Serialize an object wir TYPE REF TO attribute.

[mykola_tokariev2]

Dear SAP community,

I tried to save serialized object to DB table. The problem is that this approach doesn't work for classes with attribute TYPE REF TO.

My class looks like this:

CLASS zcl_mock DEFINITION
  PUBLIC
  CREATE PUBLIC.
  INTERFACES IF_SERIALIZABLE_OBJECT .

  PUBLIC SECTION.
  PROTECTED SECTION.
  PRIVATE SECTION.

    DATA mock_data TYPE REF TO data.
ENDCLASS. 



CLASS zcl_mock IMPLEMENTATION.
...
ENDCLASS.

Do you have any idea how can I solved this problem?

[Sandra_Rossi]

No problem for me, with option data_refs = 'heap-or-create':

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<asx:abap xmlns:asx="http://www.sap.com/abapxml" version="1.0">
    <asx:values>
        <OBJ href="#o9" />
    </asx:values>
    <asx:heap xmlns:dic="http://www.sap.com/abapxml/types/dictionary" xmlns:cls="http://www.sap.com/abapxml/classes/global" xmlns:abap="http://www.sap.com/abapxml/types/built-in" xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema">
        <prg:ZCL_MOCK xmlns:prg="http://www.sap.com/abapxml/classes/program/ZZSRO_TEST8" id="o9">
            <local.ZCL_MOCK>
                <MOCK_DATA href="#d2" />
            </local.ZCL_MOCK>
        </prg:ZCL_MOCK>
        <xsd:int id="d2">5</xsd:int>
    </asx:heap>
</asx:abap>

ABAP program:

REPORT.

CLASS zcl_mock DEFINITION
  CREATE PUBLIC.

  PUBLIC SECTION.
    INTERFACES IF_SERIALIZABLE_OBJECT .
    methods constructor.

  PROTECTED SECTION.
  PRIVATE SECTION.

    DATA mock_data TYPE REF TO data.
ENDCLASS.

CLASS zcl_mock IMPLEMENTATION.
  METHOD constructor.
    create data mock_data type i.
    cast i( mock_data )->* = 5.
  ENDMETHOD.

ENDCLASS.

START-OF-SELECTION.
  data(obj) = new zcl_mock( ).
  CALL TRANSFORMATION ID source obj = obj result xml data(xstring)
      OPTIONS data_refs = 'heap-or-create'.

[mykola_tokariev2]

Hey sandra.rossi,

thank you for your answer. Your example works fine. But if I set some table to mock_data attribute, I get an CX_REFERENCE_NOT_SERIALIZABLE exception. You can see the example below:

REPORT.

CLASS zcl_mock DEFINITION
  CREATE PUBLIC.

  PUBLIC SECTION.
    INTERFACES if_serializable_object .
    METHODS constructor.

    DATA mock_data TYPE REF TO data.
ENDCLASS.

CLASS zcl_mock IMPLEMENTATION.
  METHOD constructor.
    FIELD-SYMBOLS: <flight> TYPE any.
    SELECT * FROM sflight INTO TABLE @DATA(sflight_tab) UP TO 10 ROWS.

    CREATE DATA mock_data TYPE TABLE OF ('SFLIGHT').
    ASSIGN mock_data->* TO <flight>.
    <flight> = sflight_tab.
  ENDMETHOD.

ENDCLASS.

START-OF-SELECTION.
  DATA(obj) = NEW zcl_mock( ).
  CALL TRANSFORMATION id SOURCE obj = obj RESULT XML DATA(xstring)
      OPTIONS data_refs = 'heap-or-create'.


  DATA deser_obj TYPE REF TO zcl_mock.

  CALL TRANSFORMATION id SOURCE XML xstring RESULT obj = deser_obj.

[Sandra_Rossi]

As explained in the ABAP documentation, it doesn't work with "internal types" (also called "bound types"). You must use DDIC Types or Standalone Types. For example, with a Standalone Type:

    TYPES ty_sflight_lines TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF SFLIGHT WITH EMPTY KEY.
    CREATE DATA mock_data TYPE ty_sflight_lines.