Navigation and Information System: Overview
The ABAP Workbench provides the following tools for navigating among development objects: The Repository Browser, the R/3 Repository Information System, and the application hierarchy. All three navigation tools use a "file manager" type interface for displaying development objects. The Workbench also contains the Data Browser for displaying the contents of database tables.
The Repository Browser is the central tool for organizing and managing your personal development objects. The Repository Browser is the most commonly-used tool in day-to-day development.
The R/3 Repository contains all of the development objects in the system. From the Repository Information System you can search for Dictionary objects, program objects, function groups, and so on. You can use the Repository to:
The Application Hierarchy depicts the organization of all the applications in your R/3 system. The application hierarchy is an organizational tool. Each company defines its own hierarchy explicitly. You can use this tool to view the development objects used by each application in your company. You can also use the application hierarchy to plan an application before you develop it.
The Data Browser is a tool for retrieving information about a table without using an ABAP program. You can browse the contents of a table and branch from a specific entry to its related check table entries. If the table attributes allow it, you can also create or update table records with the Data Browser.
The Right Tool at the Right Time
From each of the Workbench information and navigation tools, you can reach not only any of the objects in your system but any of the Workbench tools. For example, if you navigate to a table object, the system starts the Dictionary tool and displays the table within it. If you branch to a program object, the system starts the ABAP Editor and displays the program within the Editor.