ABAP TABLES ASTERISK Statement syntax, information and example SAP source code

TABLES *

Short Reference

ABAP Syntax(Obsolete) TABLES *table_wa.

What does it do? This statement declares an additional table work area *table_wa , whose data type, like that of the regular TABLES
statement with its flat structured data type
table_wa , is taken from the ABAP Dictionary.
The additional table work area can be used just like the the regular table work area. This applies in particular to obsolete database accesses .
Latest notes: The statement TABLES cannot be used in classes. You can use the addition TYPE to reference the data types in ABAP Dictionary and declare your own number of work areas.

Bad example
Declaration of a regular and additional table work area and their use in obsolete short forms of the SELECT statement.
TABLES: scarr, *scarr.

SELECT SINGLE *
FROM scarr
WHERE carrid = 'LH'.

SELECT SINGLE *
FROM *scarr
WHERE carrid = 'UA'.

Good example
Declares two work areas using DATA and how they are used in the
INTO clause of the SELECT statement.
DATA: scarr1 TYPE scarr,
scarr2 TYPE scarr.

SELECT SINGLE *
FROM scarr
INTO scarr1
WHERE carrid = 'LH'.

SELECT SINGLE *
FROM scarr
INTO scarr2
WHERE carrid = 'UA'.