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Overview documentation Program Attributes for Screen Elements Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

For further attributes of the screen elements, see also General Attributes.

The program attributes comprise the following:

Attribute

Description and Usability Guidelines

Input field

Defines an element as an input field. If the output field attribute is not set, the data in this element is processed during the transaction, but not displayed. However, you can set both, as is the default when creating a new template.

Input

Note: With Release 6.10 the old attribute Required entry is replaced with the Input attribute, which has four values.

This attribute has an effect on how the program handles input/output fields and can have the following values:

  • not possible
    Input/output fields cannot be assigned an input value, that is the screen element can only be used for input.
  • possible
    Input/output fields can be assigned an input value at runtime. However, input is not required for the transaction flow.

recommended
Input/output fields should be given input at runtime. The system does not always check at once to see if an entry was made, but input is necessary for further transaction flow.
You should use this kind of field if the input is made in more than one screen and will be tested together at a later time.

  • required
    Input/output fields must be assigned an input value at runtime. The system checks this input at once when processing the PAI event.
    Required fields are indicated by a question mark "?" as the first character. (Exception: If the field lies in a table control or step loop, the question mark is not displayed.)

The selected value can be modified at runtime with LOOP AT SCREEN, field SCREEN-REQUIRED:

  • 0     neither a recommended nor a required field
  • 1     required field
  • 2     recommended field

Output field

Defines an element as an output field. Choose this attribute for text templates that the program can use to display output. You cannot input data in these elements unless the input field attribute has also been set.

Output field only

Protects display-only elements from being changed into input-possible elements at runtime. This attribute is useful when a program attempts to set all input elements globally back to "ready for input". In this case, the input templates and the input/output templates return to input readiness, but the elements that are marked Output only are not affected by such a change. (For example, in the Workbench, the Display<->Change function makes use of this attribute.)

Usability note: Use this attribute for dynamically-set field names. The names are then displayed two-dimensionally and in a proportional font in the same way as static field labels.

PossEntry /

Value list

This attribute can only be set (and is only displayed) for input/output fields with the attribute Dropdown and the entry List box. You use it to determine how and when the value list for a dropdown list box is generated. There are two possible entries:

  • Space
    The system provides standard help. The help processor is started in the PBO and fills the value table automatically before sending it to the Value Request Manager. The sources are domain fixed values, value tables, and search helps.
    If the input/output field is linked to a PROCESS ON VALUE REQUEST module, this takes priority over the automatic process described above.
  • A from program
    The values are determined by the application itself within a PBO module. The value table is passed to the Value Request Manager together with the ValueID (attribute Name) with function module VRM_SET_VALUES.

PossEntry /

Possible entries key

Specifies whether a possible entries pushbutton should appear beside the element. The attribute does not appear for listbox elements with the dropdown attribute. If the element has possible entries, you can enforce or suppress the display of the entries button using this field.

The system sets this field automatically for fields that specify foreign key checking or value lists in the ABAP Dictionary. This field is also set automatically for fields of type TIMS or DATS.

Usability note: You should only change the value of this field if the value set automatically is incorrect for technical reasons.

Right-justified

Right justifies numerical fields in an element. You can also display keywords in this way (for example, when defining headers).

With leading zeros

Left justifies values in numerical fields with leading zeroes.

*-entry

Allows the user to enter an * (asterisk) in the first position of the element. The system ignores the asterisk and transports input starting from the second position. Transport is determined by the conversion guidelines in the field format. However, the first-character asterisk triggers a flow logic module you declare with:

FIELD... MODULE... ON *-INPUT .

Without reset

Prevents the reset character (!) from being used to delete input from an SAP field.

Without template

Prevents special characters from being treated differently. If the user enters special characters as part of the input, they are transferred to the screen as regular text. If you set this attribute, you cannot set the Req.entry attribute.

 

 

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