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Sorting Internal Tables

This example demonstrates how internal tables are sorted using SORT itab.

Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54

Source Code

    TYPES: BEGIN OF line,
             land   TYPE c LENGTH 3,
             name   TYPE c LENGTH 10,
             age    TYPE i,
             weight TYPE p LENGTH 8 DECIMALS 2,
           END OF line.

    DATA itab TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF line WITH NON-UNIQUE KEY land.

    itab =
      VALUE #(
        ( land = 'D'   name = 'Hans'    age = 20 weight = '80.00' )
        ( land = 'USA' name = 'Nancy'   age = 35 weight = '45.00' )
        ( land = 'USA' name = 'Howard'  age = 40 weight = '95.00' )
        ( land = 'GB'  name = 'Jenny'   age = 18 weight = '50.00' )
        ( land = 'F'   name = 'Michele' age = 30 weight = '60.00' )
        ( land = 'G'   name = 'Karl'    age = 60 weight = '75.00' ) ).

    DATA(out) = cl_demo_output=>new( )->write_data( itab ).

    SORT itab.
    out->write_data( itab ).

    SORT itab.
    out->write_data( itab ).

    SORT itab STABLE.
    out->write_data( itab ).

    SORT itab DESCENDING BY land weight ASCENDING.
    out->write_data( itab )->display( ).

Description

The program sorts a standard table with one key field four times. First, the table is sorted twice by the key field (land) without the STABLE addition. The sort is unstable. The order of rows in which multiple keys appear can change. The same sort is then performed using the STABLE addition. The sort is stable. The lines remain in the same sequence. Then, it is sorted by a sort key defined as land and weight. The general sort order is defined as descending, but for weight it is defined as ascending.