sap-btp-developer-guide

# SAP BTP Developer Guide Skill

## Related Skills

- **sap-btp-cloud-platform**: Use for platform fundamentals, account management, and runtime configurations
- **sap-btp-best-practices**: Use for architectural guidance, governance models, and production patterns
- **sap-cap-capire**: Use for CAP development details, service definitions, and database integration
- **sap-fiori-tools**: Use for UI development, Fiori application setup, and frontend deployment
- **sap-abap**: Use for ABAP Cloud development, RAP patterns, and ABAP Environment specifics
- **sap-btp-connectivity**: Use for implementing secure connections to on-premise systems
- **sap-ai-core**: Use for AI Core platform setup, model deployment, and orchestration
- **sap-cloud-sdk-ai**: Use for SDK-level AI integration in CAP applications

Comprehensive guidance for developing, deploying, and operating business applications on SAP Business Technology Platform.

## Table of Contents

### Quick Navigation
- [Table of Contents](#table-of-contents)
- [When to Use This Skill](#when-to-use-this-skill)
- [Runtime and Programming Model Selection](#runtime-and-programming-model-selection)
- [Development Workflow](#development-workflow)
- [Key Services and Tools](#key-services-and-tools)
- [Security Implementation](#security-implementation)
- [Connectivity Patterns](#connectivity-patterns)
- [CI/CD Implementation](#ci-cd-implementation)
- [Observability Implementation](#observability-implementation)
- [Tutorials and Missions](#tutorials-and-missions)
- [Partner/ISV Development](#partner-isv-development)
- [Common Errors and Solutions](#common-errors-and-solutions)
- [Bundled Resources](#bundled-resources)
- [Quick Reference Links](#quick-reference-links)
- [Version Information](#version-information)

## When to Use This Skill

Use when:
- Building new applications on SAP BTP (Cloud Foundry or Kyma runtime)
- Developing with SAP Cloud Application Programming Model (CAP)
- Building ABAP Cloud applications in SAP BTP ABAP Environment
- Deploying SAP Fiori or SAPUI5 user interfaces
- Connecting applications to SAP S/4HANA, SuccessFactors, or on-premise systems
- Building multitenant SaaS applications
- Implementing side-by-side extensions for SAP solutions
- Building AI-powered extensions (LLM analysis, document processing, intelligent automation)
- Setting up CI/CD pipelines for SAP BTP
- Implementing observability with SAP Cloud ALM or SAP Cloud Logging
- Using SAP HANA Cloud for data persistence

## Runtime and Programming Model Selection

For detailed runtime comparison: See `references/runtimes.md`

### Decision Matrix

| Criteria | CAP (Cloud Foundry/Kyma) | ABAP Cloud |
|----------|--------------------------|------------|
| **Languages** | Node.js, Java, TypeScript | ABAP |
| **Best For** | New cloud-native apps, extensions | Organizations with ABAP expertise |
| **Runtime** | Cloud Foundry or Kyma | SAP BTP ABAP Environment |
| **Persistence** | SAP HANA Cloud, PostgreSQL | SAP HANA Cloud (ABAP-managed) |
| **UI Framework** | SAP Fiori Elements, SAPUI5 | SAP Fiori Elements, SAPUI5 |
| **IDE** | SAP Business Application Studio, VS Code | ABAP Development Tools (Eclipse) |

### CAP Application Development

CAP provides three operational profiles:
- **Development**: Mock services, minimal setup, SQLite/H2 for local testing
- **Hybrid**: Local app connected to cloud services
- **Production**: Full cloud deployment with SAP HANA Cloud

Key capabilities:
- Domain-driven design with CDS (Core Data Services)
- Built-in multitenancy support
- Automatic OData/REST service generation
- Platform-agnostic design (no vendor lock-in)

For CAP details: See `references/cap-development.md`

### AI-Powered Extensions with CAP

Build intelligent side-by-side extensions by combining CAP with SAP AI Core:

1. **Bind AI Core** to your CAP app via MTA (service: `aicore`, plan: `extended`)
2. **Use SAP Cloud SDK for AI** (`@sap-ai-sdk/orchestration`) in CAP event handlers — never raw HTTP calls
3. **Process asynchronously**: LLM calls can take 30-60 seconds. Return `202 Accepted` and use `cds.spawn` for background processing to avoid BTP load balancer timeouts
4. **Store vectors**: Use HANA Cloud `Vector(1536)` type in CDS entities for RAG scenarios
5. **Externalize prompts**: Store in JSON files or CDS entities for updates without redeployment
6. **Allocate memory**: At least 512MB for Node.js containers with AI SDK

For complete code examples, see **sap-cap-capire** skill (AI Integration section) and **sap-cloud-sdk-ai** skill (CAP Integration subsection).

### ABAP Cloud Development

ABAP Cloud uses four foundational technologies:
1. **Core Data Services (CDS)** - Data modeling and analytics
2. **ABAP RESTful Application Programming Model (RAP)** - Service-oriented development
3. **Restricted ABAP Language** - Cloud-safe API access
4. **Released Public APIs** - Upgrade-stable extensions

For ABAP details: See `references/abap-cloud.md`

## Development Workflow

### Phase 1: Explore and Discover

1. **Identify business problem** - Conduct stakeholder interviews
2. **Understand user needs** - Visit customers, observe workflows
3. **Define security requirements** - Threat modeling, compliance planning (GDPR, HIPAA)
4. **Establish governance** - Set up organizational structure

### Phase 2: Design

1. **User Experience Design**
   - Follow SAP Fiori Design Guidelines
   - Implement accessibility (WCAG 2.2)
   - Use design thinking methodology

2. **Technology Design**
   - Apply Domain-Driven Design for complex applications (30+ use cases)
   - Define module boundaries and communication patterns
   - Plan microservices architecture if needed

3. **Security in Design**
   - Secure user interfaces with SAP Fiori authentication
   - Implement RBAC/ABAC using OAuth/OpenID Connect
   - Validate CDS models for data protection

For design patterns: See `references/design-patterns.md`

### Phase 3: Develop

**CAP Development:**
```bash
# Initialize CAP project
cds in