Converting XML Date to Abap Date and Calculating Duration Time as XML Format

[FiratAsan]

Hello Community,

In recent days, i received some tasks related to XML files via AL11. I needed examples for the conversion from XML to ABAP and from ABAP to XML, especially regarding date conversions, as I noticed there are very few resources on this topic. I decided to write this blog so that others don't lose the time I lost in finding the solution and to provide some support on this issue.

Firstly,

During my research, I found that the Global Data Types (GDT) Conversion (cl_gdt_conversion) class can be used for this purpose.

Some methods of this class can be used as follows:

To convert the time and date in ABAP format to the XML format yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ssTimeZone (e.g., 2024-06-05T17:16:10+02:00), the Time Outbound method can be used:

cl_gdt_conversion=>date_time_outbound(
  EXPORTING
    im_date        =   sy-datum              
    im_time        =   sy-uzeit               
    im_timezone    =    sy-zonlo              
  IMPORTING
    ex_value       =   DATA(lv_xml_erstdat)               
).

To convert the timestamp in the format yyyy-mm-ddThh:mm:ssTimeZone (e.g., 2024-06-05T17:26:01+02:00) to JJJJMMTThhmmss, JJJJMMTThhmmssmmmuuun, JJJJMMTT, or HHMMSS, the Time Inbound Method can be used:

cl_gdt_conversion=>date_time_inbound(
  EXPORTING
    im_value       =  lv_xml_erstdat                
  IMPORTING
    ex_value_short =  DATA(lv_abap_short)                
    ex_value_long  =  DATA(lv_abap_long)                
    ex_date        =  DATA(lv_abap_date)                
    ex_time        =  DATA(lv_abap_time)                
    ex_local_time  =  DATA(lv_abap_local)                
).

Now, let's create an example. First, let's select 3 rows from the SFLIGHT table containing date fields. Let's take a field that gives the difference between the current date and the date field as a duration, and then write a program to display this as XML on the screen:

DATA: it_itab          TYPE TABLE OF sflight,
      secs(11)         TYPE p DECIMALS 7,
      negative         TYPE flag,
      lv_abap_duration TYPE sduration,
      lv_xml_duration  TYPE string,
      lv_hours         TYPE i,
      lv_minutes       TYPE i.


SELECT carrid connid fldate paymentsum FROM sflight INTO CORRESPONDING FIELDS OF TABLE it_itab UP TO 3 ROWS.


DATA(xml_schema) =  |<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>| &&
                    |<SFLIGHTS_Export>| &&
                    |  <xs:schema id="SFLIGHTS_Export" xmlns="" xmlns:xs="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema" xmlns:msdata="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:xml-msdata">| &&
                    |    <xs:element name="SFLIGHT_Export" msdata:IsDataSet="true" msdata:UseCurrentLocale="true">| &&
                    |      <xs:complexType>| &&
                    |        <xs:choice minOccurs="0" maxOccurs="unbounded">| &&
                    |          <xs:element name="Flights">| &&
                    |            <xs:complexType>| &&
                    |              <xs:sequence>| &&
                    |                <xs:element name="Carrid" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" />| &&
                    |                <xs:element name="Connid" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" />| &&
                    |                <xs:element name="Fldate" type="xs:dateTime" minOccurs="0" />| &&
                    |                <xs:element name="Dauert" type="xs:duration" minOccurs="0" />| &&
                    |                <xs:element name="Heute" type="xs:dateTime" minOccurs="0" />| &&
                    |                <xs:element name="Paymentsum" type="xs:string" minOccurs="0" />| &&
                    |              </xs:sequence>| &&
                    |            </xs:complexType>| &&
                    |          </xs:element>| &&
                    |        </xs:choice>| &&
                    |      </xs:complexType>| &&
                    |    </xs:element>| &&
                    |  </xs:schema>|.


DATA(xml_body) =  |<flights>|.

LOOP AT it_itab INTO DATA(ls_itab).

