SAP R-3 User Manual

Getting Started

Release 4.70

SAP Online Help

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program names, transaction codes, table names, and key concepts of a

Icons in Body Text

Icon Meaning

Additional icons are used in SAP Library documentation to help you identify different types of information at a glance. For more information, see Help on Help → General Information Classes and Information Classes for Business Information Warehouse on the first page of any version of SAP Library.

Caution Example

Note Recommendation Syntax

Typographic Conventions

Type Style Description

Example text

Words or characters quoted from the screen. These include field names, screen titles, pushbuttons labels, menu names, menu paths, and menu options.

Cross-references to other documentation.

Example text

EXAMPLE TEXT Technical names of system objects. These include report names,

Example text

EXAMPLE TEXT

Emphasized words or phrases in body text, graphic titles, and table titles.

programming language when they are surrounded by body text, for example, SELECT and INCLUDE.

Output on the screen. This includes file and directory names and their paths, messages, names of variables and parameters, source text, and names of installation, upgrade and database tools.

Exact user entry. These are words or characters that you enter in the system exactly as they appear in the documentation.

Variable user entry. Angle brackets indicate that you replace these words and characters with appropriate entries to make entries in the system.

Keys on the keyboard, for example, F2 or ENTER.

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Getting Started...........................................................................................................................8

Getting Started: Accessibility Supplement .............................................................................8

Selecting the Accessibility Option .......................................................................................9

R/3 Enterprise Navigation...................................................................................................9

Moving the Focus to the Initial Position...........................................................................9

Navigating with the Tab Key .........................................................................................10

Starting a Transaction...................................................................................................10

Finding Shortcut Keys for Functions.............................................................................10

Screen Elements Usage with the Keyboard.....................................................................11

Using ABAP Lists..........................................................................................................11

Using Checkboxes ........................................................................................................12

Data Tables Usage........................................................................................................12

Using a Data Table in a Standard Table ...................................................................12

Using a Data Table in an ALV Grid ...........................................................................13

Using a Data Table in a Steploop..............................................................................13

Using Dropdown Lists ...................................................................................................13

Displaying Error and Status Messages.........................................................................13

Using Graphics and Icons.............................................................................................14

Using Group Boxes.......................................................................................................14

Using Input Fields..........................................................................................................14

Using the Menu Bar, Dropdown Menus, and Standard Toolbar...................................15

Using Pushbuttons........................................................................................................15

Using Radio Buttons......................................................................................................16

Using Subwindows........................................................................................................16

Using Tabstrips .............................................................................................................16

Using Text Areas...........................................................................................................17

Using Toolbars..............................................................................................................17

Using Trees...................................................................................................................17

Working with the SAP GUI ...................................................................................................18

SAP Easy Access.............................................................................................................18

SAP Easy Access Settings ...........................................................................................19

Using the Navigation Area ............................................................................................20

Creating Favorites.........................................................................................................21

Managing Favorites.......................................................................................................22

Roles .............................................................................................................................23

System Administrator Functions ...................................................................................24

The SAP Window..............................................................................................................26

Release 4.6: The New SAP GUI...................................................................................28

The Menu Bar................................................................................................................31

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The Status Bar ..............................................................................................................32

Tabs...............................................................................................................................32

Table Controls...............................................................................................................33

Creating Table Control Variants................................................................................34

Activating Table Control Variants..............................................................................35

Radio Buttons and Checkboxes....................................................................................35

Dialog Boxes .................................................................................................................36

Scrolling to View Information.........................................................................................36

Customizing the Display Options......................................................................................38

Configuring the SAP GUI ..............................................................................................39

SAP GUI Color Settings ............................................................................................41

SAP GUI Sound and Animation Settings...................................................................44

Customizing the SAP Window ......................................................................................46

Tabbing Between Fields Automatically......................................................................48

Cursor Position and Width.........................................................................................49

Creating Screen Shots...............................................................................................50

Multiple SAP Sessions ......................................................................................................50

Creating a New Session................................................................................................50

Creating a New Session and a Task at Once...............................................................51

Moving Among Sessions...............................................................................................52

Ending a Session ..........................................................................................................52

Startup and Shutdown of the SAP System.......................................................................53

Starting the SAP System...............................................................................................53

Logging On....................................................................................................................54

Logging On the First Time.........................................................................................55

The SAP Logon......................................................................................................58

Adding and Editing Entries Manually .................................................................59

Adding a New Logon User Group ......................................................................60

Adding an Application Server.............................................................................60

Configuring the SAP Logon................................................................................61

Passwords.....................................................................................................................62

