Alphabetical overview of the most important ABAP statements.

Adds two single fields.

The contents of <n> are added to the contents of <m> and the results are stored in <m>. This is equivalent to: <m> = <m> + <n>.

Adds sequences of fields in storage.

If <n1>, <n2>,..., <nz> is a sequence of fields with the same distance to one another and if they have the same type and length, these fields are added and the result is stored in <m>. Different variants allow you to limit fields to a subsequence, to include <m> in the sum, and to perform the operation on a sequence of fields that directly follow one another.

Adds subfields of structures.

All the subfields of the structures <struc1> and <struc2> having the same name are added and the results are stored in <struc2>.

Defines class-specific alias names for an interface component in ABAP objects.

<alias> is defined within a class or interface as synonymous with the interface component <intf~comp>.

Appends a line or multiple lines to the end of an index table.

APPEND <line>|LINES OF <jtab> TO <itab>
       [ASSIGNING <FS> | REFERENCE INTO <dref>].

A line <line> or multiple lines of an internal table <jtab> are appended to index table <itab>. If you use ASSIGNING or INTO REFERENCE, field symbol <FS> refers to the appended line or the relevant data reference is stored in <dref> after the statement.

Assigns a field to a field symbol.

Data object <f> is assigned to field symbol <FS>. <FS> now points to the data object. After the addition INCREMENT <n>, the storage area that is offset <n> times by a length of <f> starting with <f> is assigned to the field symbol. Pointed brackets are part of the syntax for field symbol names. The CASTING addition permits you to cast data objects when assigning field symbols. The RANGE addition defines the storage area in which either offset/length accesses or the INCREMENT addition are allowed. In Unicode programs, standard access is only allowed within the field limits of <f>, but this can be extended with RANGE. In non-Unicode programs, standard access is possible up to the boundary of the data segment and can be limited with RANGE.

Dereferencing of the data reference in <dref>. The data object to which the data reference refers is assigned to field symbol <FS>.

Event keywords for defining event blocks for screen events.

User actions on a selection screen or on a list trigger certain events in the ABAP runtime environment. The event keywords define event blocks that are called when events occur.

Change of group when processing loops of extracts and internal tables.

The statements are used to process group levels within a loop using an extract dataset or an internal table. They introduce statement blocks that must be closed with ENDAT. The statements between AT and ENDAT are only executed if the corresponding group change occurred.

Checks user authorization.

There is a check if the program user has all the authorizations defined in authorization object <object>. <name1>,..., <name10> are the authorization fields of the authorization object. <f1>,... <f1>, ..., <f10> are data objects of the program. The value of the data objects is checked against the authorization fields.

Relative position of the output in a list.

Positions the list output either in the first column of the first line following the page header of the current page or in connection with RESERVE in the first column of the first line of a line block.

Calls the Debugger.

Interrupts execution of the program and goes to debugging mode. Is used as a test help. Normal program processing is interrupted when this statement is reached and the system goes to a debugger.

Calls the customer function modules.

Similar to CALL FUNCTION. The function modules must be programmed and activated within the customer's modification concept.

Calls the function modules.

CALL FUNCTION <func> [EXPORTING ... f_i = a _i... ]
                     [IMPORTING ... f_i = a _i... ]
                     [CHANGING  ... f_i = a _i... ]
                     [TABLES    ... f_i = a _i... ]
                     [EXCEPTIONS... e_i = r _i... ]
              [DESTINATION <dest>]
              [IN UPDATE TASK]
              [STARTING NEW TASK]
              [IN BACKGOUND TASK].

The program calls either a function module in the same R/3 System, or one from an external system, depending on the variant of the statement you use. You can call update modules when processing transactions. You can also call functions asynchronously. The other additions are used to specify actual parameters for the parameter interface for the function module, <func>, and to handle exceptions.

Calls a dialog module.

CALL DIALOG <dialog> [AND SKIP FIRST SCREEN]
                     [EXPORTING... f_i = a _i... ]  
                     [IMPORTING... f_i = a _i... ]
                     [USING itab].

Calls the dialog module <dial>. A dialog module is an ABAP program with a sequence of screens. It does not have to be started using a transaction code, or run in the same SAP LUW, like the calling program. The additions are used to skip the initial screen in the sequence and specify actual parameters for the parameter interface of the dialog module.

Calls a method in ABAP Objects.

CALL METHOD <meth> [EXPORTING ... <i_i> =.<f _i>... ]
                   [IMPORTING ... <e_i> =.<g _i>... ]
                   [CHANGING  ... <c_i> =.<f _i>... ]
                   [RECEIVING r = h ]
                   [EXCEPTIONS... <e_i> = r _i...     ]
                   [PARAMETER-TABLE <ptab>]
                   [EXCEPTION-TABLE <etab>].

[CALL METHOD]<meth>( ... ).

Calls a method <meth>. The additions are used to specify actual parameters for the parameter interface for the function module and to handle exceptions. The last two additions pass parameters dynamically in a dynamic method call. Alternatively, if the method is called statically, the parameters can be specified using parenthesis notation (as you can when specifying parameters in a CALL METHOD statement). You can also use functional methods with this syntax in operand positions.

Calls a method in OLE2 Automation.

Calls the method, <m>, of the OLE2 Automation Object, <obj>.

Calls a screen sequence.

Calls the sequence of screens that begins with the screen <scr>. All the screens in the screen sequence belong to the current ABAP program. The screen sequence ends when the program reaches the screen numbered 0. The additions let you call a single screen in a new window.

Calls a selection screen.

Calls a selection screen defined in an ABAP program. The selection screen is processed in the program in the AT SELECTION-SCREEN event. The additions let you call a selection screen in a new window.

Call a transaction.

Calls the transaction <tcod> after having received data from the calling program. At the end of the transaction that has been called, the system returns to the statement following the call in the calling report. The additions are used to skip the initial screen in the sequence or to pass a batch input table to the transaction.

Conditional branch.

Opens a CASE control structure that ends with an ENDCASE statement. The CASE control structure allows you to control which statement blocks (introduced by WHEN) are processed, based on the contents of a data object.

Catches a class-based exception.

You can only use this statement in a TRY-ENDTRY block, where you define a handler for one or more class-based exceptions. You can use INTO to place a reference to the exception object into the reference variable <ref>.

Catches a catchable runtime error.

Introduces a CATCH area, which ends with an ENDCATCH statement. If a catchable runtime error <except_i>, occurs between CATCH and ENDCATCH, the current processing block is interrupted. The system jumps to the appropriate ENDCATCH statement and fills SY-SUBRC with <rc _i>.

Conditionally leaves a loop or processing block.

If the logical expression <logexp> is true, the system continues with the next statement. If it is false, processing within the loop is interrupted at the current loop pass, and the next loop pass is performed. Otherwise the system leaves the current processing block. In conjunction with selection tables, and inside GET events, you can use an extra variant of the CHECK statement.

Declares a class in ABAP Objects.

Introduces the declaration part of a class, <class>. The declaration part ends with ENDCLASS and contains the declaration of all the components of the class. The PUBLIC addition is generated only by the Class Builder. It defines a global class in the Class Library. The INHERITING FROM addition lets you derive the class, <class>, from a superclass, <superclass>. The ABSTRACT addition defines an abstract class, which cannot be instantiated. The FINAL addition defines a class that cannot have any subclasses. The CREATE addition specifies who can instantiate the class. FRIENDS allows you to specify other classes or interfaces, <cif> that can access the private components of the class and instantiate objects of the class, independently of the CREATE addition. The DEFERRED addition makes the class known to the program before it is declared. The LOAD addition loads a class explicitly from the Class Library.

Implements a class in ABAP Objects.

Introduces the implementation part of a class, <class>. The implementation part ends with ENDCLASS and contains the implementation of all the components of the class.

Declares static attributes of a class or interface.

Like DATA. However, the attribute <a> is declared as a static attribute. Static attributes are not instance-specific. Their content is shared by all instances.

Declares static methods of a class or interface.

Like METHODS, except that the method <meth> is declared as a static method. A static method can access static attributes and can only trigger static events.

Declares static events of a class or interface.

Like EVENTS, except that the event <evt> is declared as a static attribute. Static events are the only type of event that can be triggered in a static method.

Tidies up after class-based exceptions.

Can only be used within a TRY-ENDTRY block, where it defines a control block. If a class-based exception is not caught with a CATCH statement, the system executes the statements between CLEANUP and ENDTRY, before passing the exception along the call hierarchy.

Sets a variable to its initial value.

