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DATA DICTIONARY

SAP Data Dictionary is a central repository for the development of Objects, SAP Data Dictionary is
used to create and maintain meta data ( data definitions ) . T-Code for Data Dictionary is SE11.

SQL Can be divided into two parts
DML -- Data Manipulation Language
DDL -- Data Definition Language
Where DML consists of SELECT, INSERT, UPDATE, MODIFY, DELETE etc, this will be handled by ABAP
Programs and DDL consists of commands like CREATE TABLE, DROP TABLE, ALTER TABLE, CREATE
INDEX etc, this will be handled by Data Dictionary, hence Data Dictionary is the central repository for
the development of objects .
The Main Functions of Data Dictionary are :
Data Base Tables
Views
Data Elements
Domains
Structures
Search Helps
Lock Objects
An ABAP Consultant may need to work on below areas of data dictionary :
Creating Tables
Creating Data elements and Domains
Creating structures and Table types
Creating search helps
Creating Lock objects
Creating data base views
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ABAP uses different types of Data Types for Objects, basically there are three types of data types
Elementary Data types, Complex Types, Reference Types .
In Elementary types there are again two types of data types( Categories ) Fixed Length and Variable
Length .
Fixed Length:
C Text Field
N Numeric
D Date

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T Time
H Hexadecimal
P Parked Number
I Integer
F Float
Variable Length
STRING Character Sequence
XSTRING Byte Sequence

Complex Types includes Structure Types and Table Types.
Reference Types includes Data References and Object References
What is a Date Element in SAP ABAP ?
Data element is an object which specified semantic information of a field, ex: field label , heading.(
We all know that table is a collection of fields, ex: STUDENT is a table with fields STUDENT_ID,
STUDENT_NAME ext, data element specifies the field labels and headings for these fields )

What is a Domain in SAP ABAP ?
Domain is an object which specified technical information of a field in a table ex: Data type, length,
value range etc

Why we use Data elements and Domains in SAP ?
When ever we are creating a new table or adding a field to existing table, we need to specify field
labels and data types for the field, in SAP we maintain these values in the form of Data elements and
Domains.

Creating a Domain in SAP
Go to SE11 T-code, select domain radio button, provide a name (ZSAPN_DOMAIN) and create.

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Provide short description, no of characters and save (Ctrl S ).


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Select local object ( non transportable object ).

Activate.

Domain is created.
Creating data element in SAP
Go to SE11, select data type radio button, provide a name (ZSAPN_DATAELEMENT) and create.

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A popup will open, select data element radio button

Enter short description and domain name (ZSAPN_DOMAIN) and select field label tab.

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Select field label tab and maintain field labels.

Save and Activate, Data element is created.

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Before creating a table we must know components of Table.
What is a key field ?
A field which dosen`t accept duplicate data is called as key field.
What is a delivery class ?
It specifies the type of data stored in a data base table ex: master data, Transaction data, system data
etc
Options available under delivery class :
A- Application Table (Master and Transaction data ).
C-Customizing table, maintenance only by customer not SAP.
L-Table for storing temporary data.
G, E, S, W - These are used to store system data (Basis data ).
Display and Maintenance
It specifies whether the user can display the data and maintain the data , the following options are
available under display and maintenance.
1. Display/Maintenance Allowed.- User can display and maintain data.
2. Display/Maintenance allowed with restrictions - Some users can display and maintain data.
3. Display/Maintenance not allowed - No user can display data.
What is data class ?
It specifies the physical area of a table in the database, the following options are available under data
class.
APPL0 - Master data
APPl1 - Transaction data
APPL2 - Organization and Customizing
DDIM, DFACT, DODS etc are used by BI and BW.
What is size category ?
It specifies the number of records that can be stored in a database table, options available under size
category are below.
Size Category No of expected records
0 0 - 7,100

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Size Category No of expected records
1 7,100 - 28,000
2 28,000 - 1,10,000
The above numbers may vary from company to company .
Size category will be incremented dynamically based on increase in records.
Buffer
It is a temporary memory for storing the data .
It is same as cache memory.
The functionality of buffer is defined below.
There are three types of tables available in SAP, explained below
Transparent table
There is a physical table on the database for each transparent table. The names of the physical tables
and the logical table definition in the ABAP/4 Dictionary correspond.
All business data and application data are stored in transparent tables.
Pooled table
Pooled tables can be used to store control data (e.g. screen sequences, program parameters or
temporary data). Several pooled tables can be combined to form a table pool. The table pool
corresponds to a physical table on the database in which all the records of the allocated pooled
tables are stored.
Cluster table
Cluster tables contain continuous text, for example, documentation. Several cluster tables can be
combined to form a table cluster. Several logical lines of different tables are combined to form a
physical record in this table type. This permits object-by-object storage or object-by-object access. In
order to combine tables in clusters, at least parts of the keys must agree. Several cluster tables are
stored in one corresponding table on the database.
A table can be created in two ways one is top to bottom approach and another one is bottom to top
approach.
1.Top to Bottom : In this approach, first table fields are defined and later domain and data element
are defined.
2.Bottom to Top : In this approach, first domain and data element are defined and later table will be
created .

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In this example we are going to learn creating a SAP transparent table using top to bottom approach
( I suggest simplest way ).
Go to SE11 T-code, provide table name to be created ZSTUDENT_TABLE and create.

