Understanding the Concept of Structure in SAP ABAP

Structures are data objects (comprised of components of any data type) that are saved in sequence in the memory . The data type of a structure is a structured type or a structure defined in the ABAP Dictionary.

What is the Structure in SAP ABAP?

Step-2: Choose the option for Data type and input the name of the data type. Then, click on the Create button.

When you click on the Create Type dialog box, it will open and allow you to select the Structure option. After selecting this option, simply click on the Continue button.

Step-3: Input the name of the component and choose the type of component from the available options in the list.

Step-4: Press (Ctrl + S) or ” Save ” icon to save the Structure. System asks for the package. Enter existing package if any, or create new package.

Once the package information entered, click on ” Local object ” (if it is a local structure and non transportable object) or ” Save ” to create the structure.

Step-5: Once the structure saved successfully, the “ZTC_CUTOMER saved” message displayed on status bar.

Step-6: Once the structure successfully saved message displayed, click on ” active ” button or ” Ctrl +F3 ” to activate the structure like below.

Note! At this point it displays all inactive structure list if any other inactive structures exists. Select the appropriate structure that needs to activate.

On certain occasions, when the structure is being activated, there is a possibility of encountering the following warnings.

These are enhancement related warning messages that requires to specify the structure enhancement category. To resolve the above warnings, go to ” Extras -> Enhancement Category.. “, that opens the below information dialog box. Click on ” Continue ” icon.

This structure is not require to enhance. So we are selecting ” Cannot Be Enhanced ” on below screen and click on Copy.

Note! The “Cannot Be Enhanced” option is only if the structure is not enhanced in future. If the structure may need enhancement in future, select appropriate option form the list.

Step-7: Click on ” Activate ” icon or ” Ctrl +F3 ” to activate structure. If the structure activated successfully, the “Object” message displayed on status bar like below.

Now, the structure has been activated and is accessible to all programs.

If error messages or warnings occurred during the activation of the structure, the activation log gets displayed automatically.

You can access the activation log by selecting Utilities(M) and then choosing Activation log from the menu.

What Does Structure Mean in SAP ABAP?

If incorrect information is entered into the structure, it becomes necessary to modify the structure.

The Change Structure option is utilized to modify the properties of a structure. To make changes to a structure, follow the steps mentioned below.

Step-2: Enter the ” Structure name ” and click on the ” Change ” icon.

Step-3: Click on ” Save ” once the information modified. Verify the below message gets displayed on status bar.

Step-4: Click on ” Activate ” icon or ” Ctrl +F3 ” to activate the new changes of the structure. Verify the below message gets displayed on status bar.

Understanding the Structure in SAP ABAP

To remove a structure that has been created incorrectly or is no longer needed, you can follow the steps outlined below.

Step-2: Enter the structure name and click on the ” delete ” icon.

After the successful deletion of the structure, a message will appear on the status bar.

What is the purpose of a structure in SAP?

– Structures define data at the interface of module pools and screens.

– They also specify parameter types for reusable forms or function modules.

– Structures are created similarly to tables but do not generate database tables.

Differentiating between table and structure in ABAP

In the SAP ABAP data dictionary, there are several distinctions between a table and a structure. Firstly, tables store data permanently, while structures only hold temporary data. This means that information in a table will persist even after the program or system is closed, whereas data in a structure is typically used temporarily during program execution.

Secondly, tables can have primary keys assigned to them for efficient retrieval of specific records. On the other hand, structures do not have primary keys as they are not intended for direct access or storage of individual records. Instead, structures serve as containers to group related fields together.

1. Tables store data permanently while structures hold temporary data.

2. Tables can have primary keys for efficient record retrieval; however, structures do not possess this feature.

3. Structures act as containers to group related fields together rather than storing individual records.

These differences help distinguish between tables and structures within the SAP ABAP environment by highlighting their purposes and functionalities in managing and organizing data efficiently.

Understanding the structure of SAP data

Structures are particularly useful when working with screen fields. They allow us to organize and display data on screens in a structured manner. For example, if we have a screen where we need to input customer details like name, address, and contact information, we can use a structure to store all this information together.

SAP: Understanding Structure and Table Types

A database table in SAP ABAP always has a structure, which means it is organized with specific fields and their data types. However, these fields can only have elementary types, such as numbers or characters. On the other hand, table types are used to describe the structure and functions of internal tables within an ABAP program. These internal tables can have rows with any type of structure.

To simplify this concept further:

1. A database table in SAP ABAP is like a spreadsheet that has columns (fields) to store different kinds of information.

2. The fields in a database table can only hold simple types of data like numbers or text.

3. Table types are used to define how internal tables within an ABAP program should be structured and what operations they can perform.

4. Internal tables are similar to temporary storage areas where you can store multiple rows of data, each row having its own structure.

The Purpose of Utilizing Structure in ABAP

If you need to use the same work area in multiple programs, you can create a structure in the Data Dictionary (DDIC). This allows different ABAP/4 programs to have access to and understand the layout of records. For instance, if one program writes records to a sequential file and another program reads them, both programs must be aware of how these records are structured.

– Creating a structure in the DDIC enables sharing of work areas across multiple programs.

– It ensures that different ABAP/4 programs can comprehend the record layout.

– This is particularly useful when writing and reading records from sequential files.

Katy