Java vs. ABAP

[Former Member]

I have a "strategic" Netweaver question. Is there any other business case behind the integration of Java into the platform than leveraging the number of Java programmers in the world? Or is there something you can do with Java that you can't do as well with ABAP?

CJ

[pravesh_verma · Accepted solution]

Hi Carl,

First of all welcome to SDN group.

<b>1) Is there any other business case behind the integration of Java into the platform than leveraging the number of Java programmers in the world?</b>

What I think is there is lot of advantage of integrating JAVA into this platform, its just not the matter of leveraging the Java programmers in SAP world.

There are various issues which can very well handles with JAVA like Java is more advantageous for <i>User interfaces and Web Services</i>. If we could integrate these positive points of JAVA into this platform then there is a big advantage. I think you agree with this point.

Similar question was asked some time back. Please refer to the link:

<b>1) >

<b>2) >

In post (1) I have explained the advantage of Java with ABAP. <b>Antonio</b> has also mentioned a link that clearly explains about the integration of JAVA with ABAP system.

In post (2) please visit the link 2:

<b>https://www.sdn.sap.com/sdn/developerareas/was.sdn?page=GetStart_webas.htm</b>

There read the section <b>"Java Development Infrastructure"</b> this section will tell you the advantage of Java development.

<b>2) Or is there something you can do with Java that you can't do as well with ABAP?</b>

Well this has always been the issue for a debate. It is not that we cannot use ABAP to do what we are doing in Java. Its just the matter of what suits well into the scenario. There is again a reference in the <b>Post (2)</b> which talks about the ABAP being more useful in portal Development. So we cant really figure out which is more better.

I wish this problem..

Regards

Pravesh

PS: Pease consider awarding points if helpful.

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi,

yes I knew most of that and had read the portal article. My impression was that it was just marketing that Java is better for user interfaces, since Java itself is not used for this (unless you do some applet). But apparently it's Web Dynpro which comes together with the Java IDE which makes the difference (for UI and Web Services), and ABAP Dynpro is different. (Although I read in a thread that ABAP Dynpro will get Web features too.)

CJ

[pravesh_verma · Accepted solution]

Hi Carl,

I think you are missing the UI creation using <b>HTMLB for JAVA</b>. Infact I am also developing my UI's in HTMLB. This definitely uses the JAVA classes and packages. JSPDynPages combined with the model features use the capability of JAVA to design the UI's. So dear its not just the WebDynpro for the development of UI's. Infact its not the matter of just UI development.

Apart from UI development, there are many component in SAP Netweaver such as MI(<b>Mobile Infrastructure</b>) which uses the Java as its platform for the development. It is not at all supported by ABAP since it does not have any Client side server for its development. There is no such independent ABAP engine that can work like JRE. Until and Unless ABAP have any such Engine it is deprived of many useful functionality which can be obtained by Java as its development environment.

As I have already mentioned that there will be the debate on both these technologies whenever the development will start and surely JAVA will be on preference till ABAP will get Web Features ;).

Developers have already started to integrate the advance features of Java and J2EE with SAP platform and this is providing a advance application development using the ability of both SAP system and J2EE environment combined together.

Hope this solves your problem now..

Cheers,

Pravesh

PS: Consider Awarding..

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Hi Carl,

Web applications can also be developed using ABAP by BSP. Using BSP with HTMLB, looks are much better. We can even implement BSP applications using MVC architecture also. Also you can find an article in SDN which says Portal Development using ABAP is better than using Java. With the ABAP Dynpro scheduled to lauch in October'05 it can be the best method to host web applications on the portal.

Thanks & Regards,

Kingshuk Dutta.

[thomas_jung · Accepted solution]

>surely JAVA will be on preference till ABAP will get Web Features

I am curious what you meant by this statement. ABAP has lots of Web Features. ABAP has itegration with the ICM and all the services it provides (ICM handlers written in ABAP, SMTP integration, ICM cache access, etc). ABAP also has the ability to expose RFCs as WebServices and to call WebServices (in 640 with generated proxies). The ICM framework also allows ABAP to act as an HTTP Client. There is the ITS (itegrated in 640) for exposing existing ABAP based transactions to the Web. Most important currently we have BSP. BSP has the HTMLB library of UI elements, MVC support, Stateless or Stateful applications, IGS integration, Portal Integration, Pixel Perfect rendering, Flicker Free Refersh, etc. The latest design for these UI elements in BSP use the Unified Framework. That means that the rendered output looks and feels the same as Java, WebDynpro, etc. Your user's don't have a clue if they are running ABAP BSP or Java WebDynpro.

Of course we are very close to having WebDynpro for ABAP - perhaps this is what your comment was aimed at. In the mean time however there are plenty of very good Web Features within ABAP already.

[pravesh_verma · Accepted solution]

Hi Thomas,

This was with the reference of statement passed by Carl <i>"Although I read in a thread that ABAP Dynpro will get Web features too."</i>. It was regarding the ABAP Dynpro which Carl was talking about.

This is not just the matter of UI development. As I have mentioned Netweaver components like MI uses the JAVA for its development since it uses JRE for its development. Can we develop such MI applications using ABAP engine?

Regarding the UI development HTMLB for JAVA uses the HTMLB tags for design of User Interfaces which uses the functionality of HTMLB library as well. So all the HTMLB library functionality is applicable to this as well.

Dear, I have also given the link of the pdf file which explains that "Why ABAP Performs Better in Portal Development than Java". So its not that ABAP is not followed for the Development. As I have already said that whenever there will be a issue in development using ABAP and JAVA the debate will definitely go on. Hope you agrees!!

Regards

Pravesh

[Former Member · Accepted solution]

Ok, so HTMLB is not exclusive to Java either. Regarding Mobile, I am not inclined to think it's a serious business case precisely because it is offline. I can only think of some niche applications being satisfied with only offline access. It would be different if there was access on demand from say a mobile phone. And since mobile phones can read HTML you can serve them with ABAP too. So I think I have my answer; there are few important technical differences when ABAP gets Webdynpro.

CJ