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Create
User-Defined Reports
Creating
User-Defined Report Painter Reports
Many reporting requirements are solved by
standard R/3 System reports. If, however, non-standard requirements remain
unfulfilled, you can use
Report Painter for simple, quick definition of user-defined
reports.
You can also use standard references objects to
construct your own reports:
libraries,
standard layouts , default columns, and row and column
models , all in the standard R/3 System, can available for custom
reports.
A report can consist of several "logical"
pages. This is useful if you wish to construct managerial key figures, such as
costs per employee. You can switch between logical pages and carry out
calculations with them.
Report Painter report definition requires
several
Preparatory Steps, depending on the complexity of the report to
be generated.
- Standard layouts are maintained in the IMG
"Financial Accounting" under "Special Ledger -> Information System ->
Maintain standard layout.
For each of these
categories you need to select the objects to be used in reports of the
specific library. You define the sequence of the objects in the selection
lists of the Report Painter in field "Position". Frequently used objects
should be at the top of the list.
See
also:
Models are
one-dimensional report modules in which you predefine complete blocks of rows
or columns. These are incorporated later in your report
definition.
- Create or change report groups
To produce several
reports of a library in one selection run, you can combine these reports to a
report group. This is very helpful if the reports are to analyze mostly the
same data.
While you can define
reports without assigning them to a report group, these reports cannot be
executed.
To execute a report,
you must first assign it to at least one report group.
- Within the set maintenance you can
- Standard layouts are maintained in the IMG for
"Financial Accounting" under "Special ledger -> Tools -> Set maintenance
->
Maintain sets.
Variables are
maintained in the IMG for "Financial Accounting" under "Special ledger ->
Tools -> Set maintenance ->
Maintain variables.
Variables allow you
to create reports with flexible contents. Variables are report parameters that
you define when you execute the report. Normally, the delivered parameters are
sufficient.
- Create or change predefined
columns
Predefined columns
contain useful combinations of characteristics and key figures that you can
use in your reports.
Example:
Total actual costs,
period 1 - 12, 1995, version 0
This predefined
column consists of:
the
characteristics "Period"
"Fiscal year"
"Version"
"Value type"
the key
figure "Total costs"
Requirements
To create reports for user-defined libraries
with Report Painter, you must maintain the
Libraries first.
Standard
settings
The standard R/3 System includes many standard
layouts and column and row models, as well as default columns for libraries
1VK, 1GK, 1AB, 1RU, and 7KK. As a rule these standard modules are sufficient
for report definition.
Recommendation
In general, do not change a standard report
because any changes will be overwritten when importing new reports from client
000 (which supplies standard reports).
- To make small changes to a standard, use the
report as a model, copy it to another name, and change the copy only. Choose
"Report -> Copy".
You can use reports
as models in one library only, but you can copy reports from other
libraries.
Activities
The procedure when defining a Report Painter
report depends on how far the supplied standards satisfy your
requirements.
1. If the
libraries, layouts, row and column models, and default columns in the standard
R/3 System are sufficient:
a) Define
report columns by using the supplied default columns and characteristics as
well as formulas and standard layouts in the standard library.
You can construct
columns from characteristics, formulas, or predefined columns. Predefined
columns can be changed by inserting further characteristics. You can also use
variables, but only those already defined in Report Writer.
Select a column by
double clicking.
Choose "Key figure
with characteristics" or "Default columns" for the column
structure.
If you choose "Key
figure with characteristics", use the dialog box to mark the key figure to be
used in the report.
In the following
dialog box, choose the characteristics to be used in the column and afterwards
specify the characteristic values as individual values, groups, intervals, or
variables.
To define all
possible values for a chosen characteristic, enter an asterisk (*); to define
an initial value, enter a pound sign (#).
To use variables,
choose "Variables on/off". The R/3 System automatically indicates the
appropriate field and automatically adjusts the field length. Choose "Possible
entries" to display all existing variables.
If you choose
"Default columns", specify one of the standard default columns in the dialog
box. You can then change or expand upon the suggested characteristics and
characteristic values.
To define a further
report column, select the element type "Formula" in the dialog box. Use the
formula editor to select other report columns and predefined cells to define a
formula which calulates a value for the column.
Enter a column text.
Choose "Copy" to copy the short text to the fields "Middle" and "Long" as
well.
