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Business Navigator: Navigation tool for R/3
Reference Model in R/3 Repository
Navigation tool for R/3 Reference Model in R/3 Repository
Description
The display version of the R/3 Reference Model in the R/3 System is called
the Business Navigator. Unlike the R/3 Analyzer, the PC display version of the
R/3 Reference Model, the Business Navigator allows you to access the model
contents of the R/3 Reference Model from any R/3 workstation.
With the integration of the Business Navigator into the R/3 System, you can
call the following directly from the application view or process view by means
of a mouse click:
- the transactions of the SAP applications
- the R/3 documentation (as far as it is available)
- the data models via the input/output entities and the system organization
units
Since the Business Navigator is purely a display tool, the models in the
Business Navigator cannot be adapted or extended. The development of an API
for the connection of modeling tools is planned for a later release.
1. Calling the Business
Navigator
The Business Navigator and R/3 Reference Model can be called in an R/3
application system via the following menu path: Tools -> Business
Navigator
After the Business Navigator has been called, there are several possible
methods of arriving at the various structures and diagrams of the R/3
Reference Model:
1. Navigation in the Business
Navigator
Navigation in the Business Navigator is largely carried out via
hierarchical structures.
A line entry consists of:
- an icon
- a 10-character meaningful short text, for example 'MM'
- a letter
- a long text, such as 'material management'
The functionality that is triggered varies according to which part of the
line entry you have selected.
Selecting the icon:
Double-clicking with the mouse on the icon or positioning the cursor on an
icon and then pressing pushbutton Choose directly
calls the directly subordinate structure level. You can close the previously
inserted structure by double-clicking again or pressing pushbutton
Choose again. In this way, it is possible to navigate step
by step through all structure levels.
By positioning the cursor and by selecting the pushbutton
Expand sub-tree you can display the complete application
structure beneath a structue node. You can close the displayed structure again
with the Compress sub-tree pushbutton.
Selecting the short text and the long text
If you double-click on a short text or long text, a context-sensitive
dialog box containing all options available for this object is called.
Selecting a letter
The letter indicates that a diagram or list display is assigned on the
corresponding level of the structure. These letters are used:
- In the application view:
0 = system organization diagram
I = information flow
F = function/processes
P = process diagram
If you select an entry marked 'F', for example, by:
- double-clicking with the mouse
- selecting the Function/processes pushbutton
- selecting the menu options Goto ->
Function/processes
all functions or processes assigned to the application area are displayed.
Functions also shown in the form of process diagrams are indicated by the
letter 'P'.
- in the process view:
M = process selection matrix
S = scenario
P = process diagram
Within a graphic, you can select an object with a simple mouse click to
call its where-used list via the menu, for example. For extensive diagrams,
you can use the navigation area to choose the precise part of the diagram to
appear in an enlarged display.
The window in the navigation area can be moved using the middle or right
mouse button. As with the Enlarge and Reduce pushbuttons, the display can be
changed by clicking on the corners and enlarging or reducing the navigation
window. A change to the display is possible also via the scaling field. You
can enter the size you require here. If you activate the 'CTRL' function key
and the left mouse button simultaneously, a zoom function is called that
allows you to increase the size of selected objects.
1. Calling the assigned
diagrams
You can call a dialog box with various branching options by double-clicking
on the short text or by positioning the cursor on a short text and pressing
the Choose pushbutton.
Depending on the view and the level of the structure on which an object is
located, the corresponding dialog box may contain different branch
options:
Options available throughout:
- Attributes: Detailed information on individual objects is
displayed, e.g. the processing type or the transaction code of a
function.
- Documentation: Additional information on the selected
object can be displayed by accessing the R/3 online documentation.
- Input/Output assignment: A list is displayed showing
which information objects are required as input or are generated as output for
a process.
- Organizational units assignment: All system
organizational unit types that are of importance to a process are displayed in
list form
- Process: This diagram represents a business process in
graphical form.
