Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Guildelines to develop ALV

ALV grid reports using the object methods functionality:

BCALV_GRID_01: This program illustrates how the events for print processing PRINT_TOP_OF_PAGE, PRINT_END_OF_PAGE, PRINT_TOP_OF_LIST,PRINT_END_OF_LIST are handled. The corresponding handler methods control the appearance of the list printed.

BCALV_GRID_02: Show a detail list in an amodal window. There is no second dynro needed in contrast to BCALV_GRID_03.

BCALV_GRID_03: This program implements a function on event DOUBLE_CLICK. According to the selected line data from table SBOOK is selected and displayed by a second ALV Control in a dialog dynpro.

BCALV_GRID_04: Illustrates the use of exceptions (lights or leds). According to the values of SFLIGHT-SEATSOCC, the lights are set to 1 (red), 2 (yellow) or 3 (green).

BCALV_GRID_05: Demonstrate the creation of an own toolbar button.

BCALV_GRID_06: Demonstrate the creation of an own context menu.

BCALV_GRID_07: Append a menu button to the standard toolbar.

BCALV_GRID_08: Append a menu with default button to the standard toolbar. It is exactly the same as BCALVC_TB_WITH_MENU except for methods HANDLE_MENU_BUTTON and HANDLE_TOOLBAR.


Editable ALV grids

BCALV_EDIT_01: This report illustrates the simplest case of using an editable/noneditable ALV Grid Control.

BCALV_EDIT_02: This report illustrates how to set chosen cells of an ALV Grid Control editable.

BCALV_EDIT_03: In this example the user may change values of fields SEATSOCC (occupied seats) and/or PLANETYPE. The report checks the input value(s) semantically and provides protocol messages in case of error

BCALV_EDIT_04: This report illustrates how to add and remove lines to a table using the ALV Grid Control and how to implement the saving of the new data.

BCALV_EDIT_05: This example shows how to use checkboxes within an ALV Grid Control. You learn:
(1) how to define a column for editable checkboxes for an attribute of your list
(2) how to evaluate the checked checkboxes
(3) how to switch between editable and non-editable checkboxes

BCALV_EDIT_06: This example shows how to define a dropdown listbox for all cells of one column in an editable ALV Grid Control.

BCALV_EDIT_07: This example shows how to define dropdown listboxes for particular cells of your output table.

BCALV_EDIT_08: This report implements an ALV Grid Control with an application specific F4 help. The following aspects are dealt with:
(1) how to replace the standard f4 help
(2) how to pass the selected value to the ALV Grid Control
(3) how to build an f4 help, whose value range depend on a value of another cell.

Monday, January 5, 2009

Introduction

For years SAP is trying hard to deliver a suite of e-applications over its well established NetWeaver technology. Since majority of the customers either completed or in the process (if not it is not too late) of converting their core systems to ECC 6.0 preferably with the Unicode conversion of their existing systems. ECC is the term for Enterprise Core component, which will be the core component on which all other applications will be stalked.

Even though on the text book and of course in the SAP training sessions and in the pre-sales presentations describe this approach as very simple and trouble free the truth is not the same.

This applies very well to the new set of applications that SAP is developing and delivering in the past few years. Be it CRM, SCM, ESS, MSS or E-recruitement, the complexity of theses things will only hit you when you actually commit to implement one of these solutions.

I've been in to this cycle so many times and guess what, the experience is pretty much same in each and every case. The lesson learnt in each case is the same. This can be factored in to couple of points below:
1. The technological changes in the implemented application drives the process so hard and so late in the process when the realization occurs it is too late to either adopt or implement the 'right' solution
2. Many of the sap implementation cases the main person running e project is either non technical or non sap aware person. Approaching sap implementation compared to any other software implementation is flying an airbus A380 to flying a kite.
3. Design thinking very important. I've noticed that this part is neglected in most cases. If you don't involve the design thinking right from your blue printing phase, you will end up writing blue prints after her acceptance testing.
4. User interface is the key. This software for various reasons did not give too much importance to the UI component and with the advancement in the web technologies from the client server days did affect this product a lot. You will end up recreating or simplifying many screens even after end user training.
5. Remember that SAP centric enterprises application does not mean that you need to keep buying sap add on applications. SAPs core sterngth is it's ECC component. Think and approach to aquire best of breed approach, by utilizing the ECC to the fullest.