ABAP Keyword Documentation → ABAP − Reference → Obsolete Language Elements → Obsolete Declarations → Field Symbols
FIELD-SYMBOLS - obsolete_typing
Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54
Obsolete Syntax
... { } | STRUCTURE struc DEFAULT dobj ...
Extras
1. ... { }
2. ... STRUCTURE struc DEFAULT dobj
Effect
These additions of the statement FIELD-SYMBOLS produce an obsolete typing of the field symbol and are forbidden in classes.
Addition 1
... { }
Effect
If no explicit type is specified after FIELD-SYMBOLS, the field symbol is
typed implicitly with the fully generic type any. Also, the field symbol
is assigned the predefined constant space when the context is loaded. This
means that the field symbol is not initial directly after it has been declared, and a check using IS ASSIGNED is true.
Addition 2
... STRUCTURE struc DEFAULT dobj
Effect
If the addition STRUCTURE (which is forbidden within classes) is specified
for a field symbol instead of typing and struc is a local program structure (a data object, not a data type) or a
flat structure from
ABAP Dictionary, this structure is cast for the field symbol <fs>.
dobj must be used to specify a data object that is assigned to the field symbol as an initial object.
The field symbol inherits the technical attributes of structure struc as
if it were completely typed. In the case of a structured data object dobj, this data object must be at least as long as the formal parameter:
-
In the case of a structured data object, its
fragment view must match the fragment view of the corresponding initial part of
struc. -
An elementary data object must be character-like and flat and the corresponding initial part of
struccan contain only components of this type.
The same applies to assignments of data objects to field symbols typed using STRUCTURE
when using the statement ASSIGN.
Note
Field symbols declared using the addition STRUCTURE are a mixture of typed field symbols and a utility for
casting to structured
data types. The additions TYPE or LIKE of the
statement FIELD-SYMBOLS should be used to type field symbols, while the addition
CASTING of the statement ASSIGN is used for casting.
Example
The first example shows the obsolete usage of the addition STRUCTURE.
DATA wa1 TYPE c LENGTH 512.
FIELD-SYMBOLS <scarr1> STRUCTURE scarr DEFAULT wa1.
<scarr1>-carrid = '...'.
The second example shows the replacement of STRUCTURE with the additions TYPE and CASTING.
DATA wa2 TYPE c LENGTH 512.
FIELD-SYMBOLS <scarr2> TYPE scarr.
ASSIGN wa2 TO <scarr2> CASTING.
<scarr2>-carrid = '...'.