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ABAP Keyword Documentation →  ABAP − Reference →  Processing External Data →  ABAP Database Access →  ABAP and SAP HANA →  Access to Objects in SAP HANA XS →  Access to SAP HANA XSC Objects 

External Views for SAP HANA Views in SAP HANA Repository

ABAP SQL provides access to all database tables and views whose structures are defined as repository objects in ABAP Dictionary. A SAP HANA view (attribute view, analytic view, or calculation view), on the other hand, is an entity of the SAP HANA database. This uses HANA-specific data types and different naming conventions to ABAP Dictionary also apply. This means that direct access to an SAP HANA view using ABAP SQL is not possible.

In ABAP Dictionary, views known as external views are used for direct access to a SAP HANA view in SAP HANA Repository. An external view is a special view in ABAP Dictionary that functions as a proxy for an SAP HANA view and which can be accessed using SAP HANA and ABAP SQL.

Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54


Notes

  • The following restrictions currently apply to the use of external views in ABAP programs:

  • The structure of analytic views do not allow them to be read using SELECT *. The same basic rules apply to the statement SELECT in ABAP SQL as when using the HAND SQL statement SELECT, with individual columns and the addition GROUP BY needing to be specified. If SELECT * is used, a runtime error occurs.

  • Calculation views with parameters can be access only if a default value is defined for each parameter. If not, reads are canceled and produce a runtime error.

  • External views should only be used in those cases that are not covered by ABAP CDS or AMDP.

  • SAP HANA views in SAP HANA XSC are stored in the SAP HANA Repository and external views can be used for access to these views from ABAP.