CL_DEMO_OUTPUT invigorated

[horst_keller]

Some time ago, we introduced CL_DEMO_OUTPUT for simple examples and demonstrations.

CL_DEMO_OUTPUT, Part 1 of 2 – Usage | SAP Blogs

The functionality up to now was already nice and useful, but somehow it was not complete.

Writing a simple piece of code such as

  DATA:

    BEGIN OF super,

      col1 TYPE i VALUE 1,

      BEGIN OF sub,

        col2 TYPE i VALUE 2,

        col3 TYPE i VALUE 3,

      END OF sub,

    END OF super.



  cl_demo_output=>display( super ).

results in

Duh!

We are happy to announce that from ABAP release 7.56, SP01 on, this output will look as follows:

In fact, you can output  (nearly?) everything now:

CLASS demo_class DEFINITION.

  PUBLIC SECTION.

    TYPES:

      BEGIN OF spfli_line,

        carrid   TYPE spfli-carrid,

        connid   TYPE spfli-connid,

        cityfrom TYPE spfli-cityfrom,

        cityto   TYPE spfli-cityto,

      END OF spfli_line,

      spfli_tab TYPE HASHED TABLE OF spfli_line

                     WITH UNIQUE KEY carrid connid,

      BEGIN OF struct,

        carrname TYPE scarr-carrname,

        spfli    TYPE REF TO spfli_tab,

      END OF struct.

    DATA result TYPE SORTED TABLE OF struct WITH UNIQUE KEY carrname.

    METHODS constructor.

ENDCLASS.



CLASS demo_class IMPLEMENTATION.

  METHOD constructor.

    SELECT s~carrname, p~carrid, p~connid, p~cityfrom, p~cityto

           FROM scarr AS s

             INNER JOIN spfli AS p

               ON s~carrid = p~carrid

           ORDER BY s~carrname

           INTO TABLE @DATA(itab).

    LOOP AT itab ASSIGNING FIELD-SYMBOL(<fs>) GROUP BY <fs>-carrname.

      INSERT VALUE #( carrname = <fs>-carrname ) INTO TABLE result

             ASSIGNING FIELD-SYMBOL(<line>).

      <line>-spfli = NEW #(

        FOR <wa> IN GROUP <fs> ( CORRESPONDING #( <wa> ) ) ).

    ENDLOOP.

  ENDMETHOD.

ENDCLASS.



START-OF-SELECTION.



  DATA(oref) = NEW demo_class( ).



  cl_demo_output=>display( oref ).

gives

Note, that simply the name of the reference variable oref is passed to the display method.

This has been achieved by introducing some recursions in CL_DEMO_OUTPUT_STREAM. That means that the intermediate XML coming from CL_DEMO_OUTPUT_STREAM supports nested stuff now and that the conversion capabilities of CL_DEMO_OUTPUT_HTML were enhanced accordingly.

And just for fun, we can also write self-explaining demos now:

DATA(o) = cl_demo_output=>new(

)->write_doc( cl_demo_output_helper=>get_infobox_html(

     `This output is produced by program ` && sy-repid )

)->next_section( 'ABAP CDS View Entity'

)->write_doc( cl_demo_output_helper=>get_ddls_source_code_html(

     source = 'DEMO_CDS_SPFLI_ENTITY' )

)->next_section( `ABAP SQL SELECT`

)->write_doc(

   `The following code snippet demonstrates a ` &&

   `<code>SELECT</code> statement accessing `   &&

   `the CDS view entity without `               &&

   `<code>ORDER BY</code> clause:`

)->begin_code( `select1` ).



SELECT *

       FROM demo_cds_spfli_entity

       INTO TABLE @DATA(itab). "#EC CI_NOWHERE



o->end_code( `select1`

)->write_doc( `The result in <code>itab</code> is:`

)->write( itab

)->write_doc( `Adding`

)->write_doc(

   cl_demo_output_helper=>get_abap_source_code_html(

     code = `ORDER BY cityfrom, cityto`  )

)->write_doc( `as follows`

)->begin_code( `select2` ).



SELECT *

       FROM demo_cds_spfli_entity

       ORDER BY cityfrom, cityto

       INTO TABLE @itab. "#EC CI_NOWHERE



o->end_code( `select2`

)->write_doc( `gives:`

)->write( itab

)->display( ).

gives

As before, you can retrieve the HTML file with method GET instead of DISPLAY in order to become independent from SAP GUI.

Caveats

• You have to wait for 7.56, SP01


• The new complex outputs are not fully supported by the text mode (but who wants to reprogram a browser in CL_DEMO_OUTPUT_TEXT?)


• ADT console supports only text but not HTML mode


• It is for demonstration purposes only ...

Update

With releases 2308/2023

• CL_DEMO_OUTPUT_TEXT also supports all data types


• The ABAP console of ADT calls CL_DEMO_OUTPUT_TEXT

https://blogs.sap.com/2023/10/24/abap-console-reloaded/