Hold Data and Set Data
Use
When you want to create a group of objects that contain similar data or the same data (say, a group of purchase orders), you use the functions Hold data or Set data. Both of these functions automatically enter the specified data for a specified field, with only one difference:
For example, suppose you want to enter 20 purchase orders (POs). Each PO has the same delivery date, and the ordered goods will be delivered to the same plant and storage location. Instead of entering the same data 20 times, you can enter the data in the input fields once and "hold" it on the screen. Then, every time you create an invoice, the system enters the same data – the held data – in the appropriate input fields.
When you use Hold data, you can change the held data when it appears in the input fields; when you use Set data, you cannot. For example, if you are entering invoices, suppose the date and document type are the same for most of the invoices, but not all. If you use Hold data, you can change (that is, overwrite) the date or document type for the few invoices that differ. If you use Set data, you cannot change the date or document type for the few invoices that differ.
Using Set data also has an advantage, however. When you use Set data, the cursor skips over input fields with held data, so that you do not always have to press
TAB to move to the next input field.You can hold data for as many different screens as you like. The data you enter and hold on a screen is held for that screen until you delete it or until you log off the SAP System.
The functions Hold data and Set data are not available for every task. If you try to use them in a task where they are not available, the SAP System displays a message in the status bar.