Data Dictionary

1) Data Dictionary is also called ABAP Dictionary or DDIC.

SE11 -> Transaction code for Data Dictionary or ABAP Dictionary.

SE16-> Transaction code for Data Browser.
SE16N-> New Version of SE16

2) Domain -> Tells us about the technical characteristics of a Field/Column.

Technical characteristics -> Data type, length.

3) Data Element -> How a field/column will be visible to end user?

4) MANDT -> Client number of SAP system.

Tables having MANDT field are called as client dependent tables or Client-
Specific tables..
Tables does not have MANDT field are called as Client Independent tables.

5) Data browser/Table view maintenace options ->

Display/Maintenance allowed
Display/Maintenance not allowed
Display/Maintenance allowed with restrictions

6) Size Category -> A table can store how many number of records.

7) Types of SAP Data ->

Master Data-> Which is accessed very frequenty, but changed very rarely.
Transaction Data-> Which is always changing, number of records are continuously
increasing.
Configuration Data->Is something which we can customize,
Customizing depends on the business Scenario and customer
requirements.

Example -> Company ABC

Master Data ->

Employee Data of the Company ABC

Transaction Data ->

Transactions in the Company(Banking transactions,Revenue
transactions).

Configuration Data->
(Employee Designation-> Senior Consultant( Vehicle allowance
applicable)
(Employee Designation-> other than Senior consultant( Vehicle
allowance not applicable).

8) Data Class -> Tells us in which portion of database the table data will get
store.

9) Delivery class-> It is used for controlling data transport of tables during

installation,
upgrade and transporting between customer systems.

10) TMG( Table Maintenance Generator)

Authorization group : &NC&( Any user can maintain the data).
 Single Step: Only overview screen is applicable
Two Step : Both Overview screen and single screen are applicable.

11) We can maintain data with the help of SM30.

12) Important Points related to TMG.

a) Data browser/Table view maintenace options needs to be Display/Maintenance
allowed.
b) Whenever you add new columns/fields to the table after generation of TMG,
The newly added fields
will not appear automatically while maintaining data with the help of SM30.
We need to delete the TMG and generate it again.
c) Deleting the TMG never delete the table data.
d) To delete the TMG, Open the table in Change Mode, otherwise delete button
will not be visible.

13) Shortcuts - CTRL + S = SAVE

CTRL + F2 -> Syntax Check
CTRL + F3 -> Activate
CTRL + SHIFT + F10 -> To check the contents of the table.

Topic : Primary-Foreign Key Relationship

Primary Key of one table act as a Foreign key in another table.

( Data/Record/Row/Tuple will be always in the primary key table, It may or may not
in the foreign key table)

Pre-requisite - Tables should have a common column/field.

Cardinality -> Number of records in key table, correponds to how many number of
records in to secondary/foreign key table.

Topic : Initial Values Check box in Table

1) We can select the checkbox Initial values for table fields, then the type
dependent NOT NULL value be
assigned to that field and the flag for NOT NULL is set to true on database.

Path to check : Utilities->Databaseobject->Display) - Refer column NOT NULL

and Default.

2)Many databases, will simply initialize the value of a field as NOT NULL even if
we are not selecting this checkbox.

Scenario: Suppose we added a new column NEW_1 to table ZTORDH_78 and for
NEW_1 , the NOT NULL flag is true.
First Query will not return any result and the second query will return the
result.
DATA : lt_ordh_78 TYPE TABLE OF ZTORDH_78.
SELECT * FROM ZTORDH_78
INTO TABLE lt_ordh_78
WHERE NEW_1 IS NULL. "No Output

DATA : lt_ordh_78 TYPE TABLE OF ZTORDH_78.

SELECT * FROM ZTORDH_78
 INTO TABLE lt_ordh_78
WHERE NEW_1 = ' '. " Output

DATA : lt_ordh_78 TYPE TABLE OF ZTORDH_78.

SELECT * FROM ZTORDH_78
INTO TABLE lt_ordh_78
WHERE NEW_1 IS NOT NULL. " Output

Topic : Types of SAP Database tables

1) Transparent table - There is 1:1 relationship between the ABAP dictionary and
the database.( One table in ABAP dictionary corresponds to one table in database)
2) Pooled table - There is N:1 relationship between the ABAP dictionary and the
database.( Many tables in ABAP dictionary corresponds to one table in database)
3) Cluster table - There is N:1 relationship between the ABAP dictionary and the
database.( Many tables in ABAP dictionary corresponds to one table in database )

Pooled -> Primary-foreign key relationship is not required.

Cluster -> Primary-foreign key relationship is mandatory.

Structure of a Pooled table at the database layer - Tabname Varkey Dataln vardata
Structure of a cluster table at the database layer - Key Pageno Vardata

Topic : Table Buffering

Buffer is a temperory storage on the application layer.

It improves the performance when accessing the data records contained in the table.

Buffering Options:

1) Buffering not allowed-> Table buffering is not performed for the table.
2) Buffering switched on-> Table buffering is performed for the table.
3) Buffering allowed, but switched off-> Buffer is allowed but it is switched OFF
and can be switched ON anytime according to
the requirement of customer.

Types of Buffering:

1) Single Record buffering -> Single Record will be in the buffer.

When to Use Single Record Buffering ->

Single-record buffering should be used for tables where only a few records are
accessed by specifying the complete key.

