Replacing Field Contents
To replace a string in a field with a different string, use the REPLACE statement.
REPLACE <str1> WITH <str2> INTO <c> [LENGTH <l>].
The statement searches the field <c> for the first occurrence of the first <l> positions of the pattern <str1>. If no length is specified, it searches for the pattern <str1> in its full length.
Then, the statement replaces the first occurrence of the pattern <str1> in field
<c> with the string <str2>. If a length <l> was specified, only the relevant part of the pattern is replaced.If the return code value of the system field SY-SUBRC is set to 0, this indicates that <str1> was found in <c> and replaced by <str2>. A return code value other than 0 means that nothing was replaced. <str1>, <str2>, and <len> can be variables.
DATA: T(10) VALUE 'abcdefghij',
STRING LIKE T,
STR1(4) VALUE 'cdef',
STR2(4) VALUE 'klmn',
STR3(2) VALUE 'kl',
STR4(6) VALUE 'klmnop',
LEN TYPE I VALUE 2.
STRING = T.
WRITE STRING.
REPLACE STR1 WITH STR2 INTO STRING.
WRITE / STRING.
STRING = T.
REPLACE STR1 WITH STR2 INTO STRING LENGTH LEN.
WRITE / STRING.
STRING = T.
REPLACE STR1 WITH STR3 INTO STRING.
WRITE / STRING.
STRING = T.
REPLACE STR1 WITH STR4 INTO STRING.
WRITE / STRING.
The output appears as follows:
abcdefghij
abklmnghij
abklmnefgh
abklghij
abklmnopgh
Note how, in the last line, the field STRING is truncated on the right. The search pattern 'cdef' of length 4 is replaced by 'klmnop' of length 6. Then, the rest of the field STRING is filled up to the end of the field.