SAP NetWeaver AS ABAP Release 731, Copyright 2015 SAP AG. All rights reserved.

ABAP Program Types

The type of an ABAP program determines, for example, which declarations and processing blocks a program
can contain and how it can be executed in the ABAP runtime environment.
The following table lists all program types for standalone programs (compilation units ) and what impact each of
these has on their properties.
Program
Type

Execution

Processing Blocks Dynpros

Text
Pools

Executable
program

SUBMIT statement or by
Local interfaces and
calling a dynpro or
classes, all other
selection screen using a
declarative statements
transaction code

All except function

modules

Yes

Yes

Class pool

A global class of the class

Calling a visible method
library, local interfaces and
using CALL METHOD or
classes, TYPES and
a transactions code
CONSTANTS statements

Methods only

No

Yes

Function
group or
function pool

Calling a function
Local interfaces and
module using CALL
classes, all other
FUNCTION or a dynpro
declarative statements
using a transaction code

All except event

blocks for reporting
events

Yes

Yes

None

No

No

Module pool

Local interfaces and

Calling a dynpro using a
classes, all declarative
transaction code
statements

All except function

modules and event
blocks for reporting
events

Yes

Yes

Subroutine
pool

External calls to local

Local interfaces and
procedures (subroutines classes, all other
or methods)
declarative statements

Event block LOADOF-PROGRAM,

subroutines,
methods

No

Yes

None

No

No

Interface pool None

Type group or
None
type pool

Global Declarations

A global interface of the

class library

TYPES and CONSTANTS

statements

The second table column indicates the type of execution primarily intended for the program. The third column
indicates which declarations can be made in the global declaration section of a program of the specified type.
The fourth column indicates which processing blocks the program can contain. The fifth column indicates
whether your own dynpros are supported, and the last column indicates whether you can create your own text
pools.