How To Fix R7188 - First character of the field name &1 must be a letter or '/'

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: R7 - BW: Data basis

• Message number: 188

• Message text: First character of the field name &1 must be a letter or '/'

Self-Explanatory Message

Since SAP believes that this specific error message is 'self-explanatory,' no more information has been given.The majority of messages in the SAP system have a message text, however this is frequently insufficient to comprehend or resolve the problem.

To make things easier, more detailed information is frequently added to describe the issue, how to fix it, and the necessary steps or configuration modifications.

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Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message R7188 - First character of the field name &1 must be a letter or '/' ?

  The SAP error message R7188 indicates that there is an issue with the naming convention of a field in your ABAP program or data dictionary object. Specifically, the error states that the first character of the field name must be a letter (A-Z, a-z) or a forward slash ('/'). This is a common restriction in SAP naming conventions.
  Cause:
  
  Invalid Field Name: The field name you are trying to use starts with a character that is not allowed. For example, it might start with a number or a special character.
  Typographical Error: There may be a typo in the field name where the first character is incorrect.
  Dynamic Field Names: If you are generating field names dynamically, the logic may be producing an invalid name.
  
  Solution:
  
  Check Field Name: Review the field name that is causing the error. Ensure that it starts with a letter (A-Z, a-z) or a forward slash ('/').
  Rename Field: If the field name is incorrect, rename it to conform to SAP's naming conventions.
  Review Code: If the field name is being generated dynamically, check the logic to ensure it produces valid names.
  Use Valid Prefixes: If you are creating custom fields, consider using a prefix that is allowed, such as 'Z' or 'Y', which are commonly used for custom objects in SAP.
  
  Related Information:
  
  SAP Naming Conventions: Familiarize yourself with SAP's naming conventions for fields, tables, and other objects. This will help avoid similar issues in the future.
  ABAP Documentation: Refer to the ABAP documentation for more details on naming conventions and restrictions.
  Debugging: If you are unsure where the error is occurring, use debugging tools in SAP to trace the execution and identify the problematic field name.
  
  By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the R7188 error and ensure that your field names comply with SAP's requirements.