Provide short description, delivery class (A), Display Maintenance Allowed and select fields tab.

Select Fields tab, add a field STUDENT_NO, data element as ZSTUDENT_NO and check Key and Initial
Value check boxes.

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A table must contain at least one key field, without a key field we can not create a table.

Double click on data element ZSTUDENT_NO (Not yet created), a pop up will open click yes and one
more information message will come press enter.
Now a pop up will come asking to create date element, click yes.

Provide short description, domain and label

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Save, double click on domain name ZSTUDENT_NO, click on yes.
Provide short description, data type, no. characters, save and activate.

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Similarly create remaining fields with data elements and domains as below

Once all fields are created click on technical settings button.

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Provide data class and size category, save and activate.

You will get a warning message just click on No, table is created.
Now add entries to table.

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Structure
Structure is list of fields defined under a name, which is used to process data at run-time in SAP
ABAP applications.

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Structures are two types one is global structure and another one is local structure. Local structure can
be created in ABAP programs and global structure can be created in data dictionary and can be
reusable in different objects.
In this lesson we will be learning creating a structure in data dictionary.
Go to SE11, select Data Type radio button and click on create.

A pop up will open, select structure radio button and continue.

Provide short description, add some fields, save and activate.

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The structure is created, now we can use this structure in our ABAP programs.
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Table and structure have lot of differences in the sense of behaviour and properties, the below are
the main differences between table and structure in data dictionary.
Table and Structure Difference
Table Structure
Table can store data physically and permanently.
Structure can not store data physically,
it can hold data at run time only.
Table have primary key. Structure dosent have any primary key.
Table have technical settings (data class, size category etc),
maintanance attributes ( Display maintanance restrictions ).
Structure dosen`t have any technical
attributes and maintatance attributes.
Table have primary and secondary indexes.
Structures dosen`t have primary and
secondary indexes.


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The below are the major differences between transparent, pooled and cluster tables in SAP data
dictionary .
Transaparent Tables Pool Tables Cluster Tables
Contain a single table. Used to
store master data
They are used to hold a large
number of very small
tables(stores system data).
They are used to hold data from
a few number of large
tables.(stores system data).
It has a one-to-one relationship
with a table in the database.
It has a many-to-one
relationship with a table in the
database.
It has a many-to-one
relationship with table in the
database.
For each transparent table there is
one associated table in the
database.
It is stored with other pooled
tables in a single table called
table pool in the database.
Many cluster tables are stored in
a single table in the database
called a table cluster .
The database table has the same
name, same number of fields and
the fields have the same names .
The database table has different
name, different number of fields
and fields have different names.
The database table has different
name, different number of fields
and fields have different names.
There is only a single table .
Table pools contain more tables
than table clusters .
Contains less tables than table
pools .
Secondary indexes can be created
.
Secondary indexes cannot be
created .
Secondary indexes cannot be
created .
What are table validations ?
Table validation is a concept through which we can restrict invalid entries in a table.
Possible methods/concepts for table validation
1. Field Level validations: We can validate entries at field level with the help of check table concept.
2. Domain level validations: We can restrict entries at domain level with the help of fixed values of
domain and value table of domain.
What is check table ?
It is a table which contains all valid entries of a field.
What is value table ?
It is a table which contains all valid entries of a domain, this domain can be reused in multiple tables.
What are fixed values for domain ?
These are allowed values for a domain ex: GENDER (domain).

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Creating check table for table validations.
Step1: Go to SE11, create a table ZSTUDENT_CHECK as below
Go to SE11, provide name as ZSTUDENT_CHECK and click on create.

Provide delivery class and display maintenance allowed.


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Go to fields tab and add field as below

Click on technical settings button and provide data class and size category.


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Go to utilities- table contents - create entries add some entries to the table.


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Similarly add some more entries.

Step2: Add ZSTUDENT_CHECK as check table for ZSTUDENT_TABLE
Go to SE11, provide table name as ZSTUDENT_TABLE( which we have created already in our previous
lessons, if not create a table )

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Go to tab Entry help/check, select city fields and click on foreign key icon.

Provide short text, check table name ZSTUDENT_CHECK and click on generate proposal and click on
copy.

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A check table will be added for CITY field

Save and activate the table(If you get a warning popup when activating just press no).

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Now go to utilities - table entries -> create entries
Provide a city name which is not in ZSTUDENT_CHECK table and try to save, it will trough an error.



SAP Table screen entries can be restricted using domain fixed values, we can maintain domain fixed
values at domain level when creating a domain.
Create domain with fixed values
Go to SE11, select domain, provide name as ZGENDER, click on create.

Provide short description, data type and length as below and click on value range tab.

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Provide fixed values.

Save and activate.
Create data element with domain
Go to SE11, select data type, provide name as ZGENDER, click on create .

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A popup will come, select data element and press enter.

Provide short description, domain and click on field label.

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Provide field labels

Save and activate
Add a field in table
Go to SE11, provide a table name ZSTUDENT_TABLE(we have already created, if not create table )
and click on change

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Go to fields tab and add a field as below.

Save and activate
Go to table utilities- table entries - create entries

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Provide values other than M, F and N, it will through an error .