Definition of Input Validations (SAP Library - Process Management (PP-PI-PMA))

Definition of Input Validations

Use

When defining characteristics in Customizing, you can specify an allowed value range for each characteristic. The settings you make here apply to all process instructions and messages in which the characteristic is used.

If you want to restrict the value range even further for a specific input value, you can also define an input validation for it in the process instruction. In the input validation, you determine:

The validation rule that is used to check the input value in the PI sheet

Whether invalid values are transferred to the PI sheet and how this is done

Prerequisites

If you want to use a check function to check the input value, make sure that a suitable function module has been created in the system (see Customizing for Process Management).

If a signature must be executed to accept invalid input values in the PI sheet (see below), you must select one of the following types of signature in Customizing for the control recipe destination.

Signature without a password check

Signature with a simple password check

In this case, you must also define passwords for the corresponding users in Customizing for the control recipe destination.

Digital signature

If several individual signatures are to be executed, you also define a signature strategy in the control recipe destination or in the process instruction.

For more information about digital signatures and the required settings, see Approval Using Digital Signatures.

Features

Validation Rule

In the process instruction, you can define the validation rule for the input validation as follows:

As a check formula for numeric values

Characteristic	Meaning	Value
PPPI_VALIDATION_FORMULA	Check formula	Boolean formula (see Syntax of check formulas)

As a check function for all values

Characteristic	Meaning	Value
PPPI_VALIDATION_FUNCTION	Check function	Function module name

You must include the parameters of the function module in the process instruction directly after the characteristic for the check function. For more information, see:

Definition of Export Parameters
Definition of Changing Parameters
Definition of Import Parameters

Processing Invalid Input Values

In addition to the validation rule, you can also enter the following information to controls how invalid input values are processed:

Warning

If you enter an invalid value in the PI sheet, the system issue this warning in addition to the standard message.

Invalid values are accepted

If you do not specify anything here, invalid values can be accepted without restrictions. You can define the following restrictions:

Invalid values are not accepted
Invalid values are only accepted with a signature

Depending on the settings made in the control recipe destination, the PI sheet requests a signature with or without a password, one digital signature, or several individual digital signatures defined in a signature strategy. You must also enter a comment for digital signatures.

The input value is not reported automatically when you execute the signature. If you change the value, you must execute the signature again even if the changed value complies with the validation rule.

Authorization for executing a signature

For signatures with a simple password check or for digital signatures, you can specify that a user requires a special maintenance authorization for the PI sheet to execute the signature.

The system checks whether the activity specified in the process instruction is included in authorization object C_CRPI_BER in the user master record.

Irrespective of the settings you make here, the system carries out the following authorization checks for digital signature:

Activity 73 (Archive) in authorization object C_CRPI_BER (PI sheet)
For individual signatures in a signature strategy, the authorization group for the individual signature in authorization object C_SIGN_BGR (authorization groups for digital signatures)

Signature strategy for digital signatures

If several users must sign invalid values, you use a signature strategy to define which individual signatures are required. You can assign a signature strategy in the control recipe destination. This strategy is then used for all input validations. If you want to use a different strategy for a particular process instruction, you assign the strategy to this process instruction.

The signature strategy must be carried out synchronously in the PI sheet. This means that the individual signatures must be executed immediately after one another.

To enter this data in the process instruction, you assign the following characteristics immediately after the validation rule:

Characteristic

Meaning

Value

PPPI_TEXT_FOR_INVALID_INPUT

Warning

Long text (see also Using Text Symbols)

PPPI_ACCEPT_INVALID_INPUT

Invalid values are accepted

No
Yes
With signature only

PPPI_SIGNATURE_AUTHORIZATION

Authorization required for signature with password or digital signature

Any value for the Activity field in the authorization object C_CRPI_BER

PPPI_SIGNATURE_STRATEGY

Signature strategy
(for digital signatures only)

Strategy defined in Customizing