In a loop that processes an internal table, what is the expected performance outcome when replacing a work area with a field symbol?

Using a field symbol in a loop that processes an internal table is generally faster than using a work area due to the way data is accessed and handled in memory. When you use a work area, the contents of each row from the internal table must be copied into the work area for processing. This involves memory allocation and data copying, which can be resource-intensive, especially with large internal tables.

In contrast, a field symbol acts as a pointer or reference to the actual data in the internal table. When you reference a row of the internal table with a field symbol, there is no need to copy the entire row's content; the field symbol points directly to the data in memory. This reduces the overhead associated with data handling and allows for quicker access and manipulation of the data, resulting in better performance.

Moreover, field symbols provide more flexibility and can lead to optimized memory usage in complex scenarios, as they do not require separate memory allocation for each record being processed. This efficiency can be particularly beneficial in loops where multiple records are handled in succession.