How To Fix W8149 - Function only allowed for data type CHAR (not for data type &)

SAP Error Message - Details

• Message type: E = Error

• Message class: W8 - Workflow: Expressions, data flow

• Message number: 149

• Message text: Function only allowed for data type CHAR (not for data type &)

What causes this issue?

A restriction, for which a concrete value is to be stated, can only be
established for character-based fields, because of conversion problems.

System Response

The input of values for non-character-based fields is rejected.

How to fix this error?

You can only check fields which are not character-based for general
value change (value = *).

Error message extract from SAP system. Copyright SAP SE.

Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message W8149 - Function only allowed for data type CHAR (not for data type &) ?

  Certainly! Here's a detailed explanation for the SAP error message:
  
  SAP Error Message:
  W8149 Function only allowed for data type CHAR (not for data type &)
  
  Cause:
  This warning occurs when a function or operation that is designed to work only with data of type CHAR (character string) is applied to a variable or field of a different data type, such as NUMC, STRING, INT, or any other non-CHAR data type.
  For example, certain string functions like CONDENSE, SHIFT, REPLACE, or operations that expect a fixed-length character field cannot be used directly on data types like STRING (variable length), NUMC (numeric text), or numeric types.
  
  Typical Scenario:
  
  You have a variable declared as STRING or NUMC or some other type.
  You try to use a function or statement that only accepts CHAR type.
  The system raises this warning to indicate a type mismatch.
  
  
  Solution:
  
  
  Check the data type of the variable you are applying the function to.
  
  
  Convert the variable to CHAR if necessary, before applying the function.
  For example:
  
  If the variable is of type STRING, convert it to CHAR using CONV or CAST or by assigning it to a CHAR variable.
  If the variable is NUMC, you can convert it to CHAR by simple assignment or using CONV.
  
  
  
  Modify the code to ensure the function is applied only to CHAR variables.
  
  
  
  Example:
  DATA: lv_string TYPE string,
        lv_char   TYPE char10.
  
  lv_string = '12345'.
  
  " This will cause warning W8149 if function expects CHAR:
  CONDENSE lv_string. " Warning: function only allowed for CHAR
  
  " Correct approach:
  lv_char = lv_string.
  CONDENSE lv_char.
  
  Related Information:
  
  Data types in ABAP:  
  
  CHAR is a fixed-length character type.
  STRING is a variable-length string type.
  Some string functions only work with CHAR types.
  
  
  Functions affected: CONDENSE, SHIFT, REPLACE, TRANSLATE, etc.
  Conversion functions: Use CONV, CAST, or simple assignment to convert between types.
  
  
  Summary:
  
  Cause: Applying a CHAR-only function to a non-CHAR data type.
  Solution: Convert the variable to CHAR before applying the function.
  Check: Data types and function compatibility.
  
  
  If you provide the exact code snippet causing the warning, I can help you with a more precise fix.