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This statement declares an additional table work area *table_wa, whose data type, like that of normal TABLES statements of flat, structured data type table_wa, is copied from the ABAP Dictionary.
The additional table work area can be used like the normal table work area. This applies in particular to obsolete short forms of Open SQL statements.
The statement TABLES cannot be used in classes. For declaring as many work areas as you want, you can use the addition TYPE to use the data types in the ABAP Dictionary.
Example
Declaration of a normal and additional table work area and its use in <b>obsolete</b> short forms of the SELECT statement.
TABLES: scarr, *scarr.
SELECT SINGLE *
FROM scarr
WHERE carrid = 'LH'.
SELECT SINGLE *
FROM *scarr
WHERE carrid = 'UA'.
Please note that this type of declaration is <b>OBSOLETE</b>
The following coding was copied from report SAPFV45E.
* Hauptposition
data: begin of hvbap.
include structure vbapvb.
data: end of hvbap.
data: begin of *hvbap.
include structure vbapvb.
data: end of *hvbap.
The <*structures> are identical to their corresponding <structures>. They are frequently used <b>to compare old data vs. new or changed data</b>.
For example, when the report was started hvbap and *hvbap were filled with the same data read from the DB table. Now when the user changes data in the dialog these changes are collected in hvbap. Finally, hvbap and *hvbap are compared to see if data were indeed changed and have to be updated in the DB table.
I think with respect to ABAP-OO we should not use this <*structure> variables anymore.
When you need two distinct work areas of the same database table in your program, you can use two tables declarations like
Tables: mara, *mara.
Typical use is on a screen, that has a table control. Here same table fields may appear on the main screen as well as in the table control. You use normal work area ( mara) to refer to main screen fields and the other work area ( *mara) for table control fields.
This statement declares an additional table work area *table_wa, whose data type, like that of normal TABLES statements of flat, structured data type table_wa, is copied from the ABAP Dictionary.
The additional table work area can be used like the normal table work area. This applies in particular to obsolete short forms of Open SQL statements.
The statement TABLES cannot be used in classes. For declaring as many work areas as you want, you can use the addition TYPE to use the data types in the ABAP Dictionary.
Example
Declaration of a normal and additional table work area and its use in <b>obsolete</b> short forms of the SELECT statement.
TABLES: scarr, *scarr.
SELECT SINGLE *
FROM scarr
WHERE carrid = 'LH'.
SELECT SINGLE *
FROM *scarr
WHERE carrid = 'UA'.
Please note that this type of declaration is <b>OBSOLETE</b>
Bluesky
