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On this tab page, you specify whether the characteristic will have attributes and/or texts, and which further properties of these it should have.

With Master Data

If you set this flag, the characteristic can have attributes. The system then generates a P table for this characteristic. This table contains the key of the characteristic and any attributes it has. It is used as a check table for the SID table. When loading transaction data, the system checks whether there is a characteristic value in the P Table if the referential integrity is used.

Choose Maintain Master Data to open the maintenance screen for editing attributes from the main menu.

The master data table can have a time-dependent and a time-independent part.

More information: Master Data Types: Attributes, Texts, and Hierarchies.

In the Attribute Maintenance transaction, you specify whether or not an attribute is time-dependent.

Supports XXL Attributes
If you set this flag, the characteristic can have XXL attributes. You can use XXL InfoObjects to save additional information for a characteristic as data type STRING or XSTRING. More information: Tab: XXL Attributes
With Texts

Here you specify whether the characteristic has texts.

If you want to use texts with a characteristic, you have to select at least one text. The Short Text (20 characters) option is set by default, but you can also choose medium-length texts (40 characters) or long texts (60 characters). If you choose the Long text is extra long option, the long text is of type SSTRING and can have up to 1333 characters.

Language-Dependent Texts

You can specify whether or not the texts in the text table are language-dependent. If you specify language-dependent, the language is a key field in the text table. Otherwise, there is no language field in the text table.

Note

For certain BW Content characteristics, customer (0CUSTOMER) for example, there is not point in setting them as non-language-dependent.

Time-Dependent Texts

If you want texts to be time-dependent (the date is included in the key of the text table), you make the relevant settings here. See also: Using Master Data and Master Data-Bearing Characteristics

Master Data Maintenance with Authorization Check

If you set this flag, you can use authorizations to protect the attributes and texts for this characteristic from being maintained at single-record level. If you activate this option, you can enter the characteristic values for which the user has authorization for each key field in the master data table. You do this in the profile generator in role maintenance using authorization object S_TABU_LIN.

More information: Authorizations for Master Data.

If you do not set this flag, you can only allow access to or lock the entire master data maintenance (for all characteristic values).

DataStore Object for Checking Characteristic Values

If you create a DataStore object for checking the characteristic values in a characteristic, the valid values for the characteristic are determined from the DataStore object rather than from the master data during transformaton. The DataStore object must contain the characteristic itself and all the fields in the compound as key figures.

Further Properties

Characteristic is InfoSource:

If you want to use a characteristic as an InfoSource using direct update, you have to assign an application component to the characteristic. The system displays the characteristic in the InfoSource tree in the Data Warehousing Workbench. You can assign DataSources and source systems to the characteristic here. You can then also load attributes, texts, and hierarchies for the characteristic.

In the following cases, you cannot use an InfoObject as an InfoSource with direct update:

  • The characteristic is characteristic 0SOURSYSTEM (source system ID).

  • The characteristic has no master data, texts or hierarchies. There is no point in loading data for the characteristic.

  • It is not a characteristic but a unit or key figure.

You can find more information at Start of the navigation path http://help.sap.com/nw70 Next navigation step Application Help Next navigation step SAP Library Next navigation step SAP NetWeaver Next navigation step SAP NetWeaver by Key Capability Next navigation step Information Integration Next navigation step Business Intelligence  Next navigation step Data Warehousing Next navigation step Transformation Next navigation step Old Transformation Concept Next navigation step InfoSource 3.x End of the navigation path.

If you want to generate an export DataSource for a characteristic, the characteristic has to be an InfoSource with direct update. It also has to be assigned to an application component.

Characteristic is InfoProvider:

If you want to use a characteristic as an InfoProvider, you have to assign an InfoArea to it. The system displays the characteristic in the InfoProvider tree in the Data Warehousing Workbench. You can use the characteristic as an InfoProvider in reporting and analysis.

You can only use a characteristic as an InfoProvider if the characteristic contains texts or attributes.

You can define queries for the characteristic (for the characteristic's master data that is) if you are using a characteristic as an InfoProvider. In this case, you can activate dual-level navigation attributes (navigation attributes for navigation attributes) for this characteristic in its role as an InfoProvider on the Attributes tab page.

More information: InfoObjects as InfoProviders.

Characteristic is Export DataSource:

If you set this flag, you can extract the characteristic's attributes, texts, and hierarchies to other BW systems. More information: Data Mart Interface.

Master Data Access

You have the following options for accessing master data at query runtime:

  1. Standard: The values from the characteristic's master data table are displayed. This is the default setting.

  2. Own Implementation: You can define an ABAP class to implement the access to master data yourself. To do this, you need to implement interface IF_RSMD_RS_ACCESS. You also have to be proficient in ABAP OO. An example of this is time characteristic 0FISCYEAR, which is delivered with the the Business Content.

  3. Direct: If the characteristic is selected as an InfoProvider, you can access the data in a source system using direct access. If you choose this option, you have to use a data transfer process to connect the characteristic to the required DataSource. You also have to assign the characteristic to a source system.

  4. SAP HANA View: If you are using a SAP HANA database, you can use this to create virtual master data. More information: Using Virtual Master Data

We recommend using the default setting. If you have special requirements with regard to reading master data, you can use a customer-defined implementation.

Navigation attributes are only supported for access types Own Implementation, Direct and SAP HANA View if the InfoObject is used in a VirtualProvider.

We advise against using direct access to master data in performance-critical scenarios.

Permitted for Real-Time Data Acquisition

If you set this flag, you can use real-time data acquisition to fill the characteristic with data.

Generate SAP HANA Views

You can generate SAP HANA views for InfoObjects.

An attribute view (for F4 help for example) can be generated if

  • The characteristic has attributes - or texts at least,
  • The master data access is Standard,
  • The Attribute Only flag has not been set.

An analytic view for analysis and reporting can be generated if

  • The characteristic is an InfoProvider,

  • The characteristic has attributes - or texts at least,

  • The Attribute Only flag has not been set,

  • The master data access is Standard.

This cannot be combined with the function for virtual master data in SAP HANA.

More information: Generating SAP HANA Views for InfoObjects