Produce stable, package-scoped documentation for custom ABAP objects — classifies each by style (Classic / Modern / Mixed), summarizes purpose and dependencies, and outputs Markdown suitable for a repo wiki or onboarding doc.
This skill complements explain-abap-code which targets a single object interactively. Use this one when you want written docs for many objects at once — e.g., to seed a docs/ folder during onboarding, or to generate knowledge-transfer material before a team handoff.
Smart Defaults (apply silently, do NOT ask)
| Setting | Default | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Include | Z*, Y*, customer-namespace | Customer code only |
| Depth | 1 (direct dependencies only) | Keep docs readable; don't drown in transitive graph |
| Style classification | Yes | Free signal — just ask SAPLint |
| Per-object section length | ~30–60 lines Markdown | Enough to be useful, not so long it's unread |
| Output format | Markdown file(s) | Portable, fits any wiki |
Input
The user provides one of:
- Package (e.g.,
Z_SALES_EXTENSIONS) — document every custom object in it - Object list — comma-separated (e.g.,
ZCL_SALES_HANDLER, ZR_POSTING_JOB) - Type + prefix — e.g., "document all Z* classes" → runs
SAPSearch(query="Z*", objectType="CLAS")
And optionally:
- Output path — default:
docs/custom-code/<package_or_group>.md - One file or one-per-object — default: one file with per-object sections, unless >30 objects in which case one-per-object
If the scope would produce >100 objects, stop and ask the user to narrow it — documentation nobody reads is worse than no documentation.
Step 1: Enumerate Scope
1a. Package path
SAPRead(type="DEVC", name="<package>")
1b. Object-list path
Resolve each:
SAPSearch(query="<name>")
Filter to document-worthy types: CLAS, INTF, FUGR, PROG, DDLS, BDEF, SRVD, TABL. Skip generated proxies, transport objects, and test include classes.
Step 2: For Each Object — Read Source + Metadata
Run these in parallel for each object:
SAPRead(type="<type>", name="<name>") # Source
SAPContext(type="<type>", name="<name>", depth=1) # Dependencies (CLAS/INTF/PROG/FUNC/DDLS only; BTP: CLAS/INTF/DDLS)
For object types SAPContext doesn't support (FUGR, BDEF, SRVD, TABL, DOMA, DTEL), skip the dependency call and list the "obvious" callers/dependencies by regex-scanning the source for CL_*, IF_*, SAP* and CALL FUNCTION '...'. Note the degraded confidence in the "Dependencies" section.
For classes, also:
SAPRead(type="CLAS", name="<name>", method="*") # Method listing with signatures
For CDS views, also:
SAPRead(type="DDLS", name="<name>", include="elements") # Field list
Step 3: Classify ABAP Style (Classes + Programs only)
SAPLint(action="lint", name="<name>")
(Pass source=<source> instead of name if you already have the source in memory — avoids a second fetch.)
Interpret the lint findings:
| Signals of Modern ABAP | Signals of Classic ABAP |
|---|---|
Uses CDS, RAP, inline declarations, NEW, REDUCE, CORRESPONDING |
Uses FORM/ENDFORM, TABLES statements, OCCURS |
No SELECT *, has ORDER BY, bulk operations |
Line-by-line SELECT SINGLE in loops, SELECT * |
| Classes with test classes, uses interfaces for DI | Function modules with global state |
No MOVE-CORRESPONDING, uses CORRESPONDING OF |
Heavy PERFORM chains |
Classify as:
- Modern — mostly modern patterns, cloud-ready style
- Classic — mostly classic patterns, pre-7.40 feel
- Mixed — both present (often: modern wrapper around classic guts)
If SAPLint fails or object isn't lintable (e.g., CDS view, table), skip this section.
Step 4: (Optional) Business-Context Lookup via mcp-sap-docs
For objects whose name or structure references an SAP app component (FI, SD, MM, etc.), enrich with component context:
search("<component_code> application component")
Example: ZCL_FI_GL_POSTING → search "FI-GL general ledger" to get the SAP application-component description for the doc header.
Skip this step if the object name gives no hint.
