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hey all!

Former Member
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What is difference between transparent table and structure?

9 REPLIES 9

Former Member
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Hi,

Transparent Table is a database table which can hold n records whereas a structure is one that can be used as workarea that is it can hold a single record used for manipulation.

Thanks,

Muthu.

Former Member
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Hi,

<b>Structures.</b> The object structure refers to the definition of a compound object that does not have any content. It's like a table or a view, but it never has entries: it's only a structure. These types of objects are used in programs for defining data structures or for defining data in the interfaces from the module pools and the screens. The basic difference between structures and tables (or views) is that the

structure does not exist at the underlying database system level; however, both tables and views do exist in the database. Structures only exist as definitions in the dictionary. As a result, structures do not need to be activated.

<b>Transparent Table :</b> Exists with the same structure both in dictionary as well as in database exactly with the same data and fields. A transparent table is a table that stores data directly. You can read these tables directly on the database from outside SAP with for instance an SQL statement.

For the majority of the tables, the ABAP/4 Data Dictionary provides a fully transparent interface to the database.

Transparent table is a one to one relation table i.e. when you create one transparent table then exactly same table will create in data base and if is basically used to store transaction data.

Regards,

Priyanka.

Former Member
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Hi

The table category defines how the logical table description defined in the ABAP Dictionary is represented in the database.

There are the following table categories:

transparent table

structure

append structure

Transparent table

There is a physical table on the database for each transparent table. The names of the physical tables and the logical table definition in the ABAP/4 Dictionary correspond.

All business data and application data are stored in transparent tables.

Structure

A structure (structured type) consists of components (fields) whose types are defined.

A component can have an elementary type, a structured type, a table type or a reference type.

Structures are used especially to define the data at the interface of module pools and screens and to define the types of function module parameters.

Structures that are used more than once can be changed centrally because they were defined centrall. The active ABAP Dictionary makes this change at all relevant locations. ABAP programs or screen templates that use a structure are automatically adjusted when the structure changes.

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Former Member
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hi,

Transparent table can have data means u can store data in table.

Structure cant hold data. It is only list of field.U can declare internal table of that structure type but structure itself cant store data.

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former_member189629
Active Contributor
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Jyoti,

Transparent Table : Exists with the same structure both in dictionary as well as in database exactly with the same data and fields.

A transparent table is a table that stores data directly. You can read these tables directly on the database from outside SAP with for instance an SQL statement.

Transparent table is a one to one relation table i.e. when you create one transparent table then exactly same table will create in data base and if is basically used to store transaction data.

The main characteristics of the different kinds of structures are:

Flat structures contain only fields of the elementary types C, N, D, T, F, I, P, and X, or structures containing these types.

Deep structures contain strings, internal tables and field or object references in addition to the elementary types.

Nested structures are structures that contain substructures as components.

Non-nested structures are structures that do not contain any substructures.

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Karthik

Former Member
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Hi,

Structures

-Defined like a table and can then be addressed from ABAP programs.

-Structures contain data only during the runtime of a program.

-Just like user-defined data type.

- In the structure you cant view the contents.

Tables

-Contains data at any given point of time.

- Can be used in ABAP programs

- Can include one or many structures.

- Table you can view the contents.

1) We can enter a record in a Table thru Sm30 / SE11 if maintainence is created but for

Structure we can't do the same.

2) Table can contain multiple records whereas Structure Holds 1 record at a time.

3) Record in table exists physically in the Database whereas Structures holds the data

during the Runtime.

4) We can delete a entry from a Table directly whereas in Structure we can't do the

same.

Hope the above helps you.

Reward if helpful.

Regards,

Harini.S

Former Member
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Hi Jyotirmoy,

<b>Transparent Tables:</b>

Database table defined in the ABAP Dictionary that has one instance in the database with the same name and the same columns as the definition in the ABAP Dictionary. The data in transparent tables can be processed from outside the ABAP-based SAP system via the programming interface of the database.

<b>Structures:</b>

Structures are data objects that are made up of components of any data types that are stored one after the other in the memory. The data type of a structure is a structured type or a structure or database table defined in the ABAP dictionary.

The major difference is that structures are just used for programming later. They don't contain any data.

Whereas transparent tables contain actual data.

Regards

Chetan

Former Member
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Hi,

Transparent table holds data, whereas structure doesnot hold any data.

Thanks,

Sriram Ponna.

Former Member
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Hey Jyotirmoy,

This question seemed to create a lot of excitement.

Bravo,

Chester