- Transaction: Calls an application-specific transaction
which is assigned to a function or process chain
- Where-used list: With the where-used list you can list
all models in which the selected object occurs.
Options in the application view:
- Information flows: The information objects that are
exchanged between specific application areas are displayed in list form.
- organization diagram: This diagram contains the system
organizati of an application area.
Options in the process view:
- Scenario: This contains a compressed process comprising
all subprocesses belonging to this scenario. A scenario process and its
assigned subprocesses describe a specific business area that is supported by
the R/3 System.
- Process selection matrix: This contains all processes of
an application area in graphical form
1. Menu functions for the
structure display
Menu hierarchy
- Print: With this function, the inserted hierarchy structure or a diagram
can be printed on an assigned printer.
- Key: With this function you can display the abbreviations for the assigned
diagrams and information (e.g. I, O, F in the function view) and their long
texts.
- Exit: Standard function of the R/3 System
Edit menu
- Expand sub-tree: By positioning the cursor on an icon in the structure and
choosing the menu option Expand sub-tree, all the objects subordinate to this
structure node are shown.
- Compress sub-tree: By positioning the cursor on an icon in the structure
and choosing the menu function Compress sub-tree, all objects displayed before
for this structure node are hidden again and the structure is collapsed
again.
- Set focus: By positioning the cursor on a node in the structure and
choosing the menu function Set focus you can display the selected structure
nodes with the subordinate objects. All remaining structure objects are
hidden. The identification codes of the higher-level nodes are displayed in
the header. By double-clicking on one of these identification codes, you focus
on the selected node. To return to the original display, select the top node
SAP-R/3.
- Find: With this function, you can search for a term in a displayed
structure. A hit list is output via which you can position on a particular
object in the structure.
- Cancel: Standard function of the R/3 System
Goto menu
This menu differs in the two views:
- In the application view:
- Choose: Position the cursor on an object and press the pushbutton Choose
to select an object.
- Attributes With this option, you can display the attribute screen for an
object.
- Documentation: With this option, you can call the associated R/3 WinHelp
documentation.
- Organization diagram: Calls an assigned organization diagram.
- Information flows: Calls the information flow display.
- Functions/processes: Calls an assigned process diagram.
- Process view: With this menu option, you can branch to the process view of
the reference model.
- Notepad: This function allows you to display the views and diagrams you
have called during a session. This function allows you to return to diagrams
you called previously. The entries in this list are deleted when you exit from
the transaction.
- Stack: This function displays which views and diagrams you have activated
so far. When you go back to a previously called diagram, all the entries in
the list as far back as this diagram are deleted.
- Back: Standard function of the R/3 System
- In the process view
- Choose: Position the cursor on an object and press the pushbutton Choose
to select an object.
- Attributes: With this option, you can display the attribute screen for an
object.
- Documentation: With this option, you can call the associated R/3 WinHelp
documentation.
- Process selection matrix: Calls an assigned process selection matrix.
- Scenario: Calls the assigned scenario.
- Process: Calls the assigned process.
- Application view: With this menu option, you can branch to the application
view of the reference model.
- Notepad: This function allows you to display the views and diagrams you
have called during a session. This function allows you to return to diagrams
you called previously. The entries in this list are deleted when you exit from
the transaction.
- Stack: This function displays which views and diagrams you have activated
so far. When you go back to a previously called diagram, all the entries in
the list as far back as this diagram are deleted.
- Back: Standard function of the R/3 System
Utilities menu
- Repository Info Sys.: This menu function allows you to search for an
object or call the where-used list
System menu standard menu of
the R/3 System
Help menu standard
menu of the R/3 System
1. Menu functions for diagram
display
The menu options in the graphic display vary according to the type of
diagram displayed
Graphics menu
- Print: With this function, you can print a diagram on an assigned
printer.
- Exit: Standard function of the R/3 System
Edit menu
- Find: With this function, you can search for a specific object.
