Working with Step Loops (SAP Library - BC

Working with Step Loops

Note

Step loops are considerably less flexible than their replacement, table controls.

Step Loops

You can group screen elements together into a step loop. A step loop is a repeated series of loop blocks. A loop block consists of one or more loop lines of graphical screen elements. You can define a loop block as fixed or variable.

In a fixed loop, the lower limit of the loop area always remains as originally defined. For a variable loop, the number of repetitions is adjusted dynamically in the screen program to suit the size of the current window. In order to be able to react to the variable loop size, the system always places the current number of loop blocks in the system field SY-LOOPC. If the screen includes several loop blocks, you can define only one of these as variable.

When you execute a screen with several loop blocks, the online processor runs through this "screen table" line by line.

Note

Do not use the steploop method to format lists. Use a report program instead.

The step loop procedures in the alphanumeric display are different. For further information, see Creating and Editing Steploops in Alphanumeric Mode.

Creating a Steploop

Open a screen in the layout editor.

In one or more lines, create the elements you want to repeat.

Select all the elements on the desired line(s) as a group.

Choose Edit ® Grouping ® Steploop ® Define.

Your element lines now make up a single steploop block. The block includes the original elements with their attributes and a predefined number of repetition blocks. Each repetition contains a copy of the first block without attributes. The repetition blocks are consecutively numbered, so that you can establish a reference to a particular line.

Editing a Step Loop

To edit a loop block as a complete unit, click on the loop's border handles. By choosing Edit ® Grouping ® Steploop, you can manipulate the block using functions such as Define, Variable or Fix, or Undefine.

To remove an element from a block, click on the element and choose Delete. If you delete all the elements, the block is deleted as well.

To dissolve a loop block, select it and choose Edit ® Steploop ® Undefine. The individual elements then become normal screen elements again.

To define a steploop as fixed or variable, select a steploop and choose Edit ® Grouping ® Steploop ® Fix or Variable. Recall that a variable loop is adjusted dynamically with the screen size and a fixed loop is not.

When you have completed the definition procedure, see the ABAP User’s Guide for information on programming steploops.