The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers (Robert C. Martin Series)

Table of Contents
About the Author
About the Technical Reviewer
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter 1: Why Object-Oriented Programming Is a Must for Code Quality
	Why OO Has Never Taken Off in ABAP World
	OO Benefits: The Theory
		Describing OO Programs: UML
		Describing OO Programs: BON
			Seamlessness/Reversibility
				Seamlessness via an Automated Tool
				Seamlessness via Naming Conventions
			Design by Contract
			Design by Unit Tests
		Designing a Worldwide OO Program
			What Is the Existing System State?
			Why Is the Existing System State Not Portable?
			What Can Be Done About Fixing That Problem?
				Breaking Dependencies in General
				Breaking Dependencies via Packages
				Breaking Dependencies via Interfaces
					What Is an Interface in OO Terms?
					How SAP Uses Interfaces to Manage User Exits
				Not Breaking the System
	My Journey to OO Happiness
		OO Happiness: The Theory
			The Clean Coder
			Clean Code
			Head-First Design Patterns
				More on Design Patterns
		OO Happiness: The Reality
			Writing an Interactive Executable Report in OO
			Writing a DYNPRO Program in OO
			Experiment
			Rewriting a Huge, Business-Critical Program in OO
			Slowly Transforming a Huge, Business-Critical Program to OO
	OO Benefits: The Reality
		Soft Benefits
			Design Thinking
			Ease of Maintenance
			No One Goes Back
		Hard Benefits
			Avoidance of Syntax Errors
			Parameter Handling
				IMPORTING
				EXPORTING
				TABLES
				RETURNING
				OPTIONAL
				NAMES
				TYPES
				FORMULAS
			Reuse
			Making Code Testable
	Conclusion
	Recommended Reading
		Articles
		Books
Chapter 2: Why Test-Driven Development Is a Must for Code Quality
	TDD Theory
		Fragile Code
		Legacy Code
		Automated Regression Tests
		Dependencies and How to Break Them
		The TDD Development Cycle: RED/GREEN/BLUE
	My Journey to TDD Happiness
		Testing After the Event
		Testing Before the Event
		TDD Workflow in Eclipse
			Creating Test Doubles
			Creating a New Test Method
			Coding the Test Method
			Coding the THEN Method
			Coding the GIVEN Method
			Coding the WHEN Method
			Writing the Production Code
			The BLUE Phase
		Does This Actually Give You a Benefit?
			From a Gut Feeling . . .
			. . . to a Concrete Example
			Some Unit Tests Might Seem Pointless . . .
				It’s Too Short to Test
				It’s Too Simple to Test
			. . . but They Are Not!
				Message in a Model
				You Can’t Get There from Here
				Simpler but Wrong
	Why TDD Has Never Taken Off
		I Already Have an Automated Testing Framework
		My Program Is Too Complicated for TDD
		My Program Is Too Simple for TDD
		TDD Is Far Too Expensive
			TDD Reduces Development Costs
			TDD Reduces the Cost of Fixing Bugs
			TDD Reduces the Financial Risk of Failure
	Conclusion
	Recommended Reading
Chapter 3: Clarity: The First Pillar of Code Quality
	Refactoring: Automated and Manual Checks
		Automated Checks
			Syntax Check
			Extended Program Check
			Code Inspector
				ABAP Open Checks
				Code Pal
			Remote ATC Checks
			Continuous Integration
		Manual Checks
			Clean ABAP
			ABAP Gore
			Creating a Personalized Checklist
	Code Complexity
		Huge Routines
		Confusing Code
			Double Negatives
			Text Symbols
			Pointless Variables
			Contradictory Instructions
			END-OF-SELECTION
			DATA Declarations
			Unrelated Tasks
			Not Being Able to Locate a Routine
		Duplicate Code
		Global Variables
			Why Are Global Variables Bad?
			What Can You Do About Global Variables?
