What is the purpose of the 'SELECT SINGLE' statement in ABAP?

The 'SELECT SINGLE' statement in ABAP is specifically designed to retrieve a single record from a database table. When executed, it looks for the first matching entry that fulfills the selection criteria specified in the query. This means that when you need to obtain just one instance of data—whether it’s for checking user credentials, fetching configuration details, or any other scenario where a unique result is desired—'SELECT SINGLE' is the appropriate command to use.

Because it strictly limits the results to a single entry, it also optimizes data retrieval by not having to process or return multiple records, making it an efficient choice when you know you need only one result. This targeted approach helps to enhance performance and reduce unnecessary data overhead in applications.

Contrastingly, the other operations in your list involve fetching multiple records, deleting, or modifying them, which do not align with the specific intention of 'SELECT SINGLE'. These tasks would typically use different statements tailored for batch operations or data manipulation.