The variable <f>, which can have any data type, is set to an initial value appropriate to its type.

Closes a file.

Closes a file opened with OPEN DATASET on the application server.

Closes a database cursor.

Closes a cursor opened with OPEN CURSOR.

Aggregates lines and then adds them to an internal table.

COLLECT <line> INTO <itab>
       [ASSIGNING <FS> | REFERENCE INTO <dref>].

The system checks whether there is already a table entry that matches the key. If there is no corresponding entry already in the table, the COLLECT statement has the same effect as INSERT. If an entry with the same key already exists, the COLLECT statement does not append a new line, but adds the contents of the numeric fields in the work area <line> to the contents of the fields in the existing entry. If you use ASSIGNING or INTO REFERENCE, field symbol <FS> refers to the inserted line or the relevant data reference is stored in <dref> after the statement.

Closes a SAP LUW.

Writes all the database changes and releases all the database locks. Triggers updating. The AND WAIT addition forces the program to wait until the system has finished updating the database. Otherwise, updating is asynchronous.

Enables two programs to communicate with each other.

The statement initializes, creates, and accepts communication between two programs; lets these two programs send and receive data; and then closes the connection.

Performs numeric operations.

The result of the mathematical operation specified in <expression> is assigned to the field <n>. The keyword COMPUTE is optional.

Concatenates (chains) several strings to a string.

This statement concatenates the strings <c1> to <cn> and assigns the result to <c>. The addition SEPARATED BY <s> allows you to specify a character field <s> which is placed in its defined length between the individual fields. In Unicode programs, you must specify whether the statement is a character or byte operation, using the IN BYTE MODE or IN CHARACTER MODE (default) additions.

Removes spaces from a string

This statement removes any leading blanks from the field <c> and replaces other sequences of blanks by exactly one blank. If the addition NO-GAPS is specified, all blanks are removed.

Declares constant data objects.

The syntax is similar to DATA, except that the VALUE addition is required, and that internal tables and deep structures cannot be declared as constants The start value specified in the VALUE addition cannot be changed during the execution of the program.

Ends a loop pass.

Only possible within loops. This statement terminates the current loop pass and starts the next

Declares a context.

CONTEXTS <c>.

Generates an implicit data type CONTEXT_<c>, which you can use to create context instances

Defines a control.

Defines an ABAP runtime object <ctrl>. This displays data in a particular format on a screen, depending on the type <ctrl_type> Currently, <ctrl_type> may be a table control or tabstrip control

Converts a data into an inverted date form.

If <d1> and <d2> are date fields in the internal form YYYYMMDD, the nines complement of <d1> is placed in field <d2> and vice versa. In inverted date format, the most recent date has the smaller numerical value

Converts a timestamp into the correct date and time for the current time zone

As long as <tst> has type P(8) or P(11) with 7 decimal placed, and <tz> has type C(6), the time stamp <tst> will be converted to the correct date <d> and time <t> for the time zone <tz>.

Converts a text into a format that can be sorted alphabetically.

<text> must have type C and <x> must have type X. The string is then converted so that the relative order of the characters allows them to be sorted alphabetically in the current text environment

Creates a dynamic data object.

CREATE DATA <dref> TYPE <type>|LIKE <obj>.

CREATE DATA <dref> TYPE LINE OF <itab>|LIKE LINE OF <itab>.

CREATE DATA <dref> TYPE REF TO DATA|<type>.

CREATE DATA <dref> TYPE TYPE|LIKE <tabkind> OF <linetype> WITH <key>.

If <dref> is a data reference variable, a data object of the specified type is created. The reference in <dref> points to this object. You can omit the TYPE declaration in fully-typed reference variables.

Instantiates an object in ABAP Objects.

<cref> must be a reference variable, defined with reference to a class. CREATE OBJECT then creates an object of that class, to which the reference in <cref> then points The reference in <dref> points to this object. If <oref> is a typed class reference variable with reference to a subclass of <class>, or if <oref> is an interface reference variable, whose interface is implemented in the class <class>, you can specify the class of the instantiated object explicitly in a TYPE addition, to establish the dynamic type of the reference variables. The EXPORTING addition specifies the non-optional IMPORTING parameters of the instance constructor of the class of the instantiated object.

Instantiates an external object in OLE2 Automation.

If <class> is a class assigned to an automation server, an initial object <obj> of this class is created

Declares variables with a previously-declared data type

DATA <f>... [TYPE <type>|LIKE <obj>]... [VALUE <val>].

Declares a variable <f> with the fully-defined data type <type> or the same data type as another data object <obj>. The data type <type> can be D, F, I, T, a type defined locally in the program using the TYPES statement, or a type from the ABAP Dictionary. The data object <obj> is a data object or line of an internal table that has already been defined. The VALUE addition specifies a starting value.

Declares variables by completing the description of a generic type

DATA <f>[(<length>)] TYPE <type> [DECIMALS <d>]... [VALUE <val>].

DATA <f> TYPE <itab>.

The data type <type> can be C, N, P, X, STRING or XSTRING. The <length> option sets the field length. If you omit it, the field length is set to the appropriate initial value. If <type> is P, you can specify the number of decimal places using the DECIMALS <d> addition. If you omit this, the number of decimal places is set to 0. If you do not use the TYPE addition, the system uses the default predefined generic type C.

DATA <f> TYPE <itab>.

The data type <itab> is a standard internal table with generic key. The default key is automatically used in the DATA statement.

Declares variables with data types that only exist as an attribute of the variable.

DATA <f> TYPE REF TO <class>|<interface>.

The variable <f> is defined as an object reference variable for the class <class> or interface <interface>.

DATA <f> TYPE REF TO DATA|<type>.

Declares the variable <f> as a data reference variable for a data object.

DATA: BEGIN OF <structure>,
       ...
        <f_i>...,
       ...
END OF <structure>.

Combines the variables <f_i> to form the structure <structure>. The individual variables within a structure are addressed in the program with a hyphen between the structure name and component name as follows: <structure>-<f _i>.

DATA <f> TYPE|LIKE <tabkind> OF <linetype> WITH <key>.

The variable <f> is declared as an internal table with the table kind <tabkind>, line type <linetype>, and key <key>.

DATA <f> TYPE|LIKE RANGE OF <type>|<obj>.

Declares the variable <f> as a RANGES table. A RANGES table has the same data type as a selection table, but is not linked to input fields on a selection screen.

Declares shared data areas in a program.

The variables <f_i> are assigned to a data area <c>, which can be defined in more than one program. These data areas use the same memory addresses for all programs that are loaded into the same internal session.

Defines a macro.

Introduces the definition of the macro <macro>. Each macro must consist of complete ABAP statement and be concluded with the END-OF-DEFINITION statement.

Deletes files on the application server

Deletes the file <dsn> from the file system of the application server.

Deletes entries from database tables.

All of the lines in the database table that satisfy the conditions in the WHERE clause are deleted.

DELETE <dbtab> FROM <wa>.

DELETE <dbtab> FROM TABLE <itab>.

This deletes the line that has the same primary key as the work area <wa>, or deletes all the lines in the database that have the same primary key as a line in the internal table <itab>. The work area <wa> or the lines of the internal table <itab> must have at least the same length as the work area of the database table.

Deletes data clusters from cluster database tables.

DELETE FROM DATABASE <dbtab>(<ar>) ID <key>.

Deletes the entire cluster in area <ar> with the name <key> from the cluster database table <dbtab>.

Deletes data clusters from the cross-transaction application buffer.

DELETE FROM SHARED BUFFER <dbtab>(<ar>) ID <key>.

Deletes the data cluster for the area <ar> with the name <key> stored in the cross-transaction application buffer for the table <dbtab>.

Deletes lines from internal tables of any type.

DELETE TABLE <itab> FROM <wa>.

DELETE TABLE <itab> WITH TABLE KEY <k₁> = <f ₁>... <k _n> = <f _n>.

Deletes using the table key. All lines with the same key are deleted. The key values are taken either from a compatible work area <wa> or specified explicitly.

DELETE <itab> WHERE <cond>.

Deletes using conditions. Deletes all table entries that satisfy the logical expression <cond>. The logical condition can consist of more than one comparison. In each comparison, the first operand must be a component of the line structure.

DELETE ADJACENT DUPLICATE ENTRIES FROM <itab> [COMPARING... ].

Deletes adjacent duplicate entries, either by comparing the key fields or the comparison fields specified explicitly in the COMPARING addition.

Deletes entries from index tables.

DELETE <itab> [INDEX <idx>].

