How To Fix SY471 - Reference destroyed; cannot display header

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: SY - ABAP/4 system messages

• Message number: 471

• Message text: Reference destroyed; cannot display header

What causes this issue?

You wanted to display the header of a deep data object (string, internal
table, object, data reference) in the ABAP Debugger.
However, the object reference has been destroyed. You can therefore
access neither the object nor the header.

System Response

The system issues an error message and will not allow you to continue with this transaction until the error is resolved.

How to fix this error?

This is not an error in the Debugger. The object reference was
destroyed earlier - probably by an error in the ABAP program.
You can display the hexadecimal value of the reference in the ABAP
Debugger using an ampersand as prefix (&ref).
You should find out, why this object reference was destroyed. By step
by step debugging or setting a watchpoint at the object reference (
&ref) you should establish, which statement (point in the program)
caused the destruction of the object reference.
You may have to write a problem message and specify the hexidecimal
value of the object reference in it.

Procedure for System Administrators

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.