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Author's profile photo Sumit Holey

How to change database table entries in any environment?

Introduction:

This blog post will help you to change database entry in any environment with ease, but remember this is very powerful technique and may leads to data inconsistency if any wrong key data changed.

Also after this blog post you will be able to update the entries.

“This is very useful technique which can be used to change database tables data in any environment (if you have CHANGE access in Debugger).

The changes which can be taken out through this process cannot be tracked so may leads to inconsistencies. Think twice before using this….”

How to Process with Debug?

Go to SE16N, as usual, and type the table for which you want to make modifications.

 

For demonstrate we have created ZKNA1 table as shown in below snapshot

There are 3 entries available in table

 

Go Back & Enter /H in command bar and press “Enter” key to activate debugging.

Input data as per highlighted box and press F8

Now you will be able to Create / Change the Data

i have created new record with Cust No 1040

and click on save

Now you will be able to find one more entry get added to table

 

Conclusion:

This blog post helps to add the entry into database table, meanwhile you can add / change / delete the record from database table.

 

Please like, share and comment and let me know if you have any queries on above blog post.

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      11 Comments
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      Author's profile photo Sandra Rossi
      Sandra Rossi

      There were also these below posts, as I can find by searching:

      "SE16N" "gd-edit" site:blogs.sap.com

       

      Activate &SAP_EDIT in SE16N (SAP ECC 6.0) | SAP Blogs

      SE16N table maintenace. Debugger values GD-SAPEDIT and GD-EDIT | SAP Blogs

      ABAP Tricks for Functionals | Trick #1 – Edit Table Values in S/4 HANA using SE16 Debug Edit | SAP Blogs

      Edit mode for SE16N using ABAP Debugger Scripting | SAP Blogs

      Author's profile photo Sumit Holey
      Sumit Holey
      Blog Post Author

      Yes definitely we have various ways to achieve this... But this is simplest and fastest way to do.

      Author's profile photo Nic Teunckens
      Nic Teunckens

      A better way to "channel access" to such a Tool for emergecies is described in SAP-Note 2911103 - SE16N: Alternative edit mode.

      Kind regards

      Nic T.

      Author's profile photo Sumit Holey
      Sumit Holey
      Blog Post Author

      Hi Nic,

      Yes that is also the way, but simplest and fastest way to do this is explained above.

       

      BR,

      Sumit

      Author's profile photo Nic Teunckens
      Nic Teunckens

      As Bärbel explains further in the Comments, this is would be a very bad practise in Production-Systems. SAP offers the procedure as described in the Note, to allow for Logging etc. when dealing with a Critical issue on a Critical System ...

      Ofcourse we can relate to this type of procedure in Test / Development, yet the Blogpost doesn't specify this and so you could give people the wrong idea ...

      Kind regards

      Nic T.

      Author's profile photo Bärbel Winkler
      Bärbel Winkler

      Hi Sumit,

      what you describe is basically a "hack" which might be okay to use in a DEV or TEST environment but never ever in PROD as it circumvents all security and logging activities. Nobody should have "Debug with Update" authority in PROD - as this opens a big accountability hole which auditors rightly don't take kindly to if they happen upon them.

      If a Z-table is impacted, just set up a maintenance view so that proper update functionality can be used. For SAP-tables it should be "hands-off" apart from very specific circumstance where then a documented process for example involving SE16N and special users with special authorizations can be set up.

      Cheers

      Bärbel

      Author's profile photo Sumit Holey
      Sumit Holey
      Blog Post Author

      Agree with you Barbel & Nic. it is already mentioned "Think twice before using this...." and if user has proper authorization it will not work in production.

       

      BR,

      Sumit

      Author's profile photo Jan Schlichting
      Jan Schlichting

      Hello,

       

      I have known this (like SE16N function modules), but I totally agree with Bärbel: You can change Z tables with that (in a D system, but in a D system  you have SM30 for that).

      You can also change SAP tables with that. But I would think 3 times before doing that (because of system integrity).

      I think a firefighter user maybe needs debugging with update also in P system - but not for changing tables. And the use of firefighter users is tracked, so this would be a huge concern. And for a normal user it is like Bärbel said a no go.

      Author's profile photo Sumit Holey
      Sumit Holey
      Blog Post Author

      Agreed on this....but may required in case all above options are not available.

      Author's profile photo Douglas Santos
      Douglas Santos

      Hi,

      I think you should change the title "How to change database table entries in ANY ENVIRONMENT?" to something less clickbait.

      😉

       

      [ ]'s

      Doug

      Author's profile photo Marc Bernard
      Marc Bernard

      Do this in the wrong environment and you might end up in jail 👀