If you use the INDEX addition, the line with index <idx> is deleted from the table <itab>. Without the INDEX addition, you can only use the above statement within a LOOP. In this case, you delete the current line.

DELETE <itab> [FROM <n₁>] [TO <n ₂>] [WHERE <cond>].

Retrieves values from a context instance.

DEMAND <val₁> = <f ₁>... <val _n> = <f _n> FROM CONTEXT <inst>
                                        [MESSAGES INTO <itab>].

Fills the fields <f_n> with the values <val _n> from the context instance <inst>. You can handle these messages in your programs by using the MESSAGES addition.

Gets the distance between two fields.

Writes the number of bytes between data objects <_f1> and <f ₂> into the variable <d>. The length of the first field in memory is always included. In Unicode programs, you must specify either the IN BYTE MODE or IN CHARACTER MODE addition. In non-Unicode programs, the distance is returned in bytes.

Describes the attributes of a field.

DESCRIBE FIELD <f> [LENGTH <l> [IN BYTE|CHARACTER MODE]]
                   [TYPE <t> [COMPONENTS <n>]]
                   [OUTPUT-LENGTH <o>] [DECIMALS <d>]
                   [EDIT MASK <m>] [HELP-ID <h>].

The attributes of the data object <f> specified by the parameters of the statement are written to the variables following the parameters. You can use any number of the additions in the same statement. In Unicode programs, you must specify either the IN BYTE MODE or IN CHARACTER MODE addition for LENGTH. In non-Unicode programs, the length is returned in bytes.

Describes the attributes of a list.

Depending on the variant of the statement that you use, writes the number of lines, number of pages, a line of a list on a given page, or various attributes of a page to variables.

Describes the attributes of an internal table.

Depending on the additions you use, writes the number of lines occupied, the value specified for the INITIAL SIZE of the table, or the table type into a corresponding variable.

Divides one field by another.

Divides the content of <n> by <m>, and places the result in <n>. This is equivalent to: n=n/m.

Divides matching components of structures.

All the identically-named subfields of the structures <struc1> and <struc2> are divided and the results are stored these subfields of <struc1>.

Introduces a loop.

DO [<n> TIMES] [VARYING <f> FROM <f1> NEXT <f2>].

Introduces a statement block that ends with ENDDO. If you omit the TIMES addition, the statement block is repeated until it reaches a termination statement such as EXIT or CHECK. Use the TIMES addition to restrict the number of loop passes to <n>. The VARYING addition allows you to process fields the same distance apart in memory.

Loads an ABAP program or internal table into a text editor.

Loads the internal table <itab> or the program <prog> into a text editor, where you can edit it using standard editor functions.

Introduces a statement block in an IF control structure.

If the logical expression in an IF statement is false, ELSE introduces the statement block to be executed instead.

Introduces a statement block in an IF control structure.

If the logical expression in an IF statement is false and <logexp> is true, ELSE introduces the statement block to be executed instead.

Closes a macro definition.

This statement concludes a macro definition introduced with DEFINITION.

Event keywords for defining event blocks for list events.

Whenever the page footer is reached while a list is being created, the runtime environment triggers the END-OF-PAGE event, and the corresponding event block is executed.

Event keywords for defining event blocks for reporting events.

Once a logical database has read all of the required lines and passed them to the executable program, the runtime environment triggers the END-OF-SELECTION event, and the corresponding event block is executed.

Closes a statement block in control level processing.

This statement concludes a control level processing block introduced with AT.

Closes a CASE control structure.

This statement concludes a control structure introduced with CASE.

Closes a CATCH area.

ENDCATCH.

This statement concludes an exception handling block introduced with CATCH SYSTEM-EXCEPTIONS.

Closes a class definition.

ENDCLASS.

This statement concludes a class declaration or implementation introduced with CLASS.

Closes a DO loop.

This statement concludes a loop introduced with DO.

Closes a Native SQL statement.

This statement ends a Native SQL statement introduced with EXEC SQL.

Closes a subroutine.

This statement concludes a subroutine definition introduced with FORM.

Closes a function module.

This statement concludes a function module introduced with FUNCTION.

Closes an IF control structure.

This statement concludes a control structure introduced with IF.

Closes a interface definition.

This statement concludes an interface definition introduced with INTERFACE.

Closes a LOOP.

This statement concludes a loop introduced with LOOP.

Closes a method.

This statement concludes a method implementation introduced with METHOD.

Closes a dialog module.

This statement concludes a dialog module introduced with MODULE.

Closes a conditional statement block.

This statement ends a conditional statement block introduced with ON CHANGE.

Closes a PROVIDE loop.

This statement concludes a loop introduced with PROVIDE.

Closes a SELECT loop.

This statement concludes a loop introduced with SELECT.

Closes a TRY area.

ENDTRY.

This statement concludes a control structure introduced with TRY.

Closes a WHILE loop.

This statement concludes a loop introduced with WHILE.

Defines events in classes or interfaces.

EVENTS <evt> EXPORTING.. VALUE(<e_i>) TYPE type [OPTIONAL]...

The event <evt> can be declared in the declaration part of a class or within an interface definition, and may have EXPORTING parameters that are passed to the event handler. The parameters are always passed by value.

Introduces a Native SQL statement.

Between EXEC SQL and the ENDEXEC statement, you can include a database-specific Native SQL statement. The PERFORMING addition allows you to pass a multiple-line selection line by line to a subroutine.

Leaves a loop or processing block.

Within a loop: The entire loop is terminated, and processing continues with the first statement following the loop. Outside a loop: Terminates the current processing block. In a reporting event: Jumps directly to the output list.

Ends a step loop.

Terminates step loop processing. A step loop is ais a way of displaying a table on a screen.

Ends Native SQL processing.

This statement may occur within a subroutine called using the PERFORMING addition in the EXEC SQL statement. The entire subroutine is processed, but no more subsequent lines of the selection are processed.

Exports data clusters.

EXPORT... <f_i> [FROM <g _i>]... | (<itab>)
       TO  MEMORY
         | DATABASE <dbtab>(<ar>) ID(<key>)
         | SHARED BUFFER <dbtab>(<ar>) ID(<key>).

The data objects <f_i> or <g _i>, or the data objects in the internal table <itab> are stored as a data cluster in the cross-program ABAP memory of the current internal session, in a cluster database table <dbtab>, or in the cross-transaction application buffer of the table <dbtab>.

Creates an extract dataset and adds lines to it.

With the first EXTRACT statement of a program, the system creates the extract dataset and adds the first extract record. In each subsequent EXTRACT statement, the new extract record is added to the dataset. Each extract record contains exactly those fields that are contained in the field group <fg>, plus the fields of the field group HEADER (if one exists).

Uses a cursor to read entries from a database table.

If the cursor <c> is linked with a selection in a database table, FETCH writes the next line of the selection into the flat target area <target>.

Declares a field group for an extract dataset.

This statement defines a field group <fg>. Field groups define the line structure of an extract dataset. You can also define a special field group called HEADER: When filling the extract dataset, the system automatically prefixes any other field groups with this field group.

Declares field symbols.

FIELD-SYMBOLS <FS> [<type>|STRUCTURE <s> DEFAULT <wa>].

Field symbols are placeholders or symbolic names for other fields. Pointed brackets are part of the syntax for field symbol names. The <type> addition allows you to specify the type of a field symbol. The STRUCTURE addition forces a structured view of the data objects that you assign to the field symbol.

Searches for patterns.

FIND <p> IN [SECTION OFFSET <off> LENGTH <len> OF] <text>
            [IGNORING CASE|RESPECTING CASE]
            [IN BYTE MODE|IN CHARACTER MODE]
            [MATCH OFFSET <o>] [MATCH LENGTH <l>].

The system searches the field <text> for the pattern <p>. The SECTION OFFSET <off> LENGTH <len> OF addition tells the system to search only from the <off> position in the length <len>. IGNORING CASE or RESPECTING CASE (default) specifies whether the search is to be case-sensitive. In Unicode programs, you must specify whether the statement is a character or byte operation, using the IN BYTE MODE or IN CHARACTER MODE (default) additions. The MATCH OFFSET and MATCH LENGTH additions set the offset of the first occurrence and length of the search string in the fields <p> and <l>.

Defines a subroutine.

FORM <subr> [USING   ... [VALUE(]<p_i>[)] [TYPE <t>|LIKE <f>]... ]
                       [CHANGING... [VALUE(]<p_i>[)] [TYPE <t>|LIKE <f>]... ].

Introduces a subroutine <form>. The USING and CHANGING additions define the subroutine’s parameter interface. The subroutine end with ENDFORM.