Changing Your Password..........................................................................................63

SAP Shortcuts...............................................................................................................64

Creating an SAP Shortcut .........................................................................................65

Using SAP Shortcuts.................................................................................................67

Logging Off....................................................................................................................68

What Are the Steps in a Typical Task?.............................................................................69

Accessing Tasks in the SAP System............................................................................69

Choosing Menus and Functions with the Mouse.......................................................70

Choosing Menus and Functions with the Keyboard..................................................72

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Task Selection with Transaction Codes ....................................................................73

Finding the Transaction Code for the Task You Want to Start..............................74

Finding the Transaction Code for the Current Task...............................................75

Entering a Transaction Code.................................................................................76

Choosing a Transaction Code from the History List..............................................77

Entering Data on a Screen............................................................................................77

Fields .........................................................................................................................78

Insert and Overwrite Modes...................................................................................80

Typing Data into an Input Field..............................................................................80

Changing the Data in an Input Field......................................................................80

Moving from Field to Field......................................................................................81

Using the Clipboard ...............................................................................................82

Required Input Fields.............................................................................................83

Hold Data and Set Data.............................................................................................83

Holding Data on a Screen......................................................................................84

Canceling All the Data on a Screen..............................................................................84

Saving the Data on a Screen........................................................................................85

Going to Related Tasks.................................................................................................85

Ending a Task ...............................................................................................................86

Reports .............................................................................................................................86

Executing a Report........................................................................................................87

Finding the Name of a Report You Want to Execute ................................................89

Finding the Name of a Current Report ......................................................................91

Selection Criteria...........................................................................................................91

Entering Values for Selection Criteria........................................................................92

Report Variants .............................................................................................................93

Creating Report Variants...........................................................................................93

Displaying Available Report Variants ........................................................................95

Using Report Variants................................................................................................96

Report List Output.........................................................................................................97

Displaying and Printing Report Lists..........................................................................97

Lists...................................................................................................................................99

Printing from the SAP System........................................................................................100

Print Options in the SAP Spool System......................................................................101

The Print Window........................................................................................................101

Output Controller.........................................................................................................104

Working with the Output Controller..........................................................................104

Defining Default Values...............................................................................................105

Background Processing..................................................................................................105

Accessing the Background Processing System..........................................................106

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Scheduling Background Jobs......................................................................................107

Scheduling ABAP Jobs............................................................................................108

Scheduling Standard Jobs.......................................................................................109

Identifying Your Job.............................................................................................109

Specifying a Recipient .........................................................................................109

Choosing a Start Time.........................................................................................110

Specifying the Program to Run............................................................................111

Checking the Status of a Background Job..................................................................112

Help on Help.......................................................................................................................113

SAP Library.....................................................................................................................114

Application Help..............................................................................................................114

General Information Classes ..........................................................................................114

Information Classes for Business Information Warehouse.............................................117

Icons and Typographic Conventions ..............................................................................120

Full-Text Search..............................................................................................................121

Index ...............................................................................................................................124

Glossary ..........................................................................................................................125

Searching the Glossary...............................................................................................125

Quick Infos......................................................................................................................125

Data Tips.........................................................................................................................126

Help on Fields and Field Input........................................................................................126

Help on Possible Entries for a Field................................................................................127

Help on Reports..............................................................................................................128

Help on Messages..........................................................................................................129

Status Information About Your System...........................................................................129

Release Notes ................................................................................................................131

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Getting Started

Getting Started: Accessibility Supplement

Purpose

This document is intended to assist SAP users who have disabilities and require information about accessibility features in SAP R/3 Enterprise. It includes background information such as the software environment required to take advantage of SAP accessibility features, and it describes how to use the accessibility features. It is meant as a supplement to the general Getting Started document, not as a replacement.

The primary audience for this document is SAP users with disabilities, including motor impairments and visual impairments. This document contains information for both disabled users who use assistive technologies and those who do not use assistive technologies but need full keyboard access.

Implementation Considerations

To ensure accessible use of R/3 Enterprise, you must have the software environment described here.

Server:

• Internet Transaction Server (ITS) 6.20 (the changes are also available with the most recent patch for ITS 6.10)

• R/3 Enterprise with an HTML front end (SAPGUI for HTML)

Client:

• Windows NT

• Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.x or higher (SAP recommends IE 5.x or higher)

• The accessibility option must be selected. For more information about selecting the

accessibility option, see Selecting the Accessibility Option [Seite 9].

