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rel_exp - Relational Operators for Character-Like Data Types

The following table shows the relational operators for comparisons between character-like operands (single data objects and return values or string expressions) in comparison expressions. Trailing blanks are respected for operands of type string. If not stated differently in the following table, trailing blanks are ignored for operands of types c, d, n, and t.

operator	Meaning
`CO`	Contains Only: True if `operand1` only contains characters from `operand2`.It is case-sensitive and trailing blanks are respected in both operands. If `operand2`is of type `string` and initial, the relational expression is false, exceptif `operand1` is also of type `string` and initial.If `operand1` has the type `string` and is initial,the relational expression is always true, regardless of `operand2`. If thecomparison is true, `sy-fdpos` contains the offset of the first character in`operand1` that is not contained in `operand2`. Ifthe comparison is true, `sy-fdpos` contains the length of `operand1`.
`CN`	Contains Not Only: True if a relational expression with `CO` is false,that is if `operand1` contains not only characters from `operand2`.`sy-fdpos` is set in the same way as for `CO`. Ifthe comparison is true, `sy-fdpos` contains the offset of the first characterin `operand1` that is not contained in `operand2`.If the comparison is false, `sy-fdpos` contains the length of `operand1`.
`CA`	Contains Any: True if `operand1` contains at least one character from `operand2`. It is case-sensitive and trailing blanks are respected in both operands. If `operand1`or `operand2` are of type `string` and initial, therelational expression is always false. If result of the comparison is positive, `sy-fdpos`contains the offset of the first character in `operand1` that is also containedin `operand2`. If the comparison is false, `sy-fdpos` contains the length of `operand1`.
`NA`	Contains Not Any: True if a relational expression with `CA` is false, thatis if `operand1` does not contain any characters from `operand2`.If the comparison is false, `sy-fdpos` contains the offset of the first characterin `operand1` that is also contained in `operand2`.If the comparison is true, `sy-fdpos` contains the length of `operand1`.
`CS`	Contains String: True, if the content of `operand2` is contained in `operand1`. It is not case-sensitive and trailing blanks in the left operand are respected. If`operand1` is of type `string` and initial, or oftype `c` and contains only blank characters, the relational expression is false,unless `operand2` is also of type `string` and initial,or of type `c` and only contains blank characters. In this case, the relationalexpression is always true. If the comparison is true, `sy-fdpos` contains theoffset of `operand2` in `operand1`. If the comparison is false, `sy-fdpos` contains the length of `operand1`.
`NS`	Contains No String: True if a relational expression with `CS` is false,that is if `operand1` does not contain the content of `operand2`.If the comparison is false, `sy-fdpos` contains the offset of `operand2`in `operand1`. If the comparison is true, `sy-fdpos` contains the length of `operand1`.
`CP`	Covers Pattern: True if the content of `operand1` fits the pattern in `operand2`. Wildcard characters can be used to create the `operand2` pattern,where "" represents any character string (including a blank string) and"+" represents any character. It is not case-sensitive. Trailing blanksin the left operand are respected. If the comparison is true, `sy-fdpos` containsthe offset of `operand2` in `operand1`. Here, leadingwildcard characters "" in `operand2` are ignoredif `operand2` also contains other characters. If the comparison is false, `sy-fdpos` contains the length of `operand1`. Characters in `operand2` can be selected for direct comparisons by prefixing them with theescape character "#". For characters flagged in this way in `operand2`, the operatoris case-sensitive. Also, wildcard characters and the escape character are not subject to special handling and trailing blanks are relevant.
`NP`	No Pattern: True if a relational expression with `CP` is false, that isif `operand1` does not fit the pattern `operand2`.If the comparison is false, `sy-fdpos` contains the offset of `operand2`in `operand1`. Here, leading wildcard characters "*"in `operand2` are ignored if `operand2` also containsother characters. If the comparison is true, `sy-fdpos` contains the length of `operand1`.

Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54

Notes

The operators CP and NP use multiple wildcard characters "*" in a row in the same way as a single "*" character. The wildcard character "+" does not represent a blank string.

When using the operators CP and NP, there is not usually any point in using patterns without wildcard characters in operand2 and comparisons with = can be made instead.

Operands of byte-like data types cannot be compared using the relational operators from this table. The relational operators for byte-like data types can be used to perform these comparisons for byte-like operands.

The relational operators in this table can be replaced by predicate functions.

The statement FIND and the search functions find can be quicker than the relational operator CS by some magnitude.

When using relational operators for character-like data types in a conditional expression or in a Boolean function, the system field sy-fdpos is given the value set in the expression once the expression is processed.

Example

Searches for HTML tags in a text using the operator CP. This search finds the first HTML tag "<i> " at offset 8. Note that it is not enough to specify a search pattern "<>", since CP stands for Covers Pattern and not for Contains Pattern. The example also shows that the leading wildcard characters "" in the string are ignored in sy-fdpos, to identify the occurrence found by this search.

DATA html TYPE string. 

html = `This is <i>italic</i>!`. 

IF html CP '*<*>*'. 
  cl_demo_output=>display_text( |Found HTML tag at { sy-fdpos }| ). 
ENDIF.

Example

Displays the first position of a letter in a field. The operator CS is used in the conditional operator COND, which returns the content of the system field sy-fdpos.

cl_demo_output=>display( COND #( WHEN sy-abcde CS 'H' THEN sy-fdpos ) ).

Example

The following comparison is always true, regardless of the input.

DATA(text) = `abcd1234`. 
cl_demo_input=>request( CHANGING field = text ). 

IF `` CO text. 
  cl_demo_output=>display( 'true' ). 
ENDIF.

Executable Example

Relational Operators for Character-Like Data Types

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Relational Operators for Character-Like Data Types