Sets formatting options for list output.

FORMAT... <option_i> [ON|OFF]...

Release space in memory.

This statement deletes an internal table, a data cluster in ABAP memory, or an external object in OLE2 Automation, depending on the variant of the statement used.

Defines a function module.

Introduces the function module <func>. This statement is not entered in the ABAP Editor, but is automatically generated by the Function Builder in the ABAP Workbench. The function module definition ends with the ENDFUNCTION statement

Introduces a function group.

The first statement in a function group. This statement is not entered in the ABAP Editor, but is automatically generated by the Function Builder in the ABAP Workbench. A function group is an ABAP program that contains function modules.

Event keyword for defining event blocks for reporting events.

GET <node> [FIELDS <f₁> <f ₂>...].

Only occurs in executable programs. When the logical database has passed a line of the node <node> to the program, the runtime environment triggers the GET event, and the corresponding event block is executed. You can use the FIELDS option to specify explicitly the columns of a node that the logical database should read.

Reads an individual bit.

Reads the bit at position <n> of the hexadecimal field <f> into the field <b>.

Gets the cursor position on a screen or in an interactive list event.

GET CURSOR FIELD <f> [OFFSET <off>] [LINE <lin>]
[VALUE <val>] [LENGTH <len>].

GET CURSOR LINE <lin> [OFFSET <off>] [VALUE <val>] [LENGTH <len>].

At a user action on a list or screen, the statement writes the position, value, and displayed length of a field or line into the corresponding variables.

Gets the attributes of a file opened using OPEN DATASET. The POSITIONS additions writes the current read/write position to the field <pos>. The ATTRIBUTE addition writes the attributes to a structure, <attr>, of the type DSET_ATTRIBUTES.

Gets the current text environment.

Returns the current language, country ID and any modifier into the corresponding variables

Gets an SPA/GPA parameters

Writes the value of the SPA/GPA parameter <pid> from the user-specific SAP memory into the variable <f>.

Gets the current GUI status.

Returns the name of the current GUI status (the same as SY-PFKEY) into the variable <f>. The PROGRAM addition writes the name of the ABAP program to which the status belongs into the variable <prog>. The EXCLUDING addition returns a list of all currently inactive function codes into the internal table <itab>.

Gets a property of an OLE2 Automation object.

Writes the property <p> of an external OLE2 Automation object to the variable <f>.

Gets a data reference.

GET REFERENCE OF <obj> INTO <dref>.

Writes a data reference to an existing data object <obj> to the data reference variable <dref>.

Measures the runtime in microseconds.

The first time the statement is executed, the variable <f> is set to zero. In each subsequent call, the runtime since the first call is written to <f>.

Synchronizes the time.

Refreshes the system fields SY-UZEIT, SY-DATUM, SY-TIMLO, SY-DATLO, and SY-ZONLO. The FIELD addition fills the variable <f> with the current time.

Returns a time stamp.

Returns the short or long form of the current date and time, depending on whether the variable <f> has the type P(8) or P(11). The long form returns the time correct to seven decimal places.

Stores information about list lines.

While the list is being created, this statement stores the contents of the field <f> and the current line number in the internal HIDE area When the cursor is positioned on a line in an interactive list event, the stored value is returned to the field <f>.

Conditional branch.

Introduces a new branch.

Opens an IF control structure that ends with an ENDIF statement. The system evaluates the logical expression <logexp>, and processes different statement blocks depending on the result.

Imports data clusters.

IMPORT... <f_i> [TO <g _i>]... | (<itab>)
       FROM  MEMORY
           | DATABASE <dbtab>(<ar>) ID(<key>)
           | SHARED BUFFER <dbtab>(<ar>) ID(<key>).

The data objects <f_i> or <g _i>, or the data objects in the internal table <itab> are read from data clusters, either in the cross-program ABAP memory of the current internal session; in a cluster database table <dbtab>; or in the cross-transaction application buffer of the table <dbtab> and written to the variables <f _i> and <g _i>.

Creates the directory of a data cluster from a cluster database.

IMPORT DIRECTORY INTO <itab>
       FROM DATABASE <dbtab>(<ar>)
       Id <key>.

Writes a directory of the data objects belonging to a data cluster in the cluster database <dbtab> to the internal table <dirtab>.

In the third variant, the table <itab> contains a directory of the objects stored using EXPORT TO DATABASE.

Inserts an include program in another program.

Has the same effect as copying the source code of the include program <incl> into the program. Include programs are not loaded at runtime, but are expanded when the program is generated. Include programs must have the program type I.

Includes a structure within another.

Within a structure declared using TYPES|DATA BEGIN OF, copies a structured datatype <t>, or a structure <s> already available as a data object, as part of the structure declaration. The AS addition lets you address the individual components using the name <name>. The RENAMING addition lets you append a suffix, <suffix>, to <name>, so that you can copy the same structure several times.

Event keywords for defining event blocks for reporting events.

Only occurs in executable programs. The ABAP runtime environment triggers the INITIALIZATION event before the selection screen is processed, at which point the corresponding event block is processed.

Inserts entries from database tables.

INSERT <dbtab> FROM <wa>.

INSERT <dbtab> FROM TABLE <itab> [ACCEPTING DUPLICATE KEYS].

Inserts one line from the work area <wa> or several lines from the internal table <itab> into the database table <dbtab>. The ACCEPTING DUPLICATE KEYS addition prevents a runtime error from occurring if two entries have the same primary key. Instead, it merely discards the duplicate

Defines the structure of field groups for extract datasets.

INSERT <f₁>... <f _n> INTO <fg>.

Includes the fields <f_i> in the field group <fg>, thus defining a line structure for an extract dataset.

Inserts lines from internal tables of any type.

INSERT <line>|LINES OF <jtab> [FROM <n₁>] [TO <n ₂>]
       INTO TABLE <itab>
       [ASSIGNING <FS> | REFERENCE INTO <dref>].

Inserts a line <line> or a set of lines from the internal table <jtab> into the internal table <itab>. If <jtab> is an index table, you can use the FROM and TO additions to restrict the lines inserted. If you use ASSIGNING or INTO REFERENCE, field symbol <FS> refers to the inserted line or the relevant data reference is stored in <dref> after the statement.

Inserts entries in index tables.

INSERT <line>|LINES OF <jtab> [FROM <n₁>] [TO <n ₂>]
  INTO <itab> [INDEX <idx>]
  [ASSIGNING <FS> | REFERENCE INTO <dref>].

Inserts a line <line> or a set of lines from the internal table <jtab> into the internal table <itab>before the line with the index <idx>. If <jtab> is an index table, you can use the FROM and TO additions to restrict the lines inserted. If you omit the INDEX addition, you can only use the statement within a LOOP. A new line containing values is inserted before the current line. If you use ASSIGNING or INTO REFERENCE, field symbol <FS> refers to the inserted line or the relevant data reference is stored in <dref> after the statement.

Inserts ABAP programs into the program library.

INSERT REPORT <prog> FROM <itab>.

The lines of the internal table <itab> are added to the program library as the program <prog>.

Declares a interface in ABAP Objects.

Introduces an interface <interface>. The definition ends with ENDINTERFACE and contains the declaration of all the components of the interface. The DEFERRED addition makes the interface known to the program before it is defined. The LOAD addition loads an interface explicitly from the Class Library.

Implementation or nesting of an interface in ABAP Objects.

Used in a class declaration: This statement adds the components of the interface to the existing class definition. Used in an interface definition: Forms a compound interface. Use the additions to characterize methods in interfaces as abstract or final. Their attributes can be filled with initial values.

Leaves a screen.

Stops processing the current screen and calls the subsequent screen. The next screen can either be defined statically in the screen attributes or set dynamically using the SET SCREEN statement.

Stops processing the current screen and calls the dynamically-defined subsequent screen <scr>*.

Switches between screen and list processing.

Allows you to create and display a list while processing a series of screens. The addition allows you to specify the next screen (to which you return after the list has been displayed). If you do not use the addition, screen processing resumes with the PBO of the current screen

Allows you to switch back explicitly from list processing to screen processing.

Leaves an ABAP program.

Stops processing the current program and returns to the point from which it was called.

This statement ends processing of the current program and starts a new transaction, <tcod>. The addition allows you to skip the initial screen of the transaction.

Event keywords for defining event blocks for a program constructor.

When an ABAP program is loaded in an internal session, the runtime environment triggers the LOAD-OF-PROGRAM event, and the corresponding event block is executed.

Protects global data against changes.