			Global Variables Versus Member Variables
	Naming
		Method/Routine Naming
			Misleading Names
			Totally Incorrect Names
			Sloppy Naming
		Parameter Naming
			Named Parameters
			Functional Methods
		Variable Naming
			Hungarian Notation
				Prefixes in an OO Context
				Random Naming Conventions
				Misleading Names
				Very Old Programs
				Inline Declarations
			Self-Documenting
			German Acronyms
		Magic Numbers
		Hard Coding
		Constants
			Redundant Constants
			Meaningless Constants
			How Not to Use Constants
		ABAP Data Dictionary Object Naming
			Tables
			Transaction Codes
			Structures
			Indexes
			Program Names
			CDS Views
			How Correct Naming Enables Reuse
	Comments
		Why, Not How
		Quotation Marks Versus Asterisks
		Meaningless Comments
		Incorrect Comments
		Reference Numbers in Comments
		Comments Going for a Walk
		Commented-Out Code
			It Makes the Program Harder to Follow
			It Causes Short Dumps
			It Doesn’t Always Work
			It Should Be Deleted
	Documentation
	Conclusion
	Recommended Reading
Chapter 4: Stability: The Second Pillar of Code Quality
	Principle of Least Astonishment
		Enhancement Category
		Material Substitution
		Data Declarations in Modules
		Hashed Tables
		Incorrectly Typed RETURNING Parameter
	Programming by Accident
		Wrong Code That Works
		Incorrect Behavior Being Viewed as Correct
		Archaic ABAP Statements
			Strange Data Declarations
			Implicit Work Area
			What Do You Do?
	Don’t Repeat Yourself
		Time/Difficulty
			Before the Event
			After the Event
		Riskiness
			Surgeon Example
			Drill-Down Example
			Text Names Example
			Payer Example
		Avoiding Repetition in OO Programming
	Other Common Causes of Instability
		Global Variables
			Cannon Example
			Half-Dog Half-Cat Example
			Function Modules
			Cross-Program Calls
			Table-Based Work Areas
		Parameters
			Importing Parameters
			Exporting Parameters
			Fully Typed Parameters
			Big Trouble with Big Signatures
		Memory Problems
	Dealing with Instability: Using Code
		Problems That Virtually Always Happen
			Fuzzy Searches
			Spreadsheets
		Problems That Are Likely to Happen
			SY-SUBRC
			BAPIs
			BDCs
			Field Symbols
		Problems That Really Shouldn’t Happen
			Self-Repair: Example 1
			Self-Repair: Example 2
		Problems That Should Never, Ever Happen
			Spotting the Impossible
			Dealing with the Impossible
	Dealing with Instability: Using Humans
		What’s Wrong #1
		What’s Wrong #2
	Conclusion
	Recommended Reading
Chapter 5: Performance: The Third Pillar of Code Quality
	CPO Concept
		Daily Dumps
		Annual In-House CPO
	Static Checks
		Geometric Loops
		Secondary Indexes for Internal Tables
	Runtime Checks
		ST05 in General
		Identical SELECTS
			How to Spot the Problem
			Strategies to Deal with the Problem
			Real-Life Example
			Stuttering
			Asking Stupid Questions
		Reading More Data Than Needed
			Selecting More Columns Than You Need
			Selecting More Rows Than You Need
				The Behavior Never Made Sense
				The Behavior No Longer Makes Sense
				The Behavior Makes Sense
			Existence Checks
		Multiple Reads on the Same Table
			Contract Example
			Partner Function Example
			Shipment Cost Example
		Using FOR ALL ENTRIES
		Indexes
			Indexes: Always Using One
			Indexes: Missing the First Field
			Indexes: SKIP SCAN
		Nested SELECTs
		“Bad” Joins on Database Tables
	Postmortem Checks
		Standard SAP Transactions for Troubleshooting Performance Problems
			SAT
			ST04
			SRTCM
		Technical Attributes of Database Tables
			Indexes
				Pointless Index
				Terrible Index
				Really Good Index
			Buffering
				Possible Buffering Settings
				Example of How Buffering Can Help
				Common Misconception About Generic Buffering
				How to Decide Which Z Tables to Buffer
		Postmortem Tricks
			Batch Jobs
			Deadlocks
	Sneaky Tricks
		Database Reads in a Loop
		Using Standard SAP “Buffering” Modules
			When to Use Them
			KNA1_SINGLE_READER
			Prefilling Buffers
		Constants
		INTO CORRESPONDING
		DDIC Information
		Using Standard SAP Functions Incorrectly
	Conclusion
Chapter 6: User Friendliness: Ensuring UI Quality
	General Philosophy
		Difference Between UI and UX
		Don’t Make Me Think
