adtctl

Scriptable access to SAP systems from the terminal.

Sync code, run quality checks, manage transports, assess S/4HANA readiness, and query data. --json output on every command, composable with standard Unix tools. No SAP-side installation required.

102 commands. Single binary. No runtime dependencies. Works with S/4HANA, ECC, and NetWeaver AS ABAP 7.50+. Requires ADT endpoints enabled.

What You Can Do

1. ABAP Source in Git - branch, diff, review, push

Sync packages from SAP to local files. Edit in any editor. Use git for version control, branching, and code review. Push changes back to SAP.

  SAP System                        Your Workstation                     GitHub
 ┌──────────┐    workspace init    ┌──────────────┐     git push       ┌──────────┐
 │  ABAP    │ ─────────────────>   │ Local Files  │ ────────────────>  │  Remote  │
 │  Objects │                      │  + git repo  │                    │   Repo   │
 └──────────┘    workspace push    └──────────────┘     git pull       └──────────┘
       ^     <─────────────────           │         <────────────────        │
       │                                  │                                  │
       │      workspace pull              v                                  v
       └──────────────────────     Edit in VS Code              Pull Request / Review
                                   Branch per fix
                                   Diff + review

adtctl workspace init ZFINANCE                # sync package from SAP
cd abap/S4H/ZFINANCE
git init && git add -A && git commit -m "Initial sync"

git checkout -b fix/exchange-rate              # branch for the fix
vim zcl_journal_entry.clas.abap               # edit in any editor

adtctl workspace diff S4H/ZFINANCE            # diff against SAP baseline
adtctl check syntax ZCL_JOURNAL_ENTRY --source zcl_journal_entry.clas.abap
adtctl check atc ZCL_JOURNAL_ENTRY            # validate before pushing

git add -A && git commit -m "Fix exchange rate"
git push origin fix/exchange-rate             # push branch for code review

# After approval
adtctl workspace push S4H/ZFINANCE            # push to SAP

2. S/4HANA Readiness and Clean Core Compliance - assess, fix on branch, review, verify

Run ATC with any variant - Clean Core, S/4HANA readiness, or custom. Classify objects by compliance level, fix violations on a git branch, review via pull request, and re-assess to confirm.

  Assess            Branch & Fix         Review             Push & Verify
 ┌─────────┐       ┌─────────────┐      ┌──────────┐      ┌─────────────┐
 │ ATC     │       │ git branch  │      │ Pull     │      │ workspace   │
 │ Scan    │──────>│ Edit source │─────>│ Request  │─────>│ push        │
 │         │       │ Check local │      │ Approve  │      │ Re-assess   │
 │         │       │ Commit      │      │ Merge    │      │ Confirm fix │
 └─────────┘       └─────────────┘      └──────────┘      └─────────────┘
  Level A/B/C/D     Fix one or more      Reviewer sees      Fewer D findings
                    objects per branch   the exact diff

adtctl workspace init ZLEGACY                 # sync package
cd abap/S4H/ZLEGACY
git init && git add -A && git commit -m "Initial sync"

adtctl clean-core assess ZLEGACY              # Clean Core scan (levels A/B/C/D)
adtctl check atc ZCL_LEGACY_REPORT --variant YOUR_VARIANT  # or any ATC variant

adtctl clean-core prep S4H/ZLEGACY            # download fix context for D/C objects

git checkout -b fix/zcl-legacy-report         # branch per fix
vim zcl_legacy_report.clas.abap               # replace deprecated API calls

adtctl check syntax ZCL_LEGACY_REPORT --source zcl_legacy_report.clas.abap
adtctl check atc ZCL_LEGACY_REPORT            # validate the fix

git add -A && git commit -m "Replace CALL FUNCTION with class-based API"
git push origin fix/zcl-legacy-report         # code review via pull request

# After approval
adtctl workspace push S4H/ZLEGACY            # push fix to SAP
adtctl clean-core assess ZLEGACY              # re-assess to confirm

See Clean Core assessment and remediation for the full command reference.

