Debugging for Fucos

Explanation, tips & trics for debugging in SAP CRM

Gert-Jan Stolmeijer, Business Consultant

01-01-2013
Table of Contents

Introduction
Debug screen
Debugging
Breakpoints and Watch points
Show and Change Content
Traces
Tips & Tricks for efficient debugging

Find tables and fields

Introduction
Goal and Result of this training

This training is ment for functional consultants with minimal

ABAP knowledge
As a prerequisite basic understanding of ABAP coding
(Statements, Tables, Fields, ABAP-OO) is needed

As a result the consultant should be able to:

Functional debugging in SAP CRM/SAP ERP and WebUI
Find and analyse simple problems due to ABAP coding
Test solutions/specifications with the debugger
Find tables and fields
Introduction
Reasons for debugging

Possible scenarios when debugging is needed:

SAP CRM generates an error message
SAP CRM Functionality not working as expected
A specification is needed with the preferred solution
A shortdump is generated
A table entry should be changed
Finding possible user exits (will be handled by Aik)
Overview debug screen
Explanation of the debug screen
Use the tabs to
change the
information visible
Program System variables

ABAP Coding Show variables

Toolbox for screen
changes
Overview debug screen
Configuration of the debug screen Toggle
between
new and old
Debugger

Close the windows

Open new windows and select object
Change object in current windows
Open windows in full screen
Swap windows vertical and horizontal
Swap content of windows
Tools (dependent on content) for search and
saving
Debugging
Start the debugger

Start debugging from the SAP CRM GUI menu

Menu -> System -> Utilities -> Debug Screen
Directly from Transaction Screen with
/h Debug Screen
/ha Debug ABAP
/hs Debug System
This is used when you want to debug a specific process which
can be started from the GUI
Start debugging after setting breakpoints
When placing a session or external breakpoint the program will
stop and open the debug screen
Start debugging directly from function module/program
Select
Start debugging from SM50
When a process is running you can debug this process using
Menu -> Administration -> Program -> Debugging
Debugging
Navigate during debugging

Single-Step (F5)
During single step each program line will be visible. When the
program calls another procedure/function module you will jump
to the coding of these routines.
Execute (F6)
During execute each program line will be visible, however the
debugger will stay in the main program and will not jump to a
procedure/function module (the actual procedure of function
module will be executed with this is not visible).
Return (F7)
When using return the debugger will jump to a higher level
procedure/function module.
Run (to Cursor) (F8)
The debugger will continue with the program and stops when the
program is finished or another breakpoint is reached.
Debugging
ABAP Stack

An ABAP stack overview shows the order in which routines are

called.
Navigation between routines is possible during debugging
The stack overview can be used to detect the orgin of the
cause or to detect an usable function module
Debugging
System Variables

On top of the debug screen two system variables are always

visible:
SY-SUBRC
0 means minimal 1 records has been found
<>0 means a problem occured
SY-TABIX
Identifies the record (index) read from the internal table
Debugging
Start debugging from a modal window

In some cases a modal window is available from which

debugging should be enabled
Create a SAPGUI shortcut of type system command and system
command /h. Drop this shortcut on the modal window

Create a textfile with following content:

Drop this file on the modal window

Breakpoints
Setting session and external breakpoints

SAP provides two different breakpoints:

Session breakpoint
A session breakpoint can be used when the user and the process is
within the same GUI.
External breakpoint
An external breakpoint can be used when the user and the process
are not within the same GUI. For example debugging the Webclient
or WebUI, debugging the transfer between CRM and ECC
Setting user for an external breakpoint can be done using Utilities ->
Settings -> ABAP Editor -> Debugging

Breakpoint can be activated :

From the ABAP workbench
During debugging
Breakpoints
Setting session and external breakpoints

Breakpoints can be set at:

Line level
This is the standard behavior of placing beakpoints. They will be valid
only for that specific line
At .......
It is possible to place breakpoints a specific statements, function
modules, message etc.
Usefull options are Breakpoint at Statement
Message (to find any message genereated by SAP)
Select (to find a table for specific data)
Breakpoints
Setting session and external breakpoints

During debugging all parameters of a functionmodule can be

saved as test data
This can be usefull to isolate the problem and to have a good
test scenario (it saves a lot of typing)
Breakpoints
Finding enhancements spots

All enhancements and badis can be found easily using

following tric:
Start transaction SE24
Select class CL_EXITHANDLER
Set a breakpoint at method GET_INTANCE
Now start the process and check all possible enhancements
Watchpoints
Setting watchpoints

Watchpoint can be used to stop the program when:

A specific variable changes
A specific variable changes to a certain value

Watchpoints can be helpfull when an error occurs only for a

specific situation or at a certain value.

The variable
changes

The variable
changes to a
certain value
Watchpoints
Example using watchpoints to check messages

When SAP generates an (error) message, note down the

message identification
Enter the program again in debug mode
Create a watchpoint for variable SY-MSGID with condition SY-
MSGID = <message> or
SY-MSGTY = E or W or
SY-MSGNO = 012
Show and Change content
Show variables

During debugging variables can be displayed and the

content can be changed
Double-click on any data element to see the content

Data element
is a single
variable

Data element
is a table
Show and Change content
Edit variables

(single) variables can be change using the button

Show and Change content
Edit tables

Table (content) can be changed only on line item

Show and Change content
Change (SAP) table entries

Using debugging it is possible to change table entries of

(standard) SAP tables
As a prerequisite the table must contain at least one entry
Open the table with se16
Select the entry which should be changed
Activate the debugger and press enter
Change variable code to ....
Traces
Performance Trace

There are different traces available is SAP which can help you
finding the location of the issue.
The performance tace (transaction ST05) is the most usefull
trace. Activate for
Activate for
Before the problem occurs: current user other user or a
specific table
Activate the trace
Simulate the problem
Deactivate the trace
Display the trace file

Always select
SQL and RFC
trace
Traces
Performance Trace

As a result you will get a list of statements including the table

names and data used.

Jump into the

specific ABAP
code All statements
including the
data used

This column
contains the
tablenames
Tips & Trics for efficient debugging
Use this workprocedure for efficient debugging

Always try to minimize the problem for debugging

For a functional point of view, try to identify what is causing the
problem
Use test data which can be easily recognized during debugging
and tracing
When simulating the problem use data which can be traced as
unique data
Try to locate the problem using a trace file
ST05 (based on the tables or function modules used, find the location
of the issue)
Try to locate the problem on subroutine level
Using debugging with F6 try to find which routine give the wrong result
Try to isolate the problem
If the problem can be located at a function module, you can test the
function module seperatly
Compare a working situation with the non working situation
Tips & Trics for efficient debugging
Debugging the middleware

Debugging the middleware is more difficult, because this process

run mainly on the background
Following oss notes explains step-be-step how to debug any
middleware issue:
SAP Note 656823 - FAQ: Tips and tricks for transfer debugging
SAP Note Number 490932 Data exchange of sales transactions
between CRM & R/3
SAP Note 847964 - CRM Service: Debugging BDOCs to R3
Thank you!

Gert-Jan Stolmeijer

Business Consultant
M +31 (0) 6 5799 28 26
E gert-jan.stolmeijer@acorel.nl

ACOREL
Zwanebloemlaan 83
1087 GD Amsterdam

T +31 (0)20 468 7150 Follow us on:

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