NODES

Syntax

NODES node [TYPE type].

Effect

The sole effect of the NODES statement is to copy data from logical databases to executable programs. It defines an interface work area and is allowed only in the global declaration section of executable programs that are linked to a logical database, and in the database program of logical databases. node must be the name of a node of the logical database. NODES declares a table work area node for the respective node. The data type of the table work area is either predefined in the node of the logical database or can be chosen from a list using addition TYPE.

The nodes of the structure of a logical database are maintained in transaction SE36 and can have the following node types:

Node Type T
The data type of the table work area can be a flat structure of the ABAP Dictionary, especially a database table or a view. The name of the node must be identical to the name of the structure.

In this case, the statements NODES and TABLES are identical. In the executable program, you can use for every node of type T either the NODES or the TABLES statement, where node is the name of the node or of the structure. Addition TYPE is not allowed. The database program contains one TABLES statement for every node of type T.
Node Type S
The data type of the table work area is any data typa of the ABAP Dictionary. The name of the node can differ from the name of the type.

In the executable program, you can specify a NODES statement for every node of type S. Addition TYPE is not allowed. The database program contains one NODES statement for every node of type S.
Node Type C
The data type of the table work area is any data type from a type group. The name of the node can differ from the name of the type.

In the executable program, you can specify a NODES statement for every node of type C. Addition TYPE is not allowed. The database program contains one NODES statement for every node of type C.
Node Type A
To this node, a list of any data types from the ABAP Dictionary is assigned. The actual type is determined in the executable program by the TYPE addition of the NODES statement.

In the executable program, you can specify a NODES statement for every node of type A, where you must use addition TYPE to specify one of the assigned data types from the list. The addition TYPE determines the data type of the table work area in the executable program and in the database program. The database program contains a NODES statement without the TYPE addition for every node of type A.

The NODES (or TABLES) statement of the executable program controls the structure of the standard selection screen of the logical database. Only those input fields are displayed, for whose nodes or hierarchically directly inferior nodes a corresponding NODES (or TABLES) statement appears in the executable program.

The database program is responsible for assigning data to the table work area. For every node of the logical database, there is a subroutine PUT_node in the database program, which uses the PUT statement to signal to the executable program that in the table work area node data is available.

For all tables work areas node specified after

NODES (or TABLES), you can create event blocks for the reporting events GET node [LATE]. The events are triggered by the PUT node or PUT <node> statements in the database program. After such an event, the table work area filled in the database program can be evaluated in the executable program. For nodes of type A, the data is available only within the event blocks. For all other types, the data is available throughout the executable program.

Note

Table areas declared with NODES behave like common data declared with addition COMMON PART: They are shared by the programs of a program group.

Example

A logical database contains a root node root_node of node type S, to which the data type INT4 is assigned. The top include of the database program then contains the statement:

NODES root_node.

In addition, the database program contains this subroutine:

FORM put_root_node.
  DO 10 TIMES.
    root_node = sy-index.
    PUT root_node.
  ENDDO.
ENDFORM.

If the executable program below is linked to the logical database, it recieves during program execution the numbers from 1 to 10 in the table work area root_node and at the event GET writes them into a list:

REPORT demo_nodes.

NODES root_node.

GET root_node.
WRITE root_node.