Modern ABAP: Simplifying Data Conversions with the CONV Keyword

Embracing Modern ABAP: A New Era of Readability

As SAP ABAP evolves, the focus has shifted dramatically towards writing cleaner, more concise, and more readable code. One of the most powerful tools introduced in ABAP 7.40 to achieve this is the constructor operator CONV. If you're still declaring intermediate variables just to change a data type, then this is for you. Let's dive deep into how CONV can modernize your development workflow.

What Exactly is the CONV Operator?

At its core, CONV is an inline conversion operator. It allows you to create a value of a specific data type directly at an operand position. In simpler terms, you can convert a variable from one data type to another on-the-fly, without needing a helper variable. This eliminates clutter and makes the code's intent crystal clear at the point of use.

The Old Way vs. The New Way

The difference is best understood with a direct comparison.

Before ABAP 7.40: The Helper Variable Approach

Imagine you have a character variable holding a number and you need to pass it to a method that expects an integer. The old approach required an intermediate step.

DATA: lv_char_number TYPE c LENGTH 10 VALUE '12345',
      lv_int_number  TYPE i.

lv_int_number = lv_char_number.

" Now use the integer variable
CALL METHOD some_method( exporting_integer = lv_int_number ).

With ABAP 7.40+: The CONV Operator

With CONV, you perform the conversion right where you need it, eliminating the extra variable and the `MOVE` statement.

DATA: lv_char_number TYPE c LENGTH 10 VALUE '12345'.

" Convert inline directly in the method call!
CALL METHOD some_method( exporting_integer = CONV i( lv_char_number ) ).

The syntax is: CONV data_type( value ). It's clean, direct, and reduces the chance of errors from using old helper variables.

Real Business Case Scenario: Processing Sales Order Data from a File

Let's consider a common business requirement: an external system sends a daily CSV file with sales data. You need to read this file and create sales orders in SAP using the BAPI BAPI_SALESORDER_CREATEFROMDAT2.

The file data is all in character format, but the BAPI requires specific data types.

• Material Number: `CHAR18` -> `BAPIMATNR` (CHAR 18) - No conversion needed.
• Order Quantity: `CHAR10` -> `TARGET_QTY` (QUANTITY 13, 3 DEC)
• Customer Price: `CHAR15` -> `COND_VALUE` (CURRENCY 11, 2 DEC)
• Requested Delivery Date: `CHAR8` (YYYYMMDD) -> `REQ_DATE` (DATS)

The Traditional Approach (Pre-7.40)

You would need to declare a structure or multiple variables to hold the converted data before calling the BAPI. This code is verbose and harder to follow.

" ls_file_data contains the raw data from the file
DATA: ls_file_data TYPE ty_file_structure.

" Helper variables for BAPI structures
DATA: ls_order_items_in TYPE bapisditem,
      ls_order_cond_in  TYPE bapicond.

"-- Conversion for Order Item
ls_order_items_in-material    = ls_file_data-material.
ls_order_items_in-target_qty  = ls_file_data-quantity. " Implicit conversion

"-- Conversion for Item Condition (Price)
ls_order_cond_in-cond_value = ls_file_data-price. " Implicit conversion

"-- Conversion for Header Date
DATA lv_req_date TYPE d.
lv_req_date = ls_file_data-req_date.

CALL FUNCTION 'BAPI_SALESORDER_CREATEFROMDAT2'
  EXPORTING
    order_header_in = VALUE #( req_date = lv_req_date ... )
  TABLES
    order_items_in  = VALUE #( ( ls_order_items_in ) )
    order_conditions_in = VALUE #( ( ls_order_cond_in ) )
    ...

The Modern Approach with CONV

With CONV, you can construct the BAPI table parameters directly, performing all necessary conversions inline. The code becomes incredibly compact and readable. You can see the source and the target type in one single line.

" ls_file_data contains the raw data from the file
DATA: ls_file_data TYPE ty_file_structure.

CALL FUNCTION 'BAPI_SALESORDER_CREATEFROMDAT2'
  EXPORTING
    order_header_in = VALUE #( req_date = CONV d( ls_file_data-req_date ) ... )
  TABLES
    order_items_in  = VALUE #(
      ( material   = ls_file_data-material
        target_qty = CONV bapisditem-target_qty( ls_file_data-quantity ) )
     )
    order_conditions_in = VALUE #(
      ( itm_number = '000010'
        cond_type  = 'PR00'
        cond_value = CONV bapicond-cond_value( ls_file_data-price ) )
     )
    ...

Notice how we use CONV bapisditem-target_qty(...). By specifying the full component name, we ensure the conversion is to the exact data type defined in the BAPI structure, making the code robust and future-proof.

Key Benefits of Using CONV

• Code Reduction: Drastically reduces lines of code by eliminating helper variables and `MOVE` statements.
• Readability: The intent of the code is immediately obvious. The conversion is right next to where the value is used.
• Maintainability: Less code means less to maintain and debug. Changes are localized and easier to implement.
• Type Safety: When used with a target variable's type (e.g., `CONV target_variable_type(...)`), it ensures the conversion is exactly what is needed.

Conclusion

The CONV operator is more than just syntactic sugar; it's a fundamental shift in how we handle data transformations in ABAP. By embracing CONV and other modern inline expressions, you can write code that is not only more efficient to write but also significantly easier for you and your colleagues to read and maintain. Start using it today to make your ABAP code cleaner, smarter, and more modern.