ABAP Keyword Documentation → ABAP Glossary
primary table key
Each internal table has a primary table key that is either a self-defined key or the standard key. In hashed tables, the primary key is a hash key and in sorted tables, the primary key is a sorted key. Both of these table categories are key tables for which key access is optimized and where the primary key has its own administration. The key fields of these tables are read-only when individual rows are accessed. Standard tables also have a primary key, but the corresponding access is not optimized, there is no separate key administration, and the key fields are not read-only.