The Command Line Interface (CLI) is becoming increasingly common in SAP development tools. I (Iemke Kooijman) wrote this blog to give you an understanding of how a CLI works, why you need it, and to offer advice on how to use it.
During the INNOV8iON webinar“Unboxing SAP Business Application Studio,” it became clear that the CLI has also been given a prominent role in this new SAP development environment.
What is a Command Line Interface (CLI)?
With a CLI, you enter commands in the form of lines of text to your computer’s operating system. You can also issue commands to specific applications you have installed. For example, the DOS operating system could only be controlled via a CLI. A CLI is the counterpart to the Graphical User Interface (GUI), which is now primarily used. A GUI is the graphical Windows or iOS environment that many of us use every day.
The advantage of a CLI is that you can issue much more detailed commands. The disadvantage is that the CLI has a much steeper learning curve.
Why do you need one?
With the SAP Cloud Platform, its adoption of the Cloud Foundry environment, and the “Cloud Application Programming (CAP) paradigm,” SAP is making the CLI increasingly relevant for SAP developers. In this context, a CLI allows you to manage the complex technical components of an application much more effectively. In some cases, it’s impossible to work without the CLI. For example, when developing in the new SAP Business Application Studio, knowledge of a CLI is essential. You also need CLI knowledge when developing code in Visual Studio Code using SAP Fiori Tools extensions. In this context, having more experience with a CLI means you can work much more efficiently.
For SAP Fiori developers, knowledge of the CLI is especially important. This is because SAP appears to be moving quickly to phase out the SAP Web IDE. If you use this development environment, you’ll soon need to switch to the new development environment on the SAP Cloud Platform: SAP Business Application Studio. To work effectively with this tool, a solid foundation in CLI is crucial.
Advice
Below, I offer some advice on the CLI for two types of developers in the SAP domain. This group needs to be divided into two categories because there are two distinct personas who will be affected by a CLI in their daily work. First, there is the traditional SAP developer with extensive ABAP experience who has also taken up Fiori development. Second, there is the hardcore (web) developer who does SAP development in the Cloud Foundry environment using, for example, Node.js.
Traditional SAP Developer
For the traditional SAP developer, it’s important to familiarize yourself with a CLI—for example, by working on SAP Fiori development in SAP Business Application Studio. You’ll find that working with a CLI isn’t easy at first, but as you gain more experience, you’ll become more efficient and increasingly recognize its benefits.
Since SAP is phasing out the SAP Web IDE, you will (likely in the near future) be required to start using the SAP Business Application Studio. That’s why we recommend gaining familiarity with it now so you don’t run into any unpleasant surprises later on.
Hardcore (web) developer
For the hardcore (web) developer, it’s easy. The CLI is becoming increasingly common in SAP development, and that’s nothing but a benefit for you. Take your time to explore all the possibilities this development will offer you.
Conclusion: Command Line Interface—there’s no getting around it anymore.
For some, the CLI is a breath of fresh air to use in their daily work. They’re already familiar with the CLI and can take full advantage of it during their SAP development work. For others, it’s a necessary evil to continue doing their SAP development work effectively. They’ll have to get used to this new component. In any case, you can no longer avoid the CLI if you’re doing SAP Fiori development or other development on the SAP Cloud Platform.
A good place to start building your SAP-specific CLI knowledge is SAP’s Visual Studio Code tutorial. By the way, would you like to learn more about VSCode? If so, be sure to join our webinar— “SAP Development in Visual Studio Code.”
You can also start with Code Academy’s general CLI tutorial.
