Possibility of downward compatibility tests for ABAP language in source system ?

[Former Member]

Hello all,

I'd like to ask if someone has experience with cross system compatibility tests e.g. for different ABAP basis and product releases.

Imagine the scenario that ...

• developers (like to) work on a brand new NetWeaver ABAP 7.4 based ERP 6 (e.g. to have ABAP4Eclipse available) and
• the software developed there should be bundled, exported and imported in a NetWeaver 7.00 based ERP 6 system

As described in blog the straight forward way would set up a NW7.0 ERP6 for development. Anything produced there should be acceptable in a NW7.4 based ERP system.

For product related checks, we use the package interface definitions and "use accesses" in the source system to avoid using DDIC objects not availible in target system in general. Nevertheless, these checks are much to global and - to detect errors - we need always a plain installed system with an "after import check" to dectect errors ...

But to reach the goal that the "development system is more actual than the target system", it might make sense to ...

• allow ABAP developers only acces to a defined "feature set"  e.g. given from target release (like NW 7.0)
  or if not possible to restrict technically ...
• at least ... check code on source system against a defined feature set e.g. with ATC or SCI or similar tools

Anything known or planned here ?

Best regards,

Matthias

[gregorw]

Dear Matthias,

I would be very interested in such a functionality. Together with and other contributors I help to maintain the http://abap2xlsx.org/  project. Today we've got a contribution from which made some adjustments so that the code does not only work on NetWeaver 7.03 or 7.4. But as I have "only" a 7.40 at hand, I can't really do a check if all the coding is downward compatible. Perhaps who came up as the #1 search result regarding SCI can provide some insight here.

Best regards

Gregor

[Former Member]

Dear Gregor,

thank you for the hint with Randolf, I'll try ask him with reference to this discussion.

As you said, it's hard to test the downward compatibility without having a installed system and real import.

This is a pain point for us (and I think for many others too) who develop "standard" packages to be sold and installed on customer sites.

We can specify SAINT requirements to avoid import in target systems w/o a appropriate component vector but as we have to support the "oldest" supported NW ABAP as SAP itself, we need relieable checks in source system.

Best regards & see you at d-code,

Matthias

[gregorw]

Hi Matthias,

perhaps you have seen the post by . Unfortunately it seems only to support down to NetWeaver 7.02 and also there you have to be on SP 14 at least.

Best regards

Gregor

[phil_soady]

Any options here?  What abaout a target max release level or something.