Chapter 0 - Setup and Requirements
Prepare your development environment and verify all access required to run this lab.
- Reading time: -
- Practical time: 20 minutes (one-time setup)
Table of Contents
Requirements
Ensure you have the following before starting the lab:
| Requirement | Details |
|---|---|
| IDM Admin Rights for Software Installation | Local admin rights approved via IDM are required to install Eclipse or VS Code. Request this in IDM before starting setup. |
| GitHub Copilot Business Standalone License | A GitHub Copilot Business standalone license is required. Please only request if for 2 months. |
| SAP GUI | SAP GUI is required to connect to the SAP system. Request this from IDM — it is a standard requestable component for SAP developers. Necessary roles can be found under New Request > Client Software > SAP GUI + SAP Logon msgGroup* |
| SAP System Access (S4D) | Access to the SAP S4D tenant — including system URL and your credentials. Request access through your mentor. |
| ZScaler Certificate | In order to allow SSL communication from Eclipse the certificate is required to be visible for Node.js. Open the Zscaler configuration folder, then check the PDF User Guide Zscaler (chapters 3.2.2 Node.js and 3.2.6 Eclipse). |
| Node JS installed | Please install the latest version of Node JS. It is needed for installing various objects during the training. It might also be necessary to restart your computer after the installation. |
Practical
Choose one IDE to use for this lab. Both options provide full GitHub Copilot integration.
| Option | IDE | Best For |
|---|---|---|
| Option A | Eclipse (ADT) | ABAP developers already working in Eclipse |
| Option B | Visual Studio Code | Developers preferring a lightweight, general-purpose editor (not stable enough) |
Option A: Eclipse + GitHub Copilot Plugin
Eclipse with ABAP Development Tools (ADT) is the official IDE for ABAP development, provided by SAP. It replaces SAP GUI and supports modern ABAP Cloud development, CDS modeling, RAP, and debugging.
Step 1 - Check requirements
Before installing, ensure your system meets the following requirements (per https://tools.hana.ondemand.com/#abap)
Note: SAP GUI is not required if you only connect to SAP S/4HANA Cloud ABAP Environment or SAP BTP ABAP Environment.
Step 2 - Download and Install Eclipse
Go to https://www.eclipse.org/downloads/packages/ and download Eclipse IDE for Java Developers (required base for ADT).
There are two installation options:
| Method | Windows | macOS |
|---|---|---|
| Installer (recommended) | .exe — guided setup wizard | .dmg — guided setup wizard |
| Archive (portable) | .zip — extract and run, no installation | .dmg / .tar.gz — extract and run |
Tip: The archive option is useful if you don't have admin rights or want a portable installation.
Windows — Installer:
- Download and run the Eclipse Installer (
.exe) - Select Eclipse IDE for Java Developers
- Choose an installation folder → click Install
- Accept the license → wait for installation to finish → click Launch
Windows — Archive:
- Download the
.zippackage for Eclipse IDE for Java Developers - Extract the
.zipto a folder (e.g.C:\Eclipse) - Open the folder and double-click
eclipse.exe - Choose a workspace directory when prompted → click Launch
macOS:
- Download the
.dmgfor your chip (Intel x86_64 or Apple Silicon AArch64) - Open the
.dmgand drag Eclipse into the Applications folder - Open Applications → double-click Eclipse
- On first launch, click Open in the security dialog
- Choose a workspace directory → click Launch
Step 3 - Install ABAP Development Tools (ADT)
Once Eclipse is running, install the ADT plugin:
- In the menu bar, go to Help → Install New Software...
- In the Work with field, enter:
https://tools.hana.ondemand.com/latest - Press Enter to load the available features
- Check ABAP Development Tools in the list
- Click Next → review the features → click Next again
- Accept the license agreements → click Finish
- Wait for the installation to complete → restart Eclipse when prompted
Tip: SAP recommends always installing the latest ADT client version from https://tools.hana.ondemand.com/#abap to get the newest features.
Step 4 - Install and Sign In to the GitHub Copilot Plugin
Install the GitHub Copilot plugin from the Eclipse Marketplace and authenticate with your MSG GitHub account.
Detailed guide: GitHub Copilot in Eclipse
Option B: VS Code + GitHub Copilot Extension
Work in Progress - will be available at a later date
What's Next
With your environment ready, proceed to Chapter 1: Prompting to learn effective prompting techniques for SAP development tasks.