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sql_exp - sql_string

Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54

Syntax

... sql_elem1 && sql_elem2  [&& sql_elem3 ... ] ...

Effect

String expression in ABAP SQL. The operator && chains the character strings in two adjacent operand to a single character string. Elementary SQL expressions can be specified as the operands sql_elem1, sql_elem2, with the following restrictions:

• A literal must be a non-empty text field literal of type c.

• Host variables and host expressions must be of ABAP type c.

• Columns of data sources must have one of the dictionary types CHAR, CLNT, CUKY, LANG, or UNIT.

The result of the chaining must be no longer than 255 characters. Trailing blanks are handled as follows:

• Precisely one blank is respected in host variables declared using CONSTANTS and in text field literals consisting only of blanks.

• In all other cases, trailing blanks are cut off on the right.

The result has the type CHAR in the resulting length and can be assigned to the ABAP types c and string in accordance with the associated assignment rule.

If the operand of a string expression has the null value, the result of the full string expression is the null value.

Notes

• Specifying a string expression always means specifying an SQL expression. String expressions can only be specified for operand positions for which SQL expressions are possible.

• Strings can also be concatenated using the SQL function CONCAT. The function CONCAT is restricted to concatenations of two operands but has the following benefits when compared to the operator &&:

• Any SQL expressions are permitted as operands.

• It allows more data types.

• It does not apply any special handling to constants and text field literals that contain only blanks.

• It allows results to be longer than 255 characters.

• A string expression cannot be evaluated in the table buffer and always causes table buffering to be bypassed.

Example

The two columns in a results set are created using a chaining of character-like columns of the data source and of literals.

SELECT FROM spfli 
         INNER JOIN scarr 
           ON spfli~carrid = scarr~carrid 
       FIELDS spfli~carrid && ' ' && '(' && scarr~carrname && ')' 
              AS carrier, 
              cityfrom && ' ' && '-' && ' ' && cityto 
              AS connection 
       ORDER BY spfli~carrid, connid 
       INTO TABLE @DATA(result). 

cl_demo_output=>display( result ).

Executable Example

SQL expressions, chainings

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SQL Expressions, Chainings