ABAP Keyword Documentation →  ABAP − Short Reference 

DATA - Short Reference

Reference

Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54

Syntax

DATA var[(len)] [TYPE { {abap_type [LENGTH len] 
     
                             [DECIMALS dec]} 

                      | {[LINE OF] type [BOXED]} 

                      | {REF TO type} 

                      | { {{[STANDARD] TABLE} 

                          | {SORTED TABLE} 

                          |{HASHED TABLE}} 

                          OF [REF TO] type 

                          [ {WITH [UNIQUE|NON-UNIQUE] 

                 
             { {KEY [primary_key [ALIAS key_name] 

                 
                  COMPONENTS] comp1 comp2 ...} 

                 
             | {DEFAULT KEY} }} 
 
                        | {WITH EMPTY KEY} ] 

                 
        {[WITH {UNIQUE HASHED}|{{UNIQUE|NON-UNIQUE} SORTED} 

                 
           KEY key_name1 COMPONENTS comp1 comp2 ...] 

                 
         [WITH {UNIQUE HASHED}|{{UNIQUE|NON-UNIQUE} SORTED} 

                 
           KEY key_name2 COMPONENTS comp1 comp2 ...] 

                           ...} 

                          [INITIAL SIZE n] 

                          [WITH HEADER LINE]} 

                        | {RANGE OF type [INITIAL SIZE n] 

                 
                       [WITH HEADER LINE]} 

                        | {dbtab|view 

                 
          { READER|LOCATOR|{LOB HANDLE} } 
 
                        | { WRITER|LOCATOR } FOR 

                 
          { COLUMNS blob1 blob2 ...  clob1 clob2 ... } 

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

                              [...]}} ] 

              | [LIKE { {[LINE OF] dobj} 

                      | {REF TO dobj} 

                      | { {{[STANDARD] TABLE} 

                          | {SORTED TABLE} 

                          |{HASHED TABLE}} 

                          OF [REF TO] dobj 

                          [ {WITH [UNIQUE|NON-UNIQUE] 

                 
             { {KEY [primary_key [ALIAS key_name] 

                 
                  COMPONENTS] comp1 comp2 ...} 

                 
             | {DEFAULT KEY} }} 
 
                        | {WITH EMPTY KEY} ] 

                 
        {[WITH {UNIQUE HASHED}|{{UNIQUE|NON-UNIQUE} SORTED} 

                 
           KEY key_name1 COMPONENTS comp1 comp2 ...] 

                 
         [WITH {UNIQUE HASHED}|{{UNIQUE|NON-UNIQUE} SORTED} 

                 
           KEY key_name2 COMPONENTS comp1 comp2 ...] 

                           ...} 

                          [INITIAL SIZE n] 

                          [WITH HEADER LINE]} 

                        | {RANGE OF dobj [INITIAL SIZE n] 

                 
                       [WITH HEADER LINE]} }] 

                [VALUE { val | {IS INITIAL} }] 

                [READ-ONLY].  

Effect

Declares a variable or an instance attribute var.

Additions

• (len)
  Defines the length when referring to generic predefined ABAP types.
• TYPE
  Defines the type by referring to a data type.
• LIKE
  Defines the type by referring to a data object.
• [LENGTH len] [DECIMALS dec]
  Defines the length and number of fractional portions when referring to generic predefined ABAP types.
• LINE OF
  Defines the type by referring to the row type of an internal table.
• BOXED
  Declares a structure as a static box.
• REF TO
  Creates a reference variable.
• {[STANDARD] TABLE}|{SORTED TABLE}|{HASHED TABLE}
  Creates a standard, sorted, or hashed table.
• WITH {[UNIQUE|NON-UNIQUE] {KEY [primary_key [ALIAS key_name] COMPONENTS] comp1 comp2 ...}}|{DEFAULT KEY}
  Defines a unique or non-unique primary table key primary_key. The components of the key are either specified explicitly or are defined by a standard key. You can use ALIAS to define an alias name key_name.
• WITH EMPTY KEY
  Defines an empty primary table key.
• WITH {UNIQUE HASHED}|{{UNIQUE|NON-UNIQUE} SORTED} KEY key_name COMPONENTS comp1 comp2 ...
  Defines a secondary table key key_name. It is managed using either a unique hashed algorithm, a unique sorted secondary index, or a non-unique sorted secondary index.
• INITIAL SIZE n
  Defines the initial memory usage of an internal table.
• WITH HEADER LINE
  Obsolete: Defines a header line of the same name for an internal table.
• RANGE OF
  Defines a ranges table with the row type of a selection table.
• VALUE { val | {IS INITIAL} }
  Defines a start value of the data object as val or as the initial value.
• READ-ONLY
  Protects non- private attributes from write accesses outside of their own class.
• READER|WRITER|LOCATOR|{LOB HANDLE} FOR ... COLUMNS ...
  Derives an LOB handle structure from the structure of a database table or database view.