc( cl_demo_output_helper=>get_ddls_source_code_html(
     source = 'DEMO_CDS_SPFLI_ENTITY' )
)->next_section( `ABAP SQL SELECT`
)->write_doc(
   `The following code snippet demonstrates a ` &&
   `<code>SELECT</code> statement accessing `   &&
   `the CDS view entity without `               &&
   `<code>ORDER BY</code> clause:`
)->begin_code( `select1` ).

SELECT *
       FROM demo_cds_spfli_entity
       INTO TABLE @DATA(itab). "#EC CI_NOWHERE

o->end_code( `select1`
)->write_doc( `The result in <code>itab</code> is:`
)->write( itab
)->write_doc( `Adding`
)->write_doc(
   cl_demo_output_helper=>get_abap_source_code_html(
     code = `ORDER BY cityfrom, cityto`  )
)->write_doc( `as follows`
)->begin_code( `select2` ).

SELECT *
       FROM demo_cds_spfli_entity
       ORDER BY cityfrom, cityto
       INTO TABLE @itab. "#EC CI_NOWHERE

o->end_code( `select2`
)->write_doc( `gives:`
)->write( itab
)->display( ).

gives

As before, you can retrieve the HTML file with method GET instead of DISPLAY in order to become independent from SAP GUI.

Caveats

• You have to wait for 7.56, SP01
• The new complex outputs are not fully supported by the text mode (but who wants to reprogram a browser in CL_DEMO_OUTPUT_TEXT?)
• ADT console supports only text but not HTML mode
• It is for demonstration purposes only …

Update

With releases 2308/2023

• CL_DEMO_OUTPUT_TEXT also supports all data types
• The ABAP console of ADT calls CL_DEMO_OUTPUT_TEXT

https://blogs.sap.com/2023/10/24/abap-console-reloaded/