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Process documentation Working with the Report Writer  Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

Purpose

This process describes the main steps in creating a Report Writer report.

Process flow

The following graphic is an example report. Cost centers and accounts are listed in the rows of the report and currency types (local and group) are listed in the columns.

 

This graphic is explained in the accompanying text

 

You can define the above report in the following steps:

  1. Create sets for the report rows and columns and sets to select data for the report.

You use a set to determine which data appears in the rows and columns of a report and to determine which data is selected for the report.

Note

· You can use a set as a row, column, or as selection criteria, depending on how you want to display the data in the report. Also, since the same set can be used in many different reports, you do not need to create new sets each time you define a report. Instead, you can use existing sets that meet your reporting needs.

· You must use certain set characteristics in a report. You must use sets that contain values for the characteristics "Ledger", "Company", "Version", "Period", and "Record Type" either in the report rows, the report columns, or as data selection criteria.

Sets for Report Rows:

The set you use in a report row is referred to as a row block and may consist of one or more physical rows. In the above report, the set TD-CC-ACCT is used as a row block. It contains the following sets:

This basic set contains cost centers 100 and 200.

This single-dimension set contains the basic sets TD-RACCT-INC (containing income accounts 4000010 and 4000020) and TD-RACCT-EXP (containing expense accounts 3000010 and 3000020).

Sets for Report Columns:

The set you use in a report column is referred to as a column block and may consist of one or more physical columns.

In the above report, the column set, or column block, is TD-ACT-TL (actual data in local and group currency). This data set contains the following values:

– HSL-0 (local currency, actual data)

– KSL-0 (group currency, actual data)

For each value in the set, the Report Writer creates a physical column.

Sets as General Selection Criteria for Report Data:

You also create sets that determine the data that is selected for a report.

Example

You create a set with the characteristic "Year" that contains the value 1995. If you use this set as selection criteria in a report, the Report Writer only extracts data for 1995.

For more information on using sets for Report Writer, see uses of sets in Report Writer.
  1. Select a library for the report.

    2. Before defining the actual report, you need to select a library for the report. A library is a collection of characteristics (such as "account", "cost center", "company"), basic key figures (such as local costs, total costs and activity quantity), and key figures (such as actual costs in the current fiscal year) used in a report definition. Report definitions in one library can only use the characteristics, basic key figures, and key figures that are defined for that library.

    For more information, see library.

  2. Define the report.

    3. a) Define the report row(s).

    On the Create Report: Rows screen, you enter the set(s) that you want to include in the report row block(s). The set you choose determines the row items that are in the report. You can also enter additional text to define your own text for the lead column/sum total, instead of using the text from the set header. You can also define formulas and key figures in a row block.

    b) Define the report column(s).

    On the Create Report: Columns screen, you enter the set(s) that you want to include in the report column block(s). The set you choose determines the columns that are in the report. You can also enter additional text to define your own text for the lead column/sum total, instead of using the text from the set header.

    c) Enter the sets to be used as selection criteria for selecting report data.

    On the Create Report: General Data Selection screen, you enter the set(s) that you want to be used to select the report data. You can also enter a selection rule for further defining selection criteria.

    d) Enter report text, if required.

    You can enter report texts on the Create Report: Texts screen. You can enter texts for the title page, headers, footers and the last page of your report. In addition, you can enter a special text that is used when exporting the report to Microsoft Excel. You can also enter various text variables, such as the date and user name, which appear when the report is output.

    e) Review the default report layout and change as necessary.

    SAP supplies you with a default standard layout for all of your reports. Standard layouts determine the page layout of the report and the numeric format of the report data. If you use the default parameters, you can skip this step. If you want to change some of the parameters, you use the Create/Change Standard Layout screens.

    For more information about creating standard layouts, see standard layouts.

    For more information about changing default parameters for a specific report, see defining report layouts.

    For more information on defining reports, see Report Writer reports.

  3. Check the report.

    4. Once the report definition has been completed, you should check the report for errors and warnings. Using the Report → Check function, you can list any errors and warnings associated with producing the report.

  4. Assign the report to a report group.

    5. After you have defined a report, you assign it to a report group. A report group can contain one or more reports from the same library. When reports contain the same characteristics and share the same data, data is selected faster and processing time is quicker because report data is only selected once.

    For more information, see report groups.

  5. Generate a report group.

    6. During this step, the Report Writer generates the programs necessary for processing the reports.

    For more information, see generating a report group.

  6. Execute the report group.

In this step, the Report Writer selects all the database records used in the report and outputs them in the specified format.

For more information, see report group execution and the procedure executing a report group.