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ABAP Keyword Documentation →  ABAP - Reference →  Declarations →  Typing →  typing Addition 

typing - Addition - complete_type

Short Reference

Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54

Syntax


... { TYPE {[LINE OF] complete_type} 
         | {REF TO type} } 

  | { LIKE {[LINE OF] dobj} 
         | {REF TO dobj} } ...

Effect

To completely type a formal parameter or a field symbol, you can

  • specify any non-generic type (complete_type) after TYPE. complete_type can be a non-generic data type from ABAP Dictionary, a non-generic public data type from a global class, a non-generic program-local type already defined using TYPES<, or a non-generic predefined ABAP type.
  • specify a data object dobj after LIKE. dobj is specified based on the rulesTYPES ... LIKE.The bound type of the data object is applied. If field symbols and formal parameters are specified for dobj, they must be completely typed, to make sure that typing is performed in full.

If complete_type or the data type of dobj is table-like, you can use LINE OF to refer to the appropriate row type.

REF TO types the formal parameter or field symbol as a reference variable. In this case, the same rules apply as for the definition of reference types in TYPES. Typings with TYPE REF TO data or TYPE REF TO object are also considered as complete typings.

When you assign an actual parameter or a memory area to completely typed formal parameters or field symbols, the technical attributes of the specified data type must match the typing exactly (more information: Typing Check), except when passing literals. Completely typed formal parameters and field symbols can be used in the same operand positions as data objects of the corresponding data type.

Type attributes specified by the typing are used during both static and dynamic access to a fully typed formal parameter or field symbol.


Notes

  • The data types of the ABAP Dictionary that can be referred to with TYPE especially include the CDS entities of CDS views.

  • You can use LIKE to refer to data objects, and also to the public attributes of global classes.

  • When typing formal parameters, you can use the LIKE addition to refer to formal parameters (in the same procedure), which have already been declared.

  • The predefined generic data type any cannot currently be specified after REF TO.


Example

In the following example, the field symbol <spfli> is completely typed with structured data type spfli from the ABAP Dictionary, and can therefore be used like a structure of that data type.

FIELD-SYMBOLS <spfli> TYPE spfli.
...
<spfli>-carrid = ...