Tanmaya Gupta

ABAP Data Dictionary

Bonn Boston

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Contents at a Glance
1

Introduction .............................................................................

19

Data Types ................................................................................

27

Domains ..................................................................................

39

Data Elements ..........................................................................

59

Tables . ......................................................................................

77

Views ........................................................................................ 169

Table Maintenance Dialog . ...................................................... 205

Complex Data Types: Structures and Table Types ................... 263

Search Helps ............................................................................. 285

10 Lock Objects . ........................................................................... 325

11 Database Utility ....................................................................... 349

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Contents

1 Introduction ............................................................................... 19
1.1
1.2
1.3

1.4

Systems, Applications, and Products in Data Processing (SAP) .....

Advanced Business Application Programming (ABAP) ..................
Data Dictionary ...........................................................................
1.3.1
Data Dictionary Tasks ....................................................
1.3.2
Objects in the Data Dictionary . .....................................
Summary .....................................................................................

19
21
22
23
24
25

2 Data Types ................................................................................. 27

2.1

Data Types . .................................................................................

2.1.1
Built-In Elementary Data Types ......................................
2.1.2
User-Defined Data Types ...............................................
2.2 Mapping of the Data Types ..........................................................
2.3 Summary .....................................................................................

27
28
32
35
38

3 Domains .................................................................................... 39
3.1 An Introduction to Domains ........................................................
3.2 Attributes of Domains .................................................................
3.2.1
Short Description . .........................................................
3.2.2 Properties Tab . ..............................................................
3.2.3 Definition Tab . ..............................................................
3.2.4 Value Range Tab ...........................................................
3.2.5 Documentation .............................................................
3.3 Creating Domains .......................................................................
3.4 Changing Domains . .....................................................................
3.5 Deleting Domains ........................................................................
3.6 Summary .....................................................................................

39
41
42
42
43
50
52
52
55
56
57

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Contents

4 Data Elements ........................................................................... 59

4.1 An Introduction to Data Elements ..............................................
4.2 Attributes of Data Elements .........................................................
4.2.1
Short Description . .........................................................
4.2.2 Attributes Tab . .............................................................
4.2.3 Data Type Tab . ..............................................................
4.2.4 Field Label Tab ..............................................................
4.2.5 Further Characteristics Tab .............................................
4.2.6 Documentation .............................................................
4.3 Creating Data Elements ...............................................................
4.4 Deleting Data Elements ...............................................................
4.5 Summary .....................................................................................

59
59
60
60
61
63
64
69
71
75
76

5 Tables ......................................................................................... 77
5.1

An Introduction to Tables ............................................................

5.1.1
Transparent Tables .........................................................
5.2 Components of a Table ................................................................
5.2.1
Table Fields . ..................................................................
5.2.2 Includes . .......................................................................
5.2.3 Foreign Key ...................................................................
5.2.4 Technical Settings ..........................................................
5.2.5 Indexes . ........................................................................
5.2.6 Enhancements in Tables (Append Structures
and Customizing Includes) .............................................
5.2.7 Delivery Class ................................................................
5.2.8 Activation Types ............................................................
5.2.9 Data Browser/Table View Maintenance ........................
5.3 Creating Tables ............................................................................
5.3.1
Options when Creating Tables .......................................
5.3.2 Maintaining Technical Settings . .....................................
5.3.3 Creating Foreign Keys ....................................................
5.3.4 Creating Secondary Indexes ...........................................
5.4 Changing Tables . .........................................................................
5.4.1
Inserting New Fields .....................................................
5.4.2 Deleting Existing Fields . ................................................
5.4.3 Changing Existing Fields ................................................
5.4.4 Changing Table Category ...............................................

77
77
82
84
89
92
112
122
127
133
135
136
137
140
143
144
147
149
150
152
153
154

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Contents

5.5
5.6

5.7
5.8

5.4.5 Moving Fields ................................................................

5.4.6 Copying Fields from Another Table ................................
Deleting Tables ............................................................................
Creating Other Dictionary Objects ...............................................
5.6.1
Creating Table Pools ......................................................
5.6.2 Creating Table Clusters . .................................................
5.6.3 Creating Pooled Tables/Cluster Tables ............................
Deleting Other Dictionary Objects ...............................................
Summary .....................................................................................

155
156
158
159
159
162
164
166
167

6 Views ......................................................................................... 169

6.1 An Introduction to Views . ...........................................................
6.2 Attributes of Views ......................................................................
6.2.1
Join ...............................................................................
6.2.2 Relationship between Foreign Keys and Join
Conditions .....................................................................
6.2.3 Projection ......................................................................
6.2.4 Selection .......................................................................
6.2.5 Maintenance Status .......................................................
6.3 Types of Views ............................................................................
6.3.1
Database Views .............................................................
6.3.2 Projection Views . ..........................................................
6.3.3 Append Views ...............................................................
6.3.4 Help Views ....................................................................
6.3.5 Maintenance Views .......................................................
6.4 Creating and Deleting Views ........................................................
6.4.1
Creating Database Views ...............................................
6.4.2 Creating Projection Views .............................................
6.4.3 Creating Append Views .................................................
6.4.4 Creating Help Views ......................................................
6.4.5 Creating Maintenance Views .........................................
6.4.6 Deleting Views ..............................................................
6.5 Summary .....................................................................................

