Definition of Export Parameters

Use

You define export parameters in function calls and input validations for the following parameters of the function module or check function:

  • Required import parameters

  • Optional import parameters for which you do not want to use the default value defined in the function module

In doing so, you determine the parameter value that is transferred to the function module in the PI sheet.

Prerequisites

If you want to transfer the value of a variable to the function module, you must either have defined the variable in a preceding process instruction of the same PI sheet or for the entire process order (see Use of Variables ).

Exception:

Variable X always refers to the immediately preceding input value. You must not define it in the process instruction.

Features

When defining an export parameter, you specify the following information in the process instruction:

  • The parameter name

  • The parameter value

  • If the value is available in the process order, you enter it as a constant.

  • If the value is only available in the PI sheet, you transfer it from a preceding process instruction using a variable.

  • In input validation, you use variable X to transfer the value to be checked.

To enter this information, you assign the following characteristics to the process instruction:

Characteristic

Meaning

Allowed values

PPPI_EXPORT_PARAMETER

Export parameter

Import parameter of the function module

Characteristic for the variable/

constant that has the same data

type as the parameter (see below)

Parameter value

Value to be exported:

constant or variable

Notes on Parameter Value Assignment

You can only transfer the value of a variable or constant to a parameter if the variable or constant has the same data type as the parameter in the function module.

Constant

The characteristic you use to define the constant also determines its data type. The following characteristics are available in the standard system:

Characteristic for constant

Data type

PPPI_DATE_CONSTANT

Date

PPPI_TIME_CONSTANT

Time

PPPI_FLOAT_CONSTANT

Floating point number

PPPI_STRING_CONSTANT

Alphanumeric value

However, you can also use any other characteristic, provided that its data type is identical to that of the parameter. You may want to do this, for example, if the characteristic value is assigned automatically in the process order.

Variable

A variable has the same data type as the value to which it refers. Depending on the data type, you must use one of the following characteristics to allocate the variable in the process instruction:

Characteristic for variable

Data type

PPPI_DATE_VARIABLE

Date

PPPI_TIME_VARIABLE

Time

PPPI_FLOAT_VARIABLE

Floating point number

PPPI_STRING_VARIABLE

Alphanumeric value