1. Introduction in ABAP Data fields and tables (SE11)
ABAP Dictionary (SE11) is the elementary tool:
Domain : A domain (technical domain) describes the value range and formal attributes of a field.
The domain is used to define the value range of a field with formal specifications, such as format and length, by defining fixed values or a value table.
Database table : Setting of primary keys leads to a specific access of data of a certain table.
A) Create a domain, e.g. 13-digit numeric field for material number and acitvate with wizard icon.
b) Create Data Element via SE11
In addition create Field Label „Headline“ for data element:
C) Create Database table
Also set „Technical Settings“:
When the activation set via wizard icon following warning pops up:
D) Enter Data
Display data via:
Not all user have SE11 transaction therefore use the Table Maintenance Generator:
Via SM30 Data Entries can be made or displayed.
2. First ABAP Programming (SE38)
First example of a program which does:
- Read data from a specific table
- Read data from the specific table with a specific condition
- Display the result
Normal program for read out data is
SELECT <result>
INTO [table] <target>
FROM <source>
WHERE <condition>
a) SELECT syntax
SELECT * : reads out all columns/ fields and all lines/ data of a table –> normal case
SELECT SINGLE * : reads out all columns/ fields for exact one line/ data from a table
If SELECT * is used the target must be an internal table in the same format of the data table. Herefore another internal table (itab) needs to be created:
data: itab_zgewerk type table of zgewerk.
First result:
data: itab_zgewerk type table of zgewerk.
select *
into table itab_zgewerk
from zgewerk
Now the condition needs to be selected by syntax WHERE <condition in a specific field = Technical name of result table>
WHERE productionsection = ‚2‘.
Excurs: Logical operators:
EQ or = Equals
NQ or <> Not Equal
GT or > Greater than
GE or >= Greater/ Equal than
LT or < Lower than
LE or <= Lower/ Equal than
b) LOOP and WRITE syntax
The data cannot yet being displayed via itab. Hence a work area table needs to be created which can be displayed.
data: itab_zgewerk type table of zgewerk,
wa_zgewerk type zgewerk.
To read out the itab line by line into the work area tabe wa_zgewerk the syntax LOOP is necessary:
loop at itab_zgewerk
into wa_zgewerk.
With syntax WRITE the result can be displayed as list format:
loop at itab_zgewerk
into wa_zgewerk.
write: / ‚Mat-Id:‘, wa_zgewerk-Materialnumber,
/ ‚Gewerk:‘, wa_zgewerk-productionsection,
/ .
ENDLOOP.
c) IF and CASE syntax
To consider conditions the IF and CASE syntax is necessary so called IF and CASE routings (GER Verzweigungen nach entweder-oder). Here the data in the fields must be exact. If data is different e.g. Dipl-Ing or Dipl. Ing. the result can differ. Therefore data entry mistakes should be reduced. Syntax TRANSLATE <text> TO UPPER CASE or LOWER CASE can be useful.
TRANSLATE SYNTAX IF SYNTAXExample: Within ITAB_STUDENTEN in our ABAP-Program different information about students, e.g. student course exists.ang. With help of a counting variable (GER „Zählvariable“) ANZ_TECH_INF (Data type i) we like to count the number of students with course „Informatik“.
LOOP AT itab_studenten into wa_studenten.
If wa_studenten-studiengang = ‚Informatik“.
anz_tech_inf = anz_tech_inf +1.
ELSE.
anz_sonstige = anz_sonstige + 1.
ENDIF.
ENDLOOP.
ELSEIF to count not only „Informatik“ but other courses „Wirtschaftsmathematik“ and „Betriebswirtschaftslehre“:
Built in several IF-conditions with „übergeordnete“ und „untergeordnete“ structure:
With syntax CASE only one data object, e.g. field will be checked against a condition.
CASE SYNTAX
First step via LOOP-syntax all student data from ITAB_STUDENTEN will be read into work area wa_studenten. Second step via CASE-syntax the data field / technical name will be named which content should be checked (here field WA_STUDENTEN-STUDIENGANG). This is the single data object wihtin the CASE structure.
Third step via WHEN-syntax different options will be checked, e.g. entry ‚Technische Informatik‘ with counting variable ANZ_TECH_INF.
Finally program goes to ENDCASE-syntax.
Advantages of CASE-syntax (less programming and higher performance) vs. IF-syntax:
