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Data Enhancement

Under certain circumstances it might be necessary to enhance data that was not available at the time of updating at the point of evaluation, or to interpret data on a higher aggregation level that was already updated and thus calculate new key figures.

Such a key figure can be created when defining an information structure. This key figure is excluded from the update process, as the values are first determined by means of a so-called method when the standard analysis is carried out.

In the standard analyses, a method is a FORM routine which supports the enhancement of, or changes to, statistical data and it is automatically called up by the standard analysis.

These methods are similar to the methods that you can use in Copy Management.

In standard analyses, a distinction is made between the two types of methods:

The data enhancement methods allow you to enhance data on the lowest level, i.e. data at the level of the individual data record of an information structure.

A data enhancement method could be used to write master data that was not available at the time of the update to a material.

After data selection, an internal table containing all of the data records is transferred to the FORM routine that describes the method so that it can change the records.

In order to support and facilitate the creation of methods, SAP provides several transformation scenarios. Each scenario consists of both a detailed business desciption (documentation) and a reference method which the system automatically adapts to the information structure that you have chosen. It is then copied to the clipboard so that the system can make use of it when creating a method.

Caution

A scenario is only automatically adapted to the source and target information structures when you call up the reference method via the pushbutton Copy from.

You also have the option of calling up a reference method from the accompanying documentation. In this case, no automatic adapting can take place.

The methods maintenance is integrated in the step "Change settings". In the case of self-defined information structures, you can select a data enhancement method as well as the accompanying scenarios in the parameters settings screen by using the Maintain function.

Procedure

Proceed as follows:

1. Execute the step "Change settings".
The screen "Select action" appears.
2. Choose an application in which you wish to carry out a data enhancement.
3. Enter the name of a self-defined information structure.
4. Choose Enter.
The overview screen for parameter selection appears.
5. In the area data enhancement choose an existing method.
If no methods exist yet, choose the function
maintain and confirm the message if necessary.
The overview screen "Methods in LIS" appears.

Activities

1. To create a method, proceed as follows:
a) Specify a method name and a method description.
b) Also specify a program and a FORM routine, i.e. the actual method.
If you double-click on the field Program or FORM routine you will branch into the editor to maintain the program, as long as the program has already been created.
If the program has not yet been created, a popup appears when you double-click on the Program field and asks you to create the program. As a rule the program is created without a TOP-INCLUDE. When maintaining the program attributes, you need to specify the type "S" (Subroutine pool).
A data enhancement method must have the following interface:
FORM DATA_METHOD_TEST TABLES S000 STRUCTURE SXXX.
(SXXX refers to the generated table for the information structure)
Example
FORM DATA_METHOD_0001 TABLES S000 STRUCTURE S665.
LOOP AT S000.
* Enhancing individual fields in S000
...
ENDLOOP.
ENDFORM.
2. Assign the method
In the IMG activity "Change settings", you can find the field "Method" under data enhancement for self-defined information structures in the screen for parameter settings.
Here you can enter the name of the method you require, if necessary.