SAPTeched Las Vegas 2013 - ABAP Anyone?

[Former Member]

SAP Teched this year - Hmmmmm...

I love Teched for many different reasons.  One of those reasons is that it delivers great sessions on what is new.   What will be coming!   I love Fiori, Personas, SAPUI5 - bring them on.   I need to know this information just to stay a step ahead.   Did I say a step ahead?  Yes.   Because, honestly only a hand full of companies are using the newer things.  Sometimes you have to look hard to find a shop that is using ABAP objects.  How many years ago was that first at SAP Teched?

So yes, it was an awesome Teched for learning new things!    Good news.   Great News!   It is great news to see what the future will bring.  It is great news if you are a consultant, or you work at SAP.   Me, I'm just excited to learn.

But, but, what about ABAP?

Is it used anymore?  This new technology how does it mesh with the old?   Will ABAP developers be needed?   I mean I really couldn't find very many good sessions with JUST plain old normal ABAP or even ABAP Objects.  The ones that I found were ASUG lead.

So back to the question, will ABAP developers be needed?

YES!

At least in all the company I work at.   Yes, it was true at most of the companies where the people I talked with worked at.   So with the new technology is ABAP gone?  Not yet, and I have a hard time believing it will be in the future.   I look at the newer programming technologies and see ABAP in the background.  Proxy, RFC... they needed some way to get from the back end to the front end.

Does that mean I'll ignore the new stuff?  NO, of course not.  I love the latest and greatest.   I love learning.  

So here's why I am writing this blog:

• There wasn't much on ABAP at Teched.   Sure the newer things were there.   ABAP for HANA, Renewed ABAP, one webdynpro class
• I was insulted several times during Teched.  
• I heard my ABAP friends worried about their current skill set.

First there just wasn't much for the plain ABAP programmer.  At least not much unless you are upgrading to HANA or are buying something new. 

I was insulted several times.  Yes, more than once.   And was it personal?  No, of course not.  Everyone I met was wonderful.   But........   In several sessions - not just one, the comment was made, "Bring in your web designers, your ABAP programmers will not understand".  Really?  I sure understand.  I get it.  How I design now is different than how I will design when I am designing Web applications...   However, I do design some Web Dynpro, again not quite the same thing.   I also use the web.  I can see how a good web page is designed.  And need I remind people that some of us, yes me, started on mid-range or main  frame programming.   And you don't think that was a big change?  So before you say your "ABAP" programmers will not understand web development, you may want to rephrase that.   Maybe you should say they will have to think about things in a different way.  Or just say developers and leave it at that?  Just a suggestion from the sideline.  And a bit of a rant.

ABAP programmers worried about current skills.  Well, I would say that you always should be a little worried.  You always should keep learning.  However, look at the newer web based technology, and know that it is calling ABAP behind the scenes.  Also remember, if you are like me and want to stay with more interactive programming, then yes upgrade those skills.   Keep them current.  However, everything is "with a grain of salt".  It may be a while before you actually use those skills.

Overall:

I enjoyed Teched.  I learned a lot.  And I know my company is one of those that are looking at HANA.  And HANA for ERP.  So those sessions where very important to me.   Also Personas were big for me.  I don't know if we have or are getting a gateway server.   If we do, that's going to be a quick win for us.  So Teched was great for me!   At times, yes, I was insulted.  But it makes me just want to "show them".  It is really a challenge to me.   I do worry that this Teched missed the bus with some of their customers.    There was a lot of beginner content that just wasn't there.  And as much as I want to learn HANA and know it's in my future.  Some of the content on HANA just seemed like a sales pitch.   Sales pitches are usually left at SAPHIRE...  Teched is usually the place for the details.

So what do you think?   Please add your comments.  I'd be interested to hear about how Teched was for you.