Access Mode 

The access mode defines how to access the data in the internal table defined by the table type when performing key operations (READ TABLE, INSERT TABLE, MODIFY TABLE, COLLECT). In particular, it defines whether key accesses (see Keys of Table Types) to the internal table are allowed.

Possible access modes are:

• Standard table:

The key access to a standard table uses a sequential search. The time required for an access is linearly dependent on the number of entries in the internal table.

You should usually access a standard table with index operations.

• Sorted table:

The table is always stored internally sorted by its key. Key access to a sorted table can therefore use a binary search. If the key is not unique, the entry with the lowest index is accessed. The time required for an access is logarithmically dependent on the number of entries in the internal table.

Index accesses to sorted tables are also allowed. You should usually access a sorted table using its key.

• Hash table:

The table is internally managed with a hash procedure. All the entries must have a unique key. The time required for a key access is constant, that is it does not depend on the number of entries in the internal table.

You cannot access a hash table with an index. Accesses must use generic key operations (SORT, LOOP, etc.).

• Index table:

The table can be a standard table or a sorted table.

Index access is allowed to such an index table. Index tables can be used to define the type of generic parameters of a FORM (subroutine) or a function module.

• not specified:

The table can be a standard table, a sorted table or a hash table. The set of valid operations on such a table is the intersection of the valid operations for these three access modes.

You cannot access tables of this type with index operations.