• If a screen reader is required: JAWS for Windows 4.x by Freedom Scientific

• If screen magnification software is required: Magic Version 6.2 by Freedom Scientific

Although SAP R/3 Enterprise may function properly with other assistive technology software such as other screen readers or other screen magnification programs, SAP’s support is currently provided for the following assistive technologies: JAWS for Windows 4.x screen reader and Magic 6.2 screen magnifier. SAP JAWS support assumes that the screen reader is used with all of the default settings.

Note that in JAWS, technical names of R/3 buttons also appear in the links list, along with any links there may be on the screen.

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Selecting the Accessibility Option

Use

In order to use the accessibility features of R/3 Enterprise, you must ensure that the accessibility option has been selected.

Procedure

...

1. To select the accessibility option, on the system logon screen, make sure the Accessibility checkbox is checked.

R/3 Enterprise Navigation

Purpose

This section contains information on navigating on R/3 Enterprise screens using the keyboard.

Note for JAWS users: SAP does not recommend using the virtual PC cursor for general navigation on SAP screens. Accessible use of R/3 Enterprise is based on navigation using the Tab key. However, in certain circumstances, it may be appropriate to switch to the JAWS virtual PC cursor mode, for example if an input field does not appear to have a label, and you want to explore the area around the field to determine whether a label is available. Other specific circumstances under which it is useful to switch to the virtual PC cursor are described in this document.

Process Flow

To navigate on an R/3 Enterprise screen, you begin by moving the focus to the initial position. To move between screen elements, you use the Tab key. To start a transaction, you can navigate to that transaction using the menus or you can enter the transaction code for that transaction directly into a transaction code field. Finally, you can use shortcut keys to access functions on the screen.

Moving the Focus to the Initial Position

Use

When you first open a screen in an SAP application, the focus may or may not be on the first user interface element on that screen. To ensure that the focus is at the top of the screen before you begin navigating, you must move the focus to the initial position, which is the browser’s address field.

Procedure

...

1. To place the cursor in the browser’s address field when you first open a screen, use the Windows key command Ctrl+Tab.

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Result

This will place the cursor into the browser’s address field, from where you can start navigating to the user interface elements on the screen.

Navigating with the Tab Key

Procedure

...

1. When you are using R/3 Enterprise with the accessibility option selected, to navigate between user interface elements, use the Tab key. You use the tab key regardless of whether you are using assistive technology such as a screen reader or screen magnifier, or not.

Note for JAWS users: Be sure you are using PC cursor mode when you navigate in an SAP screen.

The general tab order in all SAP applications is from left to right, top to bottom.

In R/3 Enterprise, you cannot navigate to freestanding text, graphics and icons that are not on pushbuttons, labels, or short descriptions using the Tab key. These elements are not included in the tab chain

Starting a Transaction

Procedure

...

1. In R/3 Enterprise, to start a transaction, select the transaction from a menu in the menu bar or from a menu tree. Alternatively, you can enter a transaction code for that transaction into the transaction code field (which is located in the toolbar). Often, entering a transaction code is a much quicker way to access the transaction. For information about the transaction codes that correspond to the menu items you want to use, see your system administrator.

Note for JAWS users: When you first open an R/3 Enterprise screen, when you tab to the menu bar, you can press T to go directly to the transaction code input field.

The first time you reach the initial screen of a transaction, SAP recommends listening to the entire screen in the JAWS Say All mode to gain an overview before navigating through the screen using the Tab key.

Finding Shortcut Keys for Functions

Procedure

...

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1. To find the shortcut keys that are available for certain functions on an R/3 Enterprise screen, open the Functions menu in the menu bar. The Functions menu provides a list of all of the shortcut keys that are available on that screen.

Screen Elements Usage with the Keyboard

Purpose

This section provides information about navigating between user interface elements in R/3 Enterprise using the keyboard, as well as how to execute functions. In cases where additional features are available to users using JAWS for Windows, that information is noted as well.

Warning: Using the Esc key at any time while you are working in an R/3 Enterprise transaction will cause the transaction to exit, and you will lose any unsaved data.

Process Flow

Accessing an R/3 Enterprise screen using the keyboard involves using the following elements:

• ABAP lists

• Checkboxes

• Data tables

• Dropdown lists

• Error and status messages

• Graphics and icons

• Group boxes

• Input fields

• Menu bar, dropdown menus, and standard toolbar

• Pushbuttons

• Radio buttons

• Subwindows

• Tabstrips

• Text areas

• Toolbars

• Trees

Using ABAP Lists

Use

An ABAP list is a control that is used to display a data table, a tree, or a simple list of items.

