Date Types and Time Types - ABAP Keyword Documentation

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Date Types and Time Types

The following character-like data types in ABAP Dictionary describe date fields and time fields:

DATS or date fields

From a technical perspective, the predefined data type DATS describes objects of the type CHAR with a length of 8 characters. It is designed for calendar dates in the format YYYYMMDD, but this is not checked when performing writes and reads on database fields with this type. Automatic checks are only made for dynpro fields typed with reference to DATS. In ABAP, DATS is assigned to the special type d and the associated rules apply.

TIMS for time fields

From a technical perspective, the predefined data type TIMS describes objects of the type CHAR with a length of 6 characters. It is designed for times in the format HHMMSS, but this is not checked when performing writes and reads on database fields with this type. Automatic checks are only made for dynpro fields typed with reference to TIMS. In ABAP, TIMS is assigned to the special type t and the associated rules apply.

ACCP for posting periods

From a technical perspective, the predefined data type ACCP describes objects of the type CHAR with a length of 6 characters. It is designed for posting periods in the format YYYYMM, but this is not checked when performing writes and reads on database fields with this type. Automatic checks are only made for dynpro fields typed with reference to ACCP.

Notes

The output formats for fields on dynpros and Web Dynpros and in the statements WRITE or WRITE TO can be predefined for the types DATS and TIMS specific to each user in the user master record. The output length required for formatted output is usually greater than the number of places in ABAP Dictionary. If the output length is too short, any formatting characters are suppressed.

When a dynpro field is represented with reference to the type ACCP (but not in the statements WRITE or WRITE TO) and there is enough output length, a point is inserted between the year YYYY and the month MM.