ARTICLE
Simple Transformations
Simple Transformations ( ST ) is an SAP programming language for
describing transformations between ABAP data and
XML formats. ST is restricted to the two modes of
serialization (ABAP to XML ) and
deserialization ( XML to ABAP)
of ABAP data, which are most important for data integration.
Transformations from ABAP to ABAP and XML to XML (like in
the more general XSLT ) are not possible
in ST .
Simple transformations are created as
ST programs . ST programs can be edited using the
Transformation Editor .
This is called up either with transaction STRANS
or by choosing Edit Object - More - Transformation followed
by Simple Transformation in the
ABAP Workbench object navigator
Existing ST programs can be called using the statement
CALL TRANSFORMATION . The
associated ST processor is integrated into the ABAP runtime
environment.
In comparison with XSLT , the main
advantages of ST programs are as follows:
ST programs are declarative and thus easier to read.
ST programs only have serial access to the XML data and
are therefore very efficient even with large data volumes. The nodes in
XML data, however, cannot be accessed in an arbitrary order.
ST programs describe serialization and deserialization
simultaneously, that is ABAP data serialized in XML with ST
can also be deserialized with the same ST program.
Objects can be created from ABAP Objects and their methods called in
ST programs.
ST programs are restricted to the transformation of elementary
and structured ABAP data, along with internal tables. The transformation
of reference variables and referenced objects is not currently
supported.
Documentation extract taken from SAP system, � Copyright SAP AG. All rights reserved