3. CI/CD Quality Gates - syntax, ATC, unit tests in your pipeline

Run syntax checks, ATC analysis, and unit tests from any CI system. Every command returns --json output and exit codes built for automation.

  git push          CI Pipeline                               SAP System
 ┌──────────┐      ┌──────────────────────────────────┐      ┌──────────┐
 │ Branch   │─────>│ adtctl check syntax ... --json   │<────>│  ADT     │
 │ pushed   │      │ adtctl check atc ...   --json   │      │  APIs    │
 └──────────┘      │ adtctl check unit ...  --json   │      └──────────┘
                   └──────────┬───────────────────────┘
                              │
                    0 = pass, 1 = issues, 2 = error
                              │
                   ┌──────────v───────────────────────┐
                   │ ✓ Merge    or    ✗ Block PR      │
                   └──────────────────────────────────┘

adtctl check syntax ZCL_EXAMPLE --json
adtctl check atc ZCL_EXAMPLE --variant CLEAN_CORE --json
adtctl check unit ZCL_EXAMPLE --json

# Check a local draft before uploading (no write to SAP)
adtctl check syntax ZCL_EXAMPLE --source local-draft.abap --json

# Fail the pipeline if ATC finds issues
adtctl check atc ZCL_EXAMPLE --json | jq -e '.findings | length == 0'

4. Explore and Understand Systems - navigate code from the terminal

Connect to any SAP system and browse, search, read source, navigate definitions, and preview data. No Eclipse required.

  You (terminal)                                SAP System
 ┌──────────────────────────────┐              ┌──────────────┐
 │ adtctl package list          │──── ADT ────>│ Package tree  │
 │ adtctl object tree ZFINANCE  │   HTTP/S     │ Object info   │
 │ adtctl source get ZCL_FOO    │<────────────>│ Source code   │
 │ adtctl code references ...   │              │ Definitions   │
 │ adtctl data query T000       │              │ Table data    │
 └──────────────────────────────┘              └──────────────┘

adtctl package list                            # discover Z*/Y* packages
adtctl object tree ZFINANCE                    # browse package contents
adtctl source get ZCL_JOURNAL_ENTRY            # read source code

adtctl code definition ZCL_JOURNAL_ENTRY --line 42 --col 10   # go to definition
adtctl code element-info ZCL_JOURNAL_ENTRY --line 42 --col 10  # type + docs
adtctl code references ZCL_JOURNAL_ENTRY                       # who uses this?

adtctl data query BKPF --rows 5 --where "BUKRS = '1000'"      # preview data
adtctl data sql --query "SELECT * FROM bkpf WHERE gjahr = '2025' UP TO 10 ROWS"

5. AI-Assisted Development - agents discover and use commands safely

Every command has machine-readable safety annotations. AI agents can explore what's available, distinguish reads from writes, preview before committing, and parse structured output.

  AI Agent (Claude, Cursor, Copilot, ...)
 ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
 │ 1. adtctl tools --json        → discover ops  │
 │ 2. adtctl source get ZCL_FOO  → read source   │
 │ 3. adtctl check atc ZCL_FOO   → find issues   │
 │ 4. ... edit source locally ...                 │
 │ 5. adtctl source put --dry-run → preview       │
 │ 6. adtctl source put --yes     → apply         │
 └───────────────────────────────────────────────┘
         │                   ^
         │  shell commands   │  --json responses
         v                   │
 ┌───────────────────────────────────────────────┐
 │              SAP System (via ADT)             │
 └───────────────────────────────────────────────┘

adtctl tools --json    # full catalog with safety metadata per command

{
  "command": "source put",
  "readOnly": false, "destructive": true, "idempotent": false,
  "note": "prompts for confirmation; read-only with --dry-run"
}

Works with any agent that has shell access. No MCP server required.

6. Automate at Scale - governance, migration, and system intelligence

Every command outputs JSON and returns exit codes. Pipe, filter, loop, schedule.

Technical debt dashboard - track compliance scores over time:

# Weekly: assess all custom packages, feed into Grafana
for pkg in $(adtctl package list --json | jq -r '.[].name'); do
  adtctl clean-core assess $pkg --json >> "scores/$(date +%Y-%m-%d).json"
done
adtctl clean-core executive    # aggregate cross-package report

Multi-system divergence detection - catch drift between DEV, QAS, PRD:

for obj in ZCL_JOURNAL ZCL_POSTING ZCL_APPROVAL; do
  adtctl source get $obj -c dev > "dev/${obj}.abap"
  adtctl source get $obj -c prd > "prd/${obj}.abap"
  diff "dev/${obj}.abap" "prd/${obj}.abap" || echo "DIVERGED: $obj"
done

