Internal Tables

An internal table is a data object that can contain any number of lines of any data type, the number of which is not statically determined. (For information about the maximum size of an internal table, see Maximum size of dynamic data objects). The data type of an internal table is a table type. The table determines the line type, and also the table category and the table key. For more information on table types, see the section TYPES - Table Types.

The table category is important when editing internal tables. The most important distinction is:

• Index tables, that is, standard tables and sorted tables, can be accessed by index access and key access.

• For hashed tables, only key access is possible.

See also Internal Tables and Performance Notes on Internal Tables.

Statements used for editing internal tables

Read internal table

• READ TABLE

• LOOP AT

• AT

Fill internal table

• INSERT

• COLLECT

• APPEND

• MODIFY

• DELETE

• SORT

Search internal tables

• FIND IN TABLE

• REPLACE IN TABLE

• SEARCH

• PROVIDE

How these tables are used to access individual components of internal tables is described in Internal Tables - comp1 comp2 ....