You can also use
variables in a column text. To store a variable, enter an ampersand (&)
followed by a variable name. When you activate "Key" as text type in the
standard report layout under "Column text", the report issues the current
value of the variable. If you activate "Name", the report issues the name of
the current value.
b) Define
report rows by using the characteristics or row models available in the
standard library.
All steps in row
definition are similar to those in column definition.
2. If the
libraries, layouts, and row and column models do not meet your
requirements:
a) If
necessary, maintain the corresponding
library.
b) If
necessary, create a new layout or change an existing one.
c) If
necessary, maintain the standard default columns.
In Report Painter,
choose Set maintenance -> Data set entries ->
Maintenance.
d) If
necessary, create new row and column models.
Proceed as described
in the definition of report rows and columns.
e) For further
report definition proceed as described in step 1.
3. Determine
general selections
General selections
include the characteristics according to which you select data for a report,
but which are not to be identified in report rows or columns.
4. Save your
report.
5. Insert your
report into a report group.
Note on
transport
To transport Report Painter reports, see the
IMG activity
Transport Report Writer Objects in the IMG for Financial
Accounting under Special Purpose Ledger -> Tools ->
Transport.
For more information on user-defined reports,
see the SAP Library under Financials
-> CO Controlling -> Cost Center Accounting -> Information System
-> Defining Reports.
Creating
User-Defined Report Painter Reports
You can also use the Report Writer tool to
create your own reports. However, this tool is more difficult to use than the
Report Painter and requires more knowledge of the system. Users who do not
have this knowledge should use the Report Painter to define their
reports.
The technique you use to define Report Writer
reports is the same as that of the Report Painter. Just as with the Report
Painter, you can use libraries, standard layouts, predefined columns,
characteristics, and variables to create your reports. You can access standard
modules or define your own report components.
For detailed information on the individual
report components, see
Preliminary steps.
Recommendation
- You generally shouldn't change the standard
reports, because when you import new SAP reports from client 000 (the client
in which the standard reports are delivered) your changes will be
overwritten.
- If you want to make minor modifications to a
standard report, you should create your report with a standard report as a
template. It is also possible to copy the standard report under a new name and
only change the copy. To do this, choose Report -> Copy. Although you can
only use reports as a template when they are in the same library, when you
copy you can use reports from other libaries.
Actions
1. If the
libraries, predefined columns, and sets in the standard system do not meet
your requirements, proceed as follows:
a) In the
header of the report, define general information on the structure of the
report (such as the standard layout to be used).
b) You define
the columns of your report by specifying column blocks. You can access key
figures or predefined columns on the library, or use datasets that are
available for the corresponding report table. The sequence of the entries
within a column block determines how the columns appear in the
report.
c) You define
the rows of your report by specifying a row block. This is a set that was
normally created for the characteristic "cost element" and contains a variable
that allows a cost element or cost element group to be entered when the report
is accessed.
d) If you want
to have multiple sections within your report (such as the cost elements in the
upper section output quantities in the lower section), you must define
multiple row and column blocks accordingly. Row block 1 normally refers to
column block 1, while row block 2 is combined with column block
2.
e) Define
general selections for your report. This is information that you have not
added to the rows or columns and that refer to the report as a whole. Here you
can either add a set that consists of single values (such as for all
controlling areas you want to report on) or a set variable. Set variables
allow you to determine the contents of the variable when you access the report
(such as the fiscal year, period, or order number).
f) Save your
report.
g) Create a
report group and assign it to your report.
2. If the
report components supplied in the standard system do not meet your
requirements, you can create your own:
- Create your own sets. In the Report Writer,
choose the menu option Set Maintenance.
You can create basic
sets or single dimension sets, for example in order to group cost elements
together for later use in the row block.
You can create
datasets that you want to use later as a column block. In a dataset you can
use formulas, for example to get a column called "Variances".
Example: Dataset
plan/actual
Entry no. 001: PSWKG (total plan)
Entry no. 002: ISWKG (total actual)
Entry no. 003: ='002' - '001' (variance)
- Create your own variables as needed by
choosing the menu option Set Maintenance -> Variables in the Report
Writer.
See
Maintain variables.
Note
For Product Cost Controlling, the relevant
report tables are KKBC (CO object, Cost Object Controlling), KKBE (cost
components), and KKBU (unit costing).
Further
Information
For detailed information on using the Report
Writer, see the online documentation under FI Special Purpose
Ledger .