Using SEGW and ABAP in Eclipse

In one of my last blogs about code based OData service development using the SAP Gateway Service Builder (SEGW) I got the (valid) question from Joachim Rees whether I would commend using SE24 to get the ABAP-Code in the generated classes or whether the developers shouldn't use eclipse for that?

I have to admit that I might have been a little bit old fashioned working mostly with SAPGUI and SEGW/SE24. But ABAP in Eclipse has definitely several advantages when you are developing ABAP code.

However the Service Builder is a SAPGUI transaction and like DDIC structures you have to create your SEGW project using SAPGUI. Fortunately there is a nice integration between ABAP in Eclipse and SAPGUI if you start SAPGUI from within ABAP in Eclipse.

So I thought it would be a good idea to show how to start SEGW from within ABAP in Eclipse.

• Since there has to be at least one ABAP project in your workspace you first have to open the 'ABAP Project Creation Wizard' in order to create a new ABAP project.

• You then have to select your system and connect to the same
• Once you have connected to the system an new folder has been created. Choose the "Open SAPGUI button"
  
  
• You will be prompted on which project the SAPGUI should be launched. Select the newly created project.

• SAPGUI will be opened in a new tab. Here we can start SEGW
  
• You can now follow the steps described in my blog OData service development with SAP Gateway - code-based service development - Part I
  
• After you have generated your runtime objects you can edit your classes using ABAP in Eclipse by choosing "Go to ABAP Workbench" when right clicking on the DPC_EXT classe in the Runtime Artifacts folder
  
• This will now start ABAP in Eclipse rather than SE24.
  

Have fun using ABAP in Eclipse