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The scroll bars in an ABAP list are not accessible using the keyboard. However, buttons are available above the data in an ABAP list that you can use to scroll lines and pages in the ABAP list.

For JAWS users: When you tab to an ABAP list, JAWS announces that you are entering an ABAP list. At this point, switch to the JAWS virtual PC cursor to navigate in the ABAP list text.

Using Checkboxes

Use

When you tab to a checkbox, if the checkbox is enabled, you can check or uncheck the checkbox using the Spacebar.

For JAWS users: JAWS announces the label of the checkbox, tells you whether it is currently checked or unchecked, and whether it is disabled (unavailable).

Data Tables Usage

Purpose

R/3 Enterprise data tables are created using several different programming controls, including standard tables, ALV grids, and steploops. Depending on the control used to create a particular data table, keyboard navigation and screen reader announcements differ slightly.

Using a Data Table in a Standard Table

Use

When you tab to a data table in a standard table, you can navigate between the data cells using the Tab key. You use the element in the table cell (input field, checkbox, dropdown list, pushbutton etc.) the same way you use it elsewhere on the screen.

For JAWS users: When you tab to a data table, JAWS announces that you are entering a table, tells you how many rows the table has, tells you how many rows are currently displayed, and tells you how to skip the table.

When you tab into the column header row, JAWS announces that you are entering the header row. When you tab to a column header in the row, JAWS announces that it is a column header and tells you the name of the header. When you tab out of the column header row, JAWS announces that you are leaving the header row.

When you tab to a data cell, JAWS announces the cell contents (if any are available), tells you if input help is available (assuming this is an input field and input help is available), and lets you know if the cell is disabled (unavailable).

When you are on a data cell in the data table, you can use the JAWS virtual PC cursor to determine the column header for that data cell. To do so, while in the virtual PC cursor mode, press Alt + Ctrl + NumPad 5 .

When you tab out of the data table entirely, JAWS announces that you are leaving the table.

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Using a Data Table in an ALV Grid

Use

Data tables in ALV grids behave the same as tables in standard tables, except that if you are using JAWS, the screen reader announces that you are entering and exiting an ALV grid instead of announcing that you are entering and exiting a table, and it provides additional information and instructions.

Using a Data Table in a Steploop

Use

Data tables in steploops behave the same as tables in standard tables, with the following exceptions:

• If you are using JAWS, the screen reader announces that you are entering and exiting a steploop instead of announcing that you are entering and exiting a table.

• If you are using JAWS, when you tab to a data cell, JAWS announces the column and row headers, as well as the cell contents (if any are available), tells you if input help is available (assuming this is an input field and input help is available), and lets you know if the cell is disabled (unavailable).

Using Dropdown Lists

Procedure

When you tab to a dropdown list, if the list is enabled, proceed as follows:

Function User Action

To open the list, press Alt + Down Arrow. To navigate between the items in the dropdown

list, To select an item from the dropdown list, navigate to that item, then close the list by

For JAWS users: JAWS announces the label of the dropdown list, how many items are in the list, which item in the list is currently selected, and whether the list is disabled (unavailable).

use the Up and Down Arrow keys.

pressing Alt + Up Arrow (the item that has the focus when you close the list is selected).

Displaying Error and Status Messages

Use

In R/3 Enterprise, with the accessibility option selected, error and status messages are actively identified to the user in browser pop-up windows. In addition, all messages appear in

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the R/3 Enterprise status bar at the bottom of the screen (note that this is not the browser status bar).

Using Graphics and Icons

Use

In R/3 Enterprise, you cannot tab to graphics or icons that are not on pushbuttons. However, very few such graphics or icons are used to convey meaning.

Using Group Boxes

Use

A group box is an SAP user interface element that groups together several other user interface elements. It is similar to a frame, although it is not a standard HTML frame.

For JAWS users: When you tab to a group box, JAWS announces that you are entering a group box and tells you the group box title, as well as how to skip the group box. When you tab out of the group box, JAWS announces that you are leaving the group box.

Using Input Fields

Use

When you tab to an input field that is enabled, you can enter data as necessary. For JAWS users: When you tab to a single input field, JAWS announces the label of the

input field, the short description if one is available, how to access input help if it is available, and whether the field is disabled (unavailable).

When you tab to an input field that is the first in a series of input fields associated with a single label, JAWS announces the field label and how to access input help if it is available, then it tells you that the label has X number of input fields associated with it and that this is the first input field. It also announces the short description if there is one, and whether the field is disabled (unavailable). For all subsequent input fields associated with that label, JAWS announces only which number of input field it is (second, third, and so on).

