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ABAP - Keyword Documentation → ABAP - Dictionary → Classic Objects in ABAP Dictionary →Database Tables
In ABAP Dictionary, the term "database table" (or table for short) is the database-independent definition of a database table. In Open SQL, only those database tables can be accessed that are defined in ABAP Dictionary.
The name of a database table in ABAP Dictionary can have a maximum of 16 characters, can consist of letters, numbers, and underscores, must start with a letter, and can be prefixed by a namespace prefix (/.../) from a prefix namespace. The name is in the namespace of the data types in ABAP Dictionary.
The definition of a database table consists of the following:
The most common table category of database table is the transparent table. When the table is activated, the platform-specific SQL DDL statement CREATE TABLE is used to generate a physical database table with all indexes from its definition in ABAP Dictionary (if this is not excluded explicitly in the definition). This is done in the ABAP database schema in the central AS ABAP database. The predefined types in ABAP Dictionary used to define the components of the structure are implemented as database-specific types. The definition of a table in the database can be displayed in ABAP Dictionary by choosing Utilities → Database Object. Alongside regular transparent tables, the following categories also exist:
The order of the fields in ABAP Dictionary and on the database does not need to match. More specifically, the order of the table fields (with the exception of key fields) of existing database tables in the dictionary can be modified without modifying the database object. When using Open SQL, this is handled appropriately in the database interface and the order in ABAP Dictionary always applies. When using Native SQL, the order of the columns in the database system must be applied explicitly. The results are placed in the same order as in ABAP Dictionary (if possible) only if AMDP is used.
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