ABAP Part II

Lesson 3: Object oriented ABAP

Lesson Objectives

After completing this lesson, participants will be able to

understand -
▪ OOPS Concepts
▪ ABAP Objects
▪ Creating & Accessing objects
▪ Constructor
▪ Inheritance
▪ Casting
▪ Interfaces
▪ Events
▪ Exceptions

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OOPS Concept

Object-oriented programming, is a problem-solving method in which the

software solution reflects objects in the real world.
Benefits of Object-oriented programming are :
▪ Multiple Instances
▪ Encapsulation
▪ Inheritance
▪ Polymorphism
▪ Compatibility
▪ Maintainability

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Benefits of Object-oriented programming

Multiple Instances
▪ The ability to create multiple instances of a "class", such as a vehicle, is one of the
central attributes of object-oriented languages.
Encapsulation
▪ Encapsulation means that the implementation of an object is hidden from other
components in the system, so that they cannot make assumptions about the
internal status of the object and therefore dependencies on specific
implementations do not arise

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Benefits of Object-oriented programming

Polymorphism
▪ Polymorphism (ability to have multiple forms) in the context of object technology
signifies that objects in different classes react differently to the same messages.
Inheritance
▪ Inheritance defines the implementation relationship between classes, in which one
class (the subclass) shares the structure and the behavior defined in one or more
other classes (super classes).
▪ Note: ABAP Objects only allows single inheritance.
Compatibility
▪ ABAP object is true extension of ABAP language. ABAP OOPS statements can be
used in procedural ABAP programs. Object themselves can contain classic ABAP
statements, Only OOPS concepts that have been proved useful have been included.
It has been kept the simplest. There is increased use of type checks.

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ABAP Objects - Class

A class is a set of objects that have the same structure and the same
behavior. A class is therefore like a blueprint, in accordance with which all
objects in that class are created.
The components of the class are defined in the definition part. The
components are attributes, methods, events, constants, types, and
implemented interfaces. Only methods are implemented in the
implementation part.
The CLASS statement cannot be nested, that is, you cannot define a class
within a class.

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Classes

Classes are the central element of object-orientation.

A Class is an abstract description of an object.
Classes are templates for objects.
Defines the state and behavior of the object.
Types of classes
▪ Local classes
• Defined within an ABAP program
• Can be used only within that program
▪ Global classes
• Defined in the class builder SE24
• Stored centrally in class library in the R/3 repository
• Can be accessed from all the programs in the R/3 system
• e.g. CL_GUI_ALV_GRID, CL_GUI_CUSTOM_CONTAINER

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 ABAP Objects - Attributes

Attributes describe the data that can be stored in the objects of a class.
Attributes can have any kind of data type:
▪ C, N, I, P, ..., STRING
▪ Dictionary types
▪ User-defined types
▪ TYPE REF TO defines a reference to an object, in this case “r_car”
Public attributes
▪ Can be viewed and changed by all users and in all methods
▪ Direct access
Private attributes
▪ Can only be viewed and changed from within the class
▪ No direct access from outside the class

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ABAP Objects - Attributes

Accessing private attributes :You can access an object's private attributes

using public methods, which in turn output this attribute or change it.

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ABAP Objects - Methods

1. Methods are internal procedures in classes that determine the behavior of

an object. They can access all attributes in their class and can therefore
change the state of an object.
2. Methods have a parameter interface (called signature) that enables them
to receive values when they are called and pass values back to the calling
program.

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Methods and Visibility

Public methods
▪ Can be called from anywhere
Private methods
▪ Can only be called within the class

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Demo: Create a class with instance attributes and
instance methods

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Instance attributes and Static attributes

Instance attributes
▪ One per instance
▪ Statement: DATA
Static attributes
▪ Only one per class
▪ Statement: CLASS-DATA
▪ Also known as class attributes

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Instance method and Static method

Instance methods
▪ Can use both static and instance components in their implementation part
▪ Can be called using an instance
Static methods
▪ Can only use static components in their implementation part
▪ Can be called using the class

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Demo: Create a class with static attributes and
static method

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Reference Variable

A reference variable acts as a pointer to an object.

▪ DATA: R_VEHICLE1 TYPE REF TO LCL_VEHICLE.
▪ Declares a reference variable that acts as a pointer to an object

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Reference Variable ME

You can address the object itself within instance methods using the
implicitly available reference variable me.
Description of example: In the constructor, the instance attribute make is
covered by the locally defined variable make. In order to still be able to
address the instance attribute, you need to use me.

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Demo: Create a class with Reference variable Me

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Creating and Accessing Objects

An object is a section of source code that contains data and provides

services
Objects are created using the CREATE OBJECT statement
Objects can only be created and addressed using reference variables
An object is a section of source code that contains data and provides
services.