Example

If there were two input fields with a single, common label “country,” when you tab to the first input field, JAWS would announce “country this field has two input fields first input field edit type a text.” When you tab to the second input field, JAWS would announce “second input field edit type a text.”

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Using the Menu Bar, Dropdown Menus, and

Standard Toolbar

Procedure

When you tab to the menu bar, to use the menus, proceed as follows:

Function User Action

To move from menu to menu, use the Tab key To open a menu, press Enter. To move between the menu items on the open

menu, To select a menu item, press Enter. If a menu item has a submenu, to open the

submenu, To close a menu, tab out of the menu.

When you tab to the toolbar, you can navigate between the items in the toolbar using the Tab key. You use the items in the toolbar (input field, pushbuttons, etc.) the same way you use them elsewhere on the screen.

You have the option to skip the entire menu bar and toolbar. When you tab to the menu bar (and the focus is on the menu bar), press S to skip.

For JAWS users: When you tab to the menu bar and toolbar, JAWS announces that you are entering the menus and standard toolbar and tells you how to skip the entire menu bar and toolbar; it also tells you that you can go directly to the transaction code input field to enter a transaction code directly. When you tab again, JAWS announces that you are entering the menu section and tells you how to open individual menus.

When you tab to a menu, JAWS announces the menu name and tells you it is a menu. It also tells you if the menu is disabled (unavailable).

When you tab to a menu item on an open menu, JAWS announces the menu level and the name of the menu item, as well as whether it is disabled (unavailable), and tells you whether the menu item has a submenu.

use the Up and Down Arrow keys.

use the Right Arrow key.

When you tab out of the menu bar, JAWS announces that you are leaving the menu section. When you tab out of the toolbar, JAWS announces that you are leaving the menus and the standard toolbar.

Using Pushbuttons

Use

When you tab to a pushbutton, you can execute the button’s function by pressing Enter. For JAWS users: When you tab to a pushbutton, JAWS announces the button’s text label

and whether it is disabled (unavailable). If there is a shortcut key for the button, that is also announced.

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Using Radio Buttons

Use

When you tab into a set of enabled radio buttons, you always tab to the currently selected radio button. To move between the radio buttons in the set, use the Up and Down Arrow keys. Note that moving to a different radio button activates that radio button. To leave the radio button set, press Tab (the radio button that has the focus when you leave the set remains selected).

When you tab into a set of disabled radio buttons, you can move between the radio buttons in the set using the Tab key.

For JAWS users: When you tab to a radio button, JAWS announces the radio button’s label and tells you that it is checked. If the radio button is disabled, JAWS announces that it is disabled and tells you whether it is checked or unchecked.

Using Subwindows

Use

You can use the Tab key to move between elements in subwindows. For JAWS users: When you tab to a subwindow, JAWS announces that you are entering a

subwindow. When you tab out of the subwindow, JAWS announces that you are leaving the subwindow.

Using Tabstrips

Procedure

Using R/3 Enterprise tabstrips, there are several ways to move through and activate the tabs, depending on the access technology you are using.

Keyboard-only, non-screen-reader users: When you tab to a tabstrip, proceed as follows:

...

1. Tab until you reach the tab selection button.

2. Activate the tab selection button by pressing Enter. A dropdown menu appears containing all of the tab names.

3. To navigate between the tab names, use the Up and Down Arrow keys.

4. To select a tab name, press Enter. The selected tab becomes the active tab and that tab page opens.

5. To exit the tabstrip, tab through the end of the active tab page.

Users using Magic with a mouse:

• To activate a tab on the tabstrip, click on the tab name.

• To view hidden tabs, click on the tab selection button. A drop-down menu appears

containing all of the tab names. To select a tab name click on the tab name on the dropdown menu.

JAWS users: When you tab to a tabstrip, proceed as follows:

• To move between tabs on the tabstrip, use the Tab key.

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• To activate a tab on the tabstrip, press Enter.

• To exit the tabstrip, you must tab through the end of the active tab page.

When you tab to the tabstrip, JAWS announces that you are entering the tabstrip, and it tells you what level tabstrip it is.

When you tab to a tab on the tabstrip, JAWS announces the tab name and tells you if it is the active tab.

When you tab out of the active tab page, JAWS announces that you are leaving the tabstrip.

Using Text Areas

Use

When you tab to a text area, if that area is enabled, you can enter text as necessary. For JAWS users: JAWS announces the label of the text area and tells you that you are

entering a text area, as well as whether the text area is disabled (unavailable).

