ABAP Keyword Documentation → ABAP − Reference → Built-In Types, Data Objects, Functions, and Constructors → Built-In Data Objects
ABAP System Fields
System fields are filled by the ABAP runtime environment and can be used in an ABAP program to query system statuses. Except for one field
(sy-repid), the system fields are variables, but nevertheless they should
be used only for reads, since otherwise important information for the execution of subsequent programs may be lost. System fields in ABAP programs can be overwritten in rare cases only, to control system behavior.
With the exception of sy-repid, the data types of the system fields are defined
in the structure SYST in ABAP Dictionary and are instantiated as components
of the predefined structure sy in ABAP programs. The structure sy exists only once in an
internal session and is shared by all programs in this internal session.
The structure sy can also be addressed using syst.
There is also a built-in data type sy, which can be used instead of the data type SYST in ABAP Dictionary.
The following table shows the system fields that can be used in ABAP programs. All other components of the structure sy are either intended only for
internal use by the ABAP runtime environment or are obsolete.
| Name | Type | Length | Content |
|---|---|---|---|
sy-abcde |
c |
26 | Contains the Latin alphabet. Can be used to access individual letters directly by specifying the offset/length, regardless of thecode page. |
sy-batch |
c |
1 | "X" in an ABAP program running in the background; otherwise initial. |
sy-binpt |
c |
1 | "X" when processingbatch input sessionsand in ABAP programs called by CALLTRANSACTION USING; otherwise initial. These defaults can be overridden using the addition OPTIONS FROM of the statement CALL TRANSACTION ... USING. |
sy-calld |
c |
1 | A blank in the first program of a call sequence; otherwise "X". Set to "X"after calls using CALL TRANSACTION, CALL DIALOG,or SUBMIT ... AND RETURN. Empty if the program was started using LEAVE TO TRANSACTION or by a transaction code entered on thescreen. A call using SUBMIT (without AND RETURN) takes the value of the calling program. |
sy-callr |
c |
8 | When spooling lists, contains a value that indicates where spooling was started, for example NEW-PAGE for program-driven spooling or RSDBRUNT for spooling from theselection screen. |
sy-colno |
i |
- | Current position when a list is created in the list buffer and set whenever an output statementis used. Counting begins at 1. This position matches the column in the displayed list only for the lowerand upper output limits in each output, since a single character may occupy more columns in the list than there are places in the list buffer. See alsoLists - System Fields. |
sy-cpage |
i |
- | Page number of the top page in the list display where a list event was raised. Counting begins at 1. See also Lists - System Fields. |
sy-cprog |
c |
40 | In externally called procedures,the name of the calling program; otherwise the name of the current program. If an externally called procedure calls another external procedure, sy-cprog contains the name of themaster program, and is not set to the name of the master program of the subsequent calling program. |
sy-cucol |
i |
- | Horizontal cursor position on the screen of a dynpro. Counting begins at column 2. Set after the event PAI. |
sy-curow |
i |
- | Vertical cursor position on the screen of a dynpro. Counting begins at line 1. Set after the event PAI. |
sy-datar |
c |
1 | "X" for PAI, if at least one input field of a screen was changed by a user or some other data being passed. |
sy-datlo |
d |
- | User date, such as "19990723". See System Fields for Date and Time. |
sy-datum |
d |
- | System date. See System Fields for Date and Time. |
sy-dayst |
c |
1 | "X" in summer time in the system time zone; otherwise initial. See System Fields for Date and Time. |
sy-dbcnt |
i |
- | SQL statements set the content of sy-dbcnt to the number of table rows processed. |
sy-dbnam |
c |
20 | For executable programs, the associated logical database. |
sy-dbsys |
c |
10 | Database system of the standarddatabase, such as "HDB" or "ADABAS". See also CL_DB_SYS. |
sy-dyngr |
c |
4 | Screen group of the current dynpro. In Screen Painter, multiple dynpros can be assigned to the same screen group, which can be used, for example, to make modifications to all screens in the group at once. |
sy-dynnr |
c |
4 | Number of the current dynpro. In selection screen processing, the current selection screen. In list processing, the number of the subscreen dynpro. When processing asubscreen dynpro (including intabstrips), the number of this dynpro. |
sy-fdayw |
b |
- | Factory calendar weekday in the system time zone; Monday = 1, ..., Friday = 5. See System Fields for Date and Time. |
sy-fdpos |
i |
- | Occurrence after certain operations on character-like or byte-like data objects (for example FIND orcomparisons). |
sy-host |
c |
32 | Network name of the host computer on which the currentAS Instance is instantiated, for example "KSAP0001" or "HS01234". |
sy-index |
i |
- | Loop index. In DO and WHILE loops, contains the number of previous loop passes, including the current pass. |
sy-langu |
c |
