MIS 3020 ABAP Programming
Lecture 2Elementary & User Defined Types
Domains, Elements, Variables/Fields
Objectives
To introduce : ABAP elementary and user defined data
types keywords used to declare data items complex record structures the use of internal tables in ABAP
declaring an internal table populating fields of an internal table
the ABAP data dictionary domains, elements & tables integrity constraints
ABAP Data Types
Elementary Data TypesUser Defined Types
ABAP Data Types & Structures
Elementary Types supported by ABAP characters numbers Date Time Hexadecimal
Non- Elementary Types (User Defined Structures) records internal tables
Character Types
c character default type when none is specified used for regular text information pads right end with spaces
n numeric text contains strings of digits used for numbers that are used for
identification and as sort criteria for internal tables
house numbers, postcodes, phone numbers, ... pads left end with zeros
Number Types i integers
fixed length of 4 bytes possible values range from 2-31 to 231-1
p packed numbers stored in compressed formats, ie, 2 digits
per byte of storage. can be used for all types of calculations
f floating point possible range from 1E-307 to 1E307 can be used in all types of calculations but beware
of rounding errors. (Don’t use in eq condition tests)
Date Type
d date fixed length of 8 and internal
representation of YYYYMMDD several output formats supported
set default output format in your User Profile/Defaults
can specify different/specific output format when writing value out
supports date arithmetic
Time Type
t time fixed length of 6 and format HHMMSS several output formats supported
can specify different/specific output format when writing value out
supports time arithmetic
Hexadecimal Type
x hexadecimal values in hexadecimal fields are
stored in binary (bit stream) format eg ‘F089’ would be stored as
1111000010001001 2 hex digits are stored in 1 storage
byte
Elementary Types & Default Lengths and ValuesType Length Initial Valuec 1 spacen 1 ‘0’i 4 0p 8 0f 8 0.0d 8‘00000000’t 6 ‘000000’x 1 X’00’
The ABAP Statement
most ABAP statements begins with a reserved keyword, e.g. data, types, select
all end with a period (.) can combine a sequence of statements
starting with the same keywords into a single statement using colon and comma (for most keywords)
The data keyword
variables are declared using the data keyword data varname[(len)] type typedef [value val].
data postcode(4) type n value ‘4001’.data counter type i value 1.data price type p decimals 2.
data varname like objname [value val]. where objname is a previously declared item (or
database object)
data DOB like sy-datum.
The data statement
multiple variable declarations can be made in the same data statement by using data:data: DOB like sy-datum, counter type i.
The parameters keyword
PARAMETERS: P1 TYPE P, P2(6) TYPE C DEFAULT ‘ITB255’.
PARAMETERS <field> TYPE <type> [DEFAULT <value>].
X
P1
P2 ITB255
Selection Screen
The constants keyword
Constants are declared like fields with the addition of the value clause.constants: max_counter type i value 9999.
A constant cannot be changed trying to change the value of a constant
will result in a runtime error (if the change can only be detected at runtime, ie, if the constant is used as an actual parameter)
Records (or Structures)
records consist of a fixed number of data objects called components of the record
declared using data begin of and data end of
data: begin of student, stnum(8) type n, stname(25) type c, stDOB like sy-datum, stphone(12) type n,end of student.
Working With Records
components of records are referenced by recordname-componentname
data IT_student like student.student-stnum = ‘12345678’.student-stname = ‘F.Jones’.student-stDOB = ‘19790623’.student-stphone = ‘3221 1278’.move student to IT_student.
The types keyword
used to create a user defined typetypes: begin of student_type,
stnum(8) type n,stname(25) type c,stDOB like sy-datum,stphone(12) type n,
end of student_type.data: student_rec type student_type,
student_tab type student_type occurs 0.
The tables keyword
tables <table|structure|view>, e.g. tables spfli
Creates a structure in the program work area with the same: name row structure
field names, datatype, sequence
as the referenced database table, structure or view
Internal Tables
used as snapshots of database tables containers for volatile data
exist only at runtime, (unlike database tables) consist of any number of records declared using occurs n
data student_tab like student occurs 0.data student_tab like student occurs 0 with header
line. note that it is not necessary to declare the
exact size of the table: SAP’s memory management allows the table to be ‘infinitely’ extensible.