  "setting todays date as xml format
  TRY.
      cl_gdt_conversion=>date_time_outbound(
        EXPORTING
*    im_value_short =                  " UTC-Zeitstempel in Kurzform (JJJJMMTThhmmss)
*    im_value_long  =                  " UTC-Zeitstempel in Langform (JJJJMMTThhmmssmmmuuun)
          im_date        =   sy-datum              " Datum und Zeit, aktuelles (Applikationsserver-)Datum
          im_time        =   sy-uzeit               " Datum und Zeit, aktuelle (Applikationsserver-) Uhrzeit
*          im_local_time  =  'X'                " Zeitstempel ist lokale Zeit, sonst UTC
          im_timezone    =    sy-zonlo              " Zeitzone
        IMPORTING
          ex_value       =   DATA(lv_xml_now)               " Zeitstempel gem. Aufbau ISO 8601
      ).

      " setting Fldate from "SFLIGHT"
      cl_gdt_conversion=>date_time_outbound(
        EXPORTING
*    im_value_short =                  " UTC-Zeitstempel in Kurzform (JJJJMMTThhmmss)
*    im_value_long  =                  " UTC-Zeitstempel in Langform (JJJJMMTThhmmssmmmuuun)
          im_date        =   ls_itab-fldate              " Datum und Zeit, aktuelles (Applikationsserver-)Datum
          im_time        =   sy-uzeit               " Datum und Zeit, aktuelle (Applikationsserver-) Uhrzeit
          im_local_time  =  'X'                " Zeitstempel ist lokale Zeit, sonst UTC
          im_timezone    =    sy-zonlo              " Zeitzone
        IMPORTING
          ex_value       =   DATA(lv_xml_datum)               " Zeitstempel gem. Aufbau ISO 8601
      ).
*********************************************************************



      " Calculating duration
      cl_abap_tstmp=>td_subtract(
        EXPORTING
          date1    = sy-datum
          time1    = sy-uzeit
          date2    = ls_itab-fldate
          time2    = sy-uzeit
        IMPORTING
          res_secs = secs ).

      IF secs < 0.
        negative = abap_true.
        secs = - secs.
      ENDIF.

      lv_abap_duration-seconds = secs MOD 60.

      lv_minutes = secs DIV 60.
      lv_abap_duration-minutes = lv_minutes MOD 60.

      lv_hours = lv_minutes DIV 60.
      lv_abap_duration-hours = lv_hours MOD 24.

      lv_abap_duration-days = lv_hours DIV 24.

      cl_gdt_conversion=>duration_outbound(
            EXPORTING
              im_duration = lv_abap_duration
            IMPORTING
              ex_value    = lv_xml_duration ).

      IF negative = abap_true.
        lv_xml_duration = |-{ lv_xml_duration }|.
      ENDIF.

    CATCH cx_gdt_conversion. " Fehler bei Global Data Types Konvertierung
  ENDTRY.



  xml_body = xml_body &&
             |<flight>|  &&
             |<Carrid>|              && ls_itab-carrid               && |</Carrid>| &&
             |<Connid>|              && ls_itab-connid               && |</Connid>| &&
             |<Fldate>|              && lv_xml_datum                 && |</Fldate>| &&
             |<Dauert>|              && lv_xml_duration              && |</Dauert>| &&
             |<Heute>|               && lv_xml_now              && |</Heute>| &&
             |<Paymentsum>|          && ls_itab-paymentsum     && |</Paymentsum>| &&
             |</flight>|.
ENDLOOP.


DATA(xml) = xml_schema && xml_body && |</flights>| && |</SFLIGHTS_Export>|.


TRY.
    cl_soap_xml_helper=>xml_show(
*  EXPORTING
        sdoc       = xml
*    xdoc       =
        html       = abap_false
*    new_window =
*    title      = text-001
    ).

  CATCH cx_root INTO DATA(e_txt).
    WRITE: / e_txt->get_text( ).
ENDTRY.

Thank you for taking the time to read my blog. I hope it has been a useful article.