Using Toolbars

Use

When you tab to a toolbar, you can navigate between the items in the toolbar using the Tab key. You use the items in the toolbar (pushbuttons, input fields, etc.) the same way you use them elsewhere on the screen.

For JAWS users: When you tab to a toolbar, JAWS announces that you are entering a toolbar. When you tab out of the toolbar, JAWS announces that you are leaving the toolbar.

Using Trees

Procedure

When you tab to a tree, proceed as follows:

Function User Action

To move between the nodes in the tree, use the Tab key. To expand or collapse a node, use the Right and Left Arrow keys. To activate an end node, use the Enter key.

For JAWS users: When you tab to the tree, JAWS announces that you are entering the tree. If the tree is a tree table (a table with expandable and collapsible rows) and it has column

headers, when you tab to a column header in the tree table, JAWS announces the name of the header and tells you it is a tree column header.

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When you tab to a node in the tree, JAWS announces the level of the node, tells you whether it is expanded or collapsed. When you tab again, it tells you the node label. If the node is an end node, no announcement is made regarding whether the node is expanded or collapsed.

When you tab out of the tree, JAWS announces that you are leaving the tree.

Working with the SAP GUI

SAP Easy Access

Use

The new SAP Easy Access user menu is the user-specific point of entry into the SAP System.

The user menu contains only those items – such as transactions, reports, and Web addresses – you need to perform your daily tasks.

If a user menu has been defined by your system administrator, it appears when you log on to the system.

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If you have not been assigned a user menu, or you need to access items that are not contained in your user menu:

• Open the SAP standard menu by choosing Menu → SAP standard menu. You now have a complete overview of the SAP System you are currently working with. Use the navigation area to navigate to the items you need.

• Or, contact your system administrator. See System Administrator Functions [Seite 24].

On the SAP Easy Access initial screen, you can also:

• Create a favorites list consisting of the transactions, files, and Web addresses you use most frequently

• Go to SAP Business Workplace, if you are using Work items. See Working with the

Business Workplace [Extern].

Additional Information

Roles [Seite 23]

SAP Easy Access Settings

Procedure

To make SAP Easy Access settings, choose Extras → Settings. The following dialog box appears:

Here, you can specify whether:

• Your favorites should appear before or after the menu

• Only your favorites, and not the menu, should appear

• Technical names of menu options should appear in the navigation area

• The SAP Easy Access graphic should appear on the right-hand side of the screen, as

shown below:

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You can hide this graphic by dragging the split bar from the center to the righthand edge of the screen. To deactivate the graphic completely, select Do not display image.

You can also define whether a user or an SAP standard menu should appear. To make this setting, choose either Menu → User menu or Menu → SAP standard menu.

Using the Navigation Area

Procedure

You can expand and collapse menus in the navigation area by choosing the dropdown arrows to the left of the menu items, as in the example below:

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To open an application in the navigation area:

• Double-click its node, or

• Choose Enter, or

• Choose Edit → Execute

To run an application in a new session, choose Edit → Run in new window.

You can access the most important commands and functions in the navigation area by opening the context menu. To open the context menu, place the cursor on any item in the menu bar, and click the alternate mouse button.

Creating Favorites

Use

In SAP Easy Access, you can create a favorites list containing:

• Transactions

• Files

• Web addresses

Procedure

Inserting an Item from the SAP Standard or User Menu

Use drag and drop:

...

1. Select an executable menu item using the mouse, and keep the mouse button pressed.

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2. Drag the item to the desired position in your favorites list, and release the mouse button.

3. The new item appears below the position where you dropped it.

Or, use the menu bar:

...

1. Select an executable item in the user menu.

2. Choose Favorites → Add.

3. The new item appears at the end of your list.

Inserting a Transaction

...

1. Choose Favorites → Insert transaction.

2. The following dialog box appears:

3. Enter the transaction code, and choose Continue.

4. The new item appears at the end of your list, and is automatically labeled with the transaction name.

Inserting a Web Address or a File

...

1. Choose Favorites → Link or file

2. The following dialog box appears:

3. Enter a name and the Web address or file name, and choose Continue.

• The Web address should start with http://... EXAMPLE: http://www.sap.com

• The file name should have the format: X:\filename\filepath. EXAMPLE: C:\Texts\SAP.doc. You can only use this function if you can

access local files from your Web browser.

Managing Favorites

Use

SAP Easy Access allows you to organize your favorites by:

• Creating folders in your favorites list

• Moving, renaming, or deleting favorites and folders

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Procedure

Inserting Folders

...

