SAP ABAP is a fourth-generation programming language and technical module of SAP that is used to develop SAP-related applications. SAP can be customized using SAP ABAP. It is now used alongside Java as the primary programming language for the SAP application server.
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SAP ABAP | Report Programming
Understanding SAP ABAP:
- Advanced Business Application Programming is abbreviated as ABAP. It is a high-level programming language created and maintained by SAP AG Software Company for the creation of SAP applications.
- The core programming language used in SAP ERP software is ABAP. Because it is a fourth-generation language, it is often referred to as ABAP/4.
- The grammar of the ABAP language is fairly basic and quite comparable to the syntax of COBOL.
- ABAP was originally designed to generate SAP R/2 reports. SAP R/2 was used to allow organizations to create mainframe business applications, primarily for financial accounting and material management.
- It adheres to the idea of logical databases, which are intended to provide high-level abstraction from basic database levels.
Classical Reports in SAP ABAP:
Classical Reports are a fundamental component of SAP ABAP, providing a structured way to generate and display data. These reports are known for their simplicity and effectiveness in handling large datasets. They follow a sequential processing model and are widely used in SAP environments.
Events in Classical Reports:
Understanding events is pivotal in SAP ABAP report programming. Events are specific points in the report execution cycle where you can embed your logic. The key events in Classical Reports are:
- INITIALIZATION: Triggered before the selection screen is displayed.
- AT SELECTION-SCREEN: Triggered after the selection screen’s user input has been processed. This event validates user input before running a program. The selection screen remains active after processing the user input.
- START-OF-SELECTION: Triggered only after the selection screen’s processing is complete, i.e. when the user clicks the Execute icon on the selection screen.
- END-OF-SELECTION: When the last statement in the START-OF-SELECTON event is executed, this event is triggered.
- TOP-OF-PAGE: The first WRITE statement causes the data to be displayed on a new page.
- END-OF-PAGE: Triggered the display of text at the end of a report page. It should be noted that this event occurs at the end of the report creation process and should be combined with the REPORT statement’s LINE-COUNT clause.
Leveraging these events allows developers to control the flow of the report and manipulate data accordingly.
Creating a Classical Report in SAP ABAP:
Let’s delve into creating a simple Classical Report in SAP ABAP. Below is a basic example illustrating the structure:
REPORT ZCOMPLETE_CLASSICAL_REPORT.
TABLES: GFG.
DATA: lt_GFG TYPE TABLE OF GFG,
ls_GFG TYPE GFG,
gv_count TYPE i.
PARAMETERS: pv_material TYPE GFG-matnr OBLIGATORY.
INITIALIZATION.
gv_count = 0.
START-OF-SELECTION.
SELECT * FROM GFG INTO TABLE @lt_GFG WHERE matnr = @pv_material.
LOOP AT lt_GFG INTO ls_GFG.
gv_count = gv_count + 1.
" Your data processing logic goes here
ENDLOOP.
END-OF-SELECTION.
WRITE: / 'Total Materials Found:', gv_count.
TOP-OF-PAGE.
WRITE: / 'Material Report for:', pv_material.
Output:
Assuming you run the report with a valid material number, the output will look something like this:
Material Report for: [Your Input Material Number]
Total Materials Found: [Number of Materials Found for the Given Material Number]
Replace [Your Input Material Number] with the material number you provided as a parameter, and [Number of Materials Found for the Given Material Number] with the actual count of materials in the GFG table for the specified material number.
For example, if you run the report with pv_material set to ‘1000000001’, and there are three records with this material number in the GFG table, the output might look like:
Material Report for: 1000000001
Total Materials Found: 3
Explanation, In this example:
- INITIALIZATION: The INITIALIZATION event initializes the counter variable gv_count to zero.
- START-OF-SELECTION: The START-OF-SELECTION event fetches data from the GFG table based on the specified material number provided through the parameter pv_material. The loop processes each record, and you can add your custom logic within the loop.
- END-OF-SELECTION: The END-OF-SELECTION event is triggered after data retrieval. In this example, it writes the total number of materials found.
- TOP-OF-PAGE: The TOP-OF-PAGE event is used for formatting the header of each page. Here, it displays the header “Material Report for:” followed by the material number entered as a parameter.
Conclusion:
In summary, delving into SAP ABAP report programming reveals its fundamental role in customizing and optimizing SAP applications. The capability to generate customized reports becomes a catalyst for organizations, unlocking the complete potential of their SAP systems and furnishing vital insights crucial for strategic decision-making. When developers adhere to best practices and make use of advanced features, they have the opportunity to craft reports that are not only efficient but also modular and user-friendly. These reports are designed to precisely address the unique requirements of businesses operating within the SAP environment.