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SELECT - Short Reference

Reference

Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54

Syntax

SELECT { { SINGLE [FOR UPDATE] } 
       | { [DISTINCT] { }      } } 

       { * 
       | { {col1|aggregate( [DISTINCT] col1 )} [AS a1] 

           {col2|aggregate( [DISTINCT] col2 )} [AS a2]  ... } 

       | (column_syntax) } 
       FROM { { {dbtab [AS tabalias]} 

              | { [(] {dbtab_left [AS tabalias_left]} | join 

                      {[INNER] JOIN}|{LEFT [OUTER] JOIN} 

                      {dbtab_right [AS tabalias_right] ON join_cond} [)]} 

              | (dbtab_syntax) [AS tabalias] } 

              [CLIENT SPECIFIED] 

              [UP TO n ROWS] 

              [BYPASSING BUFFER] 

              [CONNECTION {con|(con_syntax)}] } 

       { { INTO {[CORRESPONDING FIELDS OF] wa}|(dobj1, dobj2, ...) } 
       | { INTO|APPENDING [CORRESPONDING FIELDS OF] TABLE itab 

                          [PACKAGE SIZE n] } } 

       [ CREATING {  READER|LOCATOR FOR { COLUMNS col1 col2 ... } 

                 
               | { ALL [OTHER] [BLOB|CLOB] COLUMNS } 

                    [READER|LOCATOR FOR ...] } 

                | {  (crea_syntax) } ] 

       [[FOR ALL ENTRIES IN itab] WHERE sql_cond] 

       [GROUP BY {col1 col2 ...}|(column_syntax)] 
       [HAVING sql_cond] 

       [ORDER BY { {PRIMARY KEY} 
      
          |{{{col1|a1} [ASCENDING|DESCENDING]} 
 
                 {{col2|a2} [ASCENDING|DESCENDING]} 

                   ... } 

                 | (column_syntax) }]. 
  ... 
[ENDSELECT.]. 

Effect

This statement reads data from one or more database tables into data objects. If the result set is not assigned in one step, a loop is opened which is closed using ENDSELECT. This loop provides the results in the target fields.

Additions

Specification of the rows

• SINGLE|{ } - Defines a single row or multiple row result set.
• FOR UPDATE - Sets an exclusive lock in the database.
• DISTINCT - Excludes duplicate rows from the result set.

Specification of the columns

• * - Reads all columns.
• col1 ... col2 ... - Reads individual columnscol1, col2, ...
• aggregate( [DISTINCT] col1 ) ... aggregate( [DISTINCT] col2 ) ... - Evaluates aggregate functions aggregate for columns col1, col2 .... Duplicate arguments can be excluded.
• AS a1 ... AS a2 ... - Defines alternative column names a1, a2, ...
• (column_syntax) - Specifies the columns as the content of column_syntax.

Specification of the database table(s)

• FROM dbtab [AS tabalias]
  Specifies a database table dbtab.
• FROM [(] {dbtab_left [AS tabalias_left]} | join
  {[INNER] JOIN}|{LEFT [OUTER] JOIN}
  {dbtab_right [AS tabalias_right] ON join_cond} [)]
  
  Joins a database table dbtab_left or a join expression join with a database table dbtab_right to a join expression. You can create inner and outer joins with join conditions join_cond.
• (dbtab__syntax)
  Specifies the database tables as the content of source_syntax.
• AS tabalias
  Defines an alternative table name tabalias.
• CLIENT SPECIFIED
  Deactivates automatic client handling.
• UP TO n ROWS
  Restricts the number of rows read to n.
• BYPASSING BUFFER
  Bypasses SAP buffering.
• CONNECTION {con|(con_syntax)}
  Executes the statement on a secondary database connection.

Specification of the target area

• INTO wa|(dobj1, dobj2 ...)
  Specifies a work area wa or a list of data objects dobj1 dobj2 ... as the target fields.
• INTO|APPENDING TABLE itab [PACKAGE SIZE n]
  Specifies an internal table itab as the target area. The result set is read into or attached to the table as a whole or in packages.
• CORRESPONDING FIELDS OF
  Transports only the columns that have target fields with the same name.
• CREATING READER|LOCATOR FOR ... COLUMNS ...
  Specifies what kind of LOB handle is created.

Specification of a condition

• FOR ALL ENTRIES IN itab
  Enables you to use a logical condition for all rows in an internal table itab after WHERE.
• WHERE sql_cond
  Restricts the result set using the condition sql_cond. The condition can consist of different logical expressions.

Specification of a grouping

• GROUP BY { {col1 col2 ...} | (column_syntax) }
  Integrates groups of rows that have the same content in the columns col1, col2, ... into one row of the result, where you can specify the columns dynamically in column_syntax.
• HAVING sql_cond
  Restricts rows combined in groups in the result set using a condition sql_cond.

Specification of a sorting

• ORDER BY
  {PRIMARY KEY}|{{{col1|a1} [ASCENDING|DESCENDING]}
  {{col2|a2} [ASCENDING|DESCENDING]} ...}|(column_syntax)
  
  Sorts the result set by primary key, statically specified columns col1, col2, ... or a1, a2, ... or dynamically specified colums in column_syntax. The sort direction can be specified for individual columns.