Specify an Explicit SORT Key with BY

WarningPerformance & Database#EC PREF_SORT_KEYRemote Enabled

Overview

Sort With an Explicit Sort Key.

ATC Finding Message: SORT statement has no explicit BY key - implicit standard key is used

Rationale

SORT without BY sorts an internal table using its implicit standard key, which depends on the table definition (character-type components for standard tables). This makes the sort result fragile: key changes ripple into sort behavior, character field shortening alters comparisons, and unsorted parallel sorts become unpredictable. Specify the sort key explicitly with SORT ... BY so the statement is robust and self-documenting.

Non-Compliant

SORT lt_data.

Compliant

SORT lt_data BY field1 field2.

Suppression

To suppress findings for this rule, append the pseudo-comment to the statement:

" Standard pseudo-comment:
... "#EC PREF_SORT_KEY

" SAP CI_ prefix format:
... "#EC CI_PREF_SORT_KEY

Related Rules

• Explicitly Specify SORT Order — #EC PREF_SORT_ORDER
• Prefer TYPE STANDARD TABLE OF over TYPE TABLE OF — #EC PREF_STD_TABLE

Technical Details

• Native ATC Class: ZCL_SKYLINT_PREF_SORT_KEY
• Implementation File: zcl_skylint_pref_sort_key.clas.abap