Data structures and Internal

tables
SAP - ABAP
 Topics

 Data structures and Internal tables

2
 Objectives
The participants will be able to:

Create a Structure in an ABAP Program

Create an Internal Table in an ABAP program

Populate an Internal Table with data

Read Database information into an Internal Table

3
 Data Structures

Structure Internal Table

Address List Address List

LN FN City ST. LN FN City ST.

LN FN City ST.

LN FN City ST.

4
 Declaring a Structure - Method #1
Is this statement
1 REPORT YN1C0008. necessary for the
2 code?
3 TABLES: TABNA. Basic Syntax:
4 DATA: BEGIN OF ADDRESS, DATA: BEGIN OF <name>
5 FLAG TYPE C, <field1> . . .
6 ID LIKE TABNA-ID, <field2> . . .
7 NAME1 LIKE TABNA-NAME1, ...
8 CITY LIKE TABNA-CITY, END OF <name>.
9 END OF ADDRESS.
10 MOVE ‘X’ TO ADDRESS-FLAG.
11 MOVE ‘0001’ TO ADDRESS-ID.
12 MOVE ‘Smith’ TO ADDRESS-NAME1.
13 MOVE ‘Philadelphia’ TO
14 ADDRESS- CITY. Address Structure
15 WRITE ADDRESS. Flag ID Name1 City
16
17

5
5
 Declaring a Structure - Method #2
REPORT Yxxxxxxx. Basic Syntax:
TYPES: BEGIN OF ADDR, TYPES: BEGIN OF <name1>,
FLAG, <field1> . . . ,
ID LIKE EMPLOYEE-ID, <field2> . . . ,
NAME1 LIKE EMPLOYEE-NAME1, ... ,
CITY LIKE EMPLOYEE-CITY, END OF <name1>.
END OF ADDR. DATA: <name2> TYPE
DATA: ADDRESS TYPE ADDR. <name1>.
MOVE: ‘X’ TO ADDRESS-FLAG,
‘00001’ TO ADDRESS-ID,
‘Smith’ TO ADDRESS-NAME1,
‘Philadelphia’ TO ADDRESS-CITY.
WRITE ADDRESS.

Address Structure
Flag ID Name1 City

6
6 Data Structure & Inter3.07
 Populating a Structure with Field-by-Field Transport

REPORT Y170DM37.
TABLES: EMPLOYEE. EMPLOYEE
DATA: BEGIN OF ADDRESS, ID Name1 City
FLAG,
000000001 Electronics Inc. Waldorf
ID LIKE EMPLOYEE-ID,
Address MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE
NAME LIKE EMPLOYEE-NAME1, TO ADDRESS.
CITY LIKE EMPLOYEE-CITY,
Flag ID Name City
END OF ADDRESS.
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE. 000000001 Waldorf
MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE Clear <f1>.
TO ADDRESS.
WRITE: / ADDRESS-FLAG,
ADDRESS-ID, ADDRESS-NAME,
ADDRESS-CITY.
CLEAR ADDRESS.
ENDSELECT.

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7 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Demonstration

 Declaring a structure and populating the structure with values inside a program.

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8 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Practice

 Declaring a structure and populating the structure with values inside a program.

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9 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Internal Table Types

 Standard
 Sorted
 Hashed

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10 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Creating an Internal Table with Header Line
REPORT Y170DM38.
TABLES: EMPLOYEE.
TYPES: BEGIN OF EMP, The TYPES statement defines the
ID LIKE EMPLOYEE-ID,NAME1 structure and data type for the
LIKE EMPLOYEE-NAME1, internal table.
COUNTRY LIKE The DATA statement with an
EMPLOYEE-COUNTRY, INITIAL SIZE creates the actual
END OF EMP. internal table capable of storing
DATA: EMPTAB TYPE STANDARD TABLE data. Because of the WITH
OF EMP INITIAL SIZE 10 WITH HEADER LINE addition, this
HEADER LINE. internal table is created with a
header line.
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE.
MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO ID NAME1 COUNTRY
EMPTAB. Header Line
APPEND EMPTAB.
ENDSELECT.

