ABAP Keyword Documentation → ABAP - Reference → Processing External Data → ABAP Database Accesses → Open SQL → Open SQL - Writes → UPDATE dbtab → UPDATE dbtab - source
UPDATE dbtab - set_expression
Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54
Syntax
... {col = f}
| {col = col + f}
| {col = col - f}
| (expr_syntax)...
Variants
1. ... col = f
2. ... col = col + f
3. ... col = col - f
4. ... (expr_syntax)
Effect
Change expressions for the addition SET of the statement UPDATE.
These change expressions in the comma-separated list can be combined in any way required after SET.
Variant 1
... col = f
Effect
Assigning a value. For col, columns of the database table specified in
target or in the view dbtab can be specified using a column name comp or dbtab~comp. For f, a
host variable, a literal or a column name
dbtab~comp of another column in the database table can be used. A host variable should be prefixed by the escape character @.
The statement UPDATE assigns the content of f
to the columns col in all the rows defined by the WHERE condition. If the data types are not
compatible, they are converted as follows:
- When assigning a data object that is not a reference variable for a LOB handle, the content is converted, if required, to the ABAP data type appropriate to the data type of the column (and in accordance with the conversion rules). Any errors in the conversion raise the appropriate non-handleable exception. The content of the host variable should match the data type of the column in accordance with the rules for lossless assignments. This is checked by the strict modes of the syntax check from Release 7.40, SP08 and can raise an exception.
-
When assigning a data object that is a reference variable for a
LOB handle, the column
colmust be a LOB with an appropriate type. If the reference has a writer stream type, then a writer stream is created. In this case of a type for a locator: this must exist and is used as a source. For details, see LOB handles. -
When assigning a different column, the content is converted, if required, in the database system. Whether
a conversion is possible and the conversion rules are specific to the database system. Any errors in the conversion raise the handleable exception CX_SY_OPEN_SQL_DB.
In the assignment, the assigned value must fit in the value range of the column. Otherwise the handleable exception CX_SY_OPEN_SQL_DB is raised. This applies in particular for:
- Assignments to numeric columns
-
Assignments to columns of the type SSTRING, STRING, or RAWSTRING. The assigned content must not be longer
than the maximum length of the columns in the database structure. This length can be determined using the predefined function
dbmaxlen.
If a column is specified for f, changes to this column that are made in the same UPDATE statement are ignored during the assignment.
If a column col appears in multiple change expressions, the last change expression applies.
Note
Host variables without the escape character @ are
obsolete. The escape character @ must be specified in the
strict modes of the syntax check from Release 7.40, SP05.
Variant 2
... col = col + f
Effect
Addition of a value. For col and f, the same applies
as for the assignment of a value. However, col must have a numeric data type. The data types DF16_RAW and DF34_RAW and the obsolete types DF16_SCL and DF34_SCL are not allowed.
The statement UPDATE adds the value of f to the
content of the column col, in all the rows defined by the WHERE condition. Otherwise, the same rules apply as for the assignment of a value.
Variant 3
... col = col - f
Effect
Subtraction of a value. For col and f, the same
applies as for the assignment of a value. However, col must have a numeric data type. The data types DF16_RAW and DF34_RAW and the obsolete types DF16_SCL and DF34_SCL are not allowed.
The statement UPDATE subtracts the value of f
from the content of the column col, in all the rows defined by the WHERE condition. Otherwise, the same rules apply as for the assignment of a value.
Variant 4
... (expr_syntax)
Effect
Dynamic specification of change expressions. A change expression can be specified as a parenthesized
data object expr_syntax that, when the statement is executed, either contains
the syntax of one or more static change expressions or is initial. The data object expr_syntax can be a character-like data object or a
standard table without
secondary table keys
and with a character-like data object. The syntax in expr_syntax is not case-sensitive,
as in ABAP Editor. When an internal table is specified, the syntax can be distributed across multiple rows.
If expr_syntax is initial when the statement is executed, the change expression is ignored.
Security Note
If used wrongly, dynamic programming techniques can present a serious security risk. Any dynamic content
that is passed to a program from the outside must be checked thoroughly or escaped before being used
in dynamic statements. This can be done using the system class CL_ABAP_DYN_PRG or the predefined function escape. See
SQL Injections Using Dynamic Tokens.
Note
If expr_syntax is an internal table with a
header line, the
table body is evaluated and not the header line.
Example