Only occurs in subroutines. When the subroutine starts, the value of <f> is stored temporarily, and restored to the variable <f> at the end of the subroutine.

Introduces a loop through an extract dataset.

Loops through an extract dataset. The loop ends with an ENDLOOP statement. When the LOOP statement is executed, the system stops creating the extract dataset of the program, and starts a loop through the entries in the dataset. One record from the extract dataset is read in each loop pass. The values of the extracted fields are placed in the corresponding output fields of the field group within the loop.

Starts a loop through an extract dataset.

LOOP AT <itab> INTO <wa> WHERE <logexp>.

LOOP AT <itab> ASSIGNING <FS> WHERE <logexp>.

LOOP AT <itab> REFERENCE INTO <dref> WHERE <logexp>.

LOOP AT <itab> TRANSPORTING NO FIELDS WHERE <logexp>.

Loop through any Internal Table The loop ends with an ENDLOOP statement. If the logical expression <logexp> is true, each loop pass either assigns the current line content to the work area <wa>; assigns the current line to a field symbol <FS>; creates a reference to the current line by <dref>; or does not assign the line content at all. The first operand in each part of <logexp> must be a component of the internal table. Pointed brackets are part of the syntax for field symbol names.

With index tables, you can use the additions FROM <n> and TO <n> to restrict the lines that are read by specifying an index range.

Starts a loop through the table SCREEN.

Similar to a loop through an internal table. The system table SCREEN contains the names and attributes of all of the fields on the current screen.

Displays a message.

Displays the message <nnn> of message class <mid> as message type <x>. The message type specifies how the message is displayed, and how the program reacts. The WITH addition allows you to fill placeholders in the message text. The RAISING addition in function modules and methods allows you to terminate the procedure and trigger the exception <exception>.

Introduces the implementation of a method in a class.

Only occurs in the implementation part of classes. Introduces a statement block that ends with ENDMETHOD. You do not have to specify any interface parameters, since these are defined in the method declaration.

Declares methods in classes and interfaces.

METHODS <meth> [FOR EVENT <evt> OF <cif>]
        IMPORTING... [VALUE(]<i_i>[)] TYPE <t> [OPTIONAL]...
        EXPORTING... [VALUE(]<e_i>[)] TYPE <t> [OPTIONAL]...
CHANGING ... [VALUE(]<c_i>[)] TYPE <t> [OPTIONAL]...
        RETURNING VALUE(<r>)
        EXCEPTIONS       ... <e_i>...
        [ABSTRACT]
        [FINAL]
        [REDEFINITION].

You declare a method <met> in the definition part of a class or in the definition of an interface: The IMPORTING, EXPORTING, CHANGING, RETURNING, and EXCEPTIONS additions define the parameter interface and exceptions of the method. The ABSTRACT addition defines an abstract class, which cannot be implemented in the same class. The function of a non-abstract method must be implemented using METHOD. The FINAL addition prevents you from redefining the method in subclasses. The REDEFINITION addition redefines a method of a superclass. The FOR EVENT addition declares an event handler method for the <evt> event of a class or interface.

Inserts or changes lines in database tables.

MODIFY <dbtab> FROM <wa>.

MODIFY <dbtab> FROM TABLE <itab>.

Works like INSERT for database tables, if there is not yet a line in the table with the same primary key. Works like UPDATE if a line already exists with the same primary key.

Changes the content of lines in internal tables of any type.

MODIFY TABLE <itab> FROM <wa> [TRANSPORTING <f₁> <f ₂>...]
                              [ASSIGNING <FS> | REFERENCE INTO <dref>].

Copies the work area <wa> into the line of the internal table with the same table key as <wa>. If you use ASSIGNING or INTO REFERENCE, field symbol <FS> refers to the modified line or the relevant data reference is stored in <dref> after the statement. You can use the TRANSPORTING addition to specify the exact components that you want to change.

MODIFY <itab> FROM <wa> TRANSPORTING <f₁> <f ₂>... WHERE <logexp>.

Copies the work area <wa> into the line of the internal table for which the logical expression is true. In each comparison of the logical expression, the first operand must be a component of the line structure.

Changes the content of lines in index tables.

MODIFY <itab> FROM <wa> [INDEX <idx>] [TRANSPORTING <f₁> <f ₂>...]
                        [ASSIGNING <FS> | REFERENCE INTO <dref>].

Copies the work area <wa> into the line of the internal table with the index <idx>. If you omit the INDEX addition, you can only use the statement within a LOOP. In this case, you change the current loop line If you use ASSIGNING or INTO REFERENCE, field symbol <FS> refers to the modified line or the relevant data reference is stored in <dref> after the statement.

Changes a list line.

MODIFY LINE <n> [INDEX <idx>] [OF CURRENT PAGE|OF PAGE <p>]
      |CURRENT LINE
      LINE FORMAT <option1> <option2>...
      FIELD VALUE <f1> [FROM <g1>] <f2> [FROM <g2>]...
      FIELD FORMAT <f1> <options1> <f2> <options2>.

Changes either line <n> on the current or specified list (or page), or the last line to be chosen. The exact nature of the change is specified in the additions

Changes the SCREEN table.

Like changing an internal table. The system table SCREEN contains the names and attributes of all of the fields on the current screen.

Introduces a dialog module.

Introduces the dialog module <mod>. The OUTPUT and INPUT additions designate the module as a PBO or PAI module respectively. Each dialog module ends with ENDMODULE.

Assigns values.

Assigns the contents of the data object <f1> to the variable <f2>, with automatic type conversion if necessary. Equivalent to <f2> = <f1>.

Assigns values between identically-named components of structures.

Moves the contents of the components of structure <struc1> to the components of <struc2> that have identical names.

Multiplies two single fields.

Multiplies the content of <n> by <m>, and stores the result in <n>. This is equivalent to: m=m*n.

Multiplies components of structures.

All the identically-named subfields of the structures <struc1> and <struc2> are multiplied and the results are stored these subfields of <struc1>.

Inserts a line break in a list.

Positions the list display after the page header. The NO-SCROLLING addition prevents the new line from scrolling horizontally. SCROLLING resets the NO-SCROLLING addition.

Inserts a page break in a list.

Generates a new page and positions the list output after the page header. The additions control how the page header is displayed, the length and width of the page, and the print output.

Declares an interface work area.

Declares a variable with the same data type and the same name as a data type from the ABAP Dictionary. Structures in main programs and subroutines declared using NODES use a common data area. This statement is used in conjunction with logical databases.

Introduces a new branch.

Opens an ON control structure, which ends with ENDON. The statement block is executed whenever the contents of the field <f> or one of the other fields <fi> has changed since the statement was last executed.

Opens a database cursor.

OPEN CURSOR [WITH HOLD] <c> FOR SELECT      <result>
                                  FROM      <source>
                                  [WHERE    <condition>]
                                  [GROUP BY <fields>]
                                  [HAVING   <cond>]
                                  [ORDER BY <fields>].

Opens a cursor <c> with type CURSOR for a SELECT statement. You can use all the clauses of the SELECT statement apart from the INTO clause. The INTO clause is set in the FETCH statement. If you use the WITH HOLD addition, the cursor is not closed when a database commit occurs.

Opens a file.

Opens a file <dsn> on the application server. The additions after FOR specify how the file is read or written. The MODE additions specifies how content is interpreted (as characters or in binary form). The ENCODING addition specifies the character representation in the file. The LEGACY MODE allows you to read files that were written before Release 6.10. REPLACEMENT CHARACTERS and CONVERSION ERRORS are used to handle errors during character set conversion. AT POSITION specifies the position in the file. MESSAGE specifies where system messages are stored. FILTER lets you specify operating system commands.

Overlays one string with another:

Converts type C variables to type P.

Packs the string <f> and places it in the field <g>. This can be reversed with the UNPACK statement.

Declares parameters for a selection screen.

Declares a variable <p>, as in the DATA statement. For <p>, an input field appears on the corresponding selection screen. The additions allow you to define default values, accept lowercase input, define the field as required, check values, define a checkbox or radio button, prevent the field from being displayed on the selection screen, or modify the field

Calls a subroutine.

PERFORM    <subr>
        |  <subr>(<prog>) [IF FOUND]
        |(<fsubr>)[IN PROGRAM (<fprog>)][IF FOUND]
        [USING  ... <p_i>... ]
        [CHANGING... <p_i>... ]
        [ON COMMIT].