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11 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Size of an Internal Table

12
12 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Loading an Internal Table with a Header Line

APPEND <int. table>. APPEND <int. table>

SORTED BY <field>.
Department Salary Department Salary
Header
R&D 400,000 R&D 400,000
MKTG 1,000,000 1 PROD 7,800,000
2
SALES 500,000 3 MKTG 1,000,000
PROD 7,800,000 4 SALES 500,000
5
IT 50,000 6 HR 140,000
HR 140,000 IT 50,000

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13 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Loading an Internal Table with a Header Line
REPORT Y170DM42.
TABLES: EMPLOYEE. With both versions of the
TYPES: BEGIN OF EMP, APPEND statement, memory
space for ten records is
COUNTRY LIKE EMPLOYEE-COUNTRY,
allocated when the first record
ID LIKE EMPLOYEE-ID, is written to the internal table.
SALARY LIKE EMPLOYEE-SALARY,
END OF EMP.
DATA: EMPTAB TYPE STANDARD TABLE Example 1
OF EMP INITIAL SIZE 10 WITH HEADER LINE.
More than ten entries can be
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE. saved in the internal table.
MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO EMPTAB.
Example 2
APPEND EMPTAB.
MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO EMPTAB.
A maximum of ten entries
APPEND EMPTAB SORTED BY SALARY. can be saved in the internal
OR
ENDSELECT. table. Any entries that
exceed the top ten will
be deleted.
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14 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Loading an Internal Table with a Header Line
REPORT Y170DM42.
TABLES: EMPLOYEE. With both versions of the
TYPES: BEGIN OF EMP, APPEND statement, memory
space for ten records is
COUNTRY LIKE EMPLOYEE-COUNTRY,
allocated when the first record
ID LIKE EMPLOYEE-ID, is written to the internal table.
SALARY LIKE EMPLOYEE-SALARY,
END OF EMP.
DATA: EMPTAB TYPE STANDARD TABLE Example 1
OF EMP INITIAL SIZE 10 WITH HEADER LINE.
More than ten entries can be
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE. saved in the internal table.
MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO EMPTAB.
Example 2
APPEND EMPTAB.
MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO EMPTAB.
A maximum of ten entries
APPEND EMPTAB SORTED BY SALARY. can be saved in the internal
OR
ENDSELECT. table. Any entries that
exceed the top ten will
be deleted.
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15 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Internal Table with Header Line

EMPLOYEE

A
COUNTRY ID FORMA NAME1 SORTL . . .

ID NAME1 COUNTRY

B Header Line

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16 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Internal Table with Header Line

1 EMPLOYEE

COUNTRY ID FORMA NAME1 SORTL . . .

USA 00000001 Company Baker Distributors BAKER . . .

ID NAME1 COUNTRY
Header Line

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17 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Internal Table with Header Line

1 EMPLOYEE

COUNTRY ID FORMA NAME1 SORTL . . .

USA 00000001 Company Baker Distributors BAKER . . .

2
ID NAME1 COUNTRY
00000001 Baker Distributors USA Header Line

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18 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Internal Table with Header Line
1 EMPLOYEE

COUNTRY ID FORMA NAME1 SORTL . . .

USA 00000001 Company Baker Distributors BAKER . . .

2
ID NAME1 COUNTRY
00000001 Baker Distributors USA Header Line

00000001 Baker Distributors USA 1

3
This header line is
2 attached to the
body of the
3 internal table.
. .
. .
. .
10

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19 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Internal Table with Header Line
4 EMPLOYEE

COUNTRY ID FORMA NAME1 SORTL . . .

USA 00000002 Company Diversified Indust.. DIVERS . . .

5
ID NAME1 COUNTRY
00000002 Diversified Indust... USA Header Line

00000001 Baker Distributors USA 1

6 2
00000002 Diversified Indust... USA

3
. .
. .
. .
10
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20 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Creating an Internal Table without a Header Line
The TYPES statement defines the
structure and data type for the
REPORT Y170DM40. internal table and its work area
TABLES: EMPLOYEE.
TYPES: BEGIN OF EMP,
ID LIKE EMPLOYEE-ID,
NAME1 LIKE EMPLOYEE-NAME1, The DATA statement with an INITIAL
COUNTRY LIKE EMPLOYEE-COUNTRY, SIZE creates the actual internal table
END OF EMP. without a header line. The DATA
statement without the INITIAL SIZE
DATA: EMPTAB TYPE STANDARD TABLE creates the work area for the internal
OF EMP INITIAL SIZE 10, table.
EMPTAB_WA TYPE EMP.

SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE. Work Area

MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO EMPTAB_WA.
ID NAME1 COUNTRY
APPEND EMPTAB_WA TO EMPTAB.
ENDSELECT.

APPEND <work area> to <EMPTAB>.

 Internal Table without a Header Line WHY???

Separate Internal Table Work Area

Performance Issues

Nested Internal Tables

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22 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Internal Table without a Header Line

EMPLOYEE

A
COUNTRY ID FORMA NAME1 SORTL . . .

ID NAME1 COUNTRY
B Work Area

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23 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Internal Table without a Header Line
1 EMPLOYEE

COUNTRY ID FORMA NAME1 SORT . . .

USA 00000001 Company Baker Distributors BAKER . . .

2
ID NAME1 COUNTRY
00000001 Baker Distributors USA Work Area

ID NAME1 COUNTRY
00000001 Baker Distributors USA 1
3
This work area is
2 not attached to
the body of the
3 internal table.
.
.
.
10
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24 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Automatic Field Conversion

 MOVE-CORRESPONDING or MOVE field to field

– Individual field type conversion

 MOVE

– Structure to structure
– Field to structure
– Structure to field
• Intermediate C type
• Followed by adoption of new types

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25 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Mass Reading from Database Tables into Internal Tables

REPORT Y170DM69.

TABLES: EMPLOYEE.
SELECT * FROM <table> . . .
DATA: EMPTAB LIKE STANDARD TABLE EMPLOYEE INITIAL 1. INTO TABLE <EMPTAB>.
SIZE 10 WITH HEADER LINE. 2. APPENDING TABLE <EMPTAB>.

SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE INTO TABLE EMPTAB

WHERE COUNTRY = ‘USA’.

Notice no ENDSELECT is
needed here because no loop
processing occurs.

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26 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Processing an Internal Table
REPORT Y170DM45.

TABLES: EMPLOYEE.
This LOOP AT <EMPTAB>
TYPES: BEGIN OF EMP, statement allows for a logical
COUNTRY LIKE EMPLOYEE-COUNTRY, expression in a WHERE clause to
NAME1 LIKE EMPLOYEE-NAME1,
SALES LIKE EMPLOYEE-SALES,
limit the processing of the internal
END OF EMP. table.
DATA: EMPTAB TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF EMP INITIAL SIZE 10 WITH HEADER
LINE.
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE.
MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO EMPTAB.
APPEND EMPTAB.
ENDSELECT.
LOOP AT EMPTAB WHERE COUNTRY BETWEEN ‘A’ AND ‘D’.
WRITE: / EMPTAB-COUNTRY, EMPTAB-NAME1, If no internal table entries
EMPTAB-SALES. qualify under the logical
ENDLOOP.
IF SY-SUBRC NE 0. expression, the statement
WRITE: / ‘NO ENTRIES’. within the loop is not executed
ENDIF. and SY-SUBRC is set to 4.

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27 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 System Field SY-TABIX
REPORT Y170DM46.
TABLES: EMPLOYEE.

TYPES: BEGIN OF EMP,

COUNTRY LIKE EMPLOYEE-COUNTRY,
NAME1 LIKE EMPLOYEE-NAME1,
END OF EMP.
DATA: EMPTAB TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF EMP
INITIAL SIZE 10 WITH HEADER LINE.

