METHODS

Short Reference

Syntax Forms

General Instance Methods

1. METHODS meth [ABSTRACT|FINAL]
    [IMPORTING parameters [PREFERRED PARAMETER p]]
    [EXPORTING parameters]
    [CHANGING  parameters]
    [{RAISING|EXCEPTIONS} exc1 exc2 ...].

Functional Instance Methods

2. METHODS meth [ABSTRACT|FINAL]
    [IMPORTING parameters [PREFERRED PARAMETER p]]
    RETURNING VALUE(r) typing
    [{RAISING|EXCEPTIONS} exc1 exc2 ...].

Instance Constructors

3. METHODS constructor [FINAL]
    [IMPORTING parameters [PREFERRED PARAMETER p]]
    [{RAISING|EXCEPTIONS} exc1 exc2 ...].

Event Handlers

4. METHODS meth [ABSTRACT|FINAL]
     FOR EVENT evt OF {class|ifac}
     [IMPORTING p1 p2 ... [sender]].

Redefinition of Instance Methods

5. METHODS meth [FINAL] REDEFINITION.

Definition of a Test Method

6. METHODS meth [ABSTRACT|FINAL]
    FOR TESTING
    [RAISING exc1 exc2 ...].

Effect

The statement METHODS declares or redefines an instance method meth. For the name meth, the naming conventions apply. Instance methods are linked to objects. To use instance methods, you must first create an object of the class. In instance methods, you can access all components of the own class without a component selector.

Use the variants of statement METHODS to distinguish between the following kinds of method declarations:

• General Instance Methods
  The general form of the METHODS statement allows the definition of instance methods with any input and output parameters.
  
  
• Functional Instance Methods
  Functional methods have any number of input parameters and exactly one return value as output parameter.
  
  
• Instance Constructors
  Instance constructors are methods with the given name constructor, which are called automatically at the instanciation of your class. Constructors have any number of input parameters and no output parameter.
  
  
• Event Handlers
  Event handlers are methods that can be called with CALL METHOD, but are mainly called when an event of a class or an interface is triggered. The only possible formal parameters of an event handler are input parameters, which have been defined as the output parameters of the event.
  
  
• Redefinition of Instance Methods
  A method declared in a superclass can be redefined in a subclass as long as it is not flagged as final in the superclass. In a redefinition, the interface of the method is not changed.
  
  
• Definition of a Test Method
  Test methods can be declared in test classes. They have no interface parameters and are called during ABAP Unit tests by the ABAP runtime environment.