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Procedure documentation Defining Variables  Locate the document in its SAP Library structure

Use

You define variables for the restriction of characteristic values in order to maintain selections that should be valid for the entire planning area in only one place and thereby reduce the amount of Customizing. In addition, you can define variables without characteristic references to be replaced by numeric values. You can use numeric variables of this type in planning functions of the type formula and revaluation.

Procedure

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       1.      In the context menu of the desired planning area, choose Change area.

       2.      Switch to the tab page Variables.

       3.      Decide which action you want to execute:

¡        To create a new variable, choose This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Create. Enter the technical name, a description and the type of variable.

¡        To change the description of a variable, choose This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Change description.

¡        To edit the properties of an existing variable, double-click on the variable name.

The system displays the properties of the variable.

       4.      Make the desired settings for the variable. The possible settings comply with the type of variables:

                            a.      Characteristic variables

Characteristics: Choose This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Add Characteristic to assign a characteristic to the variable for whose values you want to define a selection using variables.

The system displays a dialog box with the list of all characteristics of the planning area. Choose the characteristic that you want to assign to the variable from this list.

Note

You can repeat this activity to assign several characteristics to the variable. If several characteristics are assigned to one variable, the selection can only contain single values for every characteristic, but no value ranges.

Choose This graphic is explained in the accompanying text Delete characteristic to remove the assignment of a characteristic to a variable. Note that you can only save a variable when at least one characteristic is assigned.

                            b.      Hierarchy variables

Characteristic: Choose characteristic, to assign a characteristic to the variable.

Hierarchy: Choose one of the available hierarchies for the characteristic.

                            c.      Attribute variables

Characteristic: Choose a basic characteristic, whose attributes you want to use.

Attributes: Choose one or more of the attributes defined for the characteristic.

                            d.      Numeric variables

Numeric value: Enter a numeric value with which the variable should be replaced at the time of execution.

Note

Value range for numeric values: Numbers up to 22 digits long are permitted with up to 9 decimal places.

The following fields are available with various variable types:

Text replacement (characteristic and attribute variables): Decide which of the various text types (short, medium, long) should be used, to portray the characteristic values in the planning layout of Manual Planning.

Replacement type (characteristic, attribute and hierarchy variables): Decide in which way the values of variables should be defined. There are the following replacement types:

Fixed value: Enter the desired values in the table Selection conditions. Everywhere where you later want to refer to the variable, the variable is replaced by a value specified by you.

User-specific values: You define values for the variables similar to the replacement type Fixed value. However, in the list of users,you must first enter the user for which the values you subsequently enter are to be valid. When executing planning, the variable is then replaced by those values which were defined for the user who is logged onto the system.

Note

If when executing planning, variables are used with the replacement type user-specific values, but no values are defined for the user logged onto the system, then this user cannot execute planning. However, you can avoid this execution lock by setting the indicator Input allowed by user for the variable.

User exit: You enter a function module, which dynamically determines the characteristic value to be used at runtime.

Caution

If you change the characteristic assignment or the replacement type of a variable, all previously entered characteristic value restrictions are deleted. In the case of a variable with the replacement type User-specific values, the list of assigned users is also deleted.

Restriction of values required by user: If this indicator is selected, then the system requests that the user restricts the possible selection values of the variable when executing planning. In this way you can force a two-step restriction of valid characteristic values:

-         Global restriction by simulation of selection values in the variable definition

-         Additional user-specific restriction of globally predefined values at runtime

Note

For variables where more than one characteristic is assigned the system automatically sets this indicator and removes the ready for input status so that the setting cannot be changed.

Input allowed by user (only for variables with the replacement type User-specific values): If this indicator is set, the user has the option of restricting or also extending the globally predefined characteristic values further at the point of execution.

Selection conditions: Here you enter the characteristic values that should be made available by the variable at runtime. Depending on whether one or several characteristics are assigned to a variable, the type of characteristic restriction differs:

-         One characteristic assigned: You can define single values and value ranges for the characteristic.

-         Several characteristic assigned: You can only define single values for the characteristic.

       5.      In the Selection conditions table, enter the values that should be made available by the variable at the time of execution.

Note

With variables of the type hierarchy, the cells of the Selection conditions table are locked against manual entry to avoid values being entered that are defined on the hierarchy-bearing characteristic but do not occur in the hierarchy. In order to define characteristic values for variables of the type hierarchy, use the F4-Help.

Result

After you have defined the variable you can use it in the planning levels and functions of the planning area to restrict characteristic values.

See also:

Using Variables

 

 

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