Could you please define format for DTEL (Data Element)?

[buca92]

Hello colleagues,

I would like to ask you for having better format for DTELs.

I can see that tables and structures already have nice plain/text format. But in case of DTEL, ugly XML provided instead

READ

HTTP method: GET
URI: /sap/bc/adt/ddic/dataelements/zlb_test_dtel
Headers:
Accept: application/vnd.sap.adt.dataelements.v1+xml, application/vnd.sap.adt.dataelements.v2+xml
Body:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<blue:wbobj xmlns:blue="http://www.sap.com/wbobj/dictionary/dtel" xmlns:adtcore="http://www.sap.com/adt/core" adtcore:responsible="DEVELOPER" adtcore:masterLanguage="EN" adtcore:masterSystem="C50" adtcore:abapLanguageVersion="standard" adtcore:name="ZLB_TEST_DTEL" adtcore:type="DTEL/DE" adtcore:changedAt="2023-09-12T03:51:03Z" adtcore:version="active" adtcore:createdAt="2023-09-12T00:00:00Z" adtcore:changedBy="DEVELOPER" adtcore:createdBy="DEVELOPER" adtcore:description="Test data element" adtcore:language="EN">
   <atom:link xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" href="versions" rel="http://www.sap.com/adt/relations/versions" title="Historic versions" />
   <atom:link xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" href="/sap/bc/adt/repository/informationsystem/abaplanguageversions?uri=%2Fsap%2Fbc%2Fadt%2Fddic%2Fdataelements%2Fzlb_test_dtel" rel="http://www.sap.com/adt/relations/informationsystem/abaplanguageversions" type="application/vnd.sap.adt.nameditems.v1+xml" title="Allowed ABAP language versions" />
   <atom:link xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" href="/sap/bc/adt/vit/wb/object_type/dtelde/object_name/ZLB_TEST_DTEL" rel="self" type="application/vnd.sap.sapgui" title="Representation in SAP Gui" />
   <atom:link xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" href="/sap/bc/adt/vit/docu/object_type/de/object_name/zlb_test_dtel?masterLanguage=E&amp;mode=edit" rel="http://www.sap.com/adt/relations/documentation" type="application/vnd.sap.sapgui" title="Documentation" />
   <atom:link xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" href="/sap/bc/adt/ddic/logs/db/ACTDTELZLB_TEST_DTEL" rel="http://www.sap.com/adt/relations/ddic/activationlog" type="application/vnd.sap.adt.logs+xml" title="Activation Log" />
   <adtcore:packageRef adtcore:uri="/sap/bc/adt/packages/%24zlb_hex_playground" adtcore:type="DEVC/K" adtcore:name="$ZLB_HEX_PLAYGROUND" adtcore:description="HEX comparator playground" />
   <dtel:dataElement xmlns:dtel="http://www.sap.com/adt/dictionary/dataelements">
      <dtel:typeKind>predefinedAbapType</dtel:typeKind>
      <dtel:typeName />
      <dtel:dataType>STRING</dtel:dataType>
      <dtel:dataTypeLength>000000</dtel:dataTypeLength>
      <dtel:dataTypeDecimals>000000</dtel:dataTypeDecimals>
      <dtel:shortFieldLabel />
      <dtel:shortFieldLength>10</dtel:shortFieldLength>
      <dtel:shortFieldMaxLength>10</dtel:shortFieldMaxLength>
      <dtel:mediumFieldLabel />
      <dtel:mediumFieldLength>20</dtel:mediumFieldLength>
      <dtel:mediumFieldMaxLength>20</dtel:mediumFieldMaxLength>
      <dtel:longFieldLabel />
      <dtel:longFieldLength>40</dtel:longFieldLength>
      <dtel:longFieldMaxLength>40</dtel:longFieldMaxLength>
      <dtel:headingFieldLabel />
      <dtel:headingFieldLength>55</dtel:headingFieldLength>
      <dtel:headingFieldMaxLength>55</dtel:headingFieldMaxLength>
      <dtel:searchHelp />
      <dtel:searchHelpParameter />
      <dtel:setGetParameter />
      <dtel:defaultComponentName />
      <dtel:deactivateInputHistory>false</dtel:deactivateInputHistory>
      <dtel:changeDocument>false</dtel:changeDocument>
      <dtel:leftToRightDirection>false</dtel:leftToRightDirection>
      <dtel:deactivateBIDIFiltering>false</dtel:deactivateBIDIFiltering>
   </dtel:dataElement>
</blue:wbobj>