1. Choose Favorites → Insert folder.

2. A dialog box appears. Enter a name, and choose Continue.

3. The new folder appears below the currently selected favorite.

Moving Favorites and Folders

To move favorites or folders within a hierarchy level:

...

1. Select the favorite or folder you want to move.

2. Choose Favorites → Move → Up/Down; or choose Move favorites downwards /Move favorites upwards.

3. Repeat this step until the favorite or folder is where you want it.

To move favorites or folders between hierarchy levels, use drag and drop:

...

1. Select the favorite or folder with the mouse, and keep the mouse button pressed.

2. Drag the favorite or folder to the desired position in the favorites list, and release the mouse button.

3. The favorite or folder appears below the position where you let it go.

Renaming Favorites and Folders

...

1. Select the favorites or folders you want to rename.

2. Choose Favorites → Change.

3. A dialog box appears. Enter a new name, and choose Continue. Or: From the context menu, choose Change favorites. To open the context menu, click the

alternate mouse button.

Deleting Favorites and Folders

...

1. Select the favorites or folders you want to delete.

2. Choose Favorites → Delete.

Or: From the context menu, choose Delete favorites. To open the context menu, click the

alternate mouse button.

When you remove a favorite from your favorites list, you are not actually deleting the respective file, program, or transaction; you are merely removing a link to that particular item.

Roles

Use

Roles are collections of activities used in business scenarios. Users access the transactions, reports, or Web-based applications through user menus. The SAP Standard contains a large number of predefined roles.

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When a role is assigned to a user, the menu for that role appears when the user logs on to the system. The integrity of business data is also ensured by the assignment of roles. Authorization profiles are generated which restrict the activities of users in the SAP System, depending on the activities in the roles.

The mySAP.com Workplace provides users with a portal via a Web browser to perform his or her tasks. Roles can be assigned here as well.

The user can change the roles assigned to him or her as required. He or she can. for example

Create [Seite 21] and Manage [Seite 22] Favorites.

The system administrator can tailor the user menu to the personal requirements of each user, by adding or deleting menu entries.

For more information about role-specific system administrator functions, see System

administrator functions [Seite 24].

System Administrator Functions

Use

There are various ways in which the system administrator can define user menus for the staff in a company.

He or she can:

• Directly assign roles to a user

• Change and Assign Roles

• Create Roles

If you have system administrator authorization, SAP Easy Access provides additional functions that enable you to:

• Call role menus and assign users to the menus

• Create roles

A sample SAP Easy Access initial screen for system administrators is shown below. The application toolbar contains additional options.

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Activities

To display a role menu, choose Other menu. A list of all roles in the SAP System are displayed in the dialog box that appears. If you select a role it is displayed.

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If the selected role corresponds with the activities of a member of staff, choose Assign user. On the following screen, you enter the user ID of the user.

The system then asks you whether you want to generate an authorization profile. If you choose Yes, the system assigns the user the authorizations for the role.

For display more information about the select role, choose Documentation. To create roles, choose Create role or start the Role Maintenance transaction PFCG as

System Administrator.

See also:

Assign standard roles [Extern] Change and assign roles [Extern] Create roles [Extern]

The SAP Window

Use

The SAP window is the user interface to the SAP System.

Features

The elements of a typical SAP window are shown below:

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The standard toolbar contains buttons for performing common actions such as Save and Enter.

The functions assigned to the standard toolbar are listed below:

Button Name Function

Enter Confirms the data you have selected or

entered on the screen. Same function as the Enter key. Does not save your work.

Command field Allows you to enter commands, such as

Save

Back Returns you to the previous screen without

Exit Exits the current function without saving.

transaction codes. Saves your work. Same function as Save in

the Edit menu.

saving your data. If there are required fields on the screen, these fields must be completed first.

Returns you to the initial screen or main menu screen.

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Cancel Exits the current task without saving. Same

function as Cancel in the Edit menu.

Print Prints data from the current screen. Find Searches for data required in the current

screen.

SAP Online Help

Depending on your actions as you work with the SAP System, you may also see:

Find next Performs an extended search for data

required in the current screen.

First page Scrolls to the first page. Same function as the

CTRL + Page Up keys.

Previous page Scrolls to the previous page. Same function

as the Page Up key.

Next page Scrolls to the next page. Same function as

the Page Down key.

Last page Scrolls to the last page. Same function as the

CTRL + Page Up key.

Create session Creates a new SAP session. Same function

as Create session in the System menu.

Create shortcut Allows you to create a desktop shortcut to

any SAP report, transaction, or task if you are working with a Windows 32-bit operating system.

