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The statement UPDATE dbtab FROM TABLE itab, whatever itab is an internal table being either a data object or resulting from a constructor expression ("new syntax"), requires that itab has lines of the same structure than dbtab, it means that all columns of dbtab will be updated, and this statement has no other better option.

1) The only solution to mass update given columns of given rows is this way:

• Create a "database view" on the table you want to update, by selecting only the columns concerned + the columns needed to select the rows that you define as key fields (checkbox at the right of the column name), and choose the access "read and change" so that UPDATE can be used (at least).
• In your program, define an internal table with lines typed like the database view.
• Use UPDATE dbtab FROM TABLE itab to update the database view. The rows defined in the key fields will be selected, and the non-key columns will be updated.
• I don't talk here about how to write a constructor expression (... @( VALUE #( ... ) )), because your assumption that it could solve your issue was wrong.

There are some ways in ABAP to either update a few columns or several rows but not both:

• 2) Set given columns to fixed values - in all updated row(s) those columns will have the same values: UPDATE dbtab SET col1 = value1 col2 = value2 ... \[WHERE ...\]. You may repeat UPDATE ... SET ... inside a loop so that to mimic a mass update. It will be slower than updating via a database view (case 2), and I am not sure if it's faster or slower than case 3 (may depend on number of columns).
• 3) You may still consider the use of UPDATE dbtab FROM TABLE itab if you can be sure that itab contains correct values in all other columns that you're not interested in. You may consider preventing concurrent updates (by other programs running in parallel or eventually the same program run by another user) by using locks, to avoid that some updates were done between the SELECT to initialize the internal table and the UPDATE.

NB: I don't understand why you say that LOOP is a problem for Code Inspector and for performance. The constructor expressions ("new syntax" as you say) are used to avoid intermediate variables, for better readability and to focus on final goal.

This is a tricky issue that is often just worked around. Web-pages are much easier to code in grids, so things tend to be in columns and rows. In your example, when wrapped the row needs to be tall enough to contain your third item. That means that if the fourth item sat where you want it, it would be within the cell of the first item.

You can use something like Masonary, which I believe calculates top and left positions as you resize. Or I think you can use flex and a whole lot of wrapper divs, but that will get messy and be horrible maintenance. It's so messy I've never got it into production, either because I lost my mind trying, or hated the thought of maintaining it when it was working in just a small example.

Masonary allows a fairly simple layout

Yes that is possible. Use this (additional) CSS:

Please look at the snippet below. You might build your lists like this:

Here's my working jsFiddle :)