Since ABAP release 7.88, SAP BTP ABAP Environment 2205, CDS view entities are feature complete. In this blog series, you find a complete list of new features, improvements, and differences of CDS view entities compared to CDS DDIC-based views.

Introduction and Overview

Part l: New features

Part ll: Improvements

Part lll: Differences

Part lll: Differences

1. Features and syntax not supported in CDS view entities
2. Differences in header annotations
3. New syntax requirements

1. Features and syntax not supported in CDS view entities

The following features and syntax elements are supported in CDS DDIC-based views, but not in CDS view entities:

• The built-in function DECIMAL_SHIFT is not supported in CDS view entities.
• Post element annotations, using the syntax @<anno, are not supported. Element annotations must be specified before the element in a CDS view entity.

Example: The following post annotation is valid in a CDS DDIC-based view, but not in a CDS view entity.

...
element
@<EndUserText.label: 'anno',
next_element,
...

• The syntax $EXTENSION.* is not supported in CDS view entities.
• SELECT * to select all elements from a data source is not supported in CDS view entities.
• Name lists are not supported in CDS view entities.
• @Semantics.currencyCode and @Semantics.unitOfMeasure are not required and not supported in CDS view entities.
• Parameters can be accessed only via $parameters.pname in a CDS view entity. Using the syntax :pname to access a parameter is not supported.
• Domain fix values as literal prefix are not supported in CDS view entities.

2. Differences in header annotations

The following header annotations are supported in CDS DDIC-based views, but not in CDS view entities:

• @AbapCatalog.sqlViewName: CDS view entities do not have a DDIC view attached.
• @AbapCatalog.sqlViewAppendName: CDS view entities do not have a DDIC view attached.
• @Client.Dependent: Client handling is done automatically and implicitly in CDS view entities.
• @AbapCatalog.buffering.status: Entity buffering works via CDS tuning objects in CDS view entities.
• @AbapCatalog.buffering.type: Entity buffering works via CDS tuning objects in CDS view entities.
• @AbapCatalog.buffering.numberOfKeyFields: Entity buffering works via CDS tuning objects in CDS view entities.
• @AbapCatalog.compiler.compareFilter: In CDS view entities, the filter is implicitly and automatically compared.
• @AbapCatalog.dbHints: In CDS view entities, this annotation was replaced by the framework-specific annotation @Consumption.dbHints.
• @AbapCatalog.preserveKey: This annotation serves the definition of key fields of the CDS-managed DDIC view in CDS DDIC-based views. Since there is no CDS-managed DDIC view in CDS view entities, it is obsolete here.

3. New syntax requirements

The following syntax elements have been reworked or stricter checks have been introduced:

• Prefixing: if a CDS view entity selects data from more than one data source (by means of a join or an association), each single element in the SELECT list must have a source prefix. Otherwise, a syntax check error occurs. Each element must be uniquely identifiable to avoid later inconsistencies, for example in an extension scenario.
• Average function: The average function has the following syntax in a CDS view entity:

AVG( [DISTINCT] operand AS dtype )

In a CDS DDIC-based view, the addition AS dtype is optional. In a CDS view entity, it is mandatory.

• The DDLS name and the STOB name must be identical: In a CDS DDIC-based views, the name of the DDL source and the name after the DEFINE VIEW statement may be different. In a CDS view entity, they must be identical.
• In a CDS view entity, the annotation @Semantics.amount.currencyCode is mandatory for elements of data type CURR. The annotation @Semantics.quantity.unitOfMeasure is mandatory for elements of data type QUAN. In a CDS DDIC-based view, both annotations are optional.
• Alias names must be specified using AS. AS must not be left out.
• The annotation @Metadata.ignorePropagatedAnnotations: true is mandatory in union views.
• In a union view, the key elements of all SELECT lists must match. Otherwise, a syntax check error occurs.
• In a union view, element annotations are allowed only in the SELECT list of the first SELECT statement. In all subsequent branches, element annotations are forbidden.

Further information

Migration: A new generation of CDS views: how to migrate your CDS views to CDS view entities | SAP Blogs

A new generation of CDS views: CDS view entities | SAP Blogs

ABAP Keyword Documentation: ABAP CDS – View Entities