Netweaver is long overdue and is SAP’s effort to catch up with the rest of the software community with regards to integration solutions for J2ee and .Net.

As an enterprise solution non ABAP programmers have a place in the Netweaver architecture, especially where non SAP systems talk to no SAP systems through SAP Java based applications such as XI or Java Webdynpro.

As soon as you put a traditional basis or Webas SAP application in the equation, get non ABAPers out of there - take for example I was at a client site investigating why a drop down on a webDynpro input field took an eternity to populate, the Java programmer did some ABAP handy work in the form of an RFC FM which did an open select endselect and processing in the middle on WBSE table with 8 million records where only 1000 odd where applicable (TECO). Horses for courses I say.

As far as should an ABAPer learn Java?

Currently we are in flux period, where the media hype around Netweaver is overwhelming its capabilities, decision makers believe that ABAP is no longer needed.

The reality is SAP backend systems have been written in ABAP, there must be a billion odd lines in there. Short of a miracle, there is no way possible that they can convert this code to Java or make this code directly available to a JVM at a byte level.

The reality is in the interim until the hype settles ABAPpers will have to take a back seat and be ready when called upon to clean up the mess. Take SDN for a yard stick, every second weblog is some Java newbie ABAP wannabe talking about how to do a BAPI call, or how to write a fm to update the database directly with going through a transaction. Completely missing the point, they are who we are competing with, no substitution for experience I say.

In the long term back-end will stay ABAP. The front-end will be web enabled with web technologies. ABAPers will still be needed for interface definition and backend maintenance.

My tip learn BSP.

NetWeaver is interesting but very frustrating for J2EE programmers