Instance of a data type. Exists in the internal mode of an ABAP program. Is created either statically as a named, statically declared data object (statement DATA and similar) during loading of a program or a procedure, or dynamically as an anonymous data object at runtime (statement CREATE DATA). In addition, the literals defined as part of the source code count also as data objects. The data type of a data object is always complete (not generic) and can be bound or independent. See also static data object and dynamic data object.