SAP ABAP interview questions

Thanks to the reader who sent in this question set:

1. What is an ABAP data dictionary? - ABAP 4 data dictionary describes
the logical structures of the objects used in application development and
shows how they are mapped to the underlying relational database in
tables/views.
. What are domains and data element? - !omains" !omain is the central
object for describing the technical characteristics of an attribute of an
business objects. #t describes the value range of the field. !ata $lement" #t
is used to describe the semantic definition of the table fields li%e
description the field. !ata element describes how a field can be displayed
to end-user.
&. What is foreign key relationship? - A relationship which can be defined
between tables and must be e'plicitly defined at field level. (oreign %eys
are used to ensure the consistency of data. !ata entered should be
chec%ed against e'isting data to ensure that there are now contradiction.
)hile defining foreign %ey relationship cardinality has to be specified.
*ardinality mentions how many dependent records or how referenced
records are possible.
4. Describe data classes.- +aster data" #t is the data which is seldomly
changed. ,ransaction data" #t is the data which is often changed.
-rgani.ation data" #t is a customi.ing data which is entered in the system
when the system is configured and is then rarely changed. /ystem data"#t
is the data which 0/& system needs for itself.
1. What are indexes?- #nde'es are described as a copy of a database table
reduced to specific fields. ,his data e'ists in sorted form. ,his sorting form
ease fast access to the field of the tables. #n order that other fields are
also read2 a pointer to the associated record of the actual table are
included in the inde'. 3he inde'es are activated along with the table and
are created automatically with it in the database.
4. Difference between transparent tables and pooled tables.-
,ransparent tables" ,ransparent tables in the dictionary has a one-to-one
relation with the table in database. #ts structure corresponds to single
database field. ,able in the database has the same name as in the
dictionary. ,ransparent table holds application data. Pooled tables. Pooled
tables in the dictionary has a many-to-one relation with the table in
database. ,able in the database has the different name as in the
dictionary. Pooled table are stored in table pool at the database level.
5. What is an ABAP/4 !ery?- ABAP/4 6uery is a powerful tool to generate
simple reports without any coding. ABAP/4 6uery can generate the
following & simple reports" Basic 7ist" #t is the simple reports. /tatistics"
0eports with statistical functions li%e Average2 Percentages. 0an%ed 7ists"
(or analytical reports. - (or creating a ABAP/4 6uery2 programmer has to
create user group and a functional group. (unctional group can be created
using with or without logical database table. (inally2 assign user group to
functional group. (inally2 create a 8uery on the functional group generated.
9. What is BD" programming?- ,ransferring of large/e'ternal/legacy data
into /AP system using Batch #nput programming. Batch input is a
automatic procedure referred to as B!*:Batch !ata
*ommunications;.,he central component of the transfer is a 8ueue file
which receives the data vie a batch input programs and groups associated
data into <sessions=.
>. What are the f!nctional mod!les !sed in se#!ence in BD"?- ,hese
are the & functional modules which are used in a se8uence to perform a
data transfer successfully using B!* programming" B!*?-P$@?A0-BP
- Parameters li%e @ame of the client2 sessions and user name are
specified in this functional modules. B!*?#@/$0, - #t is used to insert the
data for one transaction into a session. B!*?*7-/$?A0-BP - ,his is
used to close the batch input session.
1C. What are internal tables?- #nternal tables are a standard data type object
which e'ists only during the runtime of the program. ,hey are used to
perform table calculations on subsets of database tables and for re-
organising the contents of database tables according to users need.
11. What is $%&? What are the merits of $%&?- #,/ is a #nternet ,ransaction
/erver. #,/ forms an interface between D,,P server and 0/& system2
which converts screen provided data by the 0/& system into D,+7
documents and vice-versa. +erits of #,/" A complete web transaction can
be developed and tested in 0/& system. All transaction components2
including those used by the #,/ outside the 0/& system at runtime2 can be
stored in the 0/& system. ,he advantage of automatic language
processing in the 0/& system can be utili.ed to language-dependent
D,+7 documents at runtime.
1. What is DynPro?- !ynPro is a !ynamic Programming which is a
combination of screen and the associated flow logic /creen is also called
as !ynPro.
1&. What are screen painter and men! painter?- /creen painter" /creen
painter is a tool to design and maintain screen and its elements. #t allows
user to create AB# screens for the transactions. Attributes2 layout2 filed
attributes and flow logic are the elements of /creen painter. +enu painter"
+enu painter is a tool to design the interface components. /tatus2 menu
bars2 menu lists2 (-%ey settings2 functions and titles are the components of
+enu painters. /creen painter and menu painter both are the graphical
interface of an ABAP/4 applications.