Internal Tables – with header line
Program Work Area
R/3 Database
a record structure of the samename is automatically created
Internal Tables – without header line
Program Work Area
R/3 Database
need to define a recordstructure explicitly inyour abap program
Internal Tables - header lines
advantages of header lines convenient declaration
table and header line structure declared in same statement ease of use
don’t have to explicitly move data into the work area structure and then append the work area structure to the table
some statements require a table with header line disadvantages of header lines
performance - I/O is faster for tables without header line
cannot use in embedded structure
Internal Tables - header lines
default declaration is without a header line
to declare a table with a header line data: itab {type tabtype | like objname}
occurs n with header linedata book_tab like sbook occurs 0 with
header line.
More Complex Structures
It is possible to create nested structures
a structure can contain another structure
a record can contain an internal table as one of its components
a table can contain another table, etc
types: begin of addr_type, city(25), street(30), end of addr_type, begin of person, name(25), address type
addr_type, end of person.data: emp type person.emp-address-city = ‘Sydney’.
The Data Dictionary
DomainsData ElementsTables & Structures
3 Levels of the Dictionary
Tables or Structures composed of one or more fields
Data Elements each field refers to a data element that
describes the meaning of the field Domain
determines the technical properties of the field data type and size (including number of decimal
places) allowed data values output characteristics
Elements and Domains Domain
provides the technical description Element
determines the role played create a domain called ID_Number create elements Student_ID and Staff_ID
based on the ID_Number domain
Data ElementDefinition
Referential Integrity Check
Data ElementDefinition
Referential Integrity Check
Field Information
Define the text to be displayed on screen orreport
Domain Definition
Range/Value Integrity Check
Integrity Checking Domain Range/Value Integrity Checks
value table only values contained in the value table can
be entered in fields referring to this domain fixed values
only values that match a value in the user specified list of admissible values can be entered in fields referring to this domain
Integrity Checking Referential Integrity Checking
check table foreign key values must match an entry in
the specified check table check tables bound to input fields on data
entry screens position the cursor on input field and press
F4 to get a list of permissible values the default check table for a field is the
value table of the underlying domain from the “Dictionary: Table/Structure:
Display Fields” screen, Select GoTo…Foreign Keys (F8)
Foreign Key value must match
Primary Key value of the check table
Cardinality Ratio of Foreign Key
Scroll Through Other Defined Foreign Keys
Viewing the Contents of a Database Table
From the Data Dictionary
Click on the Table Radio Button & enter the Table Name From the Dictionary Table: Table/Structure: Display
Fields screen choose Utilities…Table Contents Data Browser (from main menu item Overview)
Enter the Table Name Choose Table…Table Contents or press Enter
Fill in the appropriate Selection Screen entries Click on the Execute icon on the application
toolbar, (or press F8)
Table Name
Number of Rows Selected
Sort Buttons
Conclusion
This lecture covered aspects of defining identifiers in an ABAP program the data dictionary
In particular we covered the basic data types supported by ABAP character, number, integer, float, packed,
date, time, hexadecimal We also discussed user defined structures
records, tables
Conclusion User defined structures are declared using
the types keyword. Identifiers are declared using
the data keyword the parameters keyword
Constants are declared using the constants keyword.
The datatype of an identifier can be specified using type specific type like previously defined identifier/dictionary object
Conclusion
Structures records defined by data begin of /
data end of internal tables defined using occurs complex structures can be created by
nesting records and internal tables
Conclusion The second half of the lecture covered
Data Dictionary Organization of Data in the Dictionary
Domain Elements Tables/Structures Using the Dictionary to see
the definitions of Domains, Elements, Tables the contents of Tables
How the Dictionary maintains Value and Referential Integrity
Related Reading Online Help
R/3 Library ...Basis Components ... ABAP Workbench
BC ABAP Users Guide The ABAP Programming Language … Basic
Statements … Declaring Data … Creating Data Objects and Data Types
The DATA Statement BC ABAP Dictionary …Tables BC ABAP Dictionary … Data Elements BC ABAP Dictionary … Domains