ABAP Cloud in Eclipse: Connect ADT to Your SAP BTP Trial System

Parmeshwar Shinde · 31 January 2025 · 3 min read

Connect Eclipse ABAP Development Tools to the ABAP environment of an SAP BTP trial with a service key, then prove the link with a small console class.

RAP and ABAP Cloud development happen in Eclipse with ABAP Development Tools (ADT), not in SAP GUI. To practise without a company system, connect ADT to the free ABAP environment of an SAP BTP trial account. The whole link comes down to one service key file and a browser login.

Before you start

• An SAP Universal ID. If you do not have one, register at account.sap.com .

• Eclipse with ADT installed: Help → Install New Software , add the update site https://tools.hana.ondemand.com/latest and select ABAP Development Tools.

Part 1: Prepare the ABAP trial on BTP

• Open the trial cockpit at cockpit.hanatrial.ondemand.com and log in with your SAP Universal ID.

• Choose a region, for example US East (VA), and create the account. Setup takes a minute or two.

• Click Go To Your Trial Account to open the BTP cockpit.

• In the left menu, choose Boosters , select Prepare an Account for ABAP Trial and click Start . Confirm with Start in the next screen.

• When the booster finishes, download the service key. This JSON file tells Eclipse where your ABAP system is.

Already ran the booster earlier? The key is stored in the service instance in your subaccount, so you can download it again from there.

Part 2: Create the ABAP Cloud project in Eclipse

• Choose File → New → ABAP Cloud Project .

• Click Extract to read the system URL from a service key.

• Click Import and select the service key file you downloaded.

• Click Copy to Clipboard to copy the service instance URL, then close the dialog.

• Check that the URL now shows in ABAP Service Instance URL . If the field is empty, paste the copied URL. Click Next .

• Log in with your default browser using your trial user.

• Once ADT confirms the connection, enter a project name and finish the wizard. The project appears in the Project Explorer.

Part 3: Prove the connection with a console class

The trial system is shared by many users, so add a unique suffix, such as your initials, to every object name. Create your own Z package in the project, then a class that implements IF_OO_ADT_CLASSRUN :

CLASS zcl_adt_check_xyz DEFINITION

PUBLIC FINAL CREATE PUBLIC.

PUBLIC SECTION.

INTERFACES if_oo_adt_classrun.

ENDCLASS.

CLASS zcl_adt_check_xyz IMPLEMENTATION.

METHOD if_oo_adt_classrun~main.

out->write( |Connected. System date: { cl_abap_context_info=>get_system_date( ) }| ).

ENDMETHOD.

ENDCLASS.

Activate with Ctrl+F3 and run with F9 . The text appears in the ABAP Console view.

What is different from on-premise ABAP

• No SAP GUI: you work in ADT, and end users work in Fiori apps.

• Only released APIs and objects are allowed (ABAP Cloud language version); the syntax check flags the rest.

• No classic reports, selection screens or dynpros. Use console classes for quick tests and RAP for real apps.

Key takeaways

• The Prepare an Account for ABAP Trial booster creates the system access; its service key is your connection file.

• In Eclipse, File → New → ABAP Cloud Project with Extract and Import fills in the service instance URL.

• Login runs through your default browser with the trial user.

• Use unique suffixes on object names, because the trial system is shared.

• A class implementing IF_OO_ADT_CLASSRUN , run with F9 , is the quickest connection test.

Want to take this further into RAP with a trainer? See our SAP ABAP Development course .