		Waterfall Projects
	Consistency
		Standards
			Applying Industry Standards
			Non-Standard Icon Appearance
			Non-Standard Icon Usage
		Inconsistency
			Inconsistency in F4 Helps
			Inconsistency in Pop-Ups
			Inconsistency in Master Data Transactions
	Ease of Use
		Laying Traps for the User
			Hiding Icons for No Reason
			Hiding Fields for No Reason
				Slightly Hidden Field
				Totally Hidden Field
			Incorrect Use of Check Boxes
		Confusing the User
			Giving Incorrect Options
			Giving No Options at All
			Accessibility
		Explaining Things to the User
			Avoiding Abbreviations
			Custom Data Elements
			Custom F1 Help
			Custom Domains
	Error Prevention
		Inviting Errors
		Self-Destruct Button
		Stopping Dumps Before They Begin
		Self-Service
			Logging
			Linking Errors to Training Material
		Sneaky Trick: ALV Filter Not Working
	Error Handling
		Shouting at the User
		Preventing the User from Fixing the Problem
			Making the User Reenter Data
			Making It Impossible to Fix the Problem
		Enabling the User to Fix the Problem
			Mandatory Fields
			Taking the User to the Source of the Problem
				Example: IDoc Application Log
	Documentation
		Documentation Guidelines
		Documentation Terminology
		Documentation for Dialog Transactions
		Documentation for Developers
	Conclusion
	Recommended Reading
Chapter 7: User Exits: Defusing a Potential Time Bomb
	User Exits in On-Premises SAP Systems
		VOFM Routines
		Repairs
		FORM-Based User Exits
		CMOD User Exits
		BAdi User Exits
		The Enhancement Framework
		User Exits in Your Own Z Programs
	User Exits in Cloud SAP Systems
		UI Extensibility
		Field Extensibility
		Custom Tables/Business Objects
		Business Logic Extensibility
		Custom Programs
	Tying This All Together—in a TDD Manner
		Problem One: You Are Using a Mixture of Different User Exit Frameworks
		Problem Two: You Can’t Develop User Exits Using TDD
		Solution to Both Problems
		Lowest Common Denominator
	Conclusion
	Recommended Reading
Chapter 8: Ensuring Code Runs in S/4HANA
	TDD Recap
	Types of S/4HANA Checks
		Prior to the Conversion: ATC Checks in ECC 6.0
		During the Conversion Project: Remote Checks
		After the Conversion: ADT Quick Fixes
	Specific Issues to Be Dealt With
		Field Changes
		Table Changes
			Simplification of the Data Model
			Appends to Standard SAP Tables
		Database Changes
			The Golden Rules
				Minimize Amount of Transferred Data
					Importance in HANA World
					ATC Check Support
				Minimize Number of Data Transfers
					Importance in HANA World
					ATC Check Support
				Keep Results Sets Small
					VBFA Example
					Aggregation Example
					Existence Check Example
					Importance in HANA World
					ATC Check Support
				Minimize Search Overhead
					Importance in HANA World
					ATC Check Support
				Keep Load Away from Database
					Importance in HANA World
					ATC Check Support
			Order in the House
				ATC Check Support
		Application Changes: “Missing” Modules
			Standard Solutions
				Sample “Missing” Modules
					Sales Activities
					Shipment Costs
					SD Credit Control
					HR/Payroll
				Future Proofing “Missing Module” Code
			Industry Solutions
	Conclusion
	Recommended Reading
Chapter 9: Ensuring Code Runs in ABAP in the Cloud
	The General Concept
		Separation of Z Code and Standard Code
		The RAP
		Free Trial Account
		The Future of ABAP Development
	Obstacles to Code Conversion
		Obsolete ABAP Statements
		No SAP GUI
		Referencing Standard SAP Objects
		Referencing Standard SAP Tables
	The Mechanics of Code Conversion
		Remote Checks
			Search Problematic Statements
			Restricted Language Scope
			Prerequisites for the Test
			Admissibility Check
			White list Check
		The Conversion Procedure
	Conclusion
	Recommended Reading
Chapter 10: Creating Your Own Custom ATC Checks
	Open Source ATC Projects
	Custom Code Check Example
		Interfaces
		Interface IF_CI_TEST
		Creating a Category Class
		Creating the Actual Custom Check Class
		Creating Documentation
		Testing Your Class
		Coding the Actual Check
		Coding the Error Message
		Adding the Class to the List of SCI Checks
	Custom Checks in ABAP in Eclipse
	Conclusion
	Recommended Reading
Index