You must set print parameters before the printing process starts.

When printing lists after creating them, the system uses the print format specified in the print parameters to split the completed list and fit it onto the print pages, truncating it if necessary.

When printing lists while creating them, the system uses the print format to actually format the list in the program.

Print parameters are set either interactively by the user or from within the program.

For each print process, the spool system needs a complete and consistent set of print parameters. In ABAP, the structure PRI_PARAMS (ABAP Dictionary) represent a set of print parameters.

When passing the print parameters interactively, the system displays a dialog box after starting the report, on which the user has to enter the most important print parameters.

The table below shows which input fields of the Print List Output dialog window conform to which PRI_PARAMS components.

The Print List Output dialog box checks the input values for consistency and completeness. You cannot print if the print parameters are inconsistent (for example, using output formats the specified output device does not support).

In addition to the print parameters, there are archiving parameters. However, you must specify them only if optical archiving is turned on (archiving mode is Archive or Print and archive). In ABAP, the structure ARC_PARAMS (ABAP Dictionary) represent a set of archiving parameters.

The table below shows which input fields of the Print List Output dialog window conform to which ARC_PARAMS components.

The Print List Output dialog window always appears after the user chooses

• Execute + print on the selection screen.

• Print on the list interface.

You cannot suppress the dialog box for these user actions .

However, you can set predefined values for the Print List Output dialog box from within the program using the function module SET_PRINT_PARAMETERS. Use the function module SET_PRINT_PARAMETERS. This function module has no export parameters and only takes effect when the list is printed using one of the user actions listed above.

For Execute + print on the selection screen, you must call SET_PRINT_PARAMETERS during the AT SELECTION-SCREEN event (or earlier). For Print on the list interface, you must call the function module before sending the list to the output screen (or earlier).

The table below shows how the import parameters of SET_PRINT_PARAMETERS are related to the print and archiving parameters:

You must assign structures with the structures PRI_PARAMS and ARC_PARAMS to the parameters IN_PARAMETERS and IN_ARCHIVE_PARAMETERS respectively. These field strings must either be initial or contain the results of the function module GET_PRINT_PARAMETERS.

The system only uses the FOOT_LINE parameter if the user chooses Print on the list interface. If this parameter equals 'X', the system outputs one system-defined footer line on each page.

If you use the print statements

• NEW-PAGE PRINT ON

• SUBMIT ... TO SAP-SPOOL

• CALL FUNCTION 'JOB-SUBMIT'

you set the print parameters from within the program, using the corresponding options of the print statements. You can either display or suppress the Print parameters dialog box.

To ensure that the parameters are sent to the spool system properly and completely, you should always transfer the entire parameter set with the print statements. To create a parameter set, use the function module GET_PRINT_PARAMETERS.

• Uncoupling the user dialog from the actual print statements.

GET_PRINT_PARAMETERS executes the following functions:

• You use the import parameters to set the print and archiving parameters. The function module receives any required values not set via import parameters from the system. These values correspond to the predefined values on the Print List Output dialog window, some of which are set in the user master record.

• The function module, by default, displays the Print List Output dialog box for a user dialog. Here, the user can overwrite the fields filled with import parameters or predefined values.

• The function module automatically sets the other values. If you set an import parameter, for example, for a certain layout, the system automatically sets the dependent parameters such as lines and columns instead of requesting them as import parameters.

• The function module supplies you with complete sets of print and archiving parameters as export parameters. You can transfer these export parameters to the spool system, using the options of the print statements. These parameter sets are either completely filled or completely empty.

The function module GET_PRINT_PARAMETERS has the same import parameters as the function module SET_PRINT_PARAMETERS, however, with the following exceptions:

GET_PRINT_PARAMETERS has no import parameter FOOT_LINE, since you need this parameter only if the user chooses Print on the output screen of the list.

GET_PRINT_PARAMETERS has the following additional import parameters:

• MODE

• NO_DIALOG

determines whether to display the dialog box. If NO_DIALOG contains 'X', the system suppresses the dialog.

The function module GET_PRINT_PARAMETERS has the following export parameters:

• OUT_PARAMETERS

• OUT_ARCHIVE_PARAMETERS

• VALID

This parameter shows whether the sets OUT_PARAMETERS and OUT_ARCHIVE_PARAMETERS are completely filled or empty. If VALID contains 'X', the parameter sets are complete. You can transfer them to the spool system. If VALID contains SPACE, the parameter sets are empty. VALID is set to SPACE if the user cancels the user dialog. Therefore, after a user dialog, always check VALID. If no user dialog occurs, VALID contains 'X'.

The function module GET_PRINT_PARAMETERS has the following exception parameters:

• ARCHIVE_INFO_NOT_FOUND

• INVALID_PRINT_PARAMS, INVALID_ARCHIVE_PARAMS

The function module GET_PRINT_PARAMETERS is the only method allowed by ABAP to assign values to the print and archiving parameter sets. Transferring parameter sets filled using GET_PRINT_PARAMETERS to the spool system prevents the program from being ended abnormally. This is of special importance for background processing. However, you must ensure that the export parameter VALID is unequal to SPACE and that no exception occurred.

Note that for GET_PRINT_PARAMETERS, it is most important that the parameter sets are complete and that the system can therefore execute the print request. GET_PRINT_PARAMETERS does not execute a complete consistency check as does the Print List Output dialog window. It provides consistency only where it is needed to execute the print request. Inconsistent entries are partly ignored, partly replaced. For example, you can

• set values using the import parameters LINE_SIZE, LINE_COUNT that do not go with the LAYOUT parameter. In a user dialog, the system finds this inconsistency. Without user dialog, these values may cause truncated printouts.

• set an invalid value in the import parameter DESTINATION and, at the same time, set IMMEDIATELY to 'X'. In this case, the function module replaces the output device by a default value (LP01) and sets the component PRIMM to SPACE. This causes the spool system to store the request using the settings that go with the default printer.