/sap-abap-cds

name: sap-abap-cds
description: "Comprehensive SAP ABAP CDS (Core Data Services) reference for data modeling, view development, and semantic enrichment. Use when creating CDS views or view entities, defining data models with annotations, working with associations and cardinality, implementing input parameters, using built-in functions, writing CASE expressions, implementing access control with DCL, handling CURR/QUAN data types, troubleshooting CDS errors, querying CDS views from ABAP, or displaying data with SALV IDA. Covers ABAP 7.4+ through ABAP Cloud."
license: GPL-3.0
metadata:
  maintainer: "Eduard Jiglau"
  maintainer_email: "hello@sap-ai-skills.com"
  website: "https://sap-ai-skills.com"
  version: "2.4.1"
  last_verified: "2026-04-02"
  abap_release: "7.4 SP8+ / 7.50+ / ABAP Cloud"
  sources:
    - "https://help.sap.com/doc/abapdocu_cp_index_htm/CLOUD/en-US/abencds.html"
    - "https://github.com/SAP-samples/abap-cheat-sheets"
  keywords: [ABAP CDS, Core Data Services, CDS view, CDS view entity, define view, DDL, DCL, annotations, "@AbapCatalog", "@AccessControl", "@EndUserText", "@Semantics", "@UI", "@Consumption", "@ObjectModel", associations, cardinality, path expressions, input parameters, WITH PARAMETERS, built-in functions, CASE expression, CAST, session variables, GROUP BY, HAVING, joins, access control, DEFINE ROLE, pfcg_auth, SALV IDA, Eclipse ADT, CDS annotations, Fiori Elements, OData, RAP, currencyCode, unitOfMeasure, SD_CDS_ENTITY105]

SAP ABAP CDS (Core Data Services)

Related Skills

• **sap-abap**: Use for ABAP programming patterns used with CDS or when implementing EML statements in ABAP
• **sap-btp-cloud-platform**: Use for CDS deployment scenarios on BTP or ABAP Environment configurations
• **sap-fiori-tools**: Use when building Fiori Elements applications that consume CDS views or working with UI annotations
• **sap-cap-capire**: Use for comparing CDS syntax between ABAP and CAP or when integrating ABAP CDS with CAP services
• **sap-api-style**: Use when documenting CDS-based OData services or following API documentation standards

When to Use This Skill

Use this skill when creating ABAP CDS views or view entities, defining associations and cardinalities, adding UI or semantic annotations, implementing DCL access control, handling currency/unit fields, troubleshooting CDS compiler errors, or comparing classic CDS views with newer view entities.

**Quick Reference**: [https://help.sap.com/doc/abapdocu_cp_index_htm/CLOUD/en-US/abencds.html](https://help.sap.com/doc/abapdocu_cp_index_htm/CLOUD/en-US/abencds.html) | SAP Cheat Sheets: [https://github.com/SAP-samples/abap-cheat-sheets/blob/main/15_CDS_View_Entities.md](https://github.com/SAP-samples/abap-cheat-sheets/blob/main/15_CDS_View_Entities.md)

Version Compatibility

This skill covers CDS features from **7.40 SP8** through **ABAP Cloud**. Key version boundaries:

| Feature | 7.40 SP8 | 7.50 | 7.51 | 7.55+ | |---------|:--------:|:----:|:----:|:-----:| | CDS View (`DEFINE VIEW`) | x | x | x | x | | CDS associations, parameters, built-in functions | x | x | x | x | | CDS Table Functions (`DEFINE TABLE FUNCTION`) | | x | x | x | | CDS Access Control (DEFINE ROLE / pfcg_auth) | x | x | x | x | | CDS Access Control (implicit evaluation) | | x | x | x | | Session variables (`$session.user/client/system_language`) | x | x | x | x | | `@Environment.systemField` annotation | | x | x | x | | `UPPER`/`LOWER` functions | | | x | x | | `$session.system_date` | | | x | x | | CDS Metadata Extensions (`ANNOTATE VIEW`) | | | x | x | | Cross Join in CDS | | | x | x | | **CDS View Entity (`DEFINE VIEW ENTITY`)** | | | | x | | New cardinality syntax (`to one`/`to many`) | | | | 7.57+ |

**On a 7.40 system**: Use `DEFINE VIEW` (not `DEFINE VIEW ENTITY`). CDS table functions are **not available** before 7.50. Basic DCL (`DEFINE ROLE` with `pfcg_auth`) is available from 7.40 SP08, but implicit role evaluation in ABAP SQL requires 7.50+. `$session.user/client/system_language` are available from 7.40 SP08. The templates in `templates/` include both classic CDS View and View Entity variants.

Table of Contents

• [1. CDS View Fundamentals](#1-cds-view-fundamentals)
• [2. Essential Annotations](#2-essential-annotations)
• [3. Expressions and Operations](#3-expressions-and-operations)
• [4. Built-in Functions](#4-built-in-functions)
• [5. Joins](#5-joins)
• [6. Associations](#6-associations)
• [7. Input Parameters](#7-input-parameters)
• [8. Aggregate Expressions](#8-aggregate-expressions)
• [9. Access Control (DCL)](#9-access-control-dcl)
• [10. Data Retrieval from ABAP](#10-data-retrieval-from-abap)
• [11. Common Errors and Solutions](#11-common-errors-and-solutions)
• [12. Useful Transactions and Tables](#12-useful-transactions-and-tables)
• [Bundled Resources](#bundled-resources)
• [Source Documentation](#source-documentation)

---

1. CDS View Fundamentals

View Types

| Type | Syntax | Database View | Since | |------|--------|---------------|-------| | **CDS View** | `DEFINE VIEW` | Yes | 7.4 SP8 | | **CDS View Entity** | `DEFINE VIEW ENTITY` | No | 7.55 |

**Recommendation**: Use CDS View Entities for new development.

Basic CDS View Syntax

@AbapCatalog.sqlViewName: 'ZCDS_EXAMPLE_V'
@AbapCatalog.compiler.CompareFilter: true
@AccessControl.authorizationCheck: #NOT_REQUIRED
@EndUserText.label: 'Example CDS View'

define view ZCDS_EXAMPLE
  as select from db_table as t
{
  key t.field1,
      t.field2,
      t.field3 as AliasName
}

CDS View Entity Syntax (7.55+)

@AccessControl.authorizationCheck: #NOT_REQUIRED
@EndUserText.label: 'Example View Entity'

define view entity Z_CDS_EXAMPLE
  as select from db_table as t
{
  key t.field1,
      t.field2,
      t.field3 as AliasName
}

**Key Difference**: View entities omit `@AbapCatalog.sqlViewName` - no SQL view generated.

Eclipse ADT Setup

1. **File** → **New** → **Other** → **Core Data Services** → **Data Definition**