topic Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly in Application Development and Automation Discussions

Modifying SAP Tables directly

pradiptakumar_mishra — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 00:12:21 GMT

Hi Friends,

As per SAP, no one should update SAP standard tables diectly. I mean direct modification of data in standard table is not a good practice. But my query is, whether it is been mentioned in any Notes or Best Practice? <removed_by_moderator>

Thanks And Regards

Pradipta Kumar Mishra

Edited by: Julius Bussche on Sep 1, 2008 8:43 AM

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

Former Member — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 04:10:52 GMT

Hi,

Best practice to modify tables is through the concerned T-code or Prgoram only there is not other best practice.

Thanks,

radha.

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

Former Member — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 08:37:28 GMT

Hi,

We should not update Standard SAP tables directly as lot of validations are involved before updating and dependencies can also exist. The Best way is to update through a transaction or a BAPI or a Function Module provided by SAP.

Regards

Nanda Kishore

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

Former Member — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 08:50:42 GMT

See [SAP Note # 7|https://service.sap.com/sap/support/notes/7] and [rule # 2|https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/wiki?path=/display/home/rulesofEngagement].

Cheers,

Julius

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

Former Member — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 11:48:09 GMT

Hi,

No one should update the Standard tables directly because SAP is highly integrated ERP. For example if you modify a table content in MM module that might be relted to SD FI Inventory and soo..

IF you directly modify the table in other modules it might not get updated thats the reason it is highly recommended not to update the standard tables

Regards,

Naresh.

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

pradiptakumar_mishra — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 17:36:46 GMT

Dear Julius,

Thanks for the reply. But the note 7 does not speak anything about modification of data in standard table.

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

Former Member — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:24:11 GMT

SAP tables are objects just like SAP programs are objects, etc. They belong to SAP.

SAP provides released functions (e.g. transactions, or function modules - not all of which are released) to update the tables in the way in which SAP's programs have foreseen them to be updated. We are only meant to use the interfaces of these functions, as the programs behind them and the tables can change at any time, or become obsolete.

Whether you modify the SAP program, or modify the table directly, I don't see much difference, and SAP can still choose to cancel your support if they want (to my knowledge).

It's a bit like forums have rules and therefore posts to those forums should be according to those rules as well.... => I deleted your duplicated cross-posting (which is against the rules).

Cheers,

Julius

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

pradiptakumar_mishra — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:30:17 GMT

Dear Julius,

Thanks for deleting the post and your valuable reply.

But still I am not able to get my answer. I was expecting to see the SAP note or any document where SAP has documented. Impact of doing the changes are pretty well known in blogs. But where is it mentioned by SAP that customer should not make direct data changes?

Thanks a ton

Pradipta

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

Former Member — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 18:47:31 GMT

> Thanks for deleting the post and your valuable reply.

Based on some of the answers, I don't think you will miss it. Were any of the links posted in it pointing to this thread here?

> But still I am not able to get my answer. I was expecting to see the SAP note or any document where SAP has documented.

I am not sure, but does your license agreement say anything to that affect? I'll check my box-of-tricks and SAP notes tomorrow to see whether there is anything specific about table updates. Perhaps it falls into the grey area between modifying a SAP program and calling an unreleased "for internal user only!" function - depending on which table it is and how big a mess has been created, SAP can elect to cancel support and make changes without any notice anyway.

> Impact of doing the changes are pretty well known in blogs. But where is it mentioned by SAP that customer should not make direct data changes?

Check what your contract states; I will check my box-of-tricks.

Cheers,

Julius

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

Former Member — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 20:27:44 GMT

PS: If you become bored of reading legal or OSS documents and want to read something more technical, and more future oriented...

...then take a look at [An insider's guide to writing ... maintainable, state-of-the-art ABAP programs|https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/f2dac69e-0e01-0010-e2b6-81c1e8e5ce50].

On page 24, there is a section on packages and a sentence which begins with:

> SAP plans to enhance the access control into the runtime realm...

So, depending on which table you are modifying, and where you are modifying it from, it might no longer be possible anyway...

Perhaps we should have asked this earlier: Which table do you want to modify?

Cheers,

Julius

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

pradiptakumar_mishra — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 10:16:07 GMT

Dear Julius,

The table in question is the one which should not be modified at any cost. It is BSEG. I am not doing or allowing to do the modification but the point is I also need to show whether it is been mentioned any where by SAP. And still now other than sdn and other sites(unofficial sites for SAP) I could not find what I have been looking for. I went through the document you had provided. But the point is still open. Where is it been mentioned by SAP?

Thanks And Regards

Pradipta Kumar Mishra

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

Former Member — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:31:22 GMT

> But my query is, whether it is been mentioned in any Notes or Best Practice?

I could not find any note which explicitly states that one should never directly change SAP tables.

What the above document states, is that in a future release access control to objects will be extended to the runtime environment. So program ZTESTUPDATE in package $TEMP cannot access table BSEG directly because it is not in the same nor a nested package of FBAS. ZTESTUPDATE would need to call an interface of FBAS, for example a BAPI, to access data of that package via (released) program interfaces.

> BSEG

I understand that you want a document, and not a horror story: but I knew of a system which not only directly updated the BSEG from customer programs, but had modified the BSEG to add more custom fields to it, amongst several other things to add the custom updates...

I guess as long as it works fine in a unit test, then all is well for a while. But Support Packs and Upgrades were of course out-of-the-question, and eventually it was only possible to logon to the system with a specially created SAP_ALL profile from a higher release system - nothing else worked.

Perhaps someone else knows of a more definitive statement about modifying SAP tables? I will sit on the bench for a while now

Cheers,

Julius

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

pradiptakumar_mishra — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:02:30 GMT

Still the mystery prevails. Where is it been mentioned by SAP? I feel we are following a blind alley. Logically it is not a good way to do the updation of standard tables. Anyway the question still remains open.

Thanks

Pradipta

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

Former Member — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:10:57 GMT

Purchase this [Book At only cost 25$|http://www.springerlink.com/content/g6vracdfn3jv0q0j/] you will get everything written

Cheers

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

ThomasZloch — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:20:25 GMT

> Still the mystery prevails.

Really? This is clear as the brightest daylight, as far as I am concerned.

Or does the operating manual of your car mention that you should hit the brakes before hitting the brick wall?

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

Former Member — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:21:20 GMT

I could not even find the word "table" in the preview...

... at least some SAP notes related to # 7 mention the word "table"... :

Cheers,

Julius

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

pradiptakumar_mishra — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:40:42 GMT

Good example Thomas. But this is not a car

And I need to know. If you know anything then post a reply.

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

Former Member — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:45:46 GMT

I could not even find the word "table" in the preview...

May be you would be able to see all these after buying this

Cheers

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

Former Member — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:18:27 GMT

Hi Amit,

You'll have to give me the $25 first to read a book on hardware sizing and expect to find something about the proprietary nature of SAP tables in it...

In return, I will forward to you any emails which I receive from the Central Banks of Nigeria, Burkina Faso and Ghana relating to hitherto unknown bank accounts of mine with a balance > $1m in their database tables...

Of course, if the above searched for official statement is found in that document, then you also get your $25 back + interest...

Cheers,

Julius

Re: Modifying SAP Tables directly

pradiptakumar_mishra — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:23:52 GMT

Thats a pretty cool answer Julius.