Skip to content

ABAP Keyword Documentation →  ABAP - Reference →  Processing External Data →  ABAP File Interface →  Statements for the ABAP File Interface 

TRUNCATE DATASET

Short Reference

Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54

Syntax


TRUNCATE DATASET dset AT {CURRENT POSITION}|{POSITION pos}.

Extras

1. ... CURRENT POSITION
2. ... POSITION pos

Effect

This statement sets the end of file of the file specified in dset to the value specified after AT and can thus change the size of the file. When shortened, the file is truncated after the new end of file; when extended, the file is padded with hexadecimal 0 from the previous end of file to the new end of file.

dset expects a character-like data object containing the physical name of the file. The file must be opened for writing, appending, or changing, and not contain the addition FILTER of the statement OPEN DATASET; otherwise a non-handleable exception is raised.

Return Value

The statement TRUNCATE always sets sy-subrc to the value 0 or raises an exception.


Note

The statement TRUNCATE does not change the position of the current file pointer. If the file is open for appending, the file pointer is only set directly before the next write to the end of file.

Addition 1

... CURRENT POSITION

Effect

The addition CURRENT POSITION sets the end of file to the current file pointer.

Addition 2

... POSITION pos

Effect

The addition POSITION pos sets the end of file to the position specified in pos. pos expects a numeric data object whose contents cannot be negative. The positioning is specified in bytes, where the start of file is synonymous with the position 0.


Example

After the first TRUNCATE statement, the file contains the value "FF", and after the second, the value "FF00".

DATA: name TYPE string VALUE `test.dat`, 
      hex  TYPE xstring. 

hex = 'FFFF'. 

OPEN DATASET name FOR OUTPUT IN BINARY MODE. 

TRANSFER hex TO name. 
SET DATASET name POSITION 0. 
READ DATASET name INTO hex. 

TRUNCATE DATASET name AT POSITION 1. 
SET DATASET name POSITION 0. 
READ DATASET name INTO hex. 

TRUNCATE DATASET name AT POSITION 2. 
SET DATASET name POSITION 0. 
READ DATASET name INTO hex. 

CLOSE DATASET name.

Exceptions


Catchable Exceptions

CX_SY_FILE_OPEN

  • Cause: The file is not open.
    Runtime Error: DATASET_NOT_OPEN
  • Cause: The file is only open for reading.
    Runtime Error: DATASET_READ_ONLY

CX_SY_FILE_AUTHORITY

  • Cause: No authorization for access to file
    Runtime Error: OPEN_DATASET_NO_AUTHORITY

CX_SY_FILE_POSITION

  • Cause: Invalid position specified.
    Runtime error: DATASET_OFFSET_TOO_LARGE

CX_SY_FILE_TRUNCATE

  • Cause: The operating system could not change the size of the file.
    Runtime Error: DATASET_TRUNCATE_ERROR
  • Cause: An attempt was made to change the size of a file opened using the addition FILTER.
    Runtime Error: DATASET_TRUNCATE_ERROR


Non-Catchable Exceptions

  • Cause: Internal error when emptying the file buffer, determining the current file position, or restoring the file when rolling in the internal session.
    Runtime Error: DATASET_TRUNCATE_ERROR