CDS View Entities

Guide for building semantic data models using ABAP CDS (Core Data Services) view entities in ABAP Cloud.

Clean core context: selecting from a released SAP CDS view (I_*) is Level A. Direct read access to an SAP database table is Level C (ATC priority 2); direct write access is Level D (ATC priority 1). Where no released CDS view exists, build a wrapper CDS view on top of the non-released SAP view or table and release it for ABAP Cloud — the wrapper is Level B if the wrapped object is a classic API, otherwise Level C. Use CDS extends and CDS metadata extensions rather than modifying SAP CDS views. See the abap-cloud skill for level details.

Workflow

1. Determine the user's goal:

   • Creating a new data model (standalone or for RAP)
   • Defining relationships between entities (associations, compositions)
   • Adding annotations for UI, semantics, or analytics
   • Implementing access controls
   • Using expressions, functions, or parameters in CDS

2. Identify the context:

   • Standalone CDS view vs. RAP BO data model
   • Root entity vs. child entity vs. projection view
   • Transactional (RAP) vs. analytical vs. read-only consumption