Alert Container
The alert container is a container for the exchange of (application-specific) variables, such as company code or material number, between the local systems (alert providers) and the central alert server. It is therefore the interface between the application that triggers the alert and the central Alert Framework.
Use
When you use application-specific variables in your container definition, you supply the values for these variables by writing them into the container as name-value pairs. These are then interpreted by the Alert Framework on the central system. The runtime container is implemented as an internal
table of the structure SWCONT with only the columns Element Name
and Value
being relevant.
Caution
When the container is filled, no check is performed as to whether the elements entered and the data type of their values are in accordance with the container definition. You must ensure that the element names and the data types that you use are in accordance with the definition.
Caution
Due to technical restrictions between the Workflow Container and SAPscript, only the first 80 characters of a container element are taken into account, when the variables are replaced during runtime.
For more information on using containers in general, see Macro Instructions for Processing a Container in the SAP Business Workflow
documentation.
Internal Usage of the Container
The Alert Framework uses the alert container not only for the exchange of application-specific variables, but also for the exchange of internal information. The following variables are used for this purpose.
Name |
Meaning |
Typing |
_ALERT_RECIPIENTS |
Recipient list |
|
_ALERT_ACTIVITIES |
Subsequent activities |
|
_ALERT_EXPIRATION |
Expiry date/time (time stamp) |
|
_ALERT_DYNAMIC_SHORTTEXT |
Short text |
|
_ALERT_DYNAMIC_LONGTEXT |
Long text |
|
_EVT_OBJECT |
Triggering object |
|
_ALERT_LOGICAL_SYSTEM |
Logical system in which the alert is triggered |
|
Note
If you define your own variables, ensure that no naming conflicts arise. The names of the variables used internally by the Alert Framework all start with an underscore.
It may sometimes be appropriate to write variables used internally directly into the container. If, for example, you want to pass URLs to the Alert Framework as subsequent activities, you could instead fill an internal table of the structure SALRTSACTI and write the table into the container with the element name _ALERT_ACTIVITIES.
Note
Constants for standard elements in the alert container can be found in the include <ALRT01>.
Integration
The alert container is the main component of the interface between the alert provider (triggering application) and the central alert server.