These three types represent a layered architecture (also called the VDM – Virtual Data Model) used in SAP S/4HANA to structure CDS views by responsibility and reuse.
1. Basic View (@VDM.viewType: #BASIC)
- Purpose: Sits directly on top of database tables or database views. It maps raw persistence layer data into a semantically meaningful structure.
- Characteristics:
- Accesses only one or very few base tables (minimal joins)
- Contains no aggregations
- Defines primary key, associations, and field-level annotations (e.g.,
@Semantics)
- Acts as the single source of truth for a business entity
- Example use: A basic view on
EKKO (Purchase Order Header) that exposes PO fields cleanly.
2. Composite View (@VDM.viewType: #COMPOSITE)
- Purpose: Combines and joins multiple Basic Views (or other Composite Views) to build a richer, more complete business object or business context.
- Characteristics:
- No direct access to database tables — always consumes Basic or other Composite views
- Can include joins, unions, and calculated fields
- Still mostly transactional/reporting-neutral — focuses on combining entities
- Reusable across multiple consumption scenarios
- Example use: A composite view joining PO Header and PO Item basic views to form a complete purchase order view.
3. Consumption View (@VDM.viewType: #CONSUMPTION)
- Purpose: Tailored for a specific consumer — an app, report, API, or UI. It is the outermost layer exposed to the end user or application.
- Characteristics:
- Consumes Basic or Composite views (never touches tables directly)
- Contains use-case-specific projections, filters, and annotations
- Heavily annotated for the target consumer:
@UI, @OData, @Analytics, @Search, etc.
- May include aggregations (for analytical consumption)
- Often not reused by other CDS views — it's purpose-built
- Example use: A Fiori Elements list report view for Purchase Orders, with
@UI.lineItem annotations.
Summary Table
| Aspect | Basic View | Composite View | Consumption View |
|---|
| Accesses DB Tables | ✅ Yes | ❌ No | ❌ No |
| Joins other CDS views | Minimal | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Reusability | High | High | Low (purpose-built) |
| UI/OData Annotations | Rare | Rare | ✅ Heavy |
| Aggregations | ❌ No | Rarely | ✅ Yes (analytics) |
| VDM Annotation | #BASIC | #COMPOSITE | #CONSUMPTION |
Key Design Principle
Changes cascade upward, not downward.
If a table structure changes, you only fix the Basic View — Composite and Consumption views remain stable. This layering promotes stability, reuse, and separation of concerns, which is central to SAP's clean core philosophy in S/4HANA.