Calls an internal or external subroutine <subr> or the subroutine whose name occurs in the <fsubr> field. The external program is <prog> or the name contained in <fprog>. The IF FOUND addition prevents a runtime error from occurring if the subroutine does not exist. The USING and CHANGING additions fill the subroutine’s parameter interface. The ON COMMIT addition delays the execution of the subroutine until the next COMMIT WORK statement.

Absolute position of the display in a list.

Positions the list display in the column <col>.

Specifies the print format.

PRINT-CONTROL <formats> [LINE <lin>] [POSITION <col>].

Sets the print format starting either at the current list position or at line <lin> and column <col>.

Creates index lines in the spool file.

Writes the contents of field <f> into an index line after finishing the current print line. The index line is not printed. During optical archiving, the spool system divides the list into a data file and a description file containing the index lines.

Defines the private section of a class.

Introduces the declaration of all of the components of a class that are only visible in the class itself.

Introduces a program.

The first statement in some ABAP programs. Equivalent to: REPORT.

Defines the protected section of a class.

Introduces the declaration of all of the components of a class that are only visible in the class and its subclasses.

Loops through internal tables at given intervals.

The contents of the specified fields of the internal tables <itab1> … <itabn> are placed in their header lines. The processing block between PROVIDE and ENDPROVIDE is then executed for each interval.

Defines the public section of a class.

Introduces the declaration of all of the components of a class that are visible in the class, its subclasses, and all users.

Triggers a GET event.

Only occurs in logical databases. Directs the program flow according to the structure of the logical database.

Raises an exception.

Terminates processing and raises an exception of the exception class <class>. If the reference variable <ref> points to an object of an exception class, <class> can be specified instead of TYPE.

Raises exceptions.

Only occurs in function modules and methods. Terminates processing and raises an exception <except> defined in the interface.

Triggers events in ABAP Objects.

Only occurs in methods. Triggers the event <evt> and calls all registered handler methods.

Declares a RANGES table.

Declares a RANGES table for the field <f>. A RANGES table has the same data type as a selection table, but is not linked to input fields on a selection screen.

Reads a file.

READ DATASET <dsn> INTO <f>
[MAXIMUM LENGTH <maxlen>]
[ACTUAL LENGTH <len>].

Reads the contents of the file <dsn> on the application server to the variable <f>. The amount of data can be specified using MAXIMUM LENGTH. The number of bytes transferred can be written to <len> using ACTUAL LENGTH.

Reads a line of an internal table.

READ TABLE <itab>  FROM <wa>
                  |WITH TABLE KEY <k1> = <f1>... <kn> = <fn>
                  |WITH KEY = <f>
                  |WITH KEY <k1> = <f1>... <kn> = <fn>
      INTO <wa> [COMPARING <f1> <f2>... |ALL FIELDS]
                [TRANSPORTING <f1> <f2>... |ALL FIELDS|NO FIELDS]
     |ASSIGNING <FS>
     |REFERENCE INTO <dref>.

This statement reads either the line of the internal table with the same key as specified in the work area <wa>, the line with the key specified in the TABLE KEY addition, the line that corresponds fully to <f>, or the one corresponding to the freely-defined key in the KEY addition. The contents of the line are either written to the work area <wa>, or the line is assigned to the field symbol <FS>. If you assign the line to a work area, you can compare field contents and specify the fields that you want to transport.

Reads a line of an internal table.

READ TABLE <itab> INDEX <idx>   INTO <wa>...
                              | ASSIGNING <FS>
                              | REFERENCE INTO <dref>.

The line with index 7 is read. The result is specified as with any internal table.

Reads the contents of a line from a list.

READ LINE  <n> [INDEX <idx>] [OF CURRENT PAGE|OF PAGE <p>]
          |CURRENT LINE
          [FIELD VALUE <f1> [INTO <g1>]... <fn> [INTO <gn>]].

Reads either the line <n> on the current or specified list or page, or the last line to have been selected by the user. The addition specifies the fields that you want to read, and the target fields into which they should be placed. The entire line is always placed in the system field SY-LISEL, and the HIDE area is filled for the line.

Reads ABAP programs into the program library.

READ REPORT <prog> INTO <itab>.

Copies the lines of the program <prog> into the internal table <itab>.

Receives results from an asynchronous function module call.

Occurs in special subroutines to receive IMPORTING and TABLES parameters from function modules called using the STARTING NEW TASK addition

Initializes an internal table.

Resets the internal table <itab> to its initial value, that is, deletes all of its lines.

Initializes a control.

The control <ctrl> defined in the CONTROLS statement is reset with the initial values specified for screen <scr>.

Leaves an GET processing block.

Terminates the processing of the current line of the node of the logical database. If you use the optional <dbtab>, the logical database reads the next line of the node <dbtab>.

Replaces strings in fields with other strings using a pattern.

In the string <text>, the search pattern <old> is replaced by the content of <new>. By default, the first occurrence of <old> is replaced. ALL OCCURENCES specifies that all occurrences be replaced. In the fields <old> and <new>, trailing spaces in C fields are ignored, but included in <text>. The SECTION OFFSET <off> LENGTH <len> OF addition tells the system to search and replace only from the <off> position in the length <len>. IGNORING CASE or RESPECTING CASE (default) specifies whether the search is to be case-sensitive. In Unicode programs, you must specify whether the statement is a character or byte operation, using the IN BYTE MODE or IN CHARACTER MODE (default) additions. The REPLACEMENT additions write the number of replacements, the offset of the last replacement, and the length of the last replaced string <new> to the fields <c>, <r>, and <l>.

Replaces strings in fields with other strings by position.

ABAP searches the field <c> for the first occurrence of the first <l> characters in the pattern <str1> and replaces them with the string <str2>. In Unicode programs, you must specify whether the statement is a character or byte operation, using the IN BYTE MODE or IN CHARACTER MODE (default) additions.

Introduces a program.

The first statement in executable ABAP programs. <rep> can be any name you choose. The addition MESSAGE-ID specifies a message class to be used in the program. The DEFINING DATABASE addition defines the program as the database program of the logical database <ldb>. The other additions are formatting specifications for the default list of the program.

Inserts a conditional page break in a list.

Executes a page break on the current page if less than <n> lines are free between the current line and the page footer.

Leaves a processing block.

Leaves the current processing block. In a reporting event: Jumps directly to the output list.

Undoes the changes in a SAP LUW.

ROLLBACK WORK always undoes all changes back to the start of the database LUW. The update modules are not called, and the log entry is deleted from table VBLOG.

Scrolls through lists

SCROLL LIST FORWARD|BACKWARD [INDEX <idx>].

SCROLL LIST TO FIRST PAGE|LAST PAGE|PAGE <pag>
            [INDEX <idx>] [LINE <lin>].

SCROLL LIST LEFT|RIGHT [BY <n> PLACES] [INDEX <idx>].

SCROLL LIST TO COLUMN <col> [INDEX <idx>].

Positions the current list or the list level <idx> in accordance with the additions specified. You can scroll by window, page, columns, or to the left- or right-hand edge of the list.

Searches for strings.

Searches the field <f> or table <itab> for the string in the field <g>. The result is stored in SY-FDPOS. The additions let you hide intermediate characters, search from and to a particular position, and convert the found string into uppercase. In Unicode programs, you must specify whether the statement is a character or byte operation, using the IN BYTE MODE or IN CHARACTER MODE (default) additions.

Reads data from the database.

SELECT <result>
  INTO <target>
  FROM <source>
  [WHERE <condition>]
  [GROUP BY <fields>]
  [HAVING <cond>]
  [ORDER BY <fields>].

The SELECT statement consists of a series of clauses, each of which fulfils a certain task:

Defines the structure of the selection.

SELECT [SINGLE]|[DISTINCT]
       * | <s_i> [AS <a _i>]... <agg>( [DISTINCT] <s _j>) [AS <a _j>]...

The selection can be one line, SINGLE, or several lines. You can eliminate duplicate lines using the DISTINCT addition. To select the entire line, use *, otherwise, you can specify individual columns <s_i>. For individual columns, you can use aggregate functions <agg>, and assign alternative column names <a _i>.

Defines the target area into which the selection from the SELECT clause is written.

...  INTO [CORRESPONDING FIELDS OF] <wa>
   | INTO|APPENDING [CORRESPONDING FIELDS OF] TABLE <itab>
                                             [PACKAGE SIZE <n>]
   | INTO (<f₁>, <f ₂>,...)

The target area can be a flat work area <wa>, an internal table <itab>, or a list of fields <f_i>. If you use the CORRESPONDING FIELDS addition, data is only selected if there is an identically-named field in the target area. If you use APPENDING instead of INTO, the data is appended to an internal table instead of overwriting the existing contents. PACKAGE SIZE allows you to overwrite or extend the internal table in a series of packages.The data type of the target area must be appropriate for the selection in the SELECT clause.