PARAMETERS: START LIKE SY-TABIX DEFAULT 10,

Screen output
END LIKE SY-TABIX DEFAULT 20.
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE.
MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO EMPTAB.
APPEND EMPTAB. SY-TABIX
ENDSELECT.
LOOP AT EMPTAB FROM START TO END.
WRITE: / SY-TABIX, EMPTAB-COUNTRY, EMPTAB-NAME1.
ENDLOOP.
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28 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Accumulating Data within an Internal Table
REPORT Y170DM43.
TABLES: EMPLOYEE.
COLLECT <EMPTAB>.
TYPES: BEGIN OF EMP,
COUNTRY LIKE EMPLOYEE-COUNTRY, Country Sales
SALES LIKE EMPLOYEE-SALES, D 400,000 Header Line
END OF EMP. USA 1,000,000
DATA: EMPTAB TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF EMP INITIAL GB 500,000
SIZE 10 WITH HEADER LINE. D 7,800,000

SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE. Screen output

A 371,065.00
MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO EMPTAB.
CH 45,305.00
COLLECT EMPTAB. D 8,200,000.00
ENDSELECT. F 0.00
LOOP AT EMPTAB. GB 500,000.00
NL 577,000.00
WRITE: / EMPTAB-COUNTRY, EMPTAB-SALES.
NO 234.00
ENDLOOP. USA 1,000,000.00
HK 0.00
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29 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Sorting an Internal Table
REPORT Y170DM44.
TABLES: EMPLOYEE.
Sorting options:
TYPES: BEGIN OF EMP,
1) SORT <EMPTAB> - sorts the
COUNTRY LIKE EMPLOYEE-COUNTRY,
entries of the internal table
NAME1 LIKE EMPLOYEE-NAME1, <EMPTAB> in ascending order.
SALES LIKE EMPLOYEE-SALES,
2) SORT <EMPTAB> BY <field> - sorts
END OF EMP. the table on one or more fields
DATA: EMPTAB TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF EMP within the table.
INITIAL SIZE 10 WITH HEADER LINE.
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE.
MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO EMPTAB.
APPEND EMPTAB.
ENDSELECT.
SORT EMPTAB BY SALES DESCENDING. screen output
LOOP AT EMPTAB.
WRITE: / ITAB-COUNTRY, ITAB-NAME1, ITAB-SALES.
ENDLOOP.
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30 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Control Level Processing

 AT FIRST
 AT NEW < field >
 AT END < field >
 AT LAST

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31 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Reading a Single Table Entry
REPORT Y170DM47.
TABLES: EMPLOYEE.
TYPES: BEGIN OF EMP,
COUNTRY LIKE EMPLOYEE-COUNTRY,
NAME1 LIKE EMPLOYEE-NAME1,
END OF EMPTAB.

DATA: EMPTAB TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF EMP INITIAL SIZE 10 WITH

HEADER LINE.

SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE.

MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO EMPTAB.
APPEND EMPTAB.
ENDSELECT.

READ TABLE ….

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32 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Reading a Single Table Entry - Options
READ TABLE <EMPTAB> options:
1) READ TABLE <EMPTAB>.
2) READ TABLE <EMPTAB> WITH KEY <k1> = <v1>…
<kn> = <vn>.
3) READ TABLE <EMPTAB> WITH TABLE KEY <k1> = <v1> ...
<kn> = <vn>.
4) READ TABLE <EMPTAB> WITH KEY = <value>.
5) READ TABLE <EMPTAB> WITH KEY . . . BINARY SEARCH.
6) READ TABLE <EMPTAB> INDEX <i>.
7) READ TABLE <EMPTAB> COMPARING <f1> <f2> . . . .
8) READ TABLE <EMPTAB> COMPARING ALL FIELDS.
9) READ TABLE <EMPTAB> TRANSPORTING <f1> <f2> . . . .
10) READ TABLE <EMPTAB> TRANSPORTING NO FIELDS.

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33 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Maintaining Internal Tables
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE.
MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO EMPTAB. INSERT <EMPTAB> INDEX <i>.
APPEND EMPTAB. MODIFY <EMPTAB> INDEX <i>.
ENDSELECT. DELETE <EMPTAB> INDEX <i>.
READ TABLE EMPTAB INDEX 1.
MOVE ‘ABC’ TO EMPTAB-NAME1.
MODIFY EMPTAB INDEX SY-TABIX.
IF SY-SUBRC NE 0.
WRITE / ‘Attempt to modify failed.’.
ELSE.
WRITE: / EMPTAB-COUNTRY, Check SY-SUBRC after
EMPTAB-NAME1. every attempt to change
ENDIF. an internal table entry.
INSERT EMPTAB INDEX 1.
DELETE EMPTAB INDEX SY-TABIX.

