What character is used as a separator between table and field names in a CDS view definition?

In the context of Core Data Services (CDS) view definitions, the period (.) character is used as a separator between table names and their corresponding field names. This syntax allows for clear and structured references, which is essential for distinguishing between different entities and attributes within the data model.

Using the period ensures that there is no ambiguity when accessing fields of a given table, especially when multiple tables might have fields with similar names. For example, if you have a table named "Employee" and you want to refer to the "Name" field of that table, you would write it as "Employee.Name". This structured approach is consistent in numerous programming constructs within the SAP ecosystem, promoting clarity and reducing the likelihood of errors in code.

Other choices do not serve this function within CDS view definitions. The minus (-) character is not used, nor is the tilde (~), which has other specific uses within syntax, such as indicating the alias of an entity. The pointer (->) is typically used in object-oriented programming in ABAP to refer to methods or attributes of a class instance and not for separating table and field names.