ABAP runs the business logic inside SAP. Python is where much of the integration, analytics and automation around SAP now happens. Knowing where each one fits makes you more useful on any SAP project.
Cokonet Academy13 Oct 20267 min read
Why learn Python alongside SAP ABAP?
ABAP builds and extends what runs inside SAP. Python is widely used around SAP: calling SAP services over OData or RFC, analysing and cleaning SAP data, running machine learning on HANA data, and automating tests and repetitive checks. An ABAP developer who can also script in Python can build integrations and data tools that would otherwise need a separate team.
What each language is for
ABAP is the language of the SAP application server. Data models, business rules, reports, enhancements and OData services inside SAP are written in ABAP, and S/4HANA extensions follow ABAP and clean-core rules. Python is a general-purpose language with a huge ecosystem for data analysis (pandas), machine learning, web APIs and automation. It does not run inside the SAP core, but it is very good at working with SAP from the outside. The two do not compete; they cover different ground.
Connecting Python to SAP
There are four common routes:
OData and REST APIs. S/4HANA and the SAP Business Accelerator Hub publish many standard APIs, and ABAP developers expose custom ones with CDS and RAP. Python calls them like any web API, for example with the requests library.
RFC. Remote-enabled function modules and BAPIs can be called from Python through SAP connector libraries built on the SAP NetWeaver RFC SDK. SAP's open-source PyRFC has been the usual choice; check its current support status on SAP's GitHub before starting a new project.
The SAP HANA database. SAP's Python client for HANA (hdbcli) runs SQL directly, and the hana-ml library runs machine learning inside HANA.
Exported or replicated data. Many teams analyse SAP data after it lands in a data warehouse or lake, where Python is the standard tool.
In every case, the ABAP side decides what is exposed and with which authorisations, so the ABAP developer remains central.
Where the combination pays off
Data migration. Cleaning, validating and reconciling legacy data with pandas before it is loaded into S/4HANA, and checking the results afterwards.
Analytics and reporting. Combining SAP finance, materials or HR data with other sources for analysis that standard reports do not cover. Our data analytics course teaches this side.
Machine learning. Forecasting demand, flagging unusual postings or predicting payment delays using SAP data.
Automation and testing. Scripts that call SAP services to run regression checks, compare outputs or prepare test data.
Integration. Small services that move data between SAP and other applications through SAP's APIs.
Which to learn first
It depends on the job you want:
SAP technical developer: learn ABAP first, because that is what you will be hired and interviewed for. Our list of top SAP ABAP concepts is the place to start. Add Python once you are comfortable.
Data analyst or engineer working with SAP data: start with Python and SQL, then learn enough SAP to understand tables, modules and business processes.
SAP functional consultant: basic Python for data checks and reconciliations is a useful addition to configuration skills, not a replacement.
A realistic learning path
ABAP fundamentals: dictionary, internal tables, SQL, reports, OOP and debugging.
OData and CDS, so you understand how SAP exposes data.
Python basics, then pandas for data handling and requests for APIs.
A small project: expose a CDS-based OData service in ABAP and consume it from a Python script that analyses the results.
That one project shows interviewers both sides of the combination. For how ABAP services feed modern apps, read ABAP and Fiori explained.
Learn ABAP and Python at Cokonet Academy
Cokonet Academy teaches SAP ABAP on a live SAP system and Python full stack development, in Trivandrum, Kochi and live online. For a free counselling call about which order suits you, use the contact page or call +91 80754 00500.
Talk to a Cokonet counsellor - free, honest, and if we're not the fit, we'll say so.
No. ABAP remains the language for business logic, data models and extensions inside SAP systems. Python works alongside SAP: integration, data analysis, machine learning and automation outside the SAP core.
How does Python connect to SAP?
The common routes are calling OData or REST APIs that SAP exposes, using RFC through SAP connector libraries, connecting to the SAP HANA database with SAP's Python client, or reading exported and replicated data in a data platform.
Should I learn Python or ABAP first?
If your goal is an SAP technical job, learn ABAP first and add Python later. If you are aiming at data or automation roles that touch SAP, start with Python and learn enough SAP to understand the data you are working with.
Is Python useful for SAP functional consultants?
Yes, for data checks during migration, reconciliations, report automation and analysis of extracted data. It does not replace configuration skills, but it saves a great deal of manual spreadsheet work.
