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Inserting Macros

Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54

Syntax

macro [p1 p2 ... ].

Effect

If a macro is executed instead of a valid ABAP keyword, as the first word in an ABAP statement, its statements are included at this position in the source text. Suitable ABAP words or operands p1 p2 ... must be transferred to all of the macro's placeholders. The specified operands p1 p2 ... replace the placeholders sequentially. The characters are converted to uppercase (except for the content of character literals).

The ABAP Compiler searches for a macro specified in a program, first in the preceding source text of the same compilation unit and then in the type groups which are used for the program. Local macros of the program hide macros of the same name in type groups.

A macro can insert other macros but not itself.

Notes

• Previously, a specified macro not defined in the current program was only searched for in explicitly loaded type groups using the TYPE-POOLS statement. The search now covers all usable type groups.

• If the ABAP Compiler does not find a specified macro in the current program or in a type group, it searches in the TRMAC table. Macros in the TRMAC table usually follow different name conventions to those in type groups and therefore nothing should be hidden.

Example

In this example, the two macros operation and output are defined. output is nested in operation. operation is called three times with different parameters. Note how the placeholders &1, &2, ... are replaced in the macros.

DATA: result TYPE i, 
      n1     TYPE i VALUE 5, 
      n2     TYPE i VALUE 6. 

DEFINE operation. 
  result = &1 &2 &3. 
  output   &1 &2 &3 result. 
END-OF-DEFINITION. 

DEFINE output. 
  write: / 'The result of &1 &2 &3 is', &4. 
END-OF-DEFINITION. 

operation 4 + 3. 
operation 2 ** 7. 
operation n2 - n1.