🏭 Generate Markdown table from internal table or structure

Description

Executable classes (F9) and the ABAP Development Tools console as an output area for information are particularly useful when using the SAP Business Technology Platform (SAP BTP). With this example class you are able to generate a Markdown table from an internal table or structure in your ABAP code.

The advantage is that a Markdown table can be easily prepared and processed: You can use online editors such as Dillinger or offline editors such as Visual Studio Code with suitable plugins such as "Markdown All in One" and "Markdown Emoji". Not to forget: Markdown plays a huge role on GitHub 😉

Example

Here are some example calls to generate a Markdown table from a structure (example 1), from internal table (example 2) and from BAPI messages (example 3).

METHOD if_oo_adt_classrun~main.
  DATA markdown_table TYPE string_table.

  DATA(markdown) = zmke_cl_markdown=>get_instance( ).

  " example 1
  SELECT SINGLE * FROM I_currency INTO @DATA(currency).
  markdown_table = markdown->generate_from_structure( currency ).
  out->write( markdown_table ).

  " example 2
  SELECT * FROM I_Currency INTO TABLE @DATA(currencies).
  markdown_table = markdown->generate_from_table( currencies ).
  out->write( markdown_table ).
  
  " example 3
  DATA(bapi_messages) = VALUE bapirettab( ( type = 'E' id = 'SY' number = '499' message_v1 = 'Hi' message_v2 = 'there!' )
                                          ( type = 'A' id = 'SY' number = '499' message_v1 = 'Hi' message_v2 = 'there!' )
                                          ( type = 'I' id = 'SY' number = '499' message_v1 = 'Hi' message_v2 = 'there!' )
                                          ( type = 'W' id = 'SY' number = '499' message_v1 = 'Hi' message_v2 = 'there!' )
                                          ( type = 'S' id = 'SY' number = '499' message_v1 = 'Hi' message_v2 = 'there!' ) ).

    markdown_table = markdown->generate_from_bapi_return( bapi_messages ).
    out->write( markdown_table ).  
ENDMETHOD.

Here's the result for example 1:

Field	Value
CURRENCY	AED
DECIMALS	2
CURRENCYISOCODE	AED
ALTERNATIVECURRENCYKEY	784
ISPRIMARYCURRENCYFORISOCRCY

Here's the result for example 2 (showing only two entries, there are more):

CURRENCY	DECIMALS	CURRENCYISOCODE	ALTERNATIVECURRENCYKEY	ISPRIMARYCURRENCYFORISOCRCY
AED	2	AED	784
AFN	2	AFN	971
ALL	2	ALL	008

Here's the result for example 3:

ICON	TYPE	ID	NUMBER	MESSAGE	LOG_NO	LOG_MSG_NO	MESSAGE_V1	MESSAGE_V2	MESSAGE_V3	MESSAGE_V4	PARAMETER	ROW	FIELD	SYSTEM
🔴	E	SY	499			000000	Hi	there!				0
🔴	A	SY	499			000000	Hi	there!				0
🟡	I	SY	499			000000	Hi	there!				0
🟡	W	SY	499			000000	Hi	there!				0
🟢	S	SY	499			000000	Hi	there!				0

Notice

I stumbled across some problems during development involving non-released development objects for SAP BTP, specifically methods of typical classes like CL_ABAP_STRUCTDESCR (really missing GET_DDIC_FIELD_LIST). In an on-premises system, some things such as the column headings of the Markdown table could certainly be designed better (CamelCase).

More important note is that I didn't implement any suitable error handling. Maybe someone wants to add that to this project? 😉