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Accessing Attributes and Method

Instance methods are called using

CALL METHOD <reference>-><instance_method>.
Static methods (also referred to as class methods) are called using
CALL METHOD <classname>=><class_method>.
If you are calling a static method from within the class, you can omit the
class name.
Static attributes are accessed using
<classname>=><class_attribute>
instance attributes are accessed using
<instance>-><instance_attribute>
=> and -> are the component selectors

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Functional Method

Methods that have a RETURNING parameter are described as functional

methods. These methods cannot have EXPORTING or CHANGING
parameters, but has many (or as few) IMPORTING parameters and
exceptions as required. You can only do this for a single parameter, which
additionally must be passed as a value.

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Demo: Create a class with Functional Method

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Constructor

The constructor is a special instance method in a class with the name

constructor.
Each class can have one constructor.
The constructor is automatically called at runtime within the CREATE
OBJECT statement.
If you need to implement the constructor, then you must define and
implement it in the PUBLIC SECTION.
You cannot normally call the constructor explicitly
Special method for creating objects with defined initial state
Only has IMPORTING parameters and EXCEPTIONS
Is executed only once per instance

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Constructor

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Demo: Create a class with Constructor

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Static Constructor

The static constructor is a special static method in a class with the name
class_constructor. It is executed precisely once per program.
The static constructor of a class <classname> is called automatically when the
class is first accessed, but before any of the following actions are executed:
Creating an instance in the class using CREATE OBJECT <obj>, where <obj> has
the data type REF TO <classname>
Addressing a static attribute using <classname>=><attribute>
Calling a static attribute using CALL METHOD <classname>=><classmethod>
Registering a static event handler method using SET HANDLER
<classname>=><handler_method> FOR <obj>
Registering an event handler method for a static event in class <classname>.
The static constructor cannot be called explicitly.

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Demo: Create a class with Static Constructor

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Demo: Global Class creation through SE24

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Inheritance

Inheritance is a relationship, in which one class (the subclass) inherits all

the main characteristics of another class (the superclass). The subclass
can also add new components (attributes, methods, and so on) and
replace inherited methods with its own implementations.
The inheritance relationship is often described as an "is a" relationship:
▪ A truck is a vehicle

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Inheritance

Single Inheritance
▪ ABAP Objects only has single inheritance.
▪ A class may only have one direct superclass, but it can have more than one
direct subclass. The empty class OBJECT is the root node of every inheritance
tree in ABAP Objects.

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Inheritance

Relationship between Super class and Sub class

▪ Common components only exist once in the superclass
• New components in the superclass are automatically available in subclasses
• Amount of new coding is reduced ("programming by difference")
▪ Subclasses are extremely dependent on superclasses
▪ "White Box Reuse":
• Subclass must possess detailed knowledge of the implementation of the superclass

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Inheritance

Normally the only other entry required for subclasses is what has
changed in relation to the direct superclass. Only additions are permitted
in ABAP Objects, that is, in a subclass you can "never take something
away from a superclass". All components from the superclass are
automatically present in the subclass.

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Inheritance

The REDEFINITION statement for the inherited method must be in the

same SECTION as the definition of the original method.
If you redefine a method, you do not need to enter its interface again in
the subclass, but only the name of the method.
In the case of redefined methods, changing the interface (overloading) is
not permitted; exception: Overloading is possible with the constructor.
Within the redefined method, you can access components of the direct
superclass using the SUPER reference.
The pseudo-reference super can only be used in redefined methods.

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Demo: Inheritance
Casting

Up-Cast (Widening Cast)

▪ The assignment of a subclass instance to a reference variable of the type
"reference to superclass" is described as a Widening cast. As the target variable
can accept more dynamic types in comparison to the source variable, this
assignment is also called widening cast.

What is a Widening cast used for?

▪ A user who is not interested in the finer points of cars, trucks, and busses (but
only, for example, in the fuel consumption and tank gauge) does not need to
know about them. This user only wants and needs to work with (references to)
the lcl_vehicle class. However, in order to allow the user to work with cars,
busses, or trucks, you generally need a narrowing cast.

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Widening Cast

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Demo: Inheritance – Widening cast

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Casting

Down-cast (Narrowing Cast)

▪ The Narrowing cast logically represents the opposite of the widening cast. The
narrowing cast cannot be checked statically, only at runtime. The Cast Operator
?= (or the equivalent MOVE ... ?TO…) must be used to make this visible.
▪ As the target variable can accept less dynamic types after the assignment, this
assignment is also called narrowing cast.
What is a Narrowing cast used for?
▪ The client, the car rental company wants to execute a function for specific
vehicles form the list (vehicle_list). For example, the client wants to ascertain
the truck with the largest cargo capacity. However, not all vehicles are in the
trucks list, it also includes references to cars and busses.

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Casting

With this kind of cast, a check is carried out at runtime to ensure that
the current content of the source variable corresponds to the type
requirements of the target variables. If it is, the assignment is carried
out. Otherwise, an exception of the error class
CX_SY_MOVE_CAST_ERROR is raised.