1 | Single-character language key (such as "E", "D", or "F") for thelocale language of the currentinternal session. Thelogon language or thelanguage set by the statement SET LOCALE LANGUAGE is the default. |
sy-ldbpg |
c |
40 | In executable programs, the database program of the associated logical database. |
sy-lilli |
i |
- | List line on which a list event was raised. Counting begins at 1 and includes thepage header. See also Lists - System Fields. |
sy-linct |
i |
- | Page length of the current list when the list is created. sy-linct is0 for a standard list with variable length and is not equal to 0 for lists with fixed page lengths. Set by the introductory program statement or by SUBMIT. See alsoLists - System Fields. |
sy-linno |
i |
- | Current list line when the list is created. Counting begins at 1 and includes the page header. Set by output statements. See also Lists - System Fields. |
sy-linsz |
i |
- | Row width of the current list in the list buffer when the list is created. By default, the valueis set as follows: If sy-scols is greater than or equal to 84, sy-linszmatches sy-scols, else sy-linsz has the value 84. This can be overridden using the introductory program statement or SUBMIT. See alsoLists - System Fields. |
sy-lisel |
c |
255 | Content of the list line in the list buffer where the cursor was located in the displayed list when a list event was raised (limited to the first 255 characters). See alsoLists - System Fields. |
sy-listi |
i |
- | List level of the list in which a list event was raised. |
sy-loopc |
i |
- | Number of currently displayed rows in a table control. Set after the event PAI. |
sy-lsind |
i |
- | List level of the list currently being created (basic list: 0; detail lists: greater than 0). Forevery interactive list event, sy-lsind is increased automatically by an incrementof 1. sy-lsind can be modified in the ABAP program to enable navigation between detail lists. Any changes made to sy-lsind are ignored until the end of a list event. See alsoLists - System Fields. |
sy-macol |
i |
- | Number of columns on the left margin when spooling lists. Set by the statement SET MARGIN. |
sy-mandt |
c |
3 | Client ID used by the current user to log on, for example "401" or "800". |
sy-marow |
i |
- | Number of rows on the top margin when spooling lists. Set by the statement SET MARGIN. |
sy-modno |
i |
- | Indexing of the ABAP sessions. Contains the value 0 in the first session. In new sessions opened using the "Create Session" function or by calling atransaction using /o in the command field of thestandard toolbar,this value is increased by 1. If previous sessions were deleted, only the free numbers are allocatedagain. Sessions opened with CALL FUNCTION ... STARTING NEW TASK start at 0 again. |
sy-msgid |
c |
20 | After the statement MESSAGE, contains the message class. After MESSAGE ... RAISING, is also set in the calling program if it handles the exception (the same applies to RFC exceptions) . |
sy-msgno |
n |
3 | After the statement MESSAGE, contains the message number. After MESSAGE ... RAISING, is also set in the calling program if it handles the exception (the same applies to RFC exceptions) . |
sy-msgty |
c |
1 | After the statement MESSAGE, contains the message type. After MESSAGE... RAISING, is also set in the calling program if it handles the exception (the same applies to RFC exceptions) . |
sy-msgv1, sy-msgv2, sy-msgv3, sy-msgv4 |
c |
50 | After the statement MESSAGE, contain the field content used for the placeholders of themessage. After MESSAGE... RAISING is also set in the calling program if it handles the exception (the same appliesto RFC exceptions) . If a database lock is requested using an ENQUEUE function module, sym-sgv1 contains the name of the user holding the lock after the exception FOREIGN_LOCK. |
sy-opsys |
c |
10 | Operating system of the host computer of the currentAS Instance, for example "SOLARIS” or "HP-UX". |
sy-pagno |
i |
- | Current page when the list is created. Set by output statements. See also Lists - System Fields. |
sy-pfkey |
c |
20 | GUI status of the current dynpro. Set after the event PAI. |
sy-saprl |
c |
4 | AS ABAP release, for example "702" or "740". |
sy-scols |
i |
- | Number of columns in the current screen layout. Set after the event PAI. |
sy-slset |
c |
14 | Selection screen variant used to fill a selection screen. The associated program name can be seen in sy-cprog. |
sy-spono |
n |
10 | Contains the name of the spool number when spooling lists. |
sy-srows |
i |
- | Number of rows in the current screen layout. Set after the event PAI. |
sy-staco |
i |
- | Number of the first displayed column of the list in which a list event was raised. Counting begins at 1. See also Lists - System Fields. |
sy-staro |
i |
- | Number of the top displayed list line of the top displayed page of the list where a list event was raised. Counting begins at 1. Thepage header is not counted. See also Lists - System Fields. |
sy-stepl |
i |
- | Index of the current row in a table control. This is set for every loop pass. Outside of a loop,for example after the event POV or POH for a table row, the content of sy-stepl is undefined. |
sy-subrc |
i |
