topic Re: String templates in Application Development and Automation Discussions

String templates

rainer_hbenthal — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 07:13:18 GMT

I just played around with the string tempülates now available in one of our updated systems. So i tried

type_descr = cl_abap_typedescr=>describe_by_data( s ).

CASE type_descr->type_kind.

WHEN cl_abap_typedescr=>typekind_time.
r = |{ s time = user }|.

Where s is an importing parameter of a method having type CLIKE

but i got the error "Format directive TIME cannot be used on the embedded expression".

Inserting a helping variable

ltime type t

and

ltime=s;

r = |{ ltime time = user }|.

solves this, but thats exactly what i want to avoid: a helping variable just for type casting

Is there no way to solve this without a helping variable?

Please don't give hints to use concatenate or write into, i know these and i know how to use this. My intention is to get experience with string templates.

Re: String templates

Tomas_Buryanek — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 07:55:56 GMT

Quote from F1 help:


This formatting option defines the format of a time. You can declare the option TIME only if the embedded expression has the data type t.

So you can not use it without putting type t there

Maybe it could be done with inline data/variable declaration. But i can't try it, since its not available in my ABAP version...

Re: String templates

matt — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 08:11:28 GMT

Beat me to it - this first example works, the second has Rainer's error.

DATA: s Type syuzeit.

s = sy-uzeit.

DATA st TYPE string.

st = |{ s TIME = USER }|.

DATA: s Type c length 10.

s = sy-uzeit.

DATA st TYPE string.

st = |{ s TIME = USER }|.

Re: String templates

rainer_hbenthal — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 08:14:06 GMT

Embarrassing that i've read the online help but it doesnt made click in my head ...

And of course date = user has the same restriction. This type casting with dummy variables really drives me nuts, yesterday i had a method importing character length 15 and i had a string

Re: String templates

rainer_hbenthal — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 08:23:39 GMT

Hi Matthew,

found something around this here

but... not available here...

Re: String templates

matt — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 09:27:47 GMT

I'm currently developing with them. Used with care they do make code more readable. The downside is that you lose the navigation by double click on the type.

DATA(s) = sy-uzeit.

DATA(st) = |{ s TIME = USER }|.

Re: String templates

rainer_hbenthal — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 10:35:12 GMT

I'm more referring to the CONV() type cast function, also mentioned in the discussion below the blog, that would really help avoiding those temporary helping variables

Re: String templates

Former Member — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 10:59:03 GMT

Another downside is that they cannot be made translateable as easily as character literals (--> text elements).

Re: String templates

matt — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 12:12:01 GMT

Erm... isn't that the point? Use | | for non-translatable literals and '' for translatable?

Re: String templates

Former Member — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 13:42:29 GMT

Yup. Wait untill you see the first MESSAGE |You can't do { lv_action } with { lv_object }.| TYPE 'E'. Lesson learned: There's always someone who will miss the point...

Re: String templates

Clemenss — Sun, 25 Oct 2020 23:00:45 GMT

Try conv time( s ).