With the introduction of Joule for Developers, SAP is making a big leap toward AI-supported development. Joule for Developers offers a generative AI assistant designed to support developers in writing ABAP code—comparable to GitHub Copilot, but optimized specifically for the SAP ecosystem and ABAP development. The core idea: to assist and relieve developers in their daily work—whether through automated code generation, help with technical issues, or routine tasks like writing unit tests.
But how does Joule perform in practice—and can it keep up with GitHub Copilot, which has been successfully used for years?
Two AI Assistants in Direct Comparison
We tested both tools using real-world examples—including typical tasks like data mapping and unit test generation. It quickly became clear: both solutions have strengths, but also definite weaknesses—especially in the SAP-specific context.
1. Code Generation in the ABAP Context
In a typical data mapping scenario, GitHub Copilot performed surprisingly well—mainly because it allows you to explicitly provide all Dictionary objects like structures and table types as context. Joule, on the other hand, interpreted the prompt based on available system knowledge—but with similar input, it failed to deliver a correct solution.
2. Automatic Generation of Unit Tests
Joule offers a native function in Eclipse to generate unit tests directly via the context menu. Unfortunately, this only works for public methods—and even then, small errors crept in (e.g., incorrect field names), likely due to a lack of contextual understanding.
Copilot (powered in this case by Claude 3.7 Sonnet Thinking) showed more flexibility and even suggested a workaround for private methods (keyword: LOCAL FRIENDS). The generated tests were runnable out of the box—including realistic test data and scenarios.
Platform Support & Integration
Joule is currently available on the following systems:
- SAP BTP ABAP Environment
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud Public Edition
- SAP S/4HANA Cloud Private Edition (from release 2025)
A separate license is required—currently free, but only until mid-September 2025.
GitHub Copilot, by contrast, can be flexibly integrated into various IDEs—including Eclipse for ABAP development. Installation is straightforward, although care must be taken with the Eclipse version to avoid compatibility issues with ABAP Development Tools (ADT).
Conclusion
SAP Joule for Developers is a promising approach with great potential—but currently not yet at the maturity level many developers need in their day-to-day work. The main limitation is the lack of integration with Dictionary objects, which reduces accuracy.
GitHub Copilot, especially with the premium models available in the Pro subscription (e.g., GPT-4o or Claude 3.7), delivers better results in many areas—even without specific SAP knowledge. Thanks to the freedom to choose LLMs, better context handling, and system-independent use, Copilot is currently the more robust choice for many developers.
Who Should Use What?
- Beginners in the SAP world: Joule is appealing for quickly handling simple tasks—especially in BTP-related projects.
- Experienced Developers & Technical Architects: GitHub Copilot (with a Pro subscription) offers more flexibility and quality—even for more complex SAP scenarios.
