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Developing Plain RESTful APIs in ABAP

The document provides a guide for developing simple RESTful APIs in ABAP as an alternative to OData, highlighting the complications associated with OData such as the requirement for a Read operation with Create. It outlines the steps to create a REST handler and resource class, set up an ICF node, and test the endpoint. Additionally, it discusses handling complex input/output with a POST method and testing the API using Postman, including the need for a CSRF token.

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Satyaranjan Mishra
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32 views6 pages

Developing Plain RESTful APIs in ABAP

The document provides a guide for developing simple RESTful APIs in ABAP as an alternative to OData, highlighting the complications associated with OData such as the requirement for a Read operation with Create. It outlines the steps to create a REST handler and resource class, set up an ICF node, and test the endpoint. Additionally, it discusses handling complex input/output with a POST method and testing the API using Postman, including the need for a CSRF token.

Uploaded by

Satyaranjan Mishra
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Developing Plain RESTful APIs in ABAP — An Alternative to

OData

If you want to develop a simple RESTful API in ABAP, you might find a bit
complicated dealing with OData limitations and NetWeaver Gateway
configuration.

For example, if you want to develop a POST operation with OData, you need
create an entity and assign some key fields. This may be your first issue if you
don’t have an entity that you can define key for it. Second, OData does not
seem allow you to have Create (POST) operation without Read (GET) operation.

Create operation suggests Read oepration


Then you switch to OData Function Import. But the function import does not
accept request body. You can only send parameter via query string. Hence, you
can only send one flat structure. What if you want to send some table in?!

With function import, no body is accepted — only query parameters

If you want to define our own resource and its operation without OData’s hassle
then developing non-OData RESTful APIs is your friend.

Here is the instruction on how to create a simple API:

Create REST Handler and Resource Class

Start from create a REST Handler class by inheriting from


CL_REST_HTTP_HANDLER. It will force you to redefine
IF_REST_APPLICATION~GET_ROOT_HANDLER method.

This methods will handle incoming request at different resource paths you can
define. Before we add a new path, let’s create a REST resource class first.

This class will handle incoming request. Let’s redefine IF_REST_RESOURCE~GET


handler method and say hello.

Now get back to GET_ROOT_HANDLER method and define our path to our
resource.

This tells the router to execute methods in class ZCL_REST_RESOURCE for


incoming request at /hello resouce path.

Create ICF Node


To allow incoming request at specific endpoint, we need to create an ICF node
in transaction SICF.

Select Independent Service for the endpoint you want to bind with your handler

Put in your handler class in the Handler List

Don’t forget to activate the node.

Test Your Endpoint


Select Test Service

It will open a browser window. Input your SAP login and append your resource
path in the url and then you should see the response. Easy, isn’t it?

Complex Input/Output
Now, let’s do something funnier. We will pass in data and return complex one
with a POST method.

Create a Data Model Class

Let’s create a class to hold the data to response. It could be a simple structure.
But I want a deep structure here so I have to create with a class.

Data Model class — like POJO in Java

Implement the method

Redefine the POST method in the resource class:

Note: Instead of using serialize/deserialize, you can use transformation in


transaction XSLT_TOOL to convert back and forth which support both XML and
JSON.

Test Your API with Postman

To test your API from external application, you need to get a token first.

Send a GET request with X-CSRF-Token=Fetch

Now, you can POST to your resource with the token. Let’s do with a blank
request body and you will get 400 back.

Get 400 Bad Request when posting without request body


Test again with a valid request data.

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