Table pools (also referred to as pools) and table clusters (clusters) are particular table types in the ABAP Dictionary. A table pool or table cluster is defined in the ABAP Dictionary and created automatically in the database when activated.

The data from several different tables can be stored together in a table pool or table cluster. Tables assigned to a table pool or table cluster are referred to as pooled tables or cluster tables.

A table pool or table cluster should be used exclusively for storing internal control information (screen sequences, program parameters, temporary data, continuous texts such as documentation). All data of commercial relevance is stored exclusively in transparent tables!

A table pool corresponds to a table in the database in which all records from the pooled tables assigned to it are stored.

The definition of a pool consists essentially of two key fields (Tabname and Varkey) and a long argument field (Vardata). A pool has the following structure:

If a pooled table record is saved, it is stored in the table pool assigned. The name of the pooled table is written to the field Tabname. The contents of all key fields of the pooled table are written as a string to field Varkey and the contents of all data fields as a string to field Vardata. The length of the string stored in Vardata is entered in field Dataln by the database interface.

Several logical data records from different cluster tables can be stored together in one physical record in a table cluster.

A cluster key consists of a series of freely definable key fields and a field (Pageno) for distinguishing continuation records. A cluster also contains a long field (Vardata) which contains the contents of the data fields of the cluster tables for this key. If the data does not fit into the long field, continuation records are created. Control information on the structure of the data string is still written at the beginning of the Vardata field. A table cluster has the following structure:

The records of all cluster tables with the same key are stored under one key in the assigned table cluster. The values of the key fields are stored in the corresponding key fields of the table cluster. The values of all data fields of the assigned cluster tables are written as a string to the Vardata field of the table cluster. Besides the actual data values, the data string contains information on the structure of the data and which table it comes from. If the string exceeds the maximum length of the Vardata field, a continuation record is written with the same key values (except Pageno). The actual length of the string in the Vardata field is stored in the Pagelg field by the database interface.