Here are some SAP ABAP interview questions and answers that will help both new and experienced job seekers get their dream job.
SAP ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming) is the core language used for developing business applications in SAP. As an ABAP developer, you’ll need strong programming skills and in-depth knowledge of SAP procedures and modules In any SAP ABAP job interview, recruiters will test your technical expertise with a mix of theoretical and practical questions
We will look at some of the most common SAP ABAP interview questions for developer jobs in this in-depth guide. If you can answer these questions well, you’ll do great in your next SAP job interview and get the job you want.
What is SAP ABAP?
SAP ABAP is a high-level programming language developed by SAP for creating business applications to manage business processes in SAP systems. It is used for developing the various applications like FICO, SRM, etc. that makeup the SAP ERP system.
Some key features of SAP ABAP are:
- Procedural language with OOP (object oriented programming) capabilities
- Integrated with SAP GUI for responsive interface design
- Access to proprietary ABAP runtime environment
- Tight integration with RDBMS like Oracle, HANA for data retrieval
- Can be used across multiple OS platforms like Windows, Linux, etc.
Understanding ABAP is crucial for customizing, enhancing, and extending standard SAP software like SAP ERP according to business needs.
What is the SAP data dictionary in ABAP?
The data dictionary in SAP ABAP contains the definitions of all data elements in the system. It stores metadata about these elements including data types, field lengths, descriptions, etc.
Key functions of the ABAP data dictionary are:
- Central repository of data definitions used across development objects
- Ensures consistency of data across system
- Contains domain fixed values that can be assigned to data elements
- Defines data structures and tables
- Manages database table definitions
The data dictionary is a pivotal tool for ABAP/4 development. Mastering it is essential for creating effective data objects, transparent tables, search helps, and solving data inconsistencies across modules.
What are the different SAP ABAP/4 editors?
Some commonly used ABAP editors are
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ABAP Editor: Primary editor for writing ABAP code, like CLASS, MODULE, etc. Includes features like syntax highlighting, search/replace, etc.
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ABAP Dictionary Editor: For creating and managing ABAP Dictionary objects like domains, data elements, structures, etc.
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Menu Painter: Graphical editor for building application menus and UI components.
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Screen Painter: Designing interactive screens consisting of fields, radio buttons, toolbars, etc.
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Function Builder: Editor for defining modular, reusable function modules with import/export parameters.
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Class Builder: For creating and managing OOP class definitions including methods, events, interfaces, etc.
Familiarity with these editors is essential to develop robust SAP solutions efficiently.
What are SAP Smart Forms?
SAP Smart Forms allow creating and maintaining complex forms and documents in SAP systems. They are an enhanced version of older SAPscripts with added functionality.
Key features and advantages of Smart Forms:
- Graphical interface for intuitive form/layout design
- Object orientation for reusability,reduced redundancy
- Tables and graphics integration capability
- Cross-platform support for output on desktop, web, mobile, etc.
- PDF-based archiving of forms for compliance
- Integrated distribution via email, printer, etc.
For ABAP developers, expertise in Smart Forms is crucial for quickly developing customized, professional-looking documents, invoices, labels, payslips, etc. according to evolving business needs.
What are interfaces in SAP ABAP?
Interfaces in ABAP allow you to define method signatures and attributes independent of classes that implement them. They decouple the public API from specific implementations.
Some key advantages of using interfaces in ABAP are
- Defines a contract for what classes should do without specifying how
- Enables polymorphism by allowing different classes implementing the same interface
- Useful for integration scenarios by exposing common interface across applications
- Allows loosely coupling modules/systems by interacting through common interfaces
- Fosters standardization of business functionality across modules
Developers should leverage interfaces to build flexible, modular, and extensible object-oriented systems in SAP.
What are internal tables in SAP ABAP?
Internal tables are important data containers used to store and manipulate data in ABAP programs. They allow storing data in tabular form during runtime, similar to database tables.
Key characteristics of internal tables:
- Temporary data storage unlike database tables which persist data
- Defined locally within program unlike global database tables
- Faster access compared to database tables due to in-memory storage
- Used commonly for report generation, search helps, interface processing, etc.
- Multiple types like standard, hashed, sorted with different access behavior
- Powerful operations like INSERT, APPEND, SORT, LOOP for data manipulation
Mastering internal tables is a fundamental ABAP skill for productive report creation, data integration, and efficient data processing.
What is ALV (ABAP List Viewer) programming in SAP?
ALV (ABAP List Viewer) is used to display outputs from ABAP programs in tabular format. It provides a flexible API for generating interactive reports and displaying business data.
Key features of ALV Reporting:
- Tabular output with columns, rows, sorting, filtering, etc.
- Field catalog creation using ABAP Dictionary elements
- Interactive options like hide/show columns, filter values, etc.