169
170
170
173
173
174
175
176
177
179
179
180
181
182
183
189
191
194
198
204
204

7 Table Maintenance Dialog ......................................................... 205

7.1
7.2

Table Maintenance Dialog: Initial Screen (Transaction: SE54) ....... 206

Table Maintenance Generator ...................................................... 208
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Contents

7.3
7.4
7.5
7.6

7.7

7.2.1
Components of Table Maintenance Generator ...............
7.2.2
Creating the Table Maintenance Generator ....................
7.2.3
Modifying the Table Maintenance Generator .................
Maintaining Authorization Groups ...............................................
Maintaining Function Group ........................................................
View Variants .............................................................................
View Clusters . .............................................................................
7.6.1
Structure of a View Cluster ............................................
7.6.2
Creating View Clusters ...................................................
7.6.3
Testing View Clusters .....................................................
Summary .....................................................................................

208
218
221
239
243
245
250
250
251
259
261

8 Complex Data Types: Structures and Table Types ..................... 263

8.1

Structures ....................................................................................
8.1.1
Types of Structures ........................................................
8.1.2
Creating Structures ........................................................
8.2 Table Types ..................................................................................
8.2.1
Access Mode .................................................................
8.2.2 Key Definition ...............................................................
8.2.3 Key Category .................................................................
8.2.4 Generic Table Types .......................................................
8.2.5 Correlation between Table Types and Internal Tables .....
8.2.6 Creating Table Types ......................................................
8.2.7 Ranges Table Types ........................................................
8.2.8 Creating Ranges Table Types ..........................................
8.3 Deleting Data Types . ...................................................................
8.4 Summary .....................................................................................

264
264
266
271
272
273
274
275
276
276
279
280
283
283

9 Search Helps .............................................................................. 285

9.1 Introduction to Search Helps .......................................................
9.2 Types of Search Help . ..................................................................
9.2.1
Elementary Search Help .................................................
9.2.2 Collective Search Help ...................................................
9.2.3 Search Help Exit ............................................................
9.3 Creating Search Help ..................................................................
9.3.1
Creating Elementary Search Helps ..................................

285
286
287
294
297
300
300

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Contents

9.3.2 Creating Collective Search Helps ....................................

9.4 Value Transport for Input Helps ...................................................
9.4.1
Parameterizing the Import Parameters ..........................
9.4.2 Returning the Values from the Hit List ..........................
9.5 Search Help Attachment .............................................................
9.5.1
Search Help Attachment to a Data Element ...................
9.5.2 Search Help Attachment to a Check Table ......................
9.5.3 Search Help Attached to a Table or Structure Field . .......
9.5.4 Search Help Attached to a Screen Field . ........................
9.5.5 Hierarchy of the Search Help Call ...................................
9.6 Summary .....................................................................................

305
311
311
312
312
313
316
318
320
322
324

10 Lock Objects .............................................................................. 325

10.1 An Introduction to Locks .............................................................
10.2 Lock Mechanisms and Their Attributes ........................................
10.2.1 Lock Objects . ................................................................
10.2.2 Lock Arguments . ...........................................................
10.2.3 Lock Mode ....................................................................
10.2.4 Lock Server ....................................................................
10.2.5 _SCOPE Parameter . .......................................................
10.2.6 Lock Table .....................................................................
10.2.7 Local Lock Containers ....................................................
10.2.8 Function Modules for Lock Requests .............................
10.2.9 Foreign Keys in Lock Objects .........................................
10.2.10 Lock Mechanism . .........................................................
10.3 Creating Lock Objects ..................................................................
10.4 Deleting Lock Objects . ................................................................
10.5 Summary .....................................................................................

325
327
327
328
329
330
333
334
336
337
341
342
343
347
348

11 Database Utility . ....................................................................... 349

11.1 An Introduction to the Database Utility .......................................
11.2 Processing Types ..........................................................................
11.2.1 Direct ............................................................................
11.2.2 Background ...................................................................
11.2.3 Enter for Mass Processing ..............................................
11.3 Storage Parameters ......................................................................

349
351
352
352
353
363

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Contents

11.4
11.5

11.6
11.7

11.8

11.9

11.3.1 Storage Parameter for a Table ........................................

11.3.2 Maintaining Storage Parameters ....................................
Runtime Objects . ........................................................................
Activation ....................................................................................
11.5.1 Mass Activation .............................................................
11.5.2 Background Activation . .................................................
Adjusting Database Structures ....................................................
Conversion ..................................................................................
11.7.1 Conversion Process ........................................................
11.7.2 Conversion Problems .....................................................
11.7.3 Continuing Terminated Conversions . ............................
11.7.4 Finding Terminated Conversions ...................................
Editing Dictionary Objects in the Database .................................
11.8.1 Editing Tables ...............................................................
11.8.2 Editing Views . ...............................................................
Summary .....................................................................................

364
364
367
370
370
373
374
376
376
380
381
383
383
384
389
394

The Author ................................................................................................. 395

Index .......................................................................................................... 379

12

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