DATA DICTIONARY

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 Purpose

 The ABAP Dictionary serves as the central description of data

used in R/3 system .

 It Supports the creation and management of ‘Metadata’.

 New or modified information is automatically provided for all the

system components.

 It ensures data integrity, data consistency and data security.

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 Integration in the ABAP workbench

 The ABAP Dictionary is completely integrated in the ABAP

Workbench.

 ABAP Dictionary objects can be changed any number of

times before being activated and made available to the
operative components of the system

 Objects can have both an active and an inactive version in

the ABAP Dictionary at the same time.

 Inactive ABAP Dictionary objects have no effect on the

runtime system (ABAP processor, database interface).

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 Integration in the ABAP workbench

 For Example You declare a variable in your program

DATA: MARA_TAB TYPE MARA.

Only structure MARA_TAB is declared in the

program. All the information about this structure, such as
the field names, data types and field lengths, are copied
from table MARA, which is defined in the ABAP Dictionary.
This information about table MARA is called from the
ABAP Dictionary when the program is generated.

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 Integration in the ABAP workbench

This means that the program need not be adjusted

when a change is made to table MARA, for example when the
length of a table field is changed. The next time the program is
called, the system automatically determines that the structure
of table MARA has changed. The program is simply
regenerated, thereby retrieving up-to-date information about
table MARA from the ABAP Dictionary.

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 Object Types
 Tables
 Views
 Types
− Data Elements

− Structures

− Table Types
 Domains
 Search Helps
 Lock Objects

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 Tables

 Tables can be defined independently of the database in the

ABAP Dictionary.
 The table definition is translated from the ABAP Dictionary
to a definition of the particular database.
 When the table is activated, a physical table definition is
created in the database for the table definition stored in the
ABAP Dictionary.

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 Reference Fields and Reference Tables

 You must specify a reference table for fields containing

quantities (data type QUAN) or currency amounts (data type
CURR).

 This reference table must contain a field with the format for
the currency key (data type CUKY) or unit of measure (data
type UNIT). This field is called the reference field of the output
field. The reference field can also reside in the table itself.

 A field is only assigned to the reference field at program

runtime.

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 Components of Tables

 Table fields : Define the field names and data types of the fields
contained in the table
 Foreign keys : Define the relationships between the table and
other tables.
 Technical settings : Controls how the table should be created in
the database.
 Indexes : Speeds up data selection, secondary indexes can be
created for the table

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 Include structure

 In addition to listing the individual fields, you can also include the
fields of another structure in tables .
 Only flat structures can be included.
 Include structures can be included at any line of the field
definitions of the table.
 The components of the structure now becomes the component of
the table.

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 Append structures

 An append structure is a structure that is assigned to exactly one

table or structure.
 It is used to give enhancements to the already existing SAP tables
by adding fields at the last.
 An append structure could be added only at the last of the table .

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 Foreign keys

 Foreign keys are used to maintain the referential Integrity

between dependant tables.
 Foreign keys can also be used to link several tables in a view or a
lock object.
 The dependant table is called foreign key table and the referenced
table is called the check table.

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 Technical settings

 The technical settings of a table define how the table will be

handled when it is created in the database .
 The most important parameters are:
 Data class: Defines the Tablespace.
 Size category : Defines the size of the extents created for the table.
 The Buffering type should be specified if the buffering is switched
on.

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 Buffering

 Full buffering : All the records of the table are loaded into the
buffer when one record of the table is accessed.
 Generic buffering : When a record of the table is accessed, all the
records having this record in the generic key fields are loaded into
the buffer.
 Single-record buffering : Only the records of a table that are
really accessed are loaded into the buffer.

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 Indexes

 Indexes are used for faster Access in the Database.

 Two types of indexes:

Primary indexes

Secondary indexes
 Primary indexes are created automatically from the key
fields of the table.
 Secondary indexes are created by the user specifying the
fields in the table.

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 Views

 A view is used to project and select the fields from more than
one table as a single structure.

 View does not store the data physically of its own.

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 Types of Views

 Database Views
 Projection Views
 Help Views
 Maintenance Views

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 Database Views

 Database Views are used to project the particular fields from

the different tables using conditions.
 A corresponding view is created in the database and hence the
technical setting should be maintained.
 The foreign key relationship is not required for joining.
 Always inner join is performed.

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 Projection Views

 It is used to project only the particular fields of a table.

 The selection of records is not possible.
 The maintenance status could be set to read and change the
records.

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 Help Views

 A help view is created if a view with outer join is needed as

selection method of a search help.
 Foreign key relationship should exist between the tables.
 It always implements an outer join.

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 Maintenance View

 Its used for maintaining complex database objects as a single

logical unit.
 It implements outer join.
 Foreign key relationship should exist between the tables.
 Insertion and deletion is possible in the view.
 SM30 is the transaction used for maintaining it.

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 Types

 Data Elements
 Structure
 Table types

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 Data elements

 Data elements describes an elementary data type.

 The elementary data type could be either a domain or built
in data types.
 Its used to maintain the field labels.
 Its used to describe the documentation for the particular
data element. (F1 Help)

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 Structure

 A structure is a sequence of any other data types from the

ABAP Dictionary, that is, data elements, structures, table
types, or database tables.
 When you create a structure in the ABAP Dictionary, each
component must have a name and a data type.
 In an ABAP program, you can use the TYPE addition to refer
directly to a structure.

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 Table type

 Table types are construction blueprints for internal tables that are
stored in the ABAP Dictionary
 When you create a table type in the ABAP Dictionary, you specify
the line type, access type, and key.
 The line type can be any data type from the ABAP Dictionary,
that is, a data element, a structure, a table type, or the type of a
database table.
 In an ABAP program, you can use the TYPE addition to refer
directly to a table type.

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 Domain

 A domain defines a value range for a data element.

 Fields or components that refer to the same domain are also
changed when the domain is changed which ensures
consistency.
 A conversion routine can be assigned to a domain. This
conversion routine converts values from display format to
internal format for the fields or components that refer to this
domain.

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 Conversion routines

 The following function modules are assigned to conversion routine

xxxxx:

conversion_exit_xxxxx_input

conversion_exit_xxxxx_output
 conversion_exit_xxxxx_input is used to convert to the form stored
in the database.
 conversion_exit_xxxxx_output is used to convert the format stored
in the database to the display format.

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 Search helps

 Search helps are used to provide the Input Help for the fields in
the screen.
 There are two types:

Elementary search help

Collective Search help

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 Structure of an elementary search help

 Selection Method. (DB table or View)

 Search Help Parameter
 IMP
 EXP
 LPOS
 SPOS

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 Elementary search help (example)

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 Collective Search Help

 A collective search help combines several elementary search helps.

 You only have to specify the search helps that are to be combined
in the collective search help.

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 Collective Search Help (Example)

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 Lock Objects

 Lock object is created and maintained by data dictionary

 When two users simultaneously attempt to access the same data
record, this is synchronized by a lock mechanism
 Lock Mode

E – Exclusive

S – Shared

X – Exclusive, But not Cumulative

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 Transactions

 SE11 - ABAP Dictionary

 SE13 - Dictionary Technical settings

 SE14 - Database Utility

 SE15 - Object Navigator ( Repository Information System )

 SE16 - Data Browser

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Thank You

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