SAP Fiori Elements — Part 14: How to Use ABAPGit with GitHub for Backup and Version Control

Never Lose Your ABAP Code Again — Even After Your Trial Account Expires

Have you ever spent days building an SAP project, only to realize that your SAP BTP Trial Account expires after 90 days?

For many beginners, this is one of the most frustrating moments in their SAP learning journey.

Your CDS Views… Your OData Services… Your Packages… Your Service Bindings…

Everything you’ve built disappears.

Now imagine having to recreate every single object from scratch.

Sounds painful, doesn’t it?

Fortunately, SAP developers have a much smarter solution.

It’s called ABAPGit.

Think of ABAPGit as an automatic backup system for your ABAP development. Instead of worrying about losing your work, you can safely store your code on GitHub and restore it whenever needed.

In this article, we’ll learn how ABAPGit works in the simplest possible way.

What is ABAPGit?

If you’ve already learned Git for SAP Business Application Studio, then ABAPGit will feel familiar.

The difference is simple.

Git is a version control system.

ABAPGit is an open-source tool that allows ABAP developers to use Git directly from Eclipse (ABAP Development Tools).

Instead of only storing frontend applications, ABAPGit lets you store your backend development objects like:

• CDS Views
• ABAP Classes
• Packages
• Business Services
• Service Bindings
• Database Tables

Think of it as connecting your ABAP system directly with GitHub.

Why Do We Need ABAPGit?

Let’s understand with a real-life example.

Imagine you’re writing a book.

Would you save it only on your laptop?

Probably not.

You would also upload it to cloud storage like Google Drive or OneDrive.

Why?

Because laptops can crash.

Files can get deleted.

The same thing happens in SAP Trial Accounts.

If your trial expires, everything inside that account is gone.

ABAPGit solves this problem by keeping a secure copy of your code inside GitHub.

No matter what happens to your trial account, your development is safe.

Step 1: Install ABAPGit in Eclipse

Before using ABAPGit, we first need to install the plugin inside Eclipse.

The installation is similar to installing any Eclipse extension.

Once installed, restart Eclipse.

After restarting, you’ll find a dedicated ABAPGit view where all Git operations can be performed.

Think of this as adding a new toolbox to your development environment.

Step 2: Create a GitHub Repository

Next, create a repository in GitHub.

A good practice is to give the repository the same name as your SAP package.

For example:

ZTRAVEL_APP

or

ZFIORI_DEMO

This makes projects much easier to identify later.

You can also add a README file while creating the repository so that GitHub automatically creates the main branch.

Step 3: Connect Eclipse with GitHub

Now comes the interesting part.

Inside the ABAPGit view:

• Add a new repository
• Paste the GitHub repository URL
• Select your ABAP package
• Choose the main branch

Congratulations!

Your local ABAP package is now connected to GitHub.

Think of it as connecting your laptop to cloud storage.

Step 4: Commit and Push Your Code

Whenever you make changes in your ABAP project, those changes remain only on your local system.

To save them permanently:

1. Stage the changes.
2. Write a meaningful commit message.
3. Push the changes to GitHub.

For example:

• Created Travel CDS View
• Added Service Binding
• Fixed Currency Annotation

These commit messages become your project’s history.

Later, you can always see what changed and when.

Authentication Using Personal Access Token (PAT)

Many beginners encounter this error while pushing code:

Invalid Credentials

This happens because GitHub no longer accepts passwords for Git operations.

Instead, GitHub uses a Personal Access Token (PAT).

Think of a PAT as a secure digital key.

Instead of typing your password, you use this generated token while authenticating Eclipse with GitHub.

It’s more secure and follows GitHub’s latest authentication standards.

Recovering Your Code Is Surprisingly Easy

Now imagine your SAP Trial Account expires.

Normally, this would mean starting over.

But with ABAPGit:

Create a new Trial Account.

Connect Eclipse again.

Link the same GitHub repository.

Click Pull.

Within minutes, your ABAP objects are downloaded back into your new package.

Your CDS Views, Service Definitions, Business Services, and many other supported objects are restored without manually recreating them.

This is one of the biggest advantages of using ABAPGit.

What If You Accidentally Delete an Object?

Let’s say you accidentally delete a Service Binding from Eclipse.

Panic?

Not anymore.

Simply perform a Pull from GitHub.

The deleted object is restored from the latest backup.

It’s like having an Undo button for your entire project.

Does ABAPGit Support Everything?

ABAPGit is extremely useful, but it’s important to know its current limitations.

For example:

• Some ABAP object types have better support than others.
• Certain CDS-related artifacts may have limited functionality depending on the system version.
• Unlike Git used in SAP Business Application Studio, ABAPGit currently focuses on simpler workflows and has more limited branching capabilities.

Even with these limitations, it remains one of the best tools for learning, personal projects, and safeguarding ABAP developments.

Benefits of Using ABAPGit

By using ABAPGit, you gain several advantages:

✔ Secure cloud backup of your ABAP code

✔ Easy version history with meaningful commits

✔ Quick recovery after accidental deletion

✔ Protection against SAP Trial Account expiration

✔ Better collaboration through GitHub

✔ Cleaner and more professional development workflow

Final Thoughts

Every SAP developer eventually experiences the fear of losing valuable code.

Sometimes it’s a deleted object.

Sometimes it’s a system issue.

Sometimes it’s simply an expired Trial Account.

ABAPGit gives you peace of mind.

Instead of worrying about backups, you can focus on what truly matters — building great SAP applications.

If you’re serious about learning modern SAP development, integrating ABAPGit into your daily workflow is one of the smartest habits you can develop.

In the next part of this series, we’ll continue exploring more advanced SAP development concepts that make your applications more maintainable, scalable, and production-ready.

Happy Learning! 🚀