- Select: With this function, you can select certain or all objects in a
diagram.
- Visibility: Selected objects from a diagram can be temporarily suppressed
and then displayed again.
Goto menu
The object functions available in the Goto menu vary according to the model
type.
- Function: The attributes, documentation and transaction for a function can
be called.
- Event: The attributes for a function can be called.
- Process pointer: The attributes, documentation, transaction, input/output
assignment, organization unit assignment, and the associated process can be
displayed for a process pointer.
- Scenario: The attributes and associated scenario process can be displayed
for a scenario.
- System organization units: Attributes and the associated entity can be
displayed for a system organization unit.
- Window list: All active windows are displayed.
- Notepad: This function allows you to display the views and diagrams you
have called during a session. This function allows you to return to diagrams
you called previously. The entries in this list are deleted when you exit from
the transaction.
- Stack: This function displays which views and diagrams you have activated
so far. When you go back to a previously called diagram, all the entries in
the list as far back as this diagram are deleted.
- Back: Standard function of the R/3 System
Utilities menu
- Where-used list: This displays the diagrams or structures in which a
selected object is used.
- Repository Info Sys.: This menu function allows you to search for an
object or call the where-used list
Settings menu
All the settings made here are temporary:
- Key: You can show the key for a diagram at different positions.
- Select (type): You can select how selected objects are to be shown.
- Select (objects): You can set whether only objects or objects and links
are to be selected.
- Attribute positions: With this function, you can activate the display of
attributes of a function in the diagram.
- First Release: Objects new with this Release are shown in color. Objects
inserted in an earlier Release are displayed as transparent.
- Color assignment: You can set the colors of different graphical areas via
a selection menu.
View menu
- Standard: If you select this option, the navigation area is shown to the
right of the display area.
- Display: If you select this option, only the display area is shown.
- Full view: With this option, a complete diagram is shown on the
screen.
- Center on sel. obj.: One or more selected objects are shown in the center
of the screen.
- Enlarge: The objects in the diagram are enlarged.
- Reduce: The objects in the diagram are reduced in size.
Help menu
- Extended help: Standard function of the R/3 System
- Product information: Short text for the graphic frontend
1. Application
view
The application view shows the SAP application areas in a hierarchical
structure. The highest level of the structure, for example, MM - materials
management is assigned an organization diagram that contains all organization
units of the R/3 System relevant for this function area along with their
relationships.
The information flows existing between the various application areas are
assigned to the second level of the structure.
The information on the information flows is displayed in list form, not
graphic form.
The application areas listed under the heading Sources supply information
to another application area, whilst those with the title Targets receive
information from another application area.
To display the information objects exchanged between two application areas,
select one or more source or target application areas and activate the
Continue pushbutton.
On the third level you can call a window for all entries marked 'F'. All
assigned functions are shown in this window. Functions modeled as processes
are shown by a preceding 'P'. If you double-click on the 'P', the process is
displayed in graphic form.
To call the process view select Goto -> Process
view.
1. Process
view
Like the function view, the highest level of the structure of the process
view contains the functional areas of the R/3 System. At the points marked by
an 'M' you can display the process selection matrix for the area in question.
This contains the scenario processes and their associated process modules in a
graphic matrix.
The next level of the structure contains the scenario processes, indicated
by the letter 'S'. For each scenario process, the individual processes can be
called on the next level.
Event-driven process chain (EPC)
The Business Navigator allows two ways of calling scenario processes and
processes:
- via the process selection matrix
A process is assigned to the icons for seconario
processes and processes, which you can call directly from the matrix.
At the level of the scenario processes, such as
bank and treasury functions in FI or stock material processing in MM, you can
call the process charts for the scenario processes. At the level of the
processes you can call the process charts for the subprocesses.
Within the process charts you can navigate through superordinate or
subordinate processes by double-clicking on the symbol for the process
pointer.