The FROM clause determines the database tables from which the data specified in the SELECT clause is read.

... FROM [<tab> [INNER]|LEFT [OUTER] JOIN] <dbtab> [AS <alias>]
                               [ON <cond>]
         [CLIENT SPECIFIED]
         [BYPASSING BUFFER]
         [UP TO <n> ROWS]

You can read both single fields and groups of fields. You link several tables using inner and outer joins to link tables with conditions <cond>, where <tab> is a single table or itself a join condition. The names of database tables may be specified statically or dynamically, and you can use alias names. You can bypass automatic client handling with the CLIENT SPECIFIED addition, and SAP buffering with BYPASSING BUFFER. You can also restrict the number of lines read from the table using the UP TO <n> ROWS addition.

Restricts the number of lines selected.

... [FOR ALL ENTRIES IN <itab>] WHERE <cond>

The condition <cond> may contain one or more comparisons, tests for belonging to intervals, value list checks, subqueries, selection table queries or null value checks, all linked with AND, OR, and NOT. If you use the FOR ALL ENTRIES addition, the condition <cond> is checked for each line of the internal table <itab> as long as <cond> contains a field of the internal table as an operand. For each line of the internal table, the system selects the lines from the database table that satisfy the condition. The result set is the union of the individual selections resulting from each line.

Groups lines in the selection.

... GROUP BY <s₁> <s ₂>

Groups lines with the same contents in the specified columns. Uses aggregate functions for all other columns in each group. All columns of the SELECT clause that are not listed in the GROUP BY clause must be included in aggregate functions.

Restricts the number of line groups selected.

... HAVING <cond>

Like the WHERE clause, but can only be used in conjunction with a GROUP BY clause. The HAVING clause uses conditions to restrict the number of groups selected.

Sorts the lines of the selection.

... ORDER BY PRIMARY KEY |... <s_i> [ASCENDING|DESCENDING]...

Sorts the selection in ascending or descending order according to the primary key or the contents of the fields listed.

Declares selection criteria for a selection screen.

Declares a selection table <sel> for the field <f>. For <sel>, places input fields on the corresponding selection screen. The additions allow you to set a default value, accept input in lowercase, define a required field, suppress or modify the display on the selection screen, restrict the selection table to a line or a selection to a single field, or prevent input from being passed to a logical database.

Formats selection screens

SELECTION-SCREEN SKIP [<n>].

SELECTION-SCREEN ULINE [[/]<pos(len)>] [MODIF ID <key>].

SELECTION-SCREEN COMMENT [/]<pos(len)> <comm> [FOR FIELD <f>]
                                              [MODIF ID <key>].

SELECTION-SCREEN BEGIN OF LINE.
 ...
SELECTION-SCREEN END OF LINE.

SELECTION-SCREEN BEGIN OF BLOCK <block>
                                [WITH FRAME [TITLE <titel>]]
                                [NO INTERVALS].
 ...
SELECTION-SCREEN END OF BLOCK <block>.

SELECTION-SCREEN FUNCTION KEY <i>.

SELECTION SCREEN PUSHBUTTON [/]<pos(len)> <push>
                            USER-COMMAND <ucom> [MODIF ID <key>].

Allows you to insert blank lines, lines and comments, group input fields together in lines and blocks, and create pushbuttons.

Defines selection screens.

SELECTION-SCREEN BEGIN OF <numb> [TITLE <tit>] [AS WINDOW].
 ...
SELECTION-SCREEN END OF <numb>.

Defines a selection screen with screen number <numb>. All PARAMETERS, SELECT-OPTIONS, and SELECTION-SCREEN statements that occur between these two statements define the input fields and the formatting of this selection screen. The TITLE <title> addition allows you to define a title for a selection screen. You can use the AS WINDOW addition to call a selection screen as a modal dialog box.

Defines selection screen versions.

SELECTION-SCREEN BEGIN OF VERSION <dynnr>
 ...
  SELECTION-SCREEN EXCLUDE <f>.
 ...
SELECTION-SCREEN BEGIN OF VERSION <dynnr>.

Only occurs in logical databases. Hides fields that otherwise appear on the standard selection screen.

Provides special functions.

SELECTION-SCREEN DYNAMIC SELECTIONS | FIELD SELECTION
                 FOR NODE|TABLE <node>.

Only occurs in logical databases. Declares a node as accepting dynamic selections or field selections.

Sets individual bits.

SET BIT <n> OF <f> [TO <b>].

This statement sets the bit at position <n> of the hexadecimal field <f> to 1 (or to the value of field <b>). The field <b> must contain the value 0 or 1.

Allows blank lines in lists.

SET BLANK LINES ON|OFF.

Prevents blank lines created in WRITE statements from being suppressed in list output.

Sets output Formats

SET COUNTRY <c>.

Sets the output formats for numeric and date fields for the country with the ID <c>.

Sets the cursor on the screen.

SET CURSOR FIELD <f> [OFFSET <off>]
                     [LINE <lin>].

SET CURSOR LINE <lin> [OFFSET <off>].

SET CURSOR <col> <line>.

Sets the cursor either to a particular position in a field, line, or column of a line.

Changes the attributes of a file opened using OPEN DATASET. The POSITIONS addition sets the current read/write position to the value in the field <pos> or to the end of the file. The ATTRIBUTE addition passes the attributes to the file in a structure, <attr>, of the type DSET_ATTRIBUTES.

Affects the extended program check.

SET EXTENDED CHECK ON|OFF.

Switches the extended program check (SLIN) on or off, suppressing the corresponding messages.

Registers event handlers in ABAP Objects.

SET HANDLER... <h_i>... [FOR <ref>|FOR ALL INSTANCES].

If you do not use the FOR addition, the handler is set for all static events. Use the FOR addition to register handlers for instance events.

Sets a screen attribute.

SET HOLD DATA ON|OFF.

Sets the screen attribute "Hold data" from the program.

Sets the display language.

SET LANGUAGE <lg>.

All text symbols are refreshed with the contents of the text pool in language <lg>.

Sets the left boundary for horizontal scrolling.

SET LEFT SCROLL-BOUNDARY [COLUMN <col>].

Sets the current output position or the position <col> as the left-hand edge of the scrollable area on the current list page.

Sets the current text environment.

SET LOCALE LANGUAGE <lg> [COUNTRY <c>] [MODIFIER <m>].

Sets the text environment for alphabetical sorting according to the language <lg>, country <c>, and any further modifier <m>.

Sets the margin of a print page.

SET MARGIN <x> [<y>].

Sends the current list page to the spool system with a margin of <x> columns from the left-hand edge and <y> rows from the top edge of the page.

Sets an SPA/GPA parameters

Writes the value of the field to the SPA/GPA parameter <pid> in the user-specific SAP memory.

Sets the GUI status

SET PF-STATUS <stat> [EXCLUDING <f>|<itab>]
                     [IMMEDIATELY] [OF PROGRAM <prog>].

Sets the GUI status <stat> for the subsequent screens. The EXCLUDING addition allows you to deactivate functions dynamically. The IMMEDIATELY addition sets the GUI status of the list currently displayed. The OF PROGRAM addition allows you to use a GUI status from another program.

Sets a property of an OLE2 Automation object.

Sets the property <p> of an external OLE2 Automation object to <f>.

Controls runtime analysis.

SET RUN TIME ANALYZER ON|OFF.

The runtime analysis only measures the runtime of the statements in the block between SET RUN TIME ANALYZER ON and OFF.

Controls runtime analysis.

SET RUN TIME CLOCK RESOLUTION HIGH|LOW.

Sets the accuracy of the runtime to low accuracy with long measurement interval or high accuracy with shorter measurement interval.

Sets the next screen.

SET SCREEN <scr>.

Temporarily overwrites the statically-defined next screen with <scr>. <scr> is processed after the current screen.

Sets the screen title.

SET TITLEBAR <tit> [OF PROGRAM <prog>] [WITH <g1 >... <g9>].

Sets the title <tit> for the subsequent screens. The OF PROGRAM addition allows you to use a title from another program. The WITH addition fills any placeholders in the title.

Switches on local update.

SET UPDATE TASK LOCAL.

Updates are processed in the current work process.

Triggers a list event.

SET USER-COMMAND <fc>.

Triggers a list event with the function code <fc> and calls the corresponding event block.

Shifts strings.