F1 Help Provides help on the field where the cursor is

positioned.

Layout menu Allows you to customize the display options.

• Radio buttons and checkboxes. For more information, see Radio Buttons and

Checkboxes [Seite 35].

• Dialog boxes. For more information, see Dialog Boxes [Seite 36].

Release 4.6: The New SAP GUI

Definition

The SAP graphical user interface (SAP GUI) consists of the technical features that enable you to exchange information with the SAP System (by entering data, choosing functions, and so on). For Release 4.6, SAP has made extensive changes to the SAP GUI design.

Use

New Display Options

The redesigned features include:

• Text fonts and colors

• Color schemes

• Sound and animation settings

• Additional options for data presentation

Structure

The new SAP GUI consists of two main screen areas.

• Screen header The screen header consists of:

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− Menu bar

− Standard toolbar

− Title bar

− Application toolbar

• Screen body

The screen body is the area between the screen header and the status bar.

A typical example of an SAP screen (here, the SAP Easy Access initial screen) with the new SAP GUI is shown below:

Changes to the Screen Header

Screen Banner

In previous releases, the title bar and menu bar were at the top of the R/3 window. As of Release 4.6, a screen banner replaces these two elements. The screen banner consists of:

• Menu bar

GUI interaction buttons

The Minimize, Maximize, and Close buttons are no longer in the top right-hand corner. They are now slightly to the left, beside the SAP logo:

You can also find these GUI interaction options in the dropdown menu that appears when you choose in the top left-hand corner.

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• Standard toolbar

Command field

By default, the command field is closed. To display it, choose the arrow to the left of the Save icon:

The command field appears: To hide it, choose the arrow to the right (outside) of the field.

To display a list of the transactions you used last, choose the dropdown arrow at the right-hand end of the field.

• Other features

In the top right-hand corner, the ripple animation indicates data request activity: . This was previously shown by a change of color in the status fields.

Changes to the Screen Body

Screen Elements and Layout

• The screen elements (group boxes, buttons, scrollbars, and so on) have a new design.

• The screen layout has changed. For example, a tab leader now guides the eye from

field names to fields, and important screen areas are highlighted more prominently.

• Required input fields were previously identified by a question mark within the field. They now have a checkmark icon at the left-hand end: .

Status Bar

• System message identification (far left)

¡ identifies error messages. ¡ identifies affirmative system messages.

• Status fields (far right) By default, the status fields appear at the far right:

To hide these fields, choose the arrow pointing to the right: When the fields are hidden, the arrow points in the other direction:

To display the status fields, choose the arrow pointing to the left:

Icons

SAP has changed the graphical design of all icons used in the SAP System.

Changes to GUI Controls

SAP has also redesigned screen elements such as trees, tables, and tabs.

GUI Interaction Principles

The GUI interaction principles – such as minimizing, maximizing, canceling, and dropdown menus – remain the same.

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The Menu Bar

Use

Menus allow you to find a specific transaction when you do not know the transaction code. The menu is organized according to the task you are doing in the SAP System.

Menus are dropdown; that is, when you choose a menu item, further options appear. A typical menu bar in the SAP System is shown below:

Features

This following menus are standard on every SAP screen:

Menu Description

System Contains functions that affect the system as a whole – such as Create

session, User profile, and Log off.

Help

The following menus are standard in most SAP applications:

Menu Description

Edit Allows you to edit components of the current object – for example Select,

Goto

The following menus may also appear:

Provides various forms of online help.

The layout menu, identified by at the far right of the standard toolbar, allows you to customize certain SAP window settings (for example, cursor position and the TAB function).

Usually named after the object you are currently working with, for example,

Material. Contains functions that affect the object as a whole – such as Display, Change, Print, or Exit.

Edit, and Copy. The Cancel option lets you leave a task without saving the

data you have entered. Allows you to move directly to other screens of the current task. Also contains

the Back option, which takes you back one level in the system hierarchy. Before going back, the system checks the data you have entered on the current screen, and displays a dialog box if it detects a problem.

Menu Description

Extras

Environment

View

Settings Utilities

Getting Started 4.70 31

Contains additional functions you can choose to complete the current object or an object component, but which you do not need regularly.

Contains functions you can choose to display additional information about the current object.

Allows you to display the current object in different views, for example, switching between a single-line and double-line display of a table.

Allows you to set user-specific transaction parameters. Allows you to do object-independent processing, such as delete, copy, and

print functions.

SAP Online Help

Sometimes not all of the available menus fit on one line in the menu bar. In this case, they wrap to the next line. The dropdown principle stays the same.