Advantage -> It will ocucupy less memory on the application layer.

Disadvantage -> Number of iterations will not be reduced between Application layer
and database layer,
if we are not fetching the same record.

2) Full Buffering -> Full table will be in the buffer.

When to Use Full Record Buffering->

When you decide to fully buffer a table, you must take into account the size of the
table,
Tables that are best suited to full buffering are frequently accessed and rarely
changed.

A table which stores transaction data should not be opted for Full buffering.

Advantage -> Number of iterations between Application and database layer will be
significantly reduced.
Disadvantage -> It will occupy more memory on the application Layer.

3) Generic area buffering -> All Records matches the generic key are loaded in the
buffer.

When To Use Generic Buffering:

For Generic areas( Language Dependent tables)

Imp Point : The numbers of key field for a generic area buffering is less than the
primary keys of the table.

Transaction Code to check the Buffer -> AL12( Path : Monitor->Buffers->Table

Buffer->

Topic : Structures

Structures -> Is a collection of fields/columns of different data type or similar

data type.

ZEMP -> EID -> N(10)

ENAME ->C(40)

ZEMP1 ->EID -> N(10)

ESAL ->N(10)

Difference between table & Structure -> Table has data , Structure does not have
any data.

Include -> 1) It is a reusebale Structure.

2) We can insert the include structure at any point.
3) It is applicable to customer specific tables, It is not applicable
to SAP specific tables.

Append -> 1) It is not a reuseable structure.

2) It always inserts at the last.
3) It is applicable to both customer specific tables and SAP tables.

Topic : INDEX

A Index is created to give the high performance.

Types of Index -> 1) Primary Index -> Primary Key Will act as a Primary Index.
2) Secondary Index -> Based upon the requirement , We will
create secondary Indexes.

Disadvantage -> Index will occupy space on the database Layer.

A Index name is 3 characters long.

Index will store like this - Table name~Index name( Example - ZEMPTABLE~ABC , Where
ZEMPTABLE is table name , ABC is Index name).

Index for all database systems-> Index will be created on all the databases.
Index for Selected database systems-> We can choose database, where we want to
create the index.
No database Index-> Index will remove from the database, It's definition will be
there.

Topic : Views

View -> A view is virtual table.

A view is a logical database.
It does not have any data.

Differece b/w table and View -> Table has data. View does not have any data.

1) Database View -> It is a collection of one or more database tables.

Pre-requisite -> Tables should have a relationship between them.

2) Projection View -> It is applicable to single table.

Select those fields which are required.

3) Maintenance View -> It's purpose is to maintain multiple tables.

Pre-requisite -> Tables should have a relationship between them.

MANDT field is required.

4) Help view -> It is used in search helps.

Pre-requisite -> Tables should have a relationship between them.

Imp Point for Maintenance View and Help View : Not More than one record should
exist in the dependent/Secondary table.

Q-1 : In which scenario - Database View = Projection View.

Answer : If we are creating database view for a single table, In that case Database
View = Projection View.

Q-2 : In which type of View content button is disabled?

Answer : Contents button in disabled in Help view. Help view will display the
contents when it is used in search help.
 Topic : Search Help

Search help -> It is also called as F4 help. It's purpose is to display the various

possible values for any Input field.

Types of Search Help -> a) Elementary Search help-> Single search help.
b) Collective search help-> It is a combination of
elementary search helps.

Selection Method -> It is the name of the table or name of the view from where we
are fetching the data.

Dialog Type ->

Display values Immediately -> Values will display Immediately.

Dialog with values restriction -> Before displaying the values, restriction dialog
will appaer.
Dialog depends upon set of values -> If the table has less than 100 values ,It will
switch to Display values Immediately.
If the table has greater than 100,It will
switch to Dialog with value restriction.

Search Help Parameter - Field of Search Help.

LPOS -> List position( When values got displayed)

SPOS-> Screen position( Before displaying the values)

Modify -> It's purpose is to modify the data element.

SDI's -> It's purpose is to make any field in the read only mode.

Default value -> To provide the default values.

Importing -> Input

Exporting ->To Export the values from the hit list to the screen fields(Input
fields).

Hot Key -> The hot key permits the user to select an elementary search help from
the collective search help directly in the

input field with the short notation

Q-1: What is the pre-requisite for the default value?

answer : Importing should be unticked.

Topic : Lock Objects

Locking -> If multiple users want to change the same data at the same time ,
then at a time only one user can change the data. The purpose of locking
is to achieve synchronization.

Lock object name should start with E.( EZ or EY).

While creating a Lock Object, SAP automatically create 2 FM's.

ENQUEUE_Lock Object name -> For Locking.

DEQUEUE_Lock Object name -> For Unlocking.

Lock Modes : 1) Read Lock( Shared Lock , S) - Others user can view the data, but
can not changed the data.
2) Write Lock( Exclusive lock , E) - Others user can not view the data
and can not changed the data.
3) Enhanced Write Lock( Exclusive lock without cumulation,X) - Others
user can not view the data and can not changed the data +
It
protect the further access for the same transaction.

SM12 -> To see the lock entries.

Topic : Database Utility

1) The database Utility acts as a Interface between the ABAP dictionary and the
database.
2) The database utility allows you to edit database objects.
3) Transaction Code : SE14

Precaution :

1) Do not Perform any database operation on the table while performing the database
utility.