Day 2

Data Dictionary
We will learn about…

• What is Data Dictionary

• Data Dictionary Objects
• System Fields
• Creating custom table
• Internal Tables
• Foreign Keys & Cardinality
• Structures
• Views
What is Data Dictionary

• is a system independent
interface to the database
• is a virtual database ( data
about data)
• provides data for data
manipulation and data
processing
• Also called as DDIC and ABAP
Dictionary
Data Dictionary Objects
SE16

• Data Element

• Domain

• Tables

• Structures

• Views
Elementary Data Types

Type Explanation

C Text (Character)
N Numeric text
D Date (DDMMYYYY)
T Time (HHMMSS)
X Hexadecimal
I Integer
P Packed Number
F Floating point number
Domain
• A Domain describes the technical structure of a field that is its size and
its data types.
• Domains are attached to Data Elements
• Fields which refer to the same domain (with the assigned data
elements), are also changed when the domain is changed. This ensures
that the fields are consistent
• Defines a value range which describes the valid data values for all the
fields which refer to this domain
Table MARA
CLNT
9
MATNR

Data Element

Domain
Creating a Domain

Enter a description (short text)

Enter data type and length

Creating a domain (contd.)

Enter fixed value and description.

Value table may be entered

Data Element

• A data element gives the description of the field of the

Table
• Examples of predefined data elements in SAP
– LIFNR
– KUNNR
– MATNR
– CLNT
Creating a Data Element

Enter a description (short text)

Enter domain name

Creating a Data Element

Maintain field labels and column headers.

Difference between Domain & Data Element

Defines Technical Attributes such as Defines semantic attributes such as

data type, length, allowed values, etc. display length, short text, long text, etc

A domain can be part of several data A Data Element can point to only one
elements domain

Used to define data elements, restrict Used to define fields of tables and
values (using value range, value table, screens
etc)
A Holistic view

Table A Table B Table C

Data element Data element

Domain
Tables

• Tables are containers which stores data in the form of

record
• They are a central component of the SAP R/3 Application
• One or more fields form a data record (also known as tupel)
• A number of data records of the same type form a table
• Examples of few SAP defined tables
– MARA : Material Master
Tables Contd…

The table definition contains the following components

Table fields: defines the field names and data types of
the fields contained in the table.
Foreign Keys: defines the relationships between the
table and other tables.
Technical Settings: control how the table should be
created on the database.
Indexes: speed up the selection of data from the table.
 Tables Contd…

• Types of Tables

Transparent

ABAP
Dictionary Cluster

Pool

ABAP Internal
Program
Tables Contd…
Creating a Transparent Table – Step 1 of 6

Enter
Enterthe
theName
Nameof ofthe
the
table (should begin
table (should begin
with
with“Z”
“Z”or
or“Y”)
“Y”)

Press
Pressthe
theCreate
CreateButton
Button
Creating a Transparent Table – Step 2 of 6

Enter a description (short text)

After
Aftermaking
makingall
allentries,
entries,
Press
Press the “Fields”Tab
the “Fields” Tab

Maintain delivery class

Table maintenance attribute

Creating a Transparent Table – Step 3 of 6

After
Aftermaking
makingall
allentries,
entries,
Press the “Technical
Press the “Technical
Settings”
Settings”Button
Button

Maintain field attributes

Maintain data elements

Creating a Transparent Table – Step 4 of 6

After
Aftermaking
makingall
allentries,
entries,
Press the Save Button.
Press the Save Button.
Once
OnceTechnical
TechnicalSettings
Settings
are save, Press the
are save, Press the
“Back”
“Back”Button
Button(F3)
(F3)
Creating a Transparent Table – Step 5 of 6

Save,
Save,Check
Checkandand
Activate
Activate the Table.After
the Table. After
that Press the “Indexes”
that Press the “Indexes”
Button
Buttonononthe
the
Application
ApplicationToolbar
Toolbar
 Creating a Transparent Table – Step 6 of 6
Steps to create an index

After
Afterentering
enteringthe
theIndex
Index
Fields and other
Fields and other
parameters,
parameters,save
saveand
and
activate
activate the index,Z01
the index, Z01
SAP Transparent Tables

• Example of few SAP Transparent Tables

– MARA : General Material Data
– VBAK : Sales Document: Header Data
– KNA1 : General Data in Customer Master

• Example of SAP Cluster Table

– BSEG : Accounting Document Segment
Tables Contd…

• Foreign Keys
– Uses
• Maintain data integrity
• Provide help texts
• Create aggregate dictionary objects
– Prerequisites
• The foreign key text field and primary key of the check table must
share the same domain
• A value table must exist for that domain
Tables Contd…

• Cardinality
– Cardinality defines the type of Cardinality Types
relationship between two tables
– The cardinality of a foreign key 1:1
indicates how many dependent
records a record in a check
1:C
table may have
1:N

1 : CN
System fields

• SAP has a system table named syst. It stores all the

system related data
• Examples of few fields in this table are
– Sy-datum : System Date
– Sy-langu : System Language
– Sy-subrc : System check
– Sy-uzeit : System time
SAP Data

• G/L Accounts
Master • Vendors
• Materials
Data • Stock Locations
• Metadata
System • Programs
• Documentation
Data • System Settings
• Sales Orders
Transaction • Purchase Orders
• Journal Entries
Data • Goods Receipts
• Currency Codes
Configuration • Order Types
• Payment Terms
Data • Field Status Codes
Structures

• A structure is defined like a table in the ABAP Dictionary

and can then be accessed from within ABAP programs
• Contain data temporarily during program runtime
• The same data elements and domains can be used in
structures as in tables
Views

• A view combines the data distributed in several tables

• Views allow to gather information from fields of different
tables and present it to the users in form they require
when working in the R/3 system