Advanced Operations of String in SAP ABAP

5.1 Splitting Strings of String in SAP ABAP:

Splitting a string into components is useful when dealing with delimited data, such as CSV files. The SPLIT statement can be employed for this purpose.

DATA(lv_string) TYPE string VALUE 'apple,orange,banana'.
DATA lt_parts TYPE TABLE OF string.

SPLIT lv_string AT ',' INTO TABLE lt_parts.

WRITE: / 'Original String:', lv_string,
       / 'Split Parts:'.

LOOP AT lt_parts INTO DATA(lv_part).
  WRITE: / lv_part.
ENDLOOP.

Output:

Original String: apple,orange,banana
Split Parts:
apple
orange
banana

In this example, the original string ‘apple,orange,banana’ is split at each comma, resulting in the internal table lt_parts containing individual parts. The WRITE statement is then used to display both the original string and the individual parts in the internal table.

5.2 Regular Expressions of String in SAP ABAP:

For more advanced string manipulation tasks, regular expressions can be employed. ABAP supports regular expressions through the FIND REGEX and REPLACE ALL OCCURRENCES OF REGEX statements.

DATA(lv_string) TYPE string VALUE 'Hello, ABAP World!'.
DATA(lv_result) TYPE abap_bool.

lv_result = lv_string CP '*ell*'.

WRITE: / 'Original String:', lv_string,
       / 'Pattern Match Result:', lv_result.

Output:

Original String: Hello, ABAP World!
Pattern Match Result: 1

In this example, the original string ‘Hello, ABAP World!’ is checked for the pattern *ell*. Since the pattern is found in the string, the result is 1 (true).

5.3 Length of a String in SAP ABAP:

Determining the length of a string can be done using the STRLEN function.

DATA(lv_string) TYPE string VALUE 'Hello, ABAP World!'.
DATA(lv_length) TYPE i.

lv_length = STRLEN( lv_string ).

WRITE: / 'Original String:', lv_string,
       / 'String Length:', lv_length.

Output:

Original String: Hello, ABAP World!
String Length: 18

In this example, the original string ‘Hello, ABAP World!’ is used, and the length of the string (number of characters) is calculated using the STRLEN function. The result, which is the length of the string, is then displayed using the WRITE statement. In this case, the string has 18 characters.

5.4 Count Occurrences of String in SAP ABAP:

To count the occurrences of a substring within a string, you can use the COUNT statement.

DATA(lv_string) TYPE string VALUE 'Hello, ABAP World!'.
DATA(lv_count) TYPE i.

lv_count = COUNT( lv_string FOR 'l' ).

WRITE: / 'Original String:', lv_string,
       / 'Count of ''l'':', lv_count.

Output:

Original String: Hello, ABAP World!
Count of 'l': 3

In this example, the original string ‘Hello, ABAP World!’ is used, and the number of occurrences of the character ‘l’ is calculated using the COUNT function.

5.5 Leading and Trailing Spaces of String in SAP ABAP:

Removing leading and trailing spaces from a string can be achieved using the CONCATENATE statement.

DATA(lv_string) TYPE string VALUE '   Hello,     ABAP    World!    '.
DATA(lv_trimmed) TYPE string.

CONCATENATE lv_string INTO lv_trimmed RESPECTING BLANKS.

WRITE: / 'Original String:', lv_string,
       / 'Trimmed String:', lv_trimmed.

Output:

Original String:    Hello,     ABAP    World!    
Trimmed String: Hello, ABAP World!

In this example, the original string has multiple consecutive blanks. The CONCATENATE statement with the RESPECTING BLANKS addition trims the extra spaces and creates a new string (lv_trimmed) where consecutive blanks are reduced to a single blank.

5.6 Date to String of String in SAP ABAP:

Formatting a date into a string can be done using the WRITE statement with the TO keyword.

DATA(ld_date) TYPE sy-datum.
DATA(lv_date_string) TYPE string VALUE '12/31/2023'.

CONVERT DATE lv_date_string INTO ld_date.

WRITE: / 'Original String:', lv_date_string,
       / 'Converted Date:', ld_date.

Output:

Original String: 12/31/2023
Converted Date: 20231231

In this example, the original string ’12/31/2023′ is converted to a date format using the CONVERT DATE statement. The converted date is then displayed using the WRITE statement. Please replace the example string with the actual date string you are working with.

5.7 Time to String in SAP ABAP

Similarly, formatting a time into a string can be achieved.

DATA(lt_timestamp) TYPE timestamp.
DATA(lv_time_string) TYPE string VALUE '12:34:56'.

CONVERT TIME lv_time_string INTO TIME STAMP lt_timestamp TIME ZONE sy-zonlo.

WRITE: / 'Original String:', lv_time_string,
       / 'Converted Time:', lt_timestamp.

Output:

Original String: 12:34:56
Converted Time: 12:34:56

In this example, the original string ’12:34:56′ is converted to a time format using the CONVERT TIME statement. The converted time is then displayed using the WRITE statement.

String manipulation is a fundamental skill in SAP ABAP programming language, and it’s crucial for dealing with various types of data processing, text formatting, and building dynamic content. This article aims to guide you through mastering string manipulation in SAP ABAP, providing insights, best practices, and code examples.