Use and Effect of the Options (SAP Library - BC

Use and Effect of the Options

Attribute Table type: Field Entry table

Use

You use the Entry table table type

when the table is to be used for entering data.
This primary use is not affected by the modalities of displaying, changing or entering at runtime. From an entry table, you still can select lines or cells to display detail data.

when the table contains at least one field ready for input.

Effect

When the Table entry option is set, the background color of the table fields is the same as the one used in the default, that is, fields ready for input have a white background, display-only fields have the same color as the screen background.

Combining with other attributes

The degree to which these options can be combined with other attributes is restricted as follows:

Single or multiple line selection requires a line selection column.

Usually, horizontal and vertical separator lines should be displayed.

Attribute Table type: Field Selection table

Use

You use the Selection table table type

when the table is exclusively used to display and to take over entries, or

the table is exclusively presented in display mode.

Effect

When the Selection table option is set, all table fields have a white background. The system does not restrict combination with other attributes. Depending on its use, adhere to the permissible attribute combinations (see Use).

Combining with other attributes

Set the Line selection column

when multiple line selection is possible (the Multiple line selection attribute is set), or
when there are several independent cells (columns) which can be selected, or
the line selection should still be visible the next time the application is called.

Do not set the Line selection column attribute

when only one line at a time can be selected (the Single line selection attribute is set), and
when the entire line represents one logical unit, that is, does not consist of individually selectable lines.

You should not use the Horizontal/Vertical Separators attibutes.

Attribute Configurability: Field Configurability

Use

The attribute should be set, if possible. Exception: Tables used to control other tables must always have the same structure (for example, in Customizing).

Effect

The attribute is set:

The button above the vertical scroll bar is active. In the dialog box displayed after the user has pressed the button, the user can save the current column configuration under a name and set a version as the default setting. The user can also select one of the existing versions as the display variant of the current table control.

The corresponding table control is displayed for the user specified in the stored default setting upon the next call of the program. You can set the table control’s context as an additional key for differentiation from the program by setting function group STCX.

The attribute is not set:

The button above the vertical scroll bar is inactive. Therefore, the user cannot save his/her changes to the column layout.

Attribute Resizing (vertical): Field vertical

Use

You should always use this attribute

when pushbuttons for editing the table are located below the table.

when the table can contain many entries of which the user wants to display as many as possible at a time.

Effect

The attribute is set:

The space between the last table line and the bottom window frame remains constant when manual changes are made to the window’s size. Fields located below the table always remain visible.

The space between these fields and the table remains constant.

When reducing the window’s size, table lines are suppressed, starting with the bottom line. Since all screen fields remain visible, the reduced window does not have a scroll bar. When enlarging the window, the system displays additional lines at the bottom of the table.

The attribute is not set:

The distance between the bottom edge of the table and the bottom window frame is not fixed. When reducing the window’s size, screen lines are removed from the visible area, starting from the bottom line. As a result, fields located below the table may not be visible. The window does not get a scroll bar. When enlarging the vertical size of the window, table lines and/or screen fields located below the current visible area are displayed. The system can display as many table lines as defined in the Screen Painter.

Attribute Separators: Field horizontal (with horizontal separators)

Use

You should use horizontal separator lines only with wide tables which require some sort of visual aid in order to guarantee readability.

You should not use horizontal separator lines when

the table has only one column

a multiple column table can still be easily read without separators.

Attribute Separators: Field vertical (with vertical separators)

Use

You use vertical separator lines primarily with entry tables which require separation of the input field boundaries.

Try to separate columns in selection tables by inserting one or two blank characters. You should use vertical separators only if explicit separation of the table columns is required to guarantee readability.

In particular, you should not use vertical separator lines

if the columns are not very wide

if many columns contain checkboxes, radio buttons or icons.

Attribute Line selection column: Field Line selection column

Use

You need this option to generate particular types of selection tables.

Effect

When the line is selected, the field of the selection column has the value 'X'.

Combining with other attributes

A selection column is required as follows:

the Single or Multiple line selection attributes are set with the Entry table option, or

the Multiple line selection attribute is set with the Selection table option.

Attribute Lines: Field none (no line selection)

Use

In general, you do not need this option. You can use it to generate an Entry table type without a selection column. In this case, the user can enter values, but cannot select lines using the selection buttons.

Combining with other attributes

You cannot use this option

when the Line selection column attribute is set.

Attribute Lines: Field single (single line selection)

Effect

If the user chooses a selection button other than the one for the selected line, the system deselects the old selection and selects the new line.

This option corresponds to the selection behavior of Radio Buttons.

Attribute Lines: Field multiple (multiple line selection)

Effect

If the user chooses a selection button other than the one for the selected line, the system keeps the current line selection and adds the new line to the number of selected lines.

This option corresponds to the selection behavior of Checkboxes.

Attribute Columns: Field none (no column selection)

Effect

If this option is set, column selection is not possible with the column selection button (column heading).

Attribute Columns: Field single (single column selection)

Use

If this option is set, the Select all pushbutton is inactive.

Effect

If the user chooses a selection button (heading) other than the one for the selected column, the system deselects the current selection and selects the new column.

This option corresponds to the selection behavior of Radio Buttons.

Attribute Columns: Field multiple (multiple column selection)

Use

You should use this option when the Select all pushbutton is to remain active, that is, when all lines and all columns should be selectable.

Effect

If the user chooses a selection button (heading) other than the one for the selected column, the system keeps the previous column selection and adds the new column to the number of selected columns.

This option corresponds to the selection behavior of Checkboxes.

Attribute Possible field types: Field Text/Key word

Use this option to determine if a table field is to be a normal field or a key word field.

Attribute Column width: Field visLg

Use

Increase the visible length of a field, if the user cannot read the column heading properly.

Decrease the visual length, if, far fewer characters have been entered as specified in the defined length. The user should be able to read the heading properly.

Effect

If the column width is smaller than the defined length of the corresponding field, the field becomes a scrollable field.

If the column width is larger than the defined length of the field, the table column is increased by the corresponding number of characters. The number of characters ready for input in the input field is not increased.

In both cases, the heading is displayed in the width of the field’s visual length.

Attribute Fixed columns: Field Fix

Use

Set this attribute for key fields. In particular, the readability of very wide tables is impaired when, during horizontal scrolling, the attribute fields located to the right cannot be clearly associated with the key field.

Effect

The attribute is set:

The position of the corresponding column cannot be changed by the user employing the drag-and-drop technique.

With horizontal scrolling in the table, the column is excluded from the scrolling action and remains visible at the left of the table.

If the attribute is set for a field in column 2 or higher, all columns to the left must also be fixed columns.