Getting started with Joule-For ABAP Developers
Recently, I got the opportunity to attend a hands-on workshop session organized by SAP on Joule for developers. The session covered its integration with SAP Build as well as ABAP. As I am into ABAP, here’s a quick startup blog on Joule for developers-ABAP. Let’s quickly get to the overview of Joule.
What is Joule?
Joule is an AI copilot inside SAP, that understands normal conversations, so it’s your smart coworker in SAP that operates on cloud (BTP) and can help in fetching quick data, generating reports and even suggesting code or code modifications, which in turn makes your life much easier.
Key Features:
- Conversational Interface
- Integration with SAP Apps
- Enterprise Ready
- Tailored for your business
- Automatic updates
- Create custom package
Benefits:
- Faster work
- Smarter Insights
- Better outcomes
- Full control
With that overview in place, let's begin with how we can use Joule while working on the developments in Eclipse.
Add Joule in Eclipse
1. Create Package
- First step is to create a package using below steps:
- In the cloud system in eclipse under Favourite packages, right click on ZLOCAL package.
- Create a new sub package with your unique group id.
- Maintain the required information like package name and description and click next.
- Next screen will display Package type, S/W component and Transport layer.
- Select Package Type “Development” and click “Next”.
- Create/Select the required TR and click on “Finish”.
- Package will get created.
2. Create Artifacts
Created Odata service from scratch for a travel application using /DMO/TRAVEL_DATA and /DMO/BOOKING_DATA structures. Steps are given below:
- Right click on the package.
- Select “Generate ABAP Repository Objects”.
- Select “OData UI service from scratch”.
- Click ‘Next’ and select the required package.
- Click ‘Next’ to finish and enable the joule.
- Joule is now active and will be displayed on right side as shown below:
How to use Joule
We can give prompts for Joule to create objects in the system. For example, to create the application, paste the below prompt in Joule window:
“Create a transaction application for travel management. Create the entity Travel based on the structure /DMO/TRAVEL_DATA. The second entity is Booking based on /DMO/BOOKING_DATA. “
Joule will respond by displaying the list of objects that will be created. If there are not further modifications, we can just click on “Accept”:
Then, click on next and select the previously created TR and click on “Finish”.
The application for travel management will get created and in the project explorer all the generated objects will get displayed:
We can also give further prompt to add new fields, or if we need any other modifications. Make sure to click Accept every time you are adding new objects. Also, before continuing and generating the RAP BO, make sure you check for all the required fields and objects in your data model.
Explaining Artifacts
Joule can even provide the details of the artifacts. So, if we need Joule to explain any of the objects,
- Right click on the artifact that we want the details for, Select Joule->Explain.
- Joule will be displayed on right with all the required explanation about the artifact selected.
- Here one can ask further questions as well.
Notes:
Generated objects should always end with suffix “###” (follow naming conventions)-replace ### with your group ID.
References:
abap-platform-rap120/exercises/ex01/README.md at main · SAP-samples/abap-platform-rap120 · GitHub
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