Reference Characteristics and the Configuration Engine 

Use

You can use reference characteristics when configuring products with the Configuration Engine to copy certain values from the application or transfer values to the application automatically.In other words, these reference characteristics can be defined as containers for exchanging values between the Configuration Engine and the application (context). This is possible because reference characteristics refer to table fields in the application. When products are configured, the Configuration Engine takes these references into account and can read values from or write values to the table fields.

There are other additional reference characteristics that control whether a characteristic is visible or ready for input, depending on the interactive configuration process. The Configuration Engine takes the references of these reference characteristics into account in connection with the dependency rules – which indicate, for example, that a characteristic is to be invisible during interactive configuration if a particular combination of assigned values occurs.

Integration

When using reference characteristics, it is important to know what options the respective context offers. This mainly applies to modeling: If, for example, you create a model with reference characteristics in mySAP ERP and want to use this model with the Configuration Engine in a different environment, you must take into account which context parameters are actually available within this environment and how these parameters can be used with the Configuration Engine.

For information about the availability and use of each context parameter in the respective environments, see the documentation for the application involved.

Prerequisites

·        You have created one or more reference characteristics in your model.

·        You have taken into account the options within the context.

·        For reference characteristics that control the user interface, you have defined appropriate dependency rules, if required.

·        The reference characteristics refer to the root instance of the model only.

Features

For production configuration with the Configuration Engine, you can use three types of reference characteristics; read context parameters, write field contents, and reference characteristics that control the user interface.

Write Reference Characteristics

You can transfer values from the configuration to the application using reference characteristics with write access to table fields. These types of reference characteristics refer to:

·        Table STPO and field MENGE for transferring the item quantity

·        Table SDCOM and field VKOND for transferring variant-dependent surcharges or discounts on prices.

Control Reference Characteristics

Certain reference characteristics allow you to control the user interface during configuration; this includes the visibility and ready-for-input status of characteristics. These reference characteristics refer to the table SCREEN_DEP and the fields:

·        INVISIBLE for controlling the visibility of characteristics

·        NO_INPUT for controlling the ready-for-input status of characteristics

Context-Related Reference Characteristics

During configuration, you can include the following information from the application using reference characteristics with read access to the environment parameters:

·        Document properties – for example, order number, sold-to party, or sales document

·        Item attributes – for example, material number, base unit of measure, or item category

·        Product characteristics – for example, short texts from a sales order item, delivering plant, or in-house production time

·        Business data from sales documents – for example, date for pricing and the exchange rate.

Identification of Context Parameters

If you want to define a reference characteristic, you have to create the reference using the table name and the table field name. The Configuration Engine identifies context parameters in the form table name-table field name, for example, VBAK-AUFNR, to import the order number. For the names of the available context parameters, see the list below.

You can define additional context parameters that the Configuration Engine identifies in the form described. Within the application, you must use these additional context parameters with the help of appropriate enhancements (BAdIs). For descriptions of these enhancements, see the documentation for the respective application.

You can name reference characteristics, as required. For this reason, the reference characteristic names listed below are merely examples.

Context Parameters of Document Properties

Table	Field	Reference Characteristic	Data Type	Description
BUT000	PARTNER	DOCUMENT_SOLD_TO_PARTY_CRM	CHAR10	Sold-to party in CRM
CRMD_ORGMAN	SALES_ORG	DOCUMENT_SALES_ORG_CRM	CHAR14	Sales organization in CRM
VBAK	ANGDT	DOCUMENT_VALID_FROM	DATS8	Quotation/inquiry valid from
VBAK	AUART	DOCUMENT_TYPE	CHAR4	Sales document type
VBAK	AUFNR	DOCUMENT_ORDER_NUMBER	CHAR12	Order number
VBAK	AWAHR	DOCUMENT_SALES_PROBABILITY	NUMC3	Sales probability
VBAK	ERDAT	DOCUMENT_CREATION_DATE	DATS8	Date on which document was created
VBAK	KALSM	DOCUMENT_PRICING_PROCEDURE	CHAR6	Pricing procedure
VBAK	KUNNR	DOCUMENT_SOLD_TO_PARTY_R3	CHAR10	Sold-to party
VBAK	LIFSK	DOCUMENT_DELIVERY_BLOCK	CHAR2	Delivery block (document header)
VBAK	SPART	DOCUMENT_DIVISION	CHAR2	Division
VBAK	VBELN	DOCUMENT_ID	CHAR10	Sales document
VBAK	VBTYP	DOCUMENT_CATEGORY_R3	CHAR1	Sales document category
VBAK	VKORG	DOCUMENT_SALES_ORG_R3	CHAR4	Sales organization
VBAK	VTWEG	DOCUMENT_DISTRIBUTION_CHANNEL	CHAR2	Distribution channel