- | Return code set by many ABAP statements. In general, the value 0 means that the statement was executedwith no problems. Depending on which statement set sy-subrc, the cause ofan error can be derived from this value. sy-subrc keeps its previous valueor its content is undefined after statements where the setting of sy-subrc is not documented explicitly. |
sy-sysid |
c |
8 | System ID ofAS ABAP, for example "S01" or "K99". |
sy-tabix |
i |
- | Row number in the table index of an internal table. Contains the last row accessed using aprimary orsecondary table index. Is set to 0 when accessed using ahash algorithm. |
sy-tcode |
c |
20 | Name of the current transaction code. Initial inbackground processing, unless a transaction was called during background processing. |
sy-tfill |
i |
- | In the statements DESCRIBE TABLE, LOOP AT,and READ TABLE, sy-tfill is given the number of rows of the accessed internal table. |
sy-timlo |
t |
- | User time, such as "152557". See System Fields for Date and Time. |
sy-title |
c |
70 | Text that appears in the title bar of the dynpro. |
sy-tleng |
i |
- | In the statements DESCRIBE TABLE, LOOP AT,and READ TABLE, sy-tleng is given the row size of the accessed internal table. |
sy-tzone |
i |
- | Time difference of the system time to theUTC reference time in seconds, for example "3600" or "10800". SeeSystem Fields for Date and Time. |
sy-ucomm |
c |
70 | Function code that raised the event PAI.This function code usually has a unique association with a function. Only Entercan pass function codes to sy-ucomm in accordance with the following hierarchy:Content of the command field in the system toolbar, then associated function code; the content is not affected. |
sy-uline |
c |
255 | Contains 255 "-" characters for displaying rows in lists. In the case of displaying sy-ulinewith the statement WRITE, the sameapplies as for the statement ULINE. In other words, every "-" character is replaced by aline element. |
sy-uname |
c |
12 | User name of the currentuser session, for example "KELLERH". |
sy-uzeit |
t |
- | System time. See System Fields for Date and Time. |
sy-vline |
c |
1 | Contains a vertical bar ( |
sy-wtitl |
c |
1 | Set to "N" in the statements REPORT, PROGRAM, and FUNCTION-POOL, if the addition NOSTANDARD PAGE HEADING is used; otherwise initial. The statement NEW-PAGE does not set sy-wtitl. |
sy-zonlo |
c |
6 | User time zone, for example "CET" or "PST". SeeSystem Fields for Date and Time. |
The system field sy-repid is no longer a part of the structures syst
or sy. Instead, each program contains the predefined constants sy-repid
and syst-repid, which both contain the name of the relevant program. There
are also two predefined types with the same names, sy-repid and syst-repid, of type c and length 40.
Other versions: 7.31 | 7.40 | 7.54
Programming Guidelines
- Evaluate system fields in the correct place
- Do not use obsolete or internal system fields
- Do not write to system fields
- Do not use system fields as actual parameters
- Do not use system fields in statements that set the fields
-
Do not use system fields on the user interface
Notes
- Although allowed by the syntax, it is not advisable to create data objects or types with the names
syorsystor with the names of the system fields themselves in programs, since they can obscure predefined data objects and types.
- The content of system fields is defined only as stated in the table above, or as described in individual
ABAP statements. In any other contexts, the content of system fields is not reliable. In particular
those statements whose effect on system fields is undocumented can modify the content of certain system
fields in undefined ways, for example
sy-subrc. This applies especially to statements that call ABAP code implicitly or explicitly when executed.
- If possible, a system field should be evaluated directly after the statement that set it, to prevent it from being overwritten by other statements. If necessary, the values of system fields should be saved in helper variables.
- A system field should only be used as an operand in a reading position if its content is not set by the same statement. Otherwise, the system may behave unexpectedly.
- System fields and the associated structure SYST have an entirely program-internal function. No dynpro fields should be created with reference to system fields, since the associated field helps are not intended for end users.
- Internal system fields are intended entirely for internal use in the ABAP runtime environment and in the ABAP kernel. They must never be overwritten from within an ABAP program and they must not be handled in read-only mode either.
- The obsolete system fields were usually kept during the transition from R/2 to R/3, however they are no longer filled. These system fields can no longer be used.
- The static methods of the system class CL_ABAP_SYST also provide important
system states. The use of these methods can replace the evaluation of the associated system fields in
cases where it is important that a system field has not been overwritten incorrectly in the program.
In the case of
sy-dbsys, it is recommended that the class CL_DB_SYS is used.
Example
Typical evaluation of the system field sy-subrc after a SELECT statement.
SELECT SINGLE *
FROM scarr
WHERE carrid = '...'
INTO @DATA(wa).
IF sy-subrc <> 0.
RETURN.
ENDIF.