- Client-side processing reduces server load
- Variants allow saving layouts/filters for reuse
- Integrated with ABAP OO for passing data via objects
- Easy layout customizations with addition of buttons, icons, etc.
ALV programming is an important skill for ABAP developers. It allows quickly generating functional reports tailored to business needs.
Explain dialog programming in SAP ABAP
Dialog programming allows developing interactive transaction code based applications for SAP users. Some key aspects:
- Modular development via function modules, includes, subroutines, etc.
- Event-driven processing triggered by user actions like pressing a button
- Interface building with dynpros (dynamic program), screens, GUI status
- Managing dialog flow across multiple screens/steps
- Error handling via messages, exceptions, etc.
- Parameter transfer between screens using exported/imported data
Understanding dialog programming is essential for ABAP developers to create user-friendly interfaces and applications tailored to evolving business processes.
What are the different types of enhancements in SAP ABAP?
Some common SAP ABAP enhancement techniques are:
- Implicit Enhancements: Requires only code changes without explicit definition
- Exits: Predefined enhancement points in standard SAP programs
- User Exits: Similar to exits but predefined placeholders for user code
- Business Add-Ins (BAdIs): Enhancement interfaces using object orientation
- Enhancement Points: Custom spots defined by developers in programs for enhancements
- Enhancement Sections: Enhancements grouped together via ENs (Enhancement Numbers)
Enhancement skills allow ABAPers to customize SAP software without modifying standard code. This is key for rapidly adapting SAP to new and changing business requirements.
What are ABAP data types? Give some examples.
Some commonly used ABAP data types are:
- C (Character): Text data type for strings (Example: C LENGTH 30)
- N (Numeric): For integers (Example: N LENGTH 10)
- P (Packed number): Compact storage format for currency values (Example: P LENGTH 7 DECIMALS 2)
- D (Date): Date data type in YYYYMMDD format (Example: D FORMAT YYYYMMDD)
- T (Time): Time data type in HHMMSS format (Example: T FORMAT HHMMSS)
- X (Hexadecimal): For binary data like images, files, etc. (Example: X LENGTH 10)
Understanding the right data types to use based on business scenario is key for developing robust SAP applications optimized for data storage and processing.
What are selection screens in SAP ABAP?
Selection screens are parameter screens that allow users to input selection criteria like date ranges, plant codes, etc. before executing a transaction/report.
Key characteristics:
- Specified after PROGRAM statement
- Uses SELECTION-SCREEN BEGIN/END blocks
- PARAMETERS define user inputs like ranges, checks, defaults, etc.
- Can define multiple selection screen tabs
- INITIALIZATION method to validate inputs
- Flow logic modifies program execution based on selections
Developing functional selection screens is important for ABAPers to allow flexible, user-driven reporting as per business needs.
What are the layers of SAP ABAP architecture?
SAP ABAP follows a 3-tier architecture:
Presentation Layer
Deals with UI and user interaction via SAP GUI
Application Layer
Main business logic and processes implemented in ABAP
What is a foreign key relationship?
To ensure the consistency of data, foreign keys are used. The relationship established between the tables and must be explicitly defined at field level. Data entered should be checked against the existing data to ensure that there is no contradiction. Cardinality has to be specified while defining foreign key relationship.
SAP ABAP Interview Questions and Answers for Experienced Candidates
End of the selection event is mostly used when we are writing HR-ABAP code. The HR-ABAP code gets the data at the beginning of the selection event and prints it on the list. Everything is finished at the end of the selection event.
The SAP ABAP Technical Interview Question You Might Have Never Heard Of
FAQ
How to prepare for an SAP ABAP interview?
Is SAP ABAP full of coding?
What is the role of the developer in SAP ABAP?
Is SAP ABAP tough?
What is SAP ABAP?
SAP ABAP (Advanced Business Application Programming) is the high-level coding language developers use to customize corporate SAP ERP software programs. It makes it easier for other employees to create reports, interfaces, extensions, forms, and workflows in SAP. SAP ABAP is a programming language for developing business applications on the SAP platform.
What questions do ABAP developers ask?
Most interviews will include questions about your personality, qualifications, experience and how well you would fit the job. In this article, we review examples of various sap abap developer interview questions and sample answers to some of the most common questions. What are your experiences in ABAP development?
What questions should you ask during a sap ABAP interview?
Here are eight questions about SAP ABAP that you may encounter during a SAP developer interview, with examples of how to answer them professionally: Question 1: How familiar are you with the SAP ABAP 3-tier architecture? Hiring managers may ask this question to assess whether you have a basic understanding of the SAP ABAP structure.
What does a sap ABAP developer interview look like?
In the context of an SAP ABAP Developer, the interviewer is seeking to understand your proficiency with ABAP and your approach to using it as a tool to address and resolve complex business challenges. It’s about confirming your technical prowess, your problem-solving skills, and your understanding of business operations.
