ARTICLE
Data Types in ABAP Programs
ABAP offers a range of
predefined
elementary data types .
In addition to the predefined data types, ABAP also provides two
mechanisms for structuring complex data types :
Components of any type can be grouped together in structures .
Internal tables can be defined using lines of any type.
The options "structure" and "internal table" can be used for forming
complex data types and for directly structuring complex data objects.
Self-defined data types can either be inserted locally in the program
or for all programs in the ABAP Dictionary.
Local program types
TYPES can be used to create
local program data types . User-defined data types can be
elementary or complex.
Self-defined data types can be used in the same program at any point
where predefined data types can also be used, that is, when creating
data objects and when typing formal parameters and field symbols.
Cross-program types
In the ABAP Dictionary, cross-program data types are either structured
as data elements, or are created with a complex structure from existing
data types.
In addition to the real data types, the ABAP Dictionary also contains
the groups known as type groups . A type group is defined as a
piece of ABAP code that is maintained in the ABAP Editor.
The statement used to begin a type group is
TYPE-POOL . Type groups can contain constant
definitions as well as type definitions. The names of all types and
constants defined in a type group must have the type group name followed
by an underscore as a prefix.
To enable types in a type group to be addressed in a program, the type
group must be declared with TYPE-POOLS
in the program that is using it.
Documentation extract taken from SAP system, � Copyright SAP AG. All rights reserved