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34 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Working with an Internal Table without a Header Line

APPEND <work area> TO <internal table>.

COLLECT <work area> INTO <internal table>.

INSERT <work area> INTO <internal table>.

MODIFY <internal table> FROM <work area>.

READ TABLE <internal table> INTO <work area>.

LOOP AT <internal table> INTO <work area>.

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35 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Deleting an Internal Table

CLEAR <internal table>

 Initialises the header line.

 Internal table lines remain REFRESH <internal table>

unchanged.
FREE <internal table>
 Deletes all table lines.
 Storage space is not released.
 Deletes all table lines.
 Paging is released.
 Storage space is released.
 Header line remains unchanged.
 Header line remains
unchanged

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36 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Information about an Internal Table
REPORT Y170DM49.
TABLES: EMPLOYEE.
TYPES: BEGIN OF EMP,
COUNTRY LIKE EMPLOYEE-COUNTRY,
NAME1 LIKE EMPLOYEE-NAME1,
END OF EMP.
DATA: EMPTAB TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF EMP INITIAL SIZE 10 WITH
HEADER LINE,
DESCRIBE TABLE <internal table>
LINE_COUNT TYPE I,
LINES <var1>
INITIAL_COUNT TYPE I.
OCCURS <var2>.
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE.
MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO EMPTAB.
APPEND EMPTAB.
ENDSELECT.
DESCRIBE TABLE EMPTAB
LINES LINE_COUNT
OCCURS INITIAL_COUNT.
WRITE: / ‘ lines:’, LINE_COUNT, screen output
/ ‘occurs:’, INITIAL SIZE_COUNT.

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37 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Calling the SAP Table Editor
REPORT Y170DM50.
TABLES: EMPLOYEE.
TYPES: BEGIN OF EMP,
COUNTRY LIKE EMPLOYEE-COUNTRY,
NAME1 LIKE EMPLOYEE-NAME1,
END OF EMP,
DATA:EMPTAB TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF EMP
INITIAL SIZE 10 WITH HEADER LINE,
SELECT * FROM EMPLOYEE.
MOVE-CORRESPONDING EMPLOYEE TO EMPTAB.
APPEND EMPTAB.
ENDSELECT.
EDITOR-CALL FOR EMPTAB.
CHECK SY-SUBRC EQ 0.
LOOP AT EMPTAB WHERE NAME1 EQ ‘Maurice Cheeks’.
WRITE: / EMPTAB-COUNTRY, EMPTAB-NAME1.
ENDLOOP.
IF SY-SUBRC NE 0. WRITE: / ‘No records.’. ENDIF.
screen output
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38 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Demonstration

 Declaring an internal table, populating it by selecting data from the table and then
looping into it and displaying the data fetched.

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39 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Practice

 Declaring an internal table, populating it by selecting data from the table and then
looping into it and displaying the data fetched.

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40 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Summary

 Structures in code are temporary objects in program memory.

 A structure can be defined using a combination of the TYPES and DATA
statements.
 The statement MOVE-CORRESPONDING transports values field by field between
the ABAP data structures.
 Internal table, that can store records of data temporarily during the processing
of a program.
 3 different types of internal tables: Standard, Sorted, and Hashed.
 An internal table object is created with the DATA statement by referring to an
internal table type using the TYPE parameter
 APPEND statement adds the contents of the header line to the end of the
internal table.
 the system field SY-TABIX is set to the line number of the entry read.

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41 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Summary (Contd.)

 The CLEAR statement resets all fields to their initial value.

 The REFRESH statement deletes all table lines.
 The FREE statement releases the storage space required for a table.

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42 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Questions

 What is a Structure?
 What is an internal table?
 What are the different types of internal tables are there?
 Explain the following statements :
 Move corresponding
 Append
 Clear
 Refresh
 Free.

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43 Data Structure & Internal Tables | 3.07
 Thanks

44