The above figure shows a brief list of the new syntax in Open SQL, along with examples. The first thing to notice is the @ symbol used for escaping so-called host variables. The ABAP language is considered the host of the embedded Open SQL, so the host variable means ABAP variable or constant inside the Open SQL statement.

Every host variable except literals must be escaped with a preceding @ sign at every position in the statement. A comma-separated list of fields can now be used. In addition, Open SQL now supports the use of arithmetic and string expressions, as well as the CASE conditional expressions shown in the second example.

Using the new Open SQL features has the following implications:

• If you use these new features, you must use the new syntax throughout your statement.
• The new Open SQL syntax implies a strict mode, wherein nearly everything that formerly resulted in a syntax warning now results in a syntax error in the context of Open SQL commands.

With ABAP 7.5 a different order of some of the clauses of Open SQL statements is supported as follows:

• The INTO clause no longer must precede the WHERE clause but can follow it. Additions such as UP TO … ROWS still must follow the INTO clause.
• The FROM clause can now be the first, followed by the column list starting with the explicit keyword FIELDS. This doesn’t only increase readability and supportability of SELECT statements but also enables code completion in the ADT.