Assembly-line refactoring - one PR per object:

adtctl clean-core prep S4H/ZLEGACY
cd clean-core/S4H/ZLEGACY/fix-context
for file in *.clas.abap; do
  obj=$(basename $file .clas.abap | tr 'a-z' 'A-Z')
  git checkout -b "fix/${obj}"
  # fix findings using .context/ metadata
  adtctl check syntax $obj --source $file --json    # validate
  git add -A && git commit -m "Fix: $obj"
  gh pr create --title "Clean core: $obj"
  git checkout main
done

Dependency mapping - build a graph of custom code:

for obj in $(adtctl object search "ZCL_*" --type CLAS --json | jq -r '.[].name'); do
  adtctl code references $obj --json >> dependency-graph.json
done
# Feed into Neo4j, answer: "what breaks if we delete ZCL_LEGACY_HELPER?"

Download

Platform	Binary
Linux x64	adtctl
macOS ARM64 (Apple Silicon)	adtctl
macOS x64 (Intel)	adtctl
Windows x64	adtctl.exe

# Linux
curl -LO https://github.com/openkash/adtctl/raw/main/linux/adtctl
chmod +x adtctl && sudo mv adtctl /usr/local/bin/

# macOS (Apple Silicon — M1/M2/M3/M4)
curl -LO https://github.com/openkash/adtctl/raw/main/macos/adtctl
chmod +x adtctl && sudo mv adtctl /usr/local/bin/

# macOS (Intel)
curl -LO https://github.com/openkash/adtctl/raw/main/macos-x64/adtctl
chmod +x adtctl && sudo mv adtctl /usr/local/bin/

# Windows (PowerShell)
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://github.com/openkash/adtctl/raw/main/windows/adtctl.exe -OutFile adtctl.exe

Verify: adtctl --version

Quick Start

adtctl init                          # create .adtctl.json template
# Edit .adtctl.json with your SAP host, SID, client, username (see Configuration below)
export ADTCTL_PASSWORD='your-password'
adtctl system-check                  # verify connectivity

How This Compares to abapGit

abapGit is the established standard for ABAP + git. adtctl takes a different approach.

abapGit - "SAP is the working directory, git is the archive." Runs as an ABAP program inside SAP. Full git client with branch and merge. Serializes complete object metadata as portable XML.

adtctl - "Local files are the working directory, SAP is the remote." Runs on your workstation as a CLI binary. Syncs source code to local files; you use standard git directly.

	abapGit	adtctl
Runs where	Inside SAP (ABAP program)	Your workstation (CLI binary)
Installation	Must install on each SAP system	Nothing on SAP - just needs ADT enabled
Git integration	Built-in git client	Syncs files to disk; you use git directly
Object serialization	Full metadata as portable XML	Source code (abapGit-compatible filenames)
Scope	Version control	Version control + quality checks + refactoring + code navigation + transport management + data preview
CI/CD	Requires SAP-side program	Every command has `--json` output and exit codes
AI agent support	Not designed for it	Tool annotations, `--json`, `--dry-run`

They're complementary. Use abapGit when you need branch/merge operations managed inside SAP or portable cross-system deployment. Use adtctl when you want to script from outside, run quality gates in a pipeline, or can't install programs on the SAP system.

Detailed Feature Reference

Workspace sync (git-like commands)

adtctl command	git equivalent	What it does
`workspace init`	`git clone`	Download all objects from a package
`workspace status`	`git status`	Show modified / clean / missing objects
`workspace diff`	`git diff`	Unified diff against SAP baseline
`workspace pull`	`git pull`	Refresh from SAP (with conflict detection)
`workspace push`	`git push`	Upload local changes to SAP
`workspace reset`	`git checkout .`	Discard local changes, restore SAP baseline

Clean Core assessment and remediation

adtctl clean-core assess ZPACKAGE           # discover + classify (A/B/C/D)
adtctl clean-core prep S4H/ZPACKAGE         # download source + fix context for D/C objects
# ... edit .clas.abap / .prog.abap files ...
adtctl clean-core apply S4H/ZPACKAGE        # push fixes back to SAP (lock → write → activate)

adtctl clean-core report S4H/ZPACKAGE       # regenerate summary report
adtctl clean-core executive                 # cross-package executive dashboard

Quality checks

adtctl check syntax ZCL_EXAMPLE                       # syntax check
adtctl check syntax ZCL_EXAMPLE --source draft.abap   # check draft (no write)
adtctl check atc ZCL_EXAMPLE --variant CLEAN_CORE     # ATC with specific variant
adtctl check unit ZCL_EXAMPLE                         # ABAP Unit tests
adtctl check cds-syntax ZSALES_I                      # CDS DDL syntax
adtctl check atc-exempt <markerId> --reason FPOS --justification "..."

