ABAP: Data Elements

In my previous post, I explained about the domains in ABAP Dictionary. I showed you how to create domains (ZRATING, ZDATE_OF_JOIN, ZID, ZEMAIL, ZMYNAME). This is continuation to my previous post, I recommend you to go through my previous post before reading this.

Domain VS Data Elements

Domain holds the technical details like data type, number of characters to store, case sensitivity, output length, value range etc., Data Elements holds the semantics of the filed like meaningful field names, description about the field etc.,

Domain	Corresponding data elements using this domain
ZRATING	ZSTUDENT_RATING, ZFACULTY_RATING
ZDATE_OF_JOIN	ZSTUDENT_DATE_OF_JOIN, ZFACULTY_DATE_OF_JOIN
ZID	ZSTUDENT_ID, ZFACULTY_ID, ZPARENT_ID
ZEMAIL	ZSTUDENT_PRIMARY_EMAIL, ZSTUDENT_SECONDARY_EMAIL, ZFACULTY_PRIMARY_EMAIL, ZFACULTY_WORK_EMAIL, ZPARENT_PRIMARY_EMAIL, ZPARENT_SECONDARY_EMAIL
ZMYNAME	ZSTUDENT_FIRST_NAME, ZSTUDENT_LAST_NAME, ZFACULTY_FIRST_NAME, ZFACULTY_LAST_NAME, ZPARENT_FIRST_NAME, ZPARENT_LAST_NAME

First let us create a data element 'ZPHONE_NUMBER' without using any domain, later I will show you how to create the data elemented mentioned in above table using corresponding domains.

Create ZPHONE_NUMBER data element with simple built in data type CHAR

Open ABAP dictionary by using the transaction SE11.

Select the check box ‘Data type’ and give the name as ZPHONE_NUMBER and click the button Create.

It opens below window. Choose the radio button 'Data Element' and press Ok.

It opens below screen.

As you see above screen, it is similar to the screen that we saw while creating domains.

Update ‘Short Description’ as ‘Phone number of a person’.

Select the check box ‘Built-in type’ and select the Char type and give length as 20 characters.

Go to ‘Field Label’ section, given some meaningful labels to this data element.

Save the changes and activate the data element. That’s it, you are done with the creation of first data element.

Creating data elements using domain

In my previous post, I created below domains.

a.   ZRATING

b.   ZDATE_OF_JOIN

c.   ZID

d.   ZEMAIL

e.   ZMYNAME

        

Now let’s create data elements using above domains.

Create ‘ZSTUDENT_PRIMARY_EMAIL´ data element using ZEMAIL domain

Open ABAP dictionary by using the transaction SE11.

Give the Data type as ‘ZSTUDENT_PRIMARY_EMAIL’ and click Create button.

It opens below window. Select the check box ‘Data element’ and press ok.

It opens below window. Add some ‘Short Description’ and add the Domain as ZEMAIL.

Update field labels.

Press Save and activate the data element. That’s it you are done.

Add documentation to data element

Open the Data element using ABAP dictionary. Click on the button ‘Documentation’.

It open editor like below.

Add some documentation and save.

Same way, you can create following data elements from the domains

Domain	Corresponding data elements using this domain
ZRATING	ZSTUDENT_RATING, ZFACULTY_RATING
ZDATE_OF_JOIN	ZSTUDENT_DATE_OF_JOIN, ZFACULTY_DATE_OF_JOIN
ZID	ZSTUDENT_ID, ZFACULTY_ID, ZPARENT_ID
ZEMAIL	ZSTUDENT_PRIMARY_EMAIL, ZSTUDENT_SECONDARY_EMAIL, ZFACULTY_PRIMARY_EMAIL, ZFACULTY_WORK_EMAIL, ZPARENT_PRIMARY_EMAIL, ZPARENT_SECONDARY_EMAIL
ZMYNAME	ZSTUDENT_FIRST_NAME, ZSTUDENT_LAST_NAME, ZFACULTY_FIRST_NAME, ZFACULTY_LAST_NAME, ZPARENT_FIRST_NAME, ZPARENT_LAST_NAME

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