Open SQL - SQL Expressions sql_exp - ABAP Keyword Documentation

ABAP - Keyword Documentation → ABAP - Reference → Processing External Data → ABAP Database Accesses → Open SQL → Open SQL - Operands and Expressions →

Open SQL - SQL Expressions sql_exp

Syntax

Effect

SQL expressions are expressions that can be specified in the following positions of Open SQL statements.

As columns specified in the SELECT list
As an argument of aggregate expressions in the SELECT list and in the HAVING clause
On the left side of an SQL condition
As a grouping criterion after GROUP BY

SQL expressions are passed to the database system, executed there, and the result is passed to the application server if requested. The possible operands are:

Suitable columns col of data sources. The valid data types are specified in the expressions themselves.
Literals, host variables, or host expressions, which cannot have the type string or xstring.

Host variables must be prefixed with the escape character @.

Literals are handled strictly according to type. This means that string literals are not allowed and only text field literals of the type c can be used as character literals. Empty text field literals cannot be specified. The value of a numeric literal must be in the value range of type i, which means it always has type i.

SQL expressions whose results can be used in accordance with their data type. SQL expressions cannot be specified in all operand positions.

The SQL expression can be used to execute

executed. Every expression can be enclosed in parentheses. The result of an expression is used in the Open-SQL statement in accordance with the operand position, with the data type in nested expressions being specified by the outermost expression.

Notes

SQL expressions cannot be used when accessing cluster tables or pooled tables.
Host variables and host expressions as operands of expressions are evaluated before the Open SQL statement is sent to the database system. Specifying a host variable from a SELECT list after INTO in a SELECT loop does not mean that a different value is used in each loop pass.
No aggregate expressions as operands of SQL expressions can currently be specified. SQL expressions can, however, be arguments of aggregate functions.
When SQL expressions are used, the syntax check is performed in a strict mode from Release 7.40, SP05, which handles the statement more strictly than the regular syntax check.
If a host expression occurs in an SQL expression, the syntax check is performed in a strict mode from Release 7.50, which handles the statement more strictly than the regular syntax check.
If required, a column can be specified in an SQL expression using a path expression for associations of a CDS view.
SQL expressions cannot currently be used together with the addition FOR ALL ENTRIES.
If SQL expressions are specified together with aggregate expressions or with the addition GROUP BY, the syntax check is performed in a strict mode, which handles the statement more strictly than the regular syntax check.
SQL expressions are not possible if the program attribute fixed point arithmetic is switched off.

Example

Syntax example for specifying SQL expressions in different operand positions in a SELECT statement

SELECT FROM sflight
       FIELDS CONCAT( carrid, connid ) AS key,
              MAX( seatsmax - seatsocc ) AS max_free,
              MIN( seatsmax - seatsocc ) AS min_free
        GROUP BY carrid, connid
        HAVING SUM( seatsmax - seatsocc ) > 100
        ORDER BY key
        INTO TABLE @DATA(itab).

Continue
sql_exp - sql_elem
sql_exp - sql_func
sql_exp - sql_arith
sql_exp - sql_cast
sql_exp - sql_string
sql_exp - sql_case
sql_exp - ( )
Examples of SQL Expressions