Enhancements to the product structure 

Description

Renaming

The Object structure function has been renamed Product structure.

Filter

You can use the follwoing additional functions when you define a private filter:

• Up until now you could only use private filters when choosing your destinations. As of this release, you can make further settings in the filter for each object type.
  Examples:

• Documents: relations, document type, laboratory

• Change number: relations

• Material: relations, material type, laboratory

The main function of the filter is to enable you to define the objects and relations that should be displayed in the product structure. For example, you can define a filter in such a way so that only a class network, a document hierarchy, or a BOM structure is exploded.

Note:

If you limit the number of objects or relations in your filter a lot, performance imporves considerably because many relations do not even have to be considered.

• In addition to this, for most objects there are other restrictions that you can make using the filter settings. For example, for BOMs you can make restrictions for the plant, usage, or for the laboratory/ office.

• Since you cannot create all the filters that should be theoretically possible, you can define a customer-specific additional filter for each object type. This filter is used in a customer-specific program. You can use program RCPDMEXENDEDFILTERTEMPLATE to copy from. In this program there is a FORM routine for every object type. The transfer parameters are derived from this. The analagous FORM routines in your customer-specific program can then be filled with special checks. At the end, you only have to enter whether a given object has successfully completed the additional checks or not.

Entering Parameters

You can define the effectivity of a change with different effectivity type parameters (for example, serial number interval) as well as by using a valid-from date. You must assign values to the parameters so that the product structure is exploded with the correct effectivity data (for example, material 4711 and serial number 102). The entries you make take effect on the objects that appear during the product structure explosion.
Parameter effectivity is only effective in the local system.

Settings for the product structure

You can choose between the following for the display format of the product structure:

• Displayed as a list

This is available on all platforms (for example, WINDOWS, UNIX front ends) and can be used for product structure explosions in the local system and cross-system explosions.

This method of display offers you the following additional functions:

• Send mail with object as attachment

You can send objects that are defined in the Business Object Repository as an attachment to a SAPoffice mail.

• Change object master records directly

You can change the master rceords directly from the product structure. However, these changes are not displayed in the product structure until you have refreshed it.
For example, you change a relation by entering a superior document in the document info record.

• Objects are displayed by icons

You can find out the meaning of the icons by displaying the key.

• Define layout for each object type

For each object type, you can choose a maximum of five fields to be displayed in the list. You can use F1 help on the individual values to see more information.
You can save the settings user-specifically.

• Control format

Control format is only available on WINDOWS platforms (32 bit) and is only supported for product structure explosions in local systems.

You can use the drag and drop function to copy a change object in the product structure. You can copy a change object in the following situations:

• Processing a change master record and copying to the change master record

• Processing an object folder and copying to the object folder

The Object selektion screen is divided into two areas:

• Area I: change number structure

This area lists all the object types that the

Object type active for change number indicator is set for (for example, document). The selected objects are copied to this area using the drag and drop function.

• Area II: product structure for initial object

This area displays the product structure of the initial object. You can copy all the objects that are identified by the "Move" icon to the change number. Objects that are already allocated to the change number are indicated with a check mark.

Object folder

You can use SAPoffice to create object folders where you can collect all the objects that should be grouped together in one business operation and then, if required, be sent to chosen recipients. You can use the product structure to choose these objects and copy them to the object folders.

You create the object folder as follows:

• Choose Office -> Outbox -> Create document -> New.

• Enter the object type OFO (object folder). On the processing screen for the folder, choose Edit -> Select objects. The initial screen for the product structure appears. You choose the initial object here.

• The Object folder screen is divided into two areas:

• Area 1: object types for the object folder

You see a list of all the object types that can be evaluated in the product structure and copied to the folder (for example, material BOMs, documents).

• Area 2: product structure for the initial object

The structure displays all the objects of the initial object.

There are the following special features for the different display formats:

• List display

The tree structures are displayed under one another. You copy the objects by clicking on the "Move" icon.

• Control format

The tree structures are displayed next to one another. You can copy all the objects that ae indicated by a "Move" icon. Objects that are already allocated to the object folder are indicated by a check mark.

Using the product structure for document distribution

You can find documents using the product structure when you create recipient lists and distribution orders.

You choose any initial object in the product structure (for example, material or class). The system displays all the documents in this structure in a special explosion path. You can select documents and use the distribution order to copy them to the recipient list.