Step 5: Write the Markdown
5a. One-file structure (≤30 objects)
# <Package or group name> — Custom Code Documentation
_Generated <date> via sap-object-documenter skill on system <SID>._
## Overview
| Object | Type | Style | Purpose (1 line) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ZCL_SALES_HANDLER | CLAS | Modern | Behavior implementation for sales order RAP service |
| ZR_OLD_POSTING | PROG | Classic | Nightly batch for legacy FI posting |
| ...
## Objects
### ZCL_SALES_HANDLER
- **Type:** CLAS
- **Package:** Z_SALES_EXTENSIONS
- **Style:** Modern (uses RAP, inline decls, no SELECT *)
- **Purpose:** Handle validations and determinations for the Sales Order RAP business object.
**Public API**
- `validate_credit_limit( i_order )` — checks customer credit limit before save
- `determine_currency( c_order )` — defaults currency from sales org
**Dependencies**
- ZI_SALESORDER (CDS — root entity)
- CL_SALV_TABLE (A — released ALV class)
- ZCL_CREDIT_SERVICE (Z — custom credit service wrapper)
**Notes**
- No direct DB access; routes everything through the RAP entity.
- Tests: `ZCL_SALES_HANDLER_UT` (present, 8 test methods).
---
### ZR_OLD_POSTING
...
5b. One-file-per-object structure (>30 objects)
Create docs/custom-code/<package>/README.md with the overview table (linking to each file) plus one <object_name>.md per object with the same sections as above.
5c. Header per object (canonical fields)
- **Type:** <TADIR type>
- **Package:** <package>
- **Style:** Modern | Classic | Mixed | n/a
- **Purpose:** <one-sentence summary>
- **Last change:** <SAPRead VERSIONS — most recent timestamp + user>
- **Current transport:** <SAPTransport action="history" — current lock request, or "unlocked"; candidates are assignment choices, not history>
The "Last change" + "Current transport" lines come from ARC-1's revision and current-assignment APIs.
Complete transport history is not available from the legacy history action.
Step 6: Write to Disk + Report
Use the local file system (Write tool) to emit the Markdown file(s). Return a short summary:
Wrote 42 object docs to docs/custom-code/Z_SALES_EXTENSIONS/
12 Modern | 18 Classic | 8 Mixed | 4 n/a (CDS/tables)
Longest objects (may need deeper docs):
ZCL_SALES_HANDLER (847 lines, 14 methods)
ZR_OLD_POSTING (1,204 lines)
...
Follow-up Options
- "Want to expand any of these into deeper explanations?" (→ explain-abap-code)
- "Want to check clean-core readiness for this package?" (→ sap-clean-core-atc)
- "Want to prune the dead ones first?" (→ sap-unused-code)
- "Want to package documentation, usage, ATC, and review cards into a migration dossier?" (→ sap-migration-dossier)
Error Handling
| Error | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Object not found | Wrong name or deleted | Log and skip; continue with rest |
| SAPContext fails | Unsupported type | Manually list imports via regex scan of source |
| SAPLint fails | No source (table, CDS), unsupported syntax | Skip style classification for that object |
| Source is empty | Generated proxy or stub | Note "no source available" in doc, still emit other metadata |
| Output path exists | File collision | Add timestamp suffix or ask user |
| >100 objects in scope | Doc would be unreadable | Stop and ask user to narrow scope |
Caveats
What this skill does NOT do
- No code generation — pure read + summarize.
- No English translation of business logic — the "Purpose" line is derived from naming, class header comments, and test-class names. If those are missing, it says so.
- Not a substitute for good code comments — the output is only as good as the source naming.
- No cross-object consolidation — each object is documented independently. Package-level architecture description is out of scope.
When to Use This Skill
- Onboarding new developers to a custom-code package
- Before a consulting handoff — capture institutional knowledge as docs
- Pre-migration documentation (snapshot what exists before rewriting)
- Compliance / audit trail (some orgs require per-object documentation)
- Seeding a knowledge base / repo wiki
When NOT to Use This Skill
- For a single object — use explain-abap-code, faster and interactive.
- For SAP-shipped code — this is Z/Y-only; for SAP objects, use mcp-sap-docs directly.
- When code quality analysis is the goal — use migrate-custom-code.