DATA TYPES

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 Data in ABAP

 DATA TYPES
Types are descriptions that do not occupy memory.

 DATA OBJECTS
Objects are instances of types, and do occupy their own
memory space.

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 Defining Data Types

 Predefined ABAP types

 Local Data types

 Data types in ABAP Dictionary

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 Predefined Data Types

 Elementary types

 Complex types

 Reference types

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 Elementary Types

 Fixed Length

 Variable Length

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 Predefined Data Types

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 Fixed Length

Character Type
– Character C
– Numeric N
– Date(8) D
– Time(6) T
– Hexadecimal X

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 Numeric Type

 Integer I
Range -2**31 to 2**31-1 only whole numbers.

 Float F
 Packed P
P allows digits after the decimal point up to 14 digit.

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 Variable Length

 String
A string is a sequence of characters with variable length.

 XString
A byte string is a hexadecimal type with variable length.

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 Complex Types

 ABAP contains no predefined complex data types

 STRUCTURE
A structure is a sequence of any elementary types, reference
types, or complex data types.

 INTERNAL TABLE
Internal tables consists of a series of lines that all have the
same data type.

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 Local Data Types

TYPES <t>[(<length>)] [TYPE <type>|LIKE <obj>]

[DECIMALS <dec>]

Eg:

TYPES NAME(20) TYPE C

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 Example for Data Types

REPORT demo_types_statement.

TYPES mytext(10) TYPE c.

TYPES myamount TYPE p DECIMALS 2.

DATA text TYPE mytext.

DATA amount TYPE myamount.

text = ' 4 / 3 = '.

amount = 4 / 3 .

WRITE: text, amount.

This program produces the following output on the screen:

4 / 3 = 1.33
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 Data Objects

 Data objects contain the data with which ABAP programs work at
runtime.

 ABAP contains the following kinds of data objects

– Literals

– Named Data Objects

– Predefined Data Objects

– Dynamic Data Objects

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 Literals

Literals are unnamed data objects

Types of Literals:
− Number literals
− Character Literals

Examples For literals

− Number literals

DATA number TYPE i VALUE -1234.

WRITE 6789.
− Character Literals
`Anton Schmitt
`69190 Walldorf `

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 Named Data Objects
 You declare these data objects either statically or dynamically at runtime.

 Their technical attributes - field length, number of decimal places, and data type -
are always fixed.

 We address data objects using its name that we gave.

 ABAP contains the following kinds of named data objects:

− Text Symbols
− Variables
− Constants
− Interface Work Areas

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 Text Symbols

 A text symbol is a named data object that is generated when you start the
program from the texts in the text pool of the ABAP program. It always
has the data type C.

 Text symbols, along with the program title, list headings, and selection
texts, belong to the text elements of a program.

 In the program, you can address text symbols using the following form:
TEXT-<idt>

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 Variables

Variables are named data objects that you can declare

statically using declarative statements, or dynamically while a
program is running. They allow you to store changeable data under
a particular name within the memory area of a program.

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 Variables

You can declare variables statically using the following statements:

 DATA: To declare variables whose lifetime is linked to the
context of the declaration
 STATICS: To declare variables with static validity in
procedures
 CLASS-DATA: To declare static variables within classes
 PARAMETERS: To declare elementary data objects that
are also linked to an input field on a selection screen

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 Variables

 SELECT-OPTIONS: To declare an internal table that is

also linked to input fields on a selection screen
 RANGES: To declare an internal table with the same
structure as in SELECT-OPTIONS, but without linking it
to a selection screen.

Variables are declared dynamically when you add characters

or bytes to a string, or lines to an internal table

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 Constants

 Constants are named data objects that you create statically using a
declarative statement. They allow you to store data under a
particular name within the memory area of a program.

 The value of a constant must be defined when you declare it. It

cannot subsequently be changed.

 The value of a constant cannot be changed during the execution of

the program. If you try to change the value of a constant, a syntax
error or runtime error occurs.

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 Constants

CONSTANTS statement is exactly the same as that of the DATA

statement, but with the following exceptions:

You must use the VALUE addition in the CONSTANTS statement.

The start value specified in the VALUE addition cannot be changed
during the execution of the program.

Example:

CONSTANTS: pi TYPE P DECIMALS 10 VALUE '3.1415926536'.

ref_c1 TYPE REF TO C1 VALUE IS INITIAL.

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 Predefined Data Object

 System Fields From Structure SY

SY is a structure with the ABAP Dictionary

data type SYST. The components of SY are known as system
fields. System fields contain values that provide information
about the current state of the system. They are automatically
filled and updated by the ABAP runtime environment.

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 Example for Data Objects

PROGRAM demo_elementary_data_objects.

DATA text1(20) TYPE c.

DATA text2 TYPE string.
DATA number TYPE i.

text1 = 'The number'.

number = 100.
text2 = 'is an integer.'.

WRITE: text1, number, text2.

This program produces the following output on the screen:

The number 100 is an integer.

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 Type Additions

TYPE Addition – Used for defining a new data type

 You use the TYPE addition in various ABAP statements
for defining data types and specifying the types of
interface parameters or field symbols.
 TYPE addition can have various meanings depending on
the syntax and context.

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 Like Additions

LIKE Addition – Used for defining data object

You use the LIKE addition in various ABAP statements

for defining data types and specifying the types of interface
parameters or field symbols.

The addition LIKE <obj> can be used in the same ABAP

statements as the TYPE addition to refer to any data object
<obj> that is already visible at that point in the program.

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 Report

The statement REPORT must be the first statement of an independent

program

Syntax

REPORT rep [list_options]

           [MESSAGE-ID mid]
           [DEFINING DATABASE ldb].

REPORT - list_options

[NO STANDARD PAGE HEADING]

[LINE-SIZE width]
[LINE-COUNT page_lines[(footer_lines)]]

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 Comments

 Comments are texts that you can write between the statements of
your ABAP program to explain their purpose to a reader.

 Comments are distinguished by the preceding signs * (at the

beginning of a line) and " (at any position in a line).

 If you want the entire line to be a comment, enter an asterisk (*)

at the beginning of the line.

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 Structure

 Example

DATA : BEGIN OF structure,

                 Name(20) type c,
age type I,
        END OF structure.

 Types of Structure
Nested, Flat, Deep

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 Parameters

 ABAP/4 includes some data objects with special features, namely

Parameters.

 Parameters are variables which are linked to a selection screen.

They can accept values after a program is started.

Syntax
PARAMETERS <p>[(<length>)] [TYPE <type>|LIKE <obj>]
[DECIMALS <d>].

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 Write

The basic ABAP/4 statement for outputting on the screen is WRITE.

Syntax: WRITE<f>.

The field <f> can be

− Any Data Object

− A Field Symbol

− A Text Symbol

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 Select-Options

The SELECT-OPTIONS statement is used to declare selection

tables and create corresponding input fields on the associated
selection screen.

Syntax

SELECT-OPTIONS <seltab> FOR <f>.

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 Field symbols

 Field symbols are placeholders or symbolic names for other fields.

 They do not physically reserve space for a field, but point to its
contents.

Syntax
FIELD-SYMBOLS <FS> [<type>|STRUCTURE <s>
DEFAULT <wa>].

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 Processing data

 Assigning Values

 Numeric Operations

 Processing Character String

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 Assigning values

 MOVE

 WRITE TO

 CLEAR

 Value Addition in data

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 Move

 Move data into or between variables is done using the move statement.
There are two forms of the move statement

move <f1> to <f2>

or

f2 = f1
 WRITE TO

write <f1> to <f2>

 CLEAR

clear <f>

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 Thank You

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