How To Fix W8161 - A constant cannot be assigned to a table element

W8161 - Overview

• Message type: E = Error

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

• Message number: 161

• Message text: A constant cannot be assigned to a table element

Self-Explanatory Message

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Smart SAP Assistant

• What is the cause and solution for SAP error message W8161 - A constant cannot be assigned to a table element ?

  Certainly! Here's a detailed explanation for the SAP error message:
  
  SAP Error Message: W8161 - A constant cannot be assigned to a table element
  
  
  Cause:
  This warning occurs when you try to assign a constant value directly to a table element in ABAP. In ABAP, constants are fixed values defined using the CONSTANTS statement and cannot be changed during runtime. When you attempt to assign a constant directly to a table element (which is a variable and can change), the system raises this warning because it expects a variable or a compatible data object on the right-hand side of the assignment.
  Example that causes W8161:
  CONSTANTS c_val TYPE i VALUE 10.
  DATA: itab TYPE TABLE OF i WITH EMPTY KEY.
  
  APPEND 0 TO itab.
  itab[ 1 ] = c_val. " This line triggers W8161
  
  Explanation:
  
  c_val is a constant.
  itab[1] is a table element (a variable).
  Assigning a constant directly to a table element is not allowed because constants are not variables