ABAP Keyword Documentation →  ABAP - Release-Specific Changes →  Changes in Release 7.40 and Its SPs →  Changes in Release 7.40, SP02 

Expressions and Functions in Release 7.40, SP02

1. Inline declarations

2. Constructor expressions

3. Table expressions

4. New built-in function ipow

5. Writable expressions

Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54

Modification 1

Inline Declarations

The new declaration operators DATA and FIELD-SYMBOL make inline declarations possible in declaration expressions in declaration positions.

Modification 2

Constructor Expressions

A new type of expression, constructor expressions, uses constructor operators in general expression positions to construct results of specified types.

• NEW creates objects
• VALUE creates values
• REF gets references
• EXACT performs a lossless assignment or calculation
• CONV converts values
• CAST performs an up cast or down cast
• COND and SWITCH enable conditional expressions
  

Modification 3

Table Expressions

The new table expressions itab[ ... ] permit reads to be performed on internal tables in operand positions.

Modification 4

New Built-In Function ipow

The new integer power function ipow enables fields of any numeric type and with integer values to be raised to a power. The calculation type is determined by the base.

Modification 5

Writable Expressions

Some expressions are writable expressions that can be specified in result positions.