DATA declaration in ABAP

[Former Member]

Hello!

I found this declaration in a method (part of a Web Dynpro, but that souldn't matter here):

DATA lv_sysid TYPE sy-sysid.

In the ABAP basic course, I learned that I can use DATA ... TYPE in combination with a type or DATA .... LIKE in combination with an existing data object.

From my understanding, sy-sysid is a data object, so why can it be used in combination with DATA ... TYPE? Shouldn't it be DATA lv_sysid LIKE sy-sysid?

Best regards

Jan

[tapomay_sanyal]

Hi Jan,

We use Like only against DATA OBJECTS & data objects inturn are created with respect to elementary data types or dictionary data types.

e.g:

DATA: data_obj type data_type.

DATA: DATA_another_obj like data_obj (Valid)

or

DATA: DATA_another_obj type data_type is also valid.

In your example,

DATA lv_sysid TYPE sy-sysid is perfect as the created object/variable lv_sysid is of type SYSID of the dictionary structure SYST, base type of the variable lv_sysid will be character with length 8

Hope this explains your query!

Feel free to add further questions.

---BR----

Tapomay

[Former Member]

Thank you, Tapomay

I was a bit confused because sy-sysid can also contain a value, which I thought is specific for a object/variable. Seems that sy-sysid is both - a type and a data object.

Best regards

Jan

[horst_keller]

Your question makes perfect sense!

In a better world, there would be the dictionary structure SYST and the ABAP data object SY and it would be

TYPE SYST-SYSID

LIKE SY-SYSID

and nothing else.

Alas, and as documented, in ABAP, SYST as well as SY are both built-in types and objects and you can mix TYPE and LIKE as you will   .

Horst

[Former Member]

Thank you, Horst!

Best regards

Jan

[Former Member]

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