Unpacking ABAP RAP
The ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model (RAP) is the modern “blueprint” SAP uses to build apps that are fast, efficient, and ready for the cloud.
Think of building a RAP application like opening a restaurant. You need four things to make it work:
- Data Access (The Ingredients): In SAP HANA, data is stored in optimized, “flat” columnar tables. However, you don’t just grab raw data from any shelf. You use CDS (Core Data Services) as a professional interface to get exactly the “ingredients” you need safely.
- Data Modeling (The Recipe): Raw data by itself doesn’t make sense to a user. Instead of writing long, complicated code to sort through it, you create a Data Model. This organizes the data into a clear structure … like turning raw vegetables into a prepped salad, so the application understands how everything connects.
- Behavior Definition & Implementation (The Cooking): Now you decide what a user can do. Can they “Create” a new order? “Delete” an old one? The Definition lists the rules (the menu), and the Implementation is the actual ABAP code that does the work behind the scenes.
- Business Service Exposure (The Serving): Your app is ready, but it needs a way to reach the customer. This step “exposes” your work as a service (like OData). It’s the waiter who brings the finished dish from the kitchen to the user’s screen (like an SAP Fiori app).
Stay tuned as we deep dive into each of these sections in our upcoming blogs and we try to keep things simple.