SHIFT <c> [BY <n> PLACES] [LEFT|RIGHT|CIRCULAR]
          [IN BYTE MODE|IN CHARACTER MODE].

Shifts the field <c> by one or <n> places. The additions allow you to specify the direction, and how the empty spaces are dealt with. In Unicode programs, you must specify whether the statement is a character or byte operation, using the IN BYTE MODE or IN CHARACTER MODE (default) additions.

Generates blank lines in the display list.

The system writes <n> blank lines into the current list, starting at the current line. If no value is specified for <n>, one blank line is output.

Absolute position of the display in a list.

Positions the list display in the line <col>.

Sorts an extract dataset.

SORT [ASCENDING|DESCENDING] [AS TEXT] [STABLE]
    ... BY <f_i> [ASCENDING|DESCENDING] [AS TEXT]...

Ends the creation of the extract dataset of a program and, at the same time, sorts its records. Without the BY option, the system sorts the dataset by the key specified in the HEADER field group. You can define a different sort key by using the BY addition. The other additions specify whether you want to sort in ascending or descending order, and whether strings should be sorted alphabetically.

Sorts internal tables.

SORT <itab> [ASCENDING|DESCENDING] [AS TEXT] [STABLE]
           ... BY <f_i> [ASCENDING|DESCENDING] [AS TEXT]...

Sorts the internal table <itab>. If you omit the BY addition, the table is sorted by its key. You can define a different sort key by using the BY addition. The other additions specify whether you want to sort in ascending or descending order, and whether strings should be sorted alphabetically.

Splits a string.

This statement searches the character field <c> for delimiter strings <del> and the parts before and after the delimiters are placed in the target fields <c1> ...> … <cn>, or into a new line of the internal table <itab>. In Unicode programs, you must specify whether the statement is a character or byte operation, using the IN BYTE MODE or IN CHARACTER MODE (default) additions.

Event keywords for defining event blocks for reporting events.

After the selection screen has been processed, the runtime environment triggers the LOAD-OF-PROGRAM event, and the corresponding event block is executed.

Defines static variables.

Like DATA. Retains the value of a local variable beyond the runtime of the procedure in which it occurs.

Leaves a reporting event.

Only occurs in event blocks for reporting events. Leaves the event block and goes to the END-OF-SELECTION block.

Calls an executable program of type 1.

SUBMIT <rep> [AND RETURN] [VIA SELECTION-SCREEN]
                          [USING SELECTION-SET <var>]
                          [WITH <sel> <criterion>]
                          [WITH FREE SELECTIONS <freesel>]
                          [WITH SELECTION-TABLE <rspar>]
                          [LINE-SIZE <width>]
                          [LINE-COUNT <length>].

Calls the program <rep>. If you omit the AND RETURN addition, the current program is terminated. Otherwise, the data from the current program is retained, and processing returns to the calling program when <rep> has finished running. The other additions control the selection screen and set attributes of the default list in the called program.

Subtracts two single fields.

The contents of <n> are subtracted from the contents of <m> and the results are stored in <m>. This is equivalent to: <m> = <m> - <n>.

Subtracts components of structures.

All the subfields of the structures <struc1> and <struc2> having the same name are subtracted and the results are stored in <struc2>.

Calculates sums of groups.

SUM.

Only occurs in loops through internal tables. Calculates the sums of the numeric fields in all lines of the current control level and writes the results to the corresponding fields in the work area.

Fills context instances with values.

SUPPLY <key₁> = <f ₁>... <key _n> = <f _n> TO CONTEXT <inst>.

Fills the key fields <key_n> of the context instance <inst> with the values <f _n>.

Prevents the current screen from being displayed.

Can only occur in a PBO dialog module. The screen is not displayed, but its flow logic is still processed.

Declares an interface work area.

Declares a structure with the same data type and the same name as a database table, a view, or a structure from the ABAP Dictionary. Structures in main programs and subroutines declared using TABLES use a common data area.

Event keywords for defining event blocks for list events.

Whenever a new page begins while a standard list is being created, the runtime environment triggers the TOP-OF-PAGE event and the corresponding event block is executed. The addition DURING LINE-SELECTION has the same function, but for detail lists.

Writes to a file.

TRANSFER <f> TO [LENGTH <len>].

Writes the field <f> to the file <dsn> on the application server. You can specify the length of the data you want to transfer using the LENGTH addition.

Converts characters to strings.

TRANSLATE <c>  TO UPPER|LOWER CASE
              |USING <r>.

The characters of the string <c> are converted into upper- or lowercase, or according to a substitution rule specified in <r>.

Introduces a TRY block.

TRY.

Class-based exceptions can be handled using the CATCH statement, within the block ended with ENDTRY.

Introduces a type group.

The first statement in a type group. This statement is not entered in the ABAP Editor, but is automatically generated by the Dictionary in the ABAP Workbench. A type group is an ABAP program that contains type definitions and constant declarations that can be used in several programs.

Declares the types and constants of a type group to a program.

This statement allows you to use all the data types and constants defined in the type group <tpool> in your program.

Defines a single field type.

TYPES <t>[(<length>)] [TYPE <type>|LIKE <obj>] [DECIMALS <dec>].

Defines the internal data type <t> in the program with length <len>, reference to the ABAP Dictionary type <type> or a data object <obj>, and, where appropriate, with <dec> decimal places.

TYPES <t> TYPE REF TO <class>|<interface>.

Defines the internal data type <t> in the program with reference to the class <class> or the interface <interface>.

TYPES <t> TYPE REF TO DATA|<type>.

Defines the internal data type <t> as a data reference to a data object.

Defines complex types.

TYPES: BEGIN OF <structure>,
        ...
         <t_i>...,
        ...
       END OF <structure>.

Combines the data types <t_i> to form the structure <structure>. You can address the individual components of a structure in a program using a hyphen between the structure name and the component name as follows: <structure>-<t _i>.

TYPES <t> TYPE|LIKE <tabkind> OF <linetype> [WITH <key>].

Defines the local data type <t> in the program as an internal table with the access type <tabkind>, the line type <linetype>, and the key <key>.

TYPES <t> TYPE|LIKE RANGE OF <type>|<obj>.

Defines the internal data type <t> as a RANGES table. A RANGES table has the same data type as a selection table, but is not linked to input fields on a selection screen.

Places horizontal lines in the display list.

ULINE [AT [/][<pos>][(<len>)]].

Without additions, creates a new line on the current list and fills it with a horizontal line. The additions allow you to insert a line break and specify the starting position and length of the line.

Converts type P variables to type C.

Unpacks the packed field <f> and places it in the string <g> with leading zeros. This can be reversed with the PACK statement.

Changes entries in database tables.

UPDATE <dbtab> SET  <s_i> = <f>
                   |<s_i> = <s _i> + <f>
                   |<s_i> = <s _i> - <f> [WHERE <cond>].

The value in the column <s_i> is set to the value <f>, increases it by <f>, or decreases it by <f> for all lines selected. The WHERE clause specifies the lines that are changed. If you omit the WHERE clause, all lines are changed.

UPDATE <dbtab> FROM <wa>.

UPDATE <dbtab> FROM TABLE <itab>.

This deletes the line that has the same primary key as the work area <wa>, or deletes all the lines in the database that have the same primary key as a line in the internal table <itab>. The work area <wa> or the lines of the internal table <itab> must have at least the same length and alignment as the lines of the database table.

Introduces a statement block in a CASE control structure.

WHEN <f₁> [OR <f ₂> OR...] | OTHERS.

Introduces a loop.

WHILE <logexp> [VARY <f> FROM <f1> NEXT <f2>].

Introduces a statement block that ends with ENDWHILE. The statement block between WHILE and ENDWHILE is repeated as long as the logical expression <logexp> is true, or until a termination statement such as EXIT or CHECK occurs. The VARY addition allows you to process fields the same distance apart in memory.

Displays a list as a modal dialog box.

Only occurs in list processing. The current detail list is displayed as a modal dialog box. The top left-hand corner of the window is positioned at column <x1> and line <y1>. The bottom right-hand corner is positioned at column <x2> and line <y2> (if specified).

Displays lists.

The contents of the field <f> are formatted according to their data type and displayed in the current list. . The additions before the field allow you to specify a line break, the starting position, and the length of the field. The additions after the field allow you to display checkboxes, symbols, icons, and lines. The <format> addition can contain various other formatting options. The QUICKINFO addition allows you to assign a tool tip <g> to the field.

Assigns string values.

Converts the contents of a data object <f1> to type C, and assigns the resulting string to the variable <f2>. You can use the same formatting options available in the WRITE statement