Overview
If your ABAP program is to allow the online user to open multiple windows or enter data with the mouse or keyboard, the application is interactive and requires dialog programming.
ABAP programs that call graphics function modules may be simple or complex.
If your application is very simple, you may not need to do any dialog programming at all. The simplest applications may only use a single graphics program in a single window: they call the function module to open the window, display some data in it, and wait for the online user to close the window.
A slightly more complex application uses the same single window, but allows some interaction between the ABAP program and the online user.
Even more complicated applications may perform the same interactive functions, but from more than a single window.
If you are unsure of whether your application requires dialog programming or not, read the topic "Which ABAP programs Require Dialog Programming" in this section. This topic defines "simple" programs, and how these can avoid dialog programming.
Two mechanisms are provided for controlling the interactions between ABAP program and online user. Explaining these two mechanisms is the chief task of this section.
In existing ABAP programs, dialog parameters used to be used in calls to graphics function modules to tell the function module to wait for and receive user input.
Do not use this method any longer, except for existing programs.
In new ABAP programs with calls to graphics function modules, you must also call GRAPH_RECEIVE, which will wait for messages. When a message has been received, you must call the appropriate GET_xxxx_PARAM to get the details on that message.
The function module GET_xxxx_PARAM is not available in SAP Network Graphics and Bar Chart Graphics.