Data Dictionary

What is Data Dictionary

is a system independent interface to the

database.
is a virtual database ( data about data) provides data for data manipulation and data processing. Also called as DDIC and ABAP Dictionary The T-Code for DDIC is SE-11.

Data Dictionary (SE11)

Tables
Tables are containers which stores data in the form of record They are a central component of the SAP R/3 Application One or more fields form a data record (also known as tupel) A number of data records of the same type form a table Examples of few SAP defined tables
MARA : Material Master

Table Components
A table contains Fields that are composed of a Data element that uses a Domain. The domain contains the technical characteristics of a field, such as the field length and data type. The data element contains the field labels and online documentation .

Components of table

Domain
A Domain describes the Technical structure of a field that is its size and its data types. Domains are attached to Data Elements Fields which refer to the same domain (with the assigned data elements), are also changed when the domain is changed. This ensures that the fields are consistent Defines a value range which describes the valid data values for all the fields which refer to this domain
Table MARA
CLNT MATNR

Data Element
Domain

Creating a Domain

Enter a description (short text) Enter data type and length

Creating a domain (contd.)

Enter fixed value and description.

Value table may be entered

Data Element
A data element gives the description of the field of the Table Examples of predefined data elements in SAP
LIFNR KUNNR MATNR CLNT

Creating a Data Element

Enter a description (short text)

Enter domain name

Creating a Data Element

Maintain field labels and column headers.

Difference between Domain & Data Element

Domain
Defines Technical Attributes such as data type, length, allowed values, etc. A domain can be part of several data elements

Data Element
Defines semantic attributes such as display length, short text, long text, etc A Data Element can point to only one domain

Used to define data elements, restrict Used to define fields of tables and values (using value range, value table, screens etc)

Tables Contd
The table definition contains the following components

Table fields: defines the field names and data types of the fields contained in the table.
Foreign Keys: defines the relationships between the table and other tables. Technical Settings: control how the table should be created on the database. Indexes: speed up the selection of data from the table.

Types of Tables

Transparent ABAP Dictionary

Cluster
Pool

ABAP Program

Internal

Transparent Table.
A transparent table in the dictionary has a one-toone relationship with a table in the database. Its structure in R/3 Data Dictionary corresponds to a single database table. Has one to one relationship with a Db table. Used to hold application data or master data used by application. Has the same name and fields as the Db table.

POOLED TABLES
(small tables like VIEWS) that holds customizing data from many database tables and they have many-to-one relationship with a database table . For one database table, there are many tables in the dictionary ( with different table name; different field names and different number of fields). Each pooled table contains table description.

Cluster Table
Holds data from a few very large tables (like joining tables on common part of primary key). It has many-to-one relationship with a database table. Many clustered tables are stored in a single database table called a table cluster. (Pooled tables and clustered tables are usually used only by SAP)

Creating a Transparent Table Step 1

Enter the Name of the table (should begin with Z or Y)

Press the Create Button

Creating a Transparent Table Step 2

Enter a description (short text) After making all entries, Press the Fields Tab

Maintain delivery class

Table maintenance attribute

Creating a Transparent Table Step 3

After making all entries, Press the Technical Settings Button

Maintain field attributes

Maintain data elements

Creating a Transparent Table Step 4

After making all entries, Press the Save Button. Once Technical Settings are save, Press the Back Button (F3)

Creating a Transparent Table Step 5

Save, Check and Activate the Table. After that Press the Indexes Button on the Application Toolbar

Creating a Transparent Table Step 6

Steps to create an index

After entering the Index Fields and other parameters, save and activate the index, Z01

SAP Transparent Tables

Example of few SAP Transparent Tables
MARA : General Material Data VBAK : Sales Document: Header Data KNA1 : General Data in Customer Master

Example of SAP Cluster Table

BSEG : Accounting Document Segment

System fields
SAP has a system table named syst. It stores all the system related data Examples of few fields in this table are
Sy-datum : System Date Sy-langu : System Language Sy-subrc : System check Sy-uzeit : System time

SAP Data
Master Data
G/L Accounts Vendors Materials Stock Locations

System Data Transaction Data

Sales Orders Purchase Orders Journal Entries Goods Receipts

Metadata Programs Documentation System Settings

Configuration Data

Currency Codes Order Types Payment Terms Field Status Codes

Structures
A structure is defined like a table in the ABAP Dictionary and can then be accessed from within ABAP programs Contain data temporarily during program runtime The same data elements and domains can be used in structures as in tables

VIEWS

Views
The data of a view is derived from one or more tables, but not stored physically. Data that can be selected with a view depends primarily on whether the view implements inner join or outer join.

Types of Views
SAP R/3 supports four types of Views 1) Database View 2) Projection View 3) Help View 4) Maintenance View

Database View

A database view provides an application-specific view on such distributed data. If the database view only contains a single table, the maintenance status can be used to determine if data records can also be inserted with the view. If the database view contains more than one table, you can only read the data.

Project View A project view contains exactly one table. You cannot define selection conditions for selection views. Project views are used when you required to use only few selected fields in your view.

Help view You have to create a help view if a view with outer join is needed as selection of a search help. Only foreign keys that have certain attributes can be used here.

Maintenance View A maintenace view permits you to maintain the data of an application object together. Only those tables that are linked with the primary table (indirectly with a foreign key can be included in the maintenance view).

Search Helps

How Search Help works?

1. The user starts the input help to display the possible input values for a field. 2. The system offers the user a number of possible search paths 3. The user enters restrictions if required and then starts the search. 4. The system determines the values that satisfy the entered restrictions (hits) and displays them. 5. The user selects the most suitable line from the hit list by double-clicking

Search Helps
Selection method to limit data records used in table selection. Allows you to include to field input help. In R/3 you can create two types of search helps. 1) Elementary Search help 2) Collective search help

Elementary Search Help Where does the data displayed in the hit list come from (selection method) what information should be displayed in the dialog box for value selection and in the hit list (search help parameters) what field contents can be taken into account for hit list selection (search help parameters). what dialog steps should be executed in the input help (dialog behaviour)

Collective Search Help

A collective search help combines several elementary search helps. The user can thus choose one of several alternative search paths with a collective search help.

Lock Objects
The R/3 System synchronizes simultaneous access of several users to the same data records with a lock mechanism. When interactive transactions are programmed, locks are set and released by calling function modules. These function modules are automatically generated from the definition of lock objects in the ABAP Dictionary.

Lock Objects Activating a lock object in the ABAP Dictionary automatically creates function modules for setting (ENQUEUE_<lock object name>) and releasing (DEQUEUE_<lock object name>) locks.

The generated function modules are automatically assigned to function groups. You should not change these function modules and their assignment to function groups since the function modules are generated again each time the lock object is activated.

Questions Please

Thanks