Interactive List Display Functions 

There is a range of interactive functions for every list that is displayed in the screen. The list can be displayed differently with some of these functions.

You can use these functions if you choose ABAP List in the query output selection screen.

List Overview

If your list consists of several parts, e.g. a basic list, two statistics and a ranked list, SAP Query allows you to choose one of these list types directly. To do this, proceed as follows:

  1. Select List overview. You then see an overview of the sublists.
  2. Place the cursor on the desired sublist and select Choose. You then return to the list display screen that contains the sublist you selected.

Selections

If you want to know what selections were entered on the selection screen, use the Selections function. This is particularly useful with saved lists (see Saving and Redisplaying Lists).

Drilldown Functionality for Multiple-Line Basic Lists

With multiple line basic lists, you can sometimes choose between an expanded format and a compressed format.

A multiple line basic list is a list containing several lines with a different structure.

Suppose a basic list is defined with four lines. The first three lines contain information about a single flight and the fourth line contains information about a booking. In the expanded format of the basic list, the flight information is followed by all the bookings for this flight. The compressed format of the same list would contain the flight information, but not the bookings.

The Expand basic list and Compress basic list functions allow you to switch between a full display and a compressed display. You can completely display the information that belongs to lines of a compressed basic list using the menu path Edit ® Detailed view.

In terms of the basic list in the above example, choosing Detailed view for a specific flight would produce a details list for the flight containing all the relevant bookings.

By selecting Back, you can return to the original list.

Compression may extend over several levels. Whether and to what extent this is possible, and which lines of a multiple line basic list are output in a compressed list, depends on the structure of the logical database to which the query refers. You cannot influence this when defining a query unless you modify the structure of individual lines.

Compression can only be used on basic lists with numerous entries. However, a multiple line definition of a basic list is still not sufficient on its own to permit compressed display, that is there are also multiple line basic lists which cannot be displayed in compressed format.

Displaying Totals in Basic Lists

If you are summing fields in a basic list, the overall total is always output. Sub-totals are also output for the different sort levels, if defined. You can suppress the individual values used to generate the totals with the Display totals only function. To return to the original list, select Back. This is also valid for the counter (see Sorting and Sub-totals).

Compressing Statistics

By selecting Compress statistic, you can reduce the output of a statistic to the (overall) totals line, which is always the last line, plus any sub-total lines you may have defined. Depending on how many sort levels with sub-totals exist, you can gradually suppress the sub-total lines of the lowest sort level (i.e. the sort level with the greatest sort number) by repeatedly activating the Compress statistic function. Conversely, by activating the Expand statistic function in the same way, you can redisplay the complete statistic.

The function always manipulates the statistic, which is either indicated by the cursor or appears first on the screen.

Display as Table

The Display as table function allows you to display Interactive Basic Lists, statistics and ranked lists in tabular form with the help of the table view control facility. This type of display does not include totals lines, sub-totals line and lines with control level texts.

The function always manipulates the statistic, which is either indicated by the cursor or appears first on the screen.

The advantage of this display over the list is that it gives you access to a range of interactive functions. These include functions, which are automatically provided by the table view control facility (e.g. column switching, storage of settings, etc.). With other functions, you can manipulate the displayed dataset by selecting lines and columns. The functions are:

This function allows you to convert currency amounts or quantity specifications to a reference currency or reference unit by marking the column containing the amounts to be converted. The currencies or units must also be in the table.

Two important functions are those allowing you to sort in ascending or descending order. The sort proceeds from left to right and depends on the column(s) you select; i.e. the marked column on the extreme left of the display becomes the highest sort criterion. The sorted columns are highlighted in the display. By switching and selecting columns, you can thus sort the data any way you like.

The Sum function allows you to calculate totals. It calculates an overall total for each numeric column and sub-totals for all selected and sorted columns. So, to obtain sub-totals for a particular sort criterion, you must first sort by selecting the relevant column (and, if necessary, other columns) and calling one of the sort functions. You then select the column again and call the Sum function.

All totals lines are highlighted. By using the Display totals only function, you can restrict the display to sub-totals and the overall total. To remove all totals lines, select Switch off totals.

The Find and Continue search functions allow to scan selected columns. It is not possible to search in numeric columns. Neither is a search carried out in the totals columns.

The Find function first requires you to enter a search criterion and then begins the search in the first visible line or in the first line in the table. If a match is found, the cursor is placed on the found term. The table is then scrolled so that the found term is displayed in the first visible line.

The Continue search function always searches for a previously entered search criterion. If the cursor is somewhere in the table, the search always starts from the cursor position. Otherwise, it starts from the first visible line of the table. By using the Find function and then repeatedly pressing Continue search, you can scan a table for each occurrence of a particular term.

If the term is not found or no more occurrences are found, you get an appropriate message.

The Hide lines/columns function allows you to hide lines and columns. You can thus restrict a display to relevant sections and make it easier to read. The sort, sum, search and print functions always refer to the visible dataset; i.e. hidden lines and columns are ignored.

You can store settings with hidden lines as a variant of the table view control.

The Show lines/columns function allows you to redisplay hidden lines and columns.

Two further functions allow you to make certain column positions fixed or to cancel the fixing. Although not all columns of wide lists are visible in the table view control, you can use the horizontal scroll bar to display those columns, which cannot be seen. Initially, all fields are moved when you scroll horizontally. If you then select the Fix column function, the selected column and all those columns to the left of it are fixed; i.e. horizontal scrolling has no effect on them. Before you use this function, all columns to be fixed must be in their original positions. To release columns from their fixed positions, select Cancel fixing.

The Print function allows you to print the table as it appears on the screen. This means that when you print out a screen list, only the visible lines and columns, as well as the sorting, totals lines, column switches and changes in column width are taken into account.

The Initial display function allows you to display the table in its initial form that is exactly as when it was first called. Any subsequent steps (such as sorting, summing, hiding of lines and columns, etc.) are reversed or discarded.

Display in SAP List Viewer

An interactive function called SAP List Viewer is now available for all sublists in a query list ( Interactive Basic Lists , statistics, and ranked lists). This function transfers data to the SAP List Viewer from the sublist you have selected.

The SAP List Viewer function works in the same manner as other interactive functions that pass data. The system passes either the sublist the user has selected with the cursor, or, if this is not the case, the first sublist visible on the screen. Whenever passing the initial sublist is allowed, an additional radio button for this function exists on the selection screen, allowing you to branch directly to the SAP List Viewer.

Further information about the List Viewer can be found in the documentation under Introduction to the R/3 System.