What are the characteristics of the DELETE ADJACENT DUPLICATES statement regarding the COMPARING addition?

The DELETE ADJACENT DUPLICATES statement in ABAP is used to remove duplicate entries from an internal table, where adjacent duplicates are defined as consecutive entries that are identical or meet the conditions set by the COMPARING addition.

When using the COMPARING addition, you specify which fields should be evaluated when determining duplicates. The correctness of the assertion that it will only work properly if the table has been sorted according to the columns listed after COMPARING is crucial. This is because the deletion process relies on the entries being adjacent. If the table is not sorted as specified, duplicates may not be correctly identified and removed since they would not be next to each other, disrupting the intended functionality of the statement.

Thus, the need for the table to be sorted appropriately is essential for the correct operation of this statement, ensuring that only the intended duplicates are recognized and deleted based on the defined criteria.