Context Parameters for Attributes of Order Items

Table	Field	Reference Characteristic	Data Type	Description
BUT000	AG	ITEM_SOLD_TO_PARTY_CRM	CHAR10	Sold-to party in CRM
BUT000	WE	ITEM_GOODS_RECIPIENT_CRM	CHAR10	Goods recipient in CRM
CRMD_ORDERADM_I	PMATN	ITEM_PRICING_PRODUCT_ID_CRM	CHAR40	Pricing product in CRM
VBAP	ARKTX	ITEM_DESCRIPTION	CHAR40	Short text for item
VBAP	AWAHR	ITEM_SALES_PROBABILITY	NUMC3	Order probability of item
VBAP	BRGEW	ITEM_GROSS_WEIGHT	QUAN15	Gross weight of item
VBAP	ERDAT	ITEM_CREATION_DATE	DATS8	Date on which record was created
VBAP	GEWEI	ITEM_WEIGHT_UNIT	UNIT3	Weight unit
VBAP	KWMENG	ITEM_TOTAL_QUANTITY	QUAN15	Cumulative order quantity is sales units
VBAP	MATNR	ITEM_PRODUCT_ID_R3	CHAR18	Material number
VBAP	MATWA	ITEM_SELECTED_PRODUCT	CHAR54	Material/product ID entered
VBAP	MEINS	ITEM_BASE_UNIT	UNIT3	Base unit of measurement
VBAP	MVGR1	ITEM_PRODUCT_GROUP1	CHAR3	Product group 1
VBAP	MVGR2	ITEM_PRODUCT_GROUP 2	CHAR3	Product group 2
VBAP	MVGR3	ITEM_PRODUCT_GROUP3	CHAR3	Product group 3
VBAP	MVGR4	ITEM_PRODUCT_GROUP4	CHAR3	Product group 4
VBAP	MVGR5	ITEM_PRODUCT_GROUP5	CHAR3	Product group 5
VBAP	NTGEW	ITEM_NET_WEIGHT	QUAN15	Net weight of item
VBAP	PMATN	ITEM_PRICING_PRODUCT_ID_R3	CHAR18	Pricing reference material
VBAP	PSTYV	ITEM_CATEGORY	CHAR4	Sales document item category
VBAP	UMVKN	ITEM_SALES_TO_SHIP_UNIT_DENOM	DEC5	Denominator (divisor) for conversion of sales quantity into SKU
VBAP	UMVKZ	ITEM_SALES_TO_SHIP_UNIT_NUMER	DEC5	Numerator (factor) for conversion of sales quantity into SKU
VBAP	VBELN	ITEM_DOCUMENT_ID	CHAR10	Sales document for item
VBAP	VOLEH	ITEM_VOLUME_UNIT	UNIT3	Volume unit
VBAP	VOLUM	ITEM_VOLUME	QUAN15	Volume of item
VBAP	VRKME	ITEM_SALES_UNIT	UNIT3	Sales unit
VBPA_AG	KUNNR	ITEM_SOLD_TO_PARTY_R3	CHAR10	Sold-to party
VBPA_AG	LAND1	ITEM_SOLD_TO_COUNTRY	CHAR3	Country of sold-to party
VBPA_RE	KUNNR	ITEM_BILLED_TO_PARTY_R3	CHAR10	Bill-to party
VBPA_RE	LAND1	ITEM_BILLED_TO_COUNTRY	CHAR3	Country of bill-to party
VBPA_RG	KUNNR	ITEM_PAYER_R3	CHAR10	Payer
VBPA_RG	LAND1	ITEM_PAYER_COUNTRY	CHAR3	Country of payer
VBPA_WE	KUNNR	ITEM_GOODS_RECIPIENT_R3	CHAR10	Goods recipient
VBPA_WE	LAND1	ITEM_GOODS_RECIPIENT_COUNTRY	CHAR3	Country of goods recipient

Context Parameters for Properties of Material Master Sales View

Table	Field	Object Characteristic	Data Type	Description
COMM_PRODUCT	PRODUCT_ID	PRODUCT_ID_CRM	CHAR40	Product ID
MAAPV	ARKTX	PRODUCT_DESCRIPTION	CHAR40	Short text for sales order item
MAAPV	BRGEW	PRODUCT_GROSS_WEIGHT	QUAN13	Gross weight
MAAPV	DWERK	PRODUCT_DELIVERY_PLANT	CHAR4	Delivering plant
MAAPV	GEWEI	PRODUCT_WEIGHT_UNIT	UNIT3	Weight unit
MAAPV	MATNR	PRODUCT_ID_R3	CHAR18	Material number
MAAPV	MTART	PRODUCT_TYPE_R3	CHAR4	Material type
MAAPV	NTGEW	PRODUCT_NET_WEIGHT	QUAN13	Net weight
MAAPV	PMATN	PRODUCT_PRICING_ID_R3	CHAR18	Pricing reference material (default)
MAAPV	VOLEH	PRODUCT_VOLUME_UNIT	UNIT3	Volume unit
MAAPV	VOLUM	PRODUCT_VOLUME	QUAN13	Volume
MAEPV	DZEIT	PRODUCT_MANUFACTURING_TIME	DEC3	In-house production time
MAEPV	MATNR	COPY_1_OF_PRODUCT_ID_R3	CHAR18	Material number
MAEPV	STDPD	PRODUCT_VARIANT_OF_R3	CHAR18	Configurable material for variant
MAEPV	WZEIT	PRODUCT_REPLENISHMENT_TIME	DEC3	Total replenishment lead time (in workdays)

Context Parameters for Business Data in Sales Documents

Table	Field	Reference Characteristic	Data Type	Description
VBKD	PRSDT	ITEM_PRICING_DATE	DATS8	Date for pricing and exchange rate
VBKD	ZTERM	ITEM_TERMS_OF_PAYMENT	CHAR4	Terms of payment key