ABAP Keyword Documentation → ABAP - Reference → Obsolete Language Elements → Obsolete Processing of Internal Data → Obsolete Extracts → SORT - Extract
SORT - sort_key
Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54
Obsolete Syntax
... BY field1 [ASCENDING|DESCENDING] [AS TEXT]
field2 [ASCENDING|DESCENDING] [AS TEXT]
...
Extras
1. ... ASCENDING|DESCENDING
2. ... AS TEXT
Effect
When a sort key is specified with the BY addition, sorting is not done by
field group header, but by the field1 field2 ...
fields specified after it. For field1 field2 ..., only components of field
group header or field groups that contain solely fields of field group
header can be specified. The sort order depends on the sequence in which the components field1 field2 ... are specified. The number of fields to be used for sorting is limited to 50.
For field1 field2 ..., field symbols can also be specified. If a component
of the field group header is assigned to a field symbol when the statement
is executed, sorting takes place according to the respective component. If no data object is assigned
to a field symbol, the specification is ignored. If a different data object is assigned to a field symbol, an untreatable exception is triggered.
Addition 1
... ASCENDING|DESCENDING
If, after a component field1 field2 ..., neither of the ASCENDING
or DESCENDING additions is specified, the predefined sort direction is applied.
If one of the additions ASCENDING or DESCENDING is specified, it overwrites the default for this component.
Addition 2
... AS TEXT
Without the addition AS TEXT after a text-like component field1
field2 ..., the default is applied. If the addition AS TEXT is specified
after a text-like component, it overwrites the default for this component. In the case of non-text-like
components, AS TEXT cannot be specified. If AS TEXT is specified after a field group, the addition is only applied to the text-like components of this group.