Code navigation

adtctl code definition ZCL_EXAMPLE --line 42 --col 10   # go to definition
adtctl code element-info ZCL_EXAMPLE --line 42 --col 10  # type info + docs
adtctl code references ZCL_EXAMPLE                       # where-used list
adtctl code snippets ZCL_EXAMPLE                         # code at each usage site

Source code management

adtctl source get ZCL_EXAMPLE                    # download
adtctl source put ZCL_EXAMPLE --file src.abap    # upload (lock -> write -> unlock -> activate)
adtctl source push ZCL_FOO ZCL_BAR               # bulk upload with batch activation
adtctl source format < dirty.abap > clean.abap   # pretty-print via SAP formatter

Object lifecycle

adtctl create class ZCL_NEW --package ZDEV --description "New class"
adtctl create ddl-source ZSALES_I --package ZDEV --description "Sales CDS view"
# 21 types: class, interface, program, include, function-group, function-module,
# table, structure, data-element, domain, ddl-source, access-control,
# metadata-extension, annotation-definition, service-definition, service-binding,
# message-class, auth-field, auth-object, package, ...

adtctl object search ZCL_* --type CLAS --package ZDEV
adtctl object tree ZDEV
adtctl object info ZCL_EXAMPLE
adtctl object history ZCL_EXAMPLE
adtctl object activate ZCL_FOO ZCL_BAR
adtctl object delete ZCL_OLD --dry-run

Refactoring (evaluate -> preview -> execute)

adtctl refactor rename ZCL_EXAMPLE --line 10 --col 5                     # evaluate (read-only)
adtctl refactor rename ZCL_EXAMPLE --line 10 --col 5 --new-name better   # execute

adtctl refactor extract-method ZCL_EXAMPLE --start-line 10 --end-line 20 --include implementations
adtctl refactor extract-method ZCL_EXAMPLE --start-line 10 --end-line 20 --name helper

adtctl refactor move ZCL_EXAMPLE --package ZNEW_PKG --transport DEVK900001
adtctl refactor quickfix ZCL_EXAMPLE --line 10 --col 5 --apply 1

Transport management

adtctl transport list
adtctl transport create --description "Fix #42" --package ZDEV
adtctl transport get DEVK900001
adtctl transport release DEVK900001
adtctl transport delete DEVK900001 --dry-run

Data preview

adtctl data query T000 --rows 10 --where "MANDT = '100'"
adtctl data cds I_CURRENCY --rows 50
adtctl data sql --query "SELECT carrid, connid FROM sflight WHERE price > 500"

DDIC and CDS metadata

adtctl ddic table T000                            # table definition + DDL fields
adtctl ddic data-element MANDT
adtctl ddic domain XFELD
adtctl ddic structure BAPI_USER_DETAIL
adtctl cds element-info I_BUSINESSPARTNER         # recursive field tree
adtctl cds repository-access I_BUSINESSPARTNER    # entity -> DDL source
adtctl cds annotations                            # annotation definitions

Service bindings and behavior definitions

adtctl service publish ZSRV_SALES --version 0001
adtctl service unpublish ZSRV_SALES --version 0001
adtctl bdef get ZI_SALESORDER
adtctl bdef create ZI_SALESORDER --package ZDEV --description "Sales BDEF"

Configuration

adtctl init creates a .adtctl.json template:

{
  "connections": {
    "dev": {
      "host": "sap-dev.example.com",
      "port": 44300,
      "sid": "DEV",
      "client": "100",
      "secure": true,
      "auth": "basic",
      "username": "YOUR_USER",
      "password_env": "ADTCTL_PASSWORD",
      "language": "EN"
    }
  },
  "defaults": {
    "connection": "dev"
  }
}

Passwords are always read from environment variables, never stored in config:

export ADTCTL_PASSWORD='your-password'

Multiple connections - switch with -c:

adtctl package list -c dev
adtctl package list -c prod

Resolution order: CLI flags > .adtctl.json > built-in defaults.

Requirements: ADT endpoints enabled on the SAP system (standard on S/4HANA; available on NetWeaver 7.50+). No programs, transports, or installations required on the SAP system - connects over HTTPS.