Write

HTTP method: PUT
URI: /sap/bc/adt/ddic/dataelements/%2Fiwfnd%2Fmet_request_add?lockHandle=AF6B410522A4215D7792D460CCA49CB9379FA47A&corrNr=C50K000749
Headers:
Content-Type: application/vnd.sap.adt.dataelements.v2+xml; charset=utf-8
Accept: application/vnd.sap.adt.dataelements.v1+xml, application/vnd.sap.adt.dataelements.v2+xml
Body:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<blue:wbobj
	xmlns:adtcore="http://www.sap.com/adt/core"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:blue="http://www.sap.com/wbobj/dictionary/dtel"
	xmlns:dtel="http://www.sap.com/adt/dictionary/dataelements" adtcore:changedAt="2023-09-11T05:22:51Z" adtcore:changedBy="DEVELOPER" adtcore:createdAt="2015-01-13T00:00:00Z" adtcore:createdBy="DEVELOPER" adtcore:description="Request Address" adtcore:language="EN" adtcore:name="/IWFND/MET_REQUEST_ADD" adtcore:type="DTEL/DE" adtcore:version="inactive" adtcore:abapLanguageVersion="standard" adtcore:masterLanguage="EN" adtcore:masterSystem="C50" adtcore:responsible="DEVELOPER">
	<atom:link href="./%2Fiwfnd%2Fmet_request_add?version=active" rel="http://www.sap.com/adt/relations/objectstates" title="Complementary active/inactive version"/>
	<atom:link href="versions" rel="http://www.sap.com/adt/relations/versions" title="Historic versions"/>
	<atom:link href="/sap/bc/adt/repository/informationsystem/abaplanguageversions?uri=%2Fsap%2Fbc%2Fadt%2Fddic%2Fdataelements%2F%252fiwfnd%252fmet_request_add" rel="http://www.sap.com/adt/relations/informationsystem/abaplanguageversions" title="Allowed ABAP language versions" type="application/vnd.sap.adt.nameditems.v1+xml"/>
	<atom:link href="/sap/bc/adt/vit/wb/object_type/dtelde/object_name/%2fIWFND%2fMET_REQUEST_ADD" rel="self" title="Representation in SAP Gui" type="application/vnd.sap.sapgui"/>
	<atom:link href="/sap/bc/adt/vit/docu/object_type/de/object_name/%2fiwfnd%2fmet_request_add?masterLanguage=E&amp;mode=edit" rel="http://www.sap.com/adt/relations/documentation" title="Documentation" type="application/vnd.sap.sapgui"/>
	<atom:link href="/sap/bc/adt/ddic/logs/db/ACTDTEL-IWFND-MET_REQUEST_ADD" rel="http://www.sap.com/adt/relations/ddic/activationlog" title="Activation Log" type="application/vnd.sap.adt.logs+xml"/>
	<adtcore:packageRef adtcore:description="SAP GW Framework - Metering" adtcore:name="/IWFND/COS_MET" adtcore:type="DEVC/K" adtcore:uri="/sap/bc/adt/packages/%2fiwfnd%2fcos_met"/>
	<dtel:dataElement>
		<dtel:typeKind>predefinedAbapType</dtel:typeKind>
		<dtel:typeName></dtel:typeName>
		<dtel:dataType>STRING</dtel:dataType>
		<dtel:dataTypeLength>6</dtel:dataTypeLength>
		<dtel:dataTypeDecimals>0</dtel:dataTypeDecimals>
		<dtel:shortFieldLabel>Req. Add.</dtel:shortFieldLabel>
		<dtel:shortFieldLength>10</dtel:shortFieldLength>
		<dtel:shortFieldMaxLength>10</dtel:shortFieldMaxLength>
		<dtel:mediumFieldLabel>Request Address</dtel:mediumFieldLabel>
		<dtel:mediumFieldLength>15</dtel:mediumFieldLength>
		<dtel:mediumFieldMaxLength>20</dtel:mediumFieldMaxLength>
		<dtel:longFieldLabel>Request Address</dtel:longFieldLabel>
		<dtel:longFieldLength>20</dtel:longFieldLength>
		<dtel:longFieldMaxLength>40</dtel:longFieldMaxLength>
		<dtel:headingFieldLabel>Request Address</dtel:headingFieldLabel>
		<dtel:headingFieldLength>55</dtel:headingFieldLength>
		<dtel:headingFieldMaxLength>55</dtel:headingFieldMaxLength>
		<dtel:searchHelp></dtel:searchHelp>
		<dtel:searchHelpParameter></dtel:searchHelpParameter>
		<dtel:setGetParameter></dtel:setGetParameter>
		<dtel:defaultComponentName></dtel:defaultComponentName>
		<dtel:deactivateInputHistory>false</dtel:deactivateInputHistory>
		<dtel:changeDocument>false</dtel:changeDocument>
		<dtel:leftToRightDirection>false</dtel:leftToRightDirection>
		<dtel:deactivateBIDIFiltering>false</dtel:deactivateBIDIFiltering>
	</dtel:dataElement>
</blue:wbobj>

Many thanks.

[schneidermic0]

Hi Libor,

Thank you for reaching out to us. In general, for sure, I agree it make sense to have an ABAP file format for data elements. :)

Can you add some words in which use case you want to use the file format? You are referring to the content type of ADT requests/responses. Currently, there are no short-term plans to change the content type of request/response representation of data elements in ADT to ABAP file formats.

Thanks.

[buca92]

Hello Michael,

we use the DDCI system for internal development and testing purposes. And there are many situations, when we do need to create a DTEL for table, structure or piece of code, that is created afterwards. Now, we also have a usecase when we need to adapt existing DTEL used in a table and code (need to apply STRING type instead of CHAR 255) to lavarage the existing functionality in full scope.

Best regards,
Libor

[schneidermic0]

Thanks, Libor for your update. To use the file formats (for data elements) in DDCI, this will require also an implementation.

Therefore, I informed corresponding SAP development team about your request. Due to capacity reasons, I don't expect a fast solution.

[buca92]

Hello Michael,

thank you very much. It is much better than nothing :). We will just wait.

Best regards,
Libor

[ThePlenkov]

seems like this project is dead, dtel - is one of the core types. I doubt any project may work without DTEL means most like file formats is not in use anywhere, or this project is not in sync with some internal SAP project probably..

[schneidermic0]

ABAP file formats are used for a bunch of object types in abapGit and ABAP development tools. I agree, it would be nice to have also a definition for DTEL and other DDIC artifacts. But, as of now, they are still missing.

Both scenarios mentioned above can work without DTEL as of today, because they have other/old/existing representations of it.

@ThePlenkov Maybe, you want to state why you are looking for a definition of DTEL and what is your use case.