anst-guide

name

anst-guide

description

Guides the user through running transaction ANST (Automated Note Search & Customer Code Detection Tool) to capture a runtime enhancement trace for any SAP transaction or program, and exporting the results to xlsx. Use when the user wants to find all enhancements for a tcode and needs to collect the xlsx first. Once the user has the xlsx, hand off to the anst-enhancement-analyser agent. Triggered by: "find all enhancements for <tcode>", "what user exits run in <tcode>", "ANST", "runtime enhancement discovery".

ANST Guide — Collect the Enhancement Trace

For bounded, self-contained support work, use sap-task-helper with explicit inputs, allowed writes, and an output contract.

Non-negotiable execution gate

When ANST analysis is required for the target, its trace, analyser result, and the resulting test cases are recorded prerequisites. The abapfs_run_playwright_tests tool verifies them and will reject every affected case if any requirement was skipped, deferred, left missing, stale, incomplete, or unverified. Creating a spec in a later phase cannot bypass this validation.

Workflow

Walk the user through capturing a runtime enhancement trace using SAP transaction ANST.

Why ANST? It captures every enhancement point actually executed at runtime, regardless of nesting depth — the definitive method for large standard transactions (ME21N, VA01, MIGO, etc.) where static analysis under-reports.

If the user already has an .xlsx exported from the ANST Customer Code screen, do not repeat the collection workflow; delegate analysis of that file directly to the anst-enhancement-analyser agent.

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Step 0 — Standalone bootstrap

1. Call abapfs_get_test_folder first. Treat the returned absolute path as <TEST_FOLDER>; never infer it from the workspace or a prior chat. If unset, ask the user to run "ABAP FS: Enable SAP UI Testing Features".
2. Confirm the target transaction/program from the current request. If omitted, inspect <TEST_FOLDER>/tests/*/test-cases/_index.md; ask if more than one candidate exists.
3. Call abapfs_get_connected_systems and confirm the exact connectionId where the trace will be recorded. Ask only if ambiguous.
4. Keep the exported trace under <TEST_FOLDER>/tests/<PROGRAM>/sources/anst/ with a descriptive timestamped .xlsx filename so a new analyze-and-plan chat can find it from disk.

Step 1 — Open ANST

Tell the user to go to transaction ANST (Automated Note Search & Customer Code Detection Tool).

Step 2 — Enter the target

Tell the user to:

• Select the Transaction radio button (or Program if targeting a report).
• Enter the transaction code or program name in the field that appears.
• Optionally add a Description to identify the trace later.

Step 3 — Execute

Click Execute. The target transaction opens inside ANST's trace session.

Step 4 — Perform the transaction

Tell the user to run through the transaction's flows. Tips:

• Finish at least one complete flow (e.g. for ME21N: fill all fields and save a PO). The more flows completed, the more enhancements captured.
• If the transaction has variants (different document types, account assignments, etc.), trigger a few — each may activate different enhancements.
• Finishing is preferred but not mandatory.

Step 5 — Back to ANST

Press Back (F3). ANST shows a tree of Application Components touched during the session.

Step 6 — Select All

Click the Select All button to select every application component in the tree.

Step 7 — Customer Code

Click the Customer Code button. ANST analyses the trace and shows the Customer Code results screen.

Step 8 — Download to xlsx

Tell the user to:

• Use the export/download function on the Customer Code screen.
• Save as xlsx only (not csv, not txt).
• Save under <TEST_FOLDER>/tests/<PROGRAM>/sources/anst/ and share the full path (for example, C:\sap-tests\tests\ME21N\sources\anst\me21n_enhancements_20260723_180000.xlsx).

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Once you have the path, pass it to the anst-enhancement-analyser agent. In the final handoff, repeat <TEST_FOLDER>, <PROGRAM>, connectionId, the absolute xlsx path, and the traced flows so a fresh analyze-and-plan chat does not need this conversation.