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Technical Information for Field Catalogs

The following technical issues are of interest when maintaining field catalogs:

• When you specify a source field or a reference field, why are special tables used (for example, MCVBAK, MCEKKO, MCEKPO), and not the original tables (for example, VBAK, EKKO, EKPO) from document processing?

• What do you do if you need a reference field whose technical features differ from those of the source field?

• What do you do if you use additional fields during document processing and you also want to use these fields during the statistics update?

Special source tables

Special source tables are required in the LIS interface to interact between document processing and the updating of statistical data. The LIS interface works with different datasets than those used in document processing. It uses structures which are automatically supplied with the document data when the documents are posted. The use of these communication structures has the following benefits:

• Storing the data separately enables the system to perform statistics updating, which is independent of the document updating. The statistics update can therefore take place at a later point in time than document processing, which is more important for the operative business processes. This therefore reduces the system load while the critical posting activities take place.

• The extent of the data that is transferred to the LIS interface from the operative processes can be reduced; the communication structures contain fewer fields than the corresponding structures in the application.

• Seen from a technical perspective, the clear distinction between document processing and statistics updating makes it easier to connect an external system (e.g. SAP R/2) to the LIS.

• If additional fields are required for the statistics update, which are not used in the operative document processing (e.g. additional grouping terms), then these fields can be assigned to the communication structures and can be individually supplied with data.

Different reference field

Reference fields which differ from the source field are needed if the target field in the information structure needs to have other technical features .

Example

• This would be the case if the statistics field has to contain large figures that are the result of the cumulation of many separate pieces of information. The size of the source field in the document may not be sufficient in certain situations.

• Another example, is if you feel that it is necessary to make the meaning of the statistics field more specific than what is offered by the source field in the document. If we take the Sales Information System as an example: you want to express the information concerning the returns order quantity separately from the information about the "normal" incoming orders quantity. To do that, you need to have different field texts and different field documentation in the information system. The source field is the same for both types of information, i.e "Item quantity in the sales order". The source field is given its different meaning for the statistics update by using different types of sales orders. You can illustrate the different meanings in the information system by using two different reference fields, different field texts, and different field documentation.

You can define new reference fields in the Data Dictionary of the system. Tables have already been created in the Data Dictionary and are designed to contain your new field definitions. Differing reference fields are also used in the standard SAP system. You can find the definitions in the following tables:

• SD: table MCVKENNZ1 (SAP standard)

• Purchasing: table MCEKKZ (SAP standard)

Additional fields in statistics updating

In the operative business processes, information which is not available in the SAP standard system is often processed. In this case, standard processing is usually modified.

If you want to use this additional information for the statistics update, then you need to make this available to the LIS interface as well. You can do this by enhancing the respective communication structures in the Data Dictionary and maintaining the area "user-specific enhancements".

Note

If the additional fields are also to be used in the application in the corresponding structures, you then do not need to expand the communication structure. In Sales, for example, the complete application structure has been integrated into the communication structure. It therefore already includes the new fields.

If the additional fields are not used in the application in the corresponding structures, the respective information cannot be copied automatically. You then need to write your own program which supplies the additional fields with data.

Caution

Before you program the enhancements, you are strongly advised to consult the SAP contact person responsible.