Grouping of Process Instructions

Use

You can use this function to display several process instructions of type Simple data request together in a table in the browser-based PI sheet. In this way, you can display information of the same kind in a clearly laid-out and structured way.

In Repeated data requests , by contrast, one process instruction is copied and displayed in a table.

Example Example

By grouping generated process instructions in which the material components are automatically taken over, you obtain a clearly structured material list in the browser-based PI sheet.

End of the example.

Prerequisites

The grouped process instructions must meet the following requirements:

They are of the type Simple data request .
They belong to the same process instruction category.
Their logical structure with regard to input fields, output fields, and so on is identical.
No text symbols are used in the labels.

Features

You can group all process instructions of the same process instruction category. Whether a characteristic must have the same value in all process instructions, depends on the characteristic. However, the following characteristics must be at the same logical position in all grouped process instructions:

Characteristic	Value
PPPI_DATA_REQUEST_TYPE	In standard layouts, we recommend using simple data requests only.
PPPI_MESSAGE_CATEGORY	Different message categories can be used.
PPPI_FUNCTION_NAME	Different values may be assigned.
PPPI_CALCULATED_VALUE	Different values may be assigned.
PPPI_REQUESTED_VALUE	Different values may be assigned.
PPPI_OUTPUT_CHARACTERISTIC	Different values may be assigned.
PPPI_OUTPUT_VARIABLE	Different values may be assigned.
PPPI_INPUT_REQUEST	The same value must be assigned in all process instructions. Text symbols are not allowed.
PPPI_OUTPUT_TEXT	The same value must be assigned in all process instructions. Text symbols are not allowed.
PPPI_BUTTON_TEXT	The same value must be assigned in all process instructions. Text symbols are not allowed.

Note Note

If the <INSTRUCTIONS> tag is not specified in the layout definition, all process instructions with identical structures of the same process instruction category are grouped automatically.

End of the note.

Activities

To group process instructions of the same kind, you enter an XML definition in the long text for characteristic PPPI_LAYOUT in the layout definition. You have the following options:

To specify explicitly that all process instructions of the same process instruction category are grouped automatically, you add a * (asterisk) in the <INSTRUCTIONS>/<GROUP> tag.

Example Example

...

</INSTRUCTIONS>

...

( )

This setting is also used by default if nothing else is specified.

End of the example.

If you only want to group process instructions of a specific process instruction category , you specify the corresponding process instruction category. You can define any number of <GROUP> tags.

Example Example

<?xml version="1.0"?>

...

</INSTRUCTIONS>

...

</LAYOUT>

End of the example.

If you want to specify explicitly that no grouping is to take place, you only define the <INSTRUCTIONS> tag without any further specifications.

Example Example

<?xml version="1.0"?>

...

...

</LAYOUT>

End of the example.

Example

The following example illustrates how you can create a clearly structured material list:

In Customizing for the SAP System, you define a process instruction of type 0 in which:

The required information is output
All required entries for an individual item in the material list can be made

In Customizing of the SAP System, you define for the control recipe destination to be used that this process instruction is to be generated automatically at the beginning of the control recipe for every item in the material list.

In the standard style sheet, all generated process instructions are automatically grouped and displayed in a table with a heading.

This process instruction example contains the following definitions:

An output field for the material description
An output field for the target value
An output field for the unit of measure
An input field with a default value (= target value) and an input validation (actual value = target value +/- 5%)
An input field for the batch
An input value for the signature

The system automatically generates the following:

Two process messages (PI_CONS and SIGN) from the data during processing
One table line for every item in the material list
A unique variable name (' MYVAR&0050&' ) for the default value for every reservation item using PPPI_RESERVATION_ITEM as the text symbol ( &0050& ). The variable is also used in the formula.

Char.No.	Characteristic	Characteristic Value
0010	PPPI_INPUT_GROUP	Material list
0020	PPPI_MESSAGE_CATEGORY	PI_CONS
0030	PPPI_PROCESS_ORDER	Automatic value assignment
0040	PPPI_RESERVATION	Automatic value assignment
0050	PPPI_RESERVATION_ITEM	Automatic value assignment
0060	PPPI_MATERIAL	Automatic value assignment
0070	PPPI_VARIABLE	'MYVAR&0050&'
0080	PPPI_MATERIAL_CONSUMED	Automatic value assignment
0090	PPPI_UNIT_OF_MEASURE	Automatic value assignment
0110	PPPI_AUTOMATIC_VALUE	Event date
0120	PPPI_AUTOMATIC_VALUE	Event time
0120	PPPI_OUTPUT_TEXT	Material
0130	PPPI_OUTPUT_CHARACTERISTIC	PPPI_MATERIAL
0140	PPPI_OUTPUT_TEXT	Material quantity (target value)
0150	PPPI_OUTPUT_CHARACTERISTIC	PPPI_MATERIAL_CONSUMED
0160	PPPI_OUTPUT_TEXT	Unit of measure
0170	PPPI_OUTPUT_CHARACTERISTIC	PPPI_UNIT_OF_MEASURE
0180	PPPI_INPUT_REQUEST	Material quantity (actual value)
0190	PPPI_DEFAULT_VARIABLE	'MYVAR&0050&'
0200	PPPI_REQUESTED_VALUE	PPPI_MATERIAL_CONSUMED
0210	PPPI_VALIDATION_FORMULA	( X > ( 0.95 * 'MYVAR&0050&' ) )
0220	PPPI_VALIDATION_FORMULA	AND
0230	PPPI_VALIDATION_FORMULA	( X < ( 1.05 * 'MYVAR&0050&' ) )
0240	PPPI_OUTPUT_TEXT	Unit of measure
0250	PPPI_OUTPUT_CHARACTERISTIC	PPPI_UNIT_OF_MEASURE
0260	PPPI_INPUT_REQUEST	Batch
0270	PPPI_REQUESTED_VALUE	PPPI_BATCH
0280	PPPI_MESSAGE_CATEGORY	SIGN
0290	PPPI_PROCESS_ORDER	Automatic value assignment
0300	PPPI_CONTROL_RECIPE	Automatic value assignment
0310	PPPI_OPERATION	Automatic value assignment
0320	PPPI_PHASE	Automatic value assignment
0330	PPPI_AUTOMATIC_VALUE	Event date
0340	PPPI_AUTOMATIC_VALUE	Event time
0350	PPPI_INPUT_REQUEST	Signature
0360	PPPI_REQUESTED_VALUE	PPPI_SIGNATURE

Note Note

If you start the automatic generation of process instructions manually in the process order, the text symbols will not be replaced automatically. This leads to a syntax error ( Variable 'MYVAR&0050&' is already used ) when you check several of these process instructions at once.

To replace the text symbols, you can create a test control recipe. The system will ask you whether you want to replace the text symbols. Choose Yes .

End of the note.