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Demo: Inheritance – Narrowing cast
Interfaces

Interfaces only describe the external point of contact of a class

(protocols), they do not contain any implementation.
Interfaces are usually defined by a user. The user describes in the
interface which services (technical and semantic) it needs in order to
carry out a task.
The user never actually knows the providers of these services, but
communicates with them through the interface.
In this way the user is protected from actual implementations and can
work in the same way with different classes/objects, as long as they
provide the services required. This is known as polymorphism with
interfaces.

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Interfaces

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Demo: Interfaces
Exceptions

Exception refer to a situation that arises while an ABAP program is being

executed, where there is no point in continuing to run the program in the
normal way.
Class-based exceptions are raised either using the ABAP statement
RAISE EXCEPTION or by the ABAP runtime environment.
If a class-based exception occurs, the system interrupts the normal
program flow and tries to navigate to a suitable handler. If it cannot find
a handler, a runtime error occurs.
The use of class-based exceptions is not limited to object-oriented
contexts. Class-based exceptions can be raised and handled in all ABAP
processing blocks.

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Exceptions Classes: Inheritance hierarchy

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Exceptions Classes: Inheritance hierarchy

The root class CX_ROOT contains two predefined methods that are
inherited by the other classes.
The GET_SOURCE_POSITION method returns the program name, include
name (if relevant), and line number in the source code where the
exception occurred.
The GET_TEXT method returns an exception text of a class in the form of
a string.
You can assign several texts to each class. You can then specify which
text is to used when an exception is raised by passing an identifier to the
IMPORTING parameter TEXTID of the instance constructor.
All exception classes inherit the KERNEL_ERRID attribute from CX_ROOT.
This attribute contains the name of the appropriate runtime error if the
exception was raised by the runtime environment - such as
COMPUTE_INT_ZERODIVIDE if the program tries to divide by zero

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Handling Exceptions

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Handling Exceptions

The TRY block contains the application code that is to handle the
exceptions.
If an exception occurs in the TRY block the system searches first for a
CATCH statement (which will handle the exception) in the same TRY-
ENDTRY structure and then step by step outwards in all the enclosing
TRY-ENDTRY structures.
A CATCH block contains the exception handler that is executed if a
specified exception has occurred in the TRY block in the same TRY-
ENDTRY structure.
In some cases, the system cannot find a handler for an exception within
a specific TRY-ENDTRY structure but the exception is handled in a
surrounding TRY-ENDTRY structure or passed along to a calling program.
If this occurs, a CLEANUP block is executed before leaving the TRY-
ENDTRY structure.

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Events

By triggering an event, an object or class announces a change of state,

or that a certain state has been achieved.

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Events

At the moment of implementation, a class defines its :Instance events

(using the EVENTS statement) Static events (using the CLASS-EVENTS
statement)
Classes or their instances that receive a message when an event is
triggered at runtime and want to react to this event define event handler
methods. Statement: [CLASS-]METHODS <handler_method> FOR
EVENT <event> OF <classname>.
These classes or their instances are registered to one or more events at
runtime. Statement: SET HANDLER <handler_method> FOR
<reference>. (for instance events) SET HANDLER <handler_method>.
(for static events)
A class or instance can trigger an event at runtime using the RAISE
EVENT statement.

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Events

Both instance and static events can be triggered in instance methods.

Only static events can be triggered in static methods.
Events can only have EXPORTING parameters which must be passed by
value.
Triggering an event using the statement RAISE EVENT has the following
effect:
▪ 1.The program flow is interrupted at that point
▪ 2.The event handler methods registered to this event are called and processed
▪ 3.Once all event handler methods have been executed, the program flow
continues

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Events

Registering for an event

▪ When an event is triggered, only those event handler methods are executed
that have, by this point, registered themselves using SET HANDLER.
▪ You can register an event using ACTIVATION 'X', and deregister it using
ACTIVATION space. If you do not specify ACTIVATION, then the event registers
(default behavior).
▪ You can register several methods in one SET HANDLER statement: SET
HANDLER <ref_handle1>-><handler_method1> ... <ref_handleN>-
><handler_methodN> FOR <ref_sender> | FOR ALL INSTANCES

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Events

Registration/De registration: Handler Tables

▪ Every object that has defined events has an internal table, the handler table. All
objects that have registered for events are entered in this table together with
their event handler methods.

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Demo: Events
Summary

In this lesson, you have learnt:

▪ OOPS Concepts
▪ ABAP Objects
▪ Creating & Accessing objects
▪ Constructer
▪ Inheritance
▪ Casting
▪ Interfaces
▪ Events
▪ Exceptions

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Review Question

Question 1: _______ do not contain implementation.

Question 2: _____means that the implementation of an object is hidden

from other components in the system.

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