14. What are the components of &AP scripts?- /AP scripts is a word
processing tool of /AP which has the following components" /tandard
te't. #t is li%e a standard normal documents. 7ayout sets. - 7ayout set
consists of the following components" )indows and pages2 Paragraph
formats2 *haracter formats. *reating forms in the 0/& system. $very
layout set consists of Deader2 paragraph2 and character string. ABAP/4
program.
11. What is A'( programming in ABAP? When is this grid !sed in
ABAP?- A7E is Application 7ist viewer. /ap provides a set of A7E :ABAP
7#/, E#$)$0; function modules which can be put into use to embellish
the output of a report. ,his set of A7E functions is used to enhance the
readability and functionality of any report output. *ases arise in sap when
the output of a report contains columns e'tending more than 11
characters in length. #n such cases2 this set of A7E functions can help
choose selected columns and arrange the different columns from a report
output and also save different variants for report display. ,his is a very
efficient tool for dynamically sorting and arranging the columns from a
report output. ,he report output can contain up to >C columns in the
display with the wide array of display options.
14. What are the e)ents in ABAP/4 lang!age?- #nitiali.ation2 At selection-
screen2 /tart-of-selection2 end-of-selection2 top-of-page2 end-of-page2 At
line-selection2 At user-command2 At P(2 Aet2 At @ew2 At 7A/,2 A, $@!2 A,
(#0/,.
15. What is "%& and what do yo! know abo!t it?- ,he *hange and
,ransport /ystem :*,/; is a tool that helps you to organi.e development
projects in the ABAP )or%bench and in *ustomi.ing2 and then transport
the changes between the /AP /ystems and clients in your system
landscape. ,his documentation provides you with an overview of how to
manage changes with the *,/ and essential information on setting up
your system and client landscape and deciding on a transport strategy.
0ead and follow this documentation when planning your development
project.
19. What are logical databases? What are the ad)antages/ dis*
ad)antages of logical databases?- ,o read data from a database tables
we use logical database. A logical database provides read-only access to
a group of related tables to an ABAP/4 program. Advantages" i;chec%
functions which chec% that user input is complete2 correct2and plausible.
ii;+eaningful data selection. iii;central authori.ation chec%s for database
accesses. iv;good read access performance while retaining the
hierarchical data view determined by the application logic. dis advantages"
i;#f you donot specify a logical database in the program attributes2the A$,
events never occur. ii;,here is no $@!A$, command2so the code bloc%
associated with an event ends with the ne't event statement :such as
another A$, or an $@!--(-/$7$*,#-@;.
1>. What is a batch inp!t session?- BA,*D #@PB, /$//#-@ is an
intermediate step between internal table and database table. !ata along
with the action is stored in session ie data for screen fields2 to which
screen it is passed2 program name behind it2 and how ne't screen is
processed.
C. +ow to !pload data !sing "A%% ?- ,hese are the steps to be followed to
Bpload data through *A,," *reation of the *A,, test case F recording
the sample data input. !ownload of the source file template. +odification
of the source file. Bpload of the data from the source file.
1. What is &mart ,orms?- /mart (orms allows you to create forms using a
graphical design tool with robust functionality2 color2 and more.
Additionally2 all new forms developed at /AP will be created with the new
/mart (orm solution.
. +ow can $ make a differentiation between dependent and
independent data?- *lient dependent or independent transfer
re8uirements include client specific or cross client objects in the change
re8uests. )or%bench objects li%e /APscripts are client specific2 some
entries in customi.ing are client independent. #f you display the object list
for one change re8uest2 and then for each object the object attributes2 you
will find the flag client specific. #f one object in the tas% list has this flag on2
then that transport will be client dependent.
&. What is the difference between macro and s!bro!tine?- +acros can
only be used in the program the are defined in and only after the definition
are e'panded at compilation / generation. /ubroutines :(-0+; can be
called from both the program the are defined in and other programs . A
+A*0- is more or less an abbreviation for some lines of code that are
used more than once or twice. A (-0+ is a local subroutine :which can
be called e'ternal;. A (B@*,#-@ is :more or less; a subroutine that is
called e'ternal. /ince debugging a +A*0- is not really possible2 prevent
the use of them :#Gve never used them2 but seen them in action;. #f the
subroutine is used only local :called internal; use a (-0+. #f the ubroutine
is called e'ternal :used by more than one program; use a (B@*,#-@.