ABAP Quick - Transport ALV variants

Table of contents

• Methods
• Structure
• Transport of variants
• Conclusion

ALV or SAP List Viewer is used for all possible outputs in the system and had long been established as the new standard according to the print lists. There are now many different methods for developing an ALV, all of which have their advantages and disadvantages.

 

Methods

Today there are still different methods to create an ALV, a brief overview sorted with the oldest technology first.

• Function module REUSE_ALV_GRID_DISPLAY
• Class CL_GUI_ALV_GRID
• Class CL_SALV_TABLE

 

Why there are two classes in the system, you going to ask yourself? If you look at the older class CL_GUI_ALV_GRID, you will quickly find that refactoring is urgently needed here. With around 220 methods and over 25,000 lines of code, the class is huge, not really maintainable and confusing. The new class CL_SALV_TABLE is the revision of the old class according to modern OO principles.

A disadvantage of the new class is that it cannot be used to change data in the ALV. The classes offer pure display functionality. You should definitely master both class variants if you want to use it's full power.

 

Structure

Here is a small example of how to build and display an ALV directly with little code. In the first step we read the company codes, call up the factory, activate a few more settings and display the data on the screen. A separate dynpro is not necessary and the function bar is also included.

SELECT *
 FROM t001
 INTO TABLE @DATA(lt_companies).

cl_salv_table=>factory(
 IMPORTING r_salv_table = DATA(lo_alv)
 CHANGING t_table = lt_companies ).

DATA(lo_functions) = lo_alv->get_functions( ).
lo_functions->set_all( ).

DATA(lo_layout) = lo_alv->get_layout( ).
lo_layout->set_default( abap_true ).
lo_layout->set_key( VALUE #( report = sy-repid handle = '0001' ) ).
lo_layout->set_save_restriction( ).

lo_alv->display( ).

 

By configuring the functions and the layout handling you get the standard function bar, with which you can then change and save the layout of the ALV.

 

Transport of variants

To transport a variant, you first have to configure and create your variant in the system. You can do this using the last three buttons on the toolbar. After you have created the variant and are still in the display of your data, you can go to the menu under "Settings -> Layout -> Administration".

 

You will then receive an overview of the variants for the current ALV. Here you can choose the variant to be transported and use the menu point under "Layout -> Transport" to adopt the variant in an existing transport or create a new one.

 

You need a customizing transport in the system to carry out the recording. After this step the entry in the transport looks like this.

 

Conclusion

When it comes to displaying and changing data, many other technologies have now become established that are mostly independent of the SAP GUI. Webdynpro or SAP Fiori are based on web technologies, but in terms of speed of development they are unlikely to catch up with the classic list in the system as quickly. At least for the next few years, the ALV will remain an important component for the ABAP developer.