mcp-abap-adt: Your Gateway to ABAP Development Tools (ADT)

This project provides a server that allows you to interact with SAP ABAP systems using the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Think of it as a bridge that lets tools like Cline (a VS Code extension) talk to your ABAP system and retrieve information like source code, table structures, and more. It's like having a remote control for your ABAP development environment!

This guide is designed for beginners, so we'll walk through everything step-by-step. We'll cover:

1. Prerequisites: What you need before you start.
2. Installation and Setup: Getting everything up and running.
3. Running the Server: Starting the server in different modes.
4. Integrating with Cline: Connecting this server to the Cline VS Code extension.
5. Troubleshooting: Common problems and solutions.
6. Available Tools: A list of the commands you can use.

1. Prerequisites

Before you begin, you'll need a few things:

• An SAP ABAP System: This server connects to an existing ABAP system. You'll need:
  • The system's URL (e.g., https://my-sap-system.com:8000)
  • A valid username and password for that system.
  • The SAP client number (e.g., 100).
  • Ensure that your SAP system allows connections via ADT (ABAP Development Tools). This usually involves making sure the necessary services are activated in transaction SICF. Your basis administrator can help with this. Specifically, you will need the following services to be active:
    • /sap/bc/adt
  • For the GetTableContents Tool, you will need the implementation of a custom service /z_mcp_abap_adt/z_tablecontent. You can follow this guide here
• Git (or GitHub Desktop): We'll use Git to download the project code. You have two options:
  • Git: The command-line tool. Download Git. Choose the version for your operating system (Windows, macOS, Linux). Follow the installation instructions.
  • GitHub Desktop: A graphical user interface for Git. Easier for beginners! Download GitHub Desktop. Follow the installation instructions.
• Node.js and npm: Node.js is a JavaScript runtime that lets you run JavaScript code outside of a web browser. npm (Node Package Manager) is included with Node.js and is used to install packages (libraries of code).
  • Download Node.js. Choose the LTS (Long Term Support) version. This is the most stable version. Follow the installation instructions for your operating system. Make sure to include npm in the installation (it's usually included by default).
  • Verify Installation: After installing Node.js, open a new terminal (command prompt on Windows, Terminal on macOS/Linux) and type:
    node -v npm -v
    You should see version numbers for both Node.js and npm. If you see an error, Node.js might not be installed correctly, or it might not be in your system's PATH. (See Troubleshooting below).

2. Installation and Setup

Now, let's get the project code and set it up:

Installing via Smithery

To install MCP ABAP Development Tools Server for Cline automatically via Smithery:

Manual Installation

1. Clone the Repository:
   • Using Git (command line):
     1. Open a terminal (command prompt or Terminal).
     2. Navigate to the directory where you want to store the project. For example, to put it on your Desktop:
        cd Desktop
     3. Clone the repository:
        git clone https://github.com/mario-andreschak/mcp-abap-adt
     4. Change into the project directory:
        cd mcp-abap-adt # Or whatever the folder name is
   • Using GitHub Desktop:
     1. Open GitHub Desktop.
     2. Click "File" -> "Clone Repository...".
     3. In the "URL" tab, paste the repository URL.
     4. Choose a local path (where you want to save the project on your computer).
     5. Click "Clone".
2. Install Dependencies: This downloads all the necessary libraries the project needs. In the terminal, inside the root directory, run:
   npm install
   This might take a few minutes.
3. Build the Project: This compiles the code into an executable format.
   npm run build
4. Create a .env file: This file stores sensitive information like your SAP credentials. It's very important to keep this file secure.
   1. In the root directory, create a new file named .env (no extension).
   2. Open the .env file in a text editor (like Notepad, VS Code, etc.).
   3. Add the following lines, replacing the placeholders with your actual SAP system information: Important: If your password contains a "#" character, make sure to enclose your password in quotes!
      SAP_URL=https://your-sap-system.com:8000 # Your SAP system URL SAP_USERNAME=your_username # Your SAP username SAP_PASSWORD=your_password # Your SAP password SAP_CLIENT=100 # Your SAP client
      Important: Never share your .env file with anyone, and never commit it to a Git repository!

