Put a reusable read model between a table and its consumers

Several consumers need a consistent view of open dispatch orders. A CDS view entity lets a team define a reusable data model with selected fields and semantics instead of repeating a raw table projection everywhere.

Read the basic DDL shape

@EndUserText.label: 'Open dispatch orders'
define view entity ZI_OPEN_DISPATCH
  as select from zdispatch_order
{
  key dispatch_order as DispatchOrder,
      status        as Status
}

The DDL source names the entity and its data source. The projection lists exposed elements; key marks the model’s key element(s). This example is intentionally small and project-owned. zdispatch_order is fictional—not an SAP table.

View entity is not the same as a database table

A CDS view entity describes a modeled query and its semantics. It is not a physical table into which an application inserts rows. ABAP SQL can read from a CDS entity; persistence and updates belong to the appropriate table/business-object design.

Choosing CDS or a direct SELECT

Use a direct ABAP SQL SELECT for a one-off application read with simple logic. Define a CDS entity when a data shape, semantics, relationships, or access-control behavior should be reusable across consumers. More layers are not automatically better; keep the model simple.

Practice

Write the view-entity declaration, source, and projection list. This practice checks DDL fragments; it does not activate a CDS artifact or query a database. The regular ABAP output statement does not belong inside CDS DDL, so it is intentionally omitted.

Sources

• SAP Samples, CDS View Entities
• SAP Samples, ABAP Dictionary
• SAP Help Portal, ABAP Core Data Services

Version note: View entities and supported DDL features depend on the ABAP Platform release. Classic and Cloud repositories can have different allowed data sources and tools.

@EndUserText.label: 'Open dispatch orders'
define view entity ZI_OPEN_DISPATCH
  as select from zdispatch_order
{
  key dispatch_order as DispatchOrder,
      status        as Status
}