The following table shows the predefined generic ABAP types. A generic data type is an incomplete type specification that includes several complete type specifications. The generic types can be used for the typing of field symbols and formal parameters. The only generic type that can be used for typing of data references is the predefined type data. The predefined generic type for object references is object. When a data object is assigned to generically typed field symbols using the statement ASSIGN, or to a formal parameter in procedure calls, the system checks whether its concrete data type is a of the generic type, or is compatible with it.
| Type | Description |
| any | Any data type (suitable for any type) |
| any table | Internal table of any table type |
| c | Text field of generic length |
| clike | Character-type (c, d, n, t, string and character-type flat structures); in non- Unicode programs also x, xstring and any flat structures |
| csequence | Text-type (c, string) |
| data | Any data type |
| hashed table | Hashed table |
| index table | Index table |
| n | numeric text of generic length |
| numeric | Numeric (b, i, p, f, s) |
| object | Any object type (root class of the inheritance hierarchy) |
| p | Packed number of generic length and generic number of decimal places |
| simple | Elementary data type including structured types with exclusively character-type flat components |
| sorted table | Sorted table |
| Standard table | Standard table |
| table | Standard table |
| x | Byte field of generic length |
| xsequence | byte-type (x, xstring) |
The genric types clike, csequence, numeric,simple, and xsequence are available as of release 6.10.