What does this ABAP code do?

[andrew_jacobs2]

Hi,

I came across this ABAP code and I'd like to know what the asterisk (*) before the variable names does.

*mkpf = mkpf.

*mseg-lgort = mseg-lgort.

*ladr = ladr.

save_mkpf = *mkpf-usnam.

save_mblnr = *mkpf-mblnr.

save_budat = *mkpf-budat.

save_cpudt = *mkpf-cpudt.

save_ematn = *mseg-ematn.

save_lgort = *mseg-lgort.

save_ladr = *ladr.

*t001w = t001w.

save_werks = *t001w-werks.

save_name1 = *t001w-name1.

*ekko = ekko.

*am07m = am07m.

save_lifnr = *ekko-lifnr.

save_ebeln = *ekko-ebeln.

save_ekgrp = *ekko-ekgrp.

save_linam = *am07m-name1.

save_lina2 = *am07m-name2.

*t024 = t024.

save_eknam = *t024-eknam.

save_ektel = *t024-ektel.

*mkpf-usnam = old_mkpf.

*mkpf-mblnr = old_mblnr.

*mkpf-cpudt = old_cpudt.

*mkpf-budat = old_budat.

*mseg-ematn = old_ematn.

*mseg-lgort = old_lgort.

*ladr = old_ladr.

*t001w-werks = old_werks.

*t001w-name1 = old_name1.

*t024-eknam = old_eknam.

*t024-ektel = old_ektel.

*ekko-lifnr = old_lifnr.

*ekko-ebeln = old_ebeln.

*ekko-ekgrp = old_ekgrp.

*am07m-name1 = old_linam.

*am07m-name2 = old_lina2.

Thx.

Andy

[Former Member]

It is a temporary buffering variable.

Regards,

ravi

[Former Member]

Hi,

It is nothing but the Work Area. Check the below sample code.

report abcd.

tables: *vbak, vbak.

select single * from vbak into *vbak where vbeln <> space.

write *vbak-vbeln.

Regards,

Satya

[matt]

The asterisk doesn't "do" anything. In older abap, it was used like:

TABLES: mara, *mara.

You then had two independent work areas with the structure of mara.