Field-Symbol vs Data Reference in SAP ABAP

Field-Symbol and Data Reference are two important concepts in SAP ABAP programming. Here is the difference between them:

Field-Symbol:

A Field-Symbol is a special type of pointer that points to a data object during the runtime of the program. It allows you to work with the actual data without creating a copy of it. Field-Symbols are typically used when you need to work with dynamic data structures or when passing data between program components.

Data Reference:

A Data Reference, on the other hand, is a reference to a data object in memory. Unlike Field-Symbols, Data References do not have data type assignments during declaration and cannot be used to directly access data fields. Instead, they are used to point to a specific memory location where data is stored.

In summary, Field-Symbols are used to point to and work with data objects directly during program execution, while Data References are used to point to memory locations where data is stored.