Quickstart

A five-minute first run. This assumes you have installed the binary and configured a connection.

1. Confirm connectivity

abapctl system-check

system-check validates your connection and access. If it passes, you are talking to SAP.

2. Read an object

Pull metadata and then the source for a class:

abapctl object info ZCL_FOO            # metadata, includes, links
abapctl source get ZCL_FOO            # full source, written to stdout

source get writes to stdout, so pipe it where you need it:

abapctl source get ZCL_FOO > zcl_foo.clas.abap

3. Run quality checks

Check syntax and run an ATC variant against the active version:

abapctl check syntax ZCL_FOO
abapctl check atc ZCL_FOO --variant CLEAN_CORE

abapctl check atc-variants lists the variants available on your system; pass one with --variant (-v). ATC exits 0 when clean, 1 when findings exist, and 2 on error, so it slots straight into a pipeline.

4. Use JSON for scripting or agents

Every command supports --json for stable, machine-readable output:

abapctl check atc ZCL_FOO --json | jq '.findings[]'

Where to go next

• Guides: task-oriented walkthroughs (editing, transports, workspaces).
• Working with AI agents: drive abapctl from an AI agent.
• Clean Core: assess and remediate a package.
• Concepts: lock → write → activate: the mental model behind every write command.
• Command Reference: the full catalog with safety flags.