Maintaining and Displaying Table Contents (SAP Library

Maintaining and Displaying Table Contents

Tables containing master data and transaction data are always processed by R/3 applications. All other tables can be maintained directly with the standard or extended table maintenance functions. Extended table maintenance is described in the next section. If you have installed the ABAP/4 Development Workbench, you can also display and edit table contents with the Data Browser, found in the Test menu.

The extended table maintenance function offers extra features, such as marking of blocks of entries, selection by field contents, and a "waste paper basket" buffer for deleted entries. The standard table maintenance function makes changes directly in the database, without buffering them. The standard table maintenance function also accepts only table names that are five characters long or less. Because of the extra comfort of the function, SAP recommends that you use it rather than the standard table maintenance.

Selecting the Maintenance Interface

The standard table maintenance function will be replaced by the extended table maintenance function in a future release. You can already use the interface of the extended table maintenance function in the standard function.

If you create a new table, you can decide which of the two interfaces you wish to use and then create the appropriate interface.

For existing tables, only the standard interface is available in the standard maintenance function.

Creating a Standard Maintenance Interface

To create interface screens for a new table using the interface of the standard table maintenance function, do the following:

Select Tools ® Case and then Development ® Screen painter ® Utilities ® Create table screen.

Enter the name of the new table and press Continue.

Starting the Standard Maintenance Function

You can maintain or display tables with the menu options
System ® Services ® Table Maintenance. You can display or maintain table contents. If the table you select already has the extended interface, the System automatically starts the extended maintenance table function for you.

Authorizations

Access to tables is controlled by means of authorizations. The authorizations check type of access (display and maintenance) and type of table (client-specific or client-independent).

Searching for Table Entries

Starting from the left, enter as much information as you can into the search fields under the table display. When you press ENTER, the table is displayed from the first line matching your search data.

Adding and Changing Table Entries

You can add or change table entries in the following ways:

add or change an entry by overwriting at least the key field of an existing entry.

type a new entry into an empty line at the end of the table.

When you press ENTER, the system checks the key data you have entered against the existing key data. If the R/3 System does not find another key that matches the one that you have entered, then the new entry is added. The entry which has been overwritten is not affected by this.

If the key data is identical to that of another entry, the existing entry is replaced by the new one.

Deleting Table Entries

Position the cursor on the entry you wish to delete and select the delete function.