3. Running the Server

To be fair, you usually dont usually "run" this server on it's own. It is supposed to be integrated into an MCP Client like Cline or Claude Desktop. But you can manually run the server in two main ways:

• Standalone Mode: This runs the server directly, and it will output messages to the terminal. The server will start and wait for client connections, so potentially rendering it useless except to see if it starts.
• Development/Debug Mode: This runs the server with the MCP Inspector. You can open the URL that it outputs in your browser and start playing around.

3.1 Standalone Mode

To run the server in standalone mode, use the following command in the terminal (from the root directory):

You should see messages in the terminal indicating that the server is running. It will listen for connections from MCP clients. The server will keep running until you stop it (usually with Ctrl+C).

3.2 Development/Debug Mode (with Inspector)

This mode is useful for debugging.

1. Start the server in debug mode:
   npm run dev
   This will start the server and output a message like: 🔍 MCP Inspector is up and running at http://localhost:5173 🚀. This is the URL you'll use to open the MCP inspector in your Browser.

4. Integrating with Cline

Cline is a VS Code extension that uses MCP servers to provide language support. Here's how to connect this ABAP server to Cline:

1. Install Cline: If you haven't already, install the "Cline" extension in VS Code.
2. Open Cline Settings:
   • Open the VS Code settings (File -> Preferences -> Settings, or Ctrl+,).
   • Search for "Cline MCP Settings".
   • Click "Edit in settings.json". This will open the cline_mcp_settings.json file. The full path is usually something like: C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Code\User\globalStorage\saoudrizwan.claude-dev\settings\cline_mcp_settings.json (replace username with your Windows username).
3. Add the Server Configuration: You'll need to add an entry to the servers array in the cline_mcp_settings.json file. Here's an example:
   { "mcpServers": { "mcp-abap-adt": { "command": "node", "args": [ "C:/PATH_TO/mcp-abap-adt/dist/index.js" ], "disabled": true, "autoApprove": [] } // ... other server configurations ... } }
4. Test the Connection:
   • Cline should automatically connect to the server. You will see the Server appear in the "MCP Servers" Panel (in the Cline extension, you'll find different buttons on the top.)
   • Ask Cline to get the Sourcecode of a program and it should mention the MCP Server and should try to use the corresponding tools

5. Troubleshooting

• node -v or npm -v gives an error:
  • Make sure Node.js is installed correctly. Try reinstalling it.
  • Ensure that the Node.js installation directory is in your system's PATH environment variable. On Windows, you can edit environment variables through the System Properties (search for "environment variables" in the Start Menu).
• npm install fails:
  • Make sure you have an internet connection.
  • Try deleting the node_modules folder and running npm install again.
  • If you're behind a proxy, you might need to configure npm to use the proxy. Search online for "npm proxy settings".
• Cline doesn't connect to the server:
  • Double-check the settings in cline_mcp_settings.json. It must be the correct, absolute path to the root-server directory, and use double backslashes on Windows.
  • Make sure the server is running (use npm run start to check).
  • Restart VS Code.
  • Alternatively:
  • Navigate to the root folder of mcp-abap-adt in your Explorer, Shift+Right-Click and select "Open Powershell here". (Or open a Powershell and navigate to the folder using cd C:/PATH_TO/mcp-abap-adt/
  • Run "npm install"
  • Run "npm run build"
  • Run "npx @modelcontextprotocol/inspector node dist/index.js"
  • Open your browser at the URL it outputs. Click "connect" on the left side.
  • Click "Tools" on the top, then click "List Tools"
  • Click GetProgram and enter "SAPMV45A" or any other Report name as Program Name on the right
  • Test and see what the output is
• SAP connection errors:
  • Verify your SAP credentials in the .env file.
  • Ensure that the SAP system is running and accessible from your network.
  • Make sure that your SAP user has the necessary authorizations to access the ADT services.
  • Check that the required ADT services are activated in transaction SICF.
  • If you're using self-signed certificates or there is an issue with your SAP systems http config, make sure to set TLS_REJECT_UNAUTHORIZED as described above!

6. Available Tools

This server provides the following tools, which can be used through Cline (or any other MCP client):