A dump analysis is a comprehensive list that should enable you to identify the causes and possible solutions of program errors. The ABAP Workbench generates a short dump whenever a report or transaction terminates due to a serious error. The system enters the error in the system log and writes a snapshot of the program at the moment when it terminated into a special database table called SNAP.

Dump analyses give the user or programmer information about the causes of the error that has caused the program to terminate. Experienced users can use them to identify very quickly where and why this occurred. He or she can them solve the problem.

The snapshot contains the following information:

• Why the program has terminated

• What caused the program termination

• Where in the program code the termination occurred

• What you can do to correct the error

• The values of the relevant system fields when the program terminated

• The calls or events that were active when the program terminated

• Any other programs that are affected.