Optional config sections

{
  "defaults": {
    "connection": "dev",
    "workspace_dir": "abap",
    "session_file": ".adtctl/.session.json"
  },
  "http": {
    "max_retries": 3,
    "retry_delay_ms": 1000,
    "retry_backoff_factor": 2,
    "circuit_breaker_threshold": 5
  }
}

Global Options

Flag	Description
`--json`	Structured JSON output (all commands)
`--dry-run`	Preview without side effects (write commands)
`--verbose`	Debug-level output
`--log-file [path]`	Write log to file
`--session-file <path>`	Persist session across invocations
`-c, --connection <name>`	Select SAP connection from config
`-y, --yes`	Skip confirmation prompts

All Commands

102 commands across 17 groups

Group	Commands
object	`info`, `search`, `tree`, `path`, `types`, `inactive`, `history`, `activate`, `delete`
source	`get`, `put`, `push`, `format`, `format-settings`
code	`definition`, `element-info`, `references`, `snippets`
refactor	`quickfix`, `rename`, `extract-method`, `move`
create	`class`, `interface`, `program`, `include`, `function-group`, `function-module`, `function-group-include`, `table`, `structure`, `data-element`, `domain`, `ddl-source`, `access-control`, `metadata-extension`, `annotation-definition`, `service-definition`, `service-binding`, `message-class`, `auth-field`, `auth-object`, `package`
check	`syntax`, `atc`, `unit`, `atc-variants`, `cds-syntax`, `atc-exempt-proposal`, `atc-exempt`
transport	`info`, `create`, `list`, `get`, `release`, `delete`
data	`query`, `cds`, `sql`
workspace	`init`, `status`, `list`, `pull`, `push`, `diff`, `add`, `remove`, `reset`
clean-core	`assess`, `report`, `executive`, `prep`, `apply`
ddic	`table`, `table-settings`, `data-element`, `domain`, `table-type`, `lock-object`, `type-group`, `structure`, `view`
cds	`annotations`, `element-info`, `repository-access`, `test-dependencies`
service	`publish`, `unpublish`
bdef	`get`, `create`
package	`list`, `lookup`, `exists`
config	`show`, `set-connection`
reference	`update`
(standalone)	`init`, `system-check`, `run`, `tools`, `discover`, `recipes`

Run adtctl <group> <command> --help for detailed options and examples.

License

Elastic License 2.0 (ELv2) - see LICENSE.

Free to use. Two restrictions: you may not (1) offer this software as a hosted/managed service, or (2) circumvent any license key functionality.

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Repository files navigation

adtctl

What You Can Do

1. ABAP Source in Git - branch, diff, review, push

2. S/4HANA Readiness and Clean Core Compliance - assess, fix on branch, review, verify

3. CI/CD Quality Gates - syntax, ATC, unit tests in your pipeline

4. Explore and Understand Systems - navigate code from the terminal

5. AI-Assisted Development - agents discover and use commands safely

6. Automate at Scale - governance, migration, and system intelligence

Download

Quick Start

How This Compares to abapGit

Detailed Feature Reference

Workspace sync (git-like commands)

Clean Core assessment and remediation

Quality checks

Code navigation

Source code management

Object lifecycle

Refactoring (evaluate -> preview -> execute)

Transport management

Data preview

DDIC and CDS metadata

Service bindings and behavior definitions

Configuration

Global Options

All Commands

License

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Name		Name	Last commit message	Last commit date
Latest commit History 11 Commits
linux		linux
macos-x64		macos-x64
macos		macos
windows		windows
LICENSE		LICENSE
README.md		README.md

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adtctl

What You Can Do

1. ABAP Source in Git - branch, diff, review, push

2. S/4HANA Readiness and Clean Core Compliance - assess, fix on branch, review, verify

3. CI/CD Quality Gates - syntax, ATC, unit tests in your pipeline

4. Explore and Understand Systems - navigate code from the terminal

5. AI-Assisted Development - agents discover and use commands safely

6. Automate at Scale - governance, migration, and system intelligence

Download

Quick Start

How This Compares to abapGit

Detailed Feature Reference

Workspace sync (git-like commands)

Clean Core assessment and remediation

Quality checks

Code navigation

Source code management

Object lifecycle

Refactoring (evaluate -> preview -> execute)

Transport management

Data preview

DDIC and CDS metadata

Service bindings and behavior definitions

Configuration

Global Options

All Commands

License

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