ARTICLE
ST - Addressing ABAP Data
Simple transformations are used to serialize ABAP data or deserialize
XML documents to ABAP data objects. Accordingly, it must be
possible to address the interfaced ABAP data in the ST programs.
Serializations only permit read-only access to ABAP data;
deserializations permit only write access.
In an ST program, all data bound to ABAP data objects is
considered as data nodes, that is, nodes in tree structures, spread from
the data roots. To address the ABAP data, either the data roots are
accessed or the current node. At any position of an ST program,
exactly one node of the tree structure spreading from the data root can
be defined as the current node. The data roots or the current node can
be accessed directly and, from that position, the subnodes accessed.
Tree Structure of the Data Nodes
Current Node
Addressing Data Nodes
Note
No reference variables can be serialized and deserialized currently in
ST programs. ABAP reference variables can, however, be bound to
data roots. This means that these data roots cannot be specified in
ST serialization and deserialization statements. Object reference
variables can, however, be used to call instance methods and all ref
erence variables can be passed to appropriate interface parameters of
called ABAP methods.
Documentation extract taken from SAP system, � Copyright SAP AG. All rights reserved