SAP ABAP OBJECTS OPERATORS documentation, setup help and example usage

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Operators in ABAP Objects
The syntax for ABAP Objects contains the following operators:

-

Structure component selector

Structures are aggregated data types of the ABAP type concept and represent a sequence of components, which can be of any data type. You can access the components of a structure using the expression struct-comp .

-

Object component selector

You can only access instance components from outside a class using the expression obj- comp , (where obj is a reference variable and comp is a component of the object to which the object reference in the variables points). Within a class, you can use the DS:ABEN.SELF_REFERENCE_GLOSRY self-reference ME->comp to point to the class's own instance and static components . Using the pseudo-reference SUPER- comp to point to an obscured method within a redefined method. In instance constructors of subclasses, you must call the constructor of the direct superclass using SUPER- CONSTRUCTOR .

=

Class component selector

You can access static components from outside a class using the expression class= comp (where class is a class and comp is a static component).

- *

Dereferencing operator

You can dereference data references using the dereferencing operator. If a data reference variable is completely typed - that is, has no generic type - you can insert the expression dref- * at any operand position. For all data references, you can assign the field, which a data reference indicates, to a field symbol using ASSIGN dref - * TO . There is no dereferencing for object references.

-

Remote call operator

Interfaces can help you when methods are being called remotely. You can call the instance methods of an interface remotely using iref- meth (where iref is an interface reference and meth is an instance method of that interface).

~

Interface component selector

If an interface intf is implemented in a class, the interface component comp possesses the name intf~comp within the class.


The Casting Assignment
If a static type check cannot take place when you make an assignment between two reference variables, you must use the casting assignment MOVE ... ?TO ... . If you are using the equivalent of this statement, the assignment operator '=', you must change this to '?='. The'?=' expression is not an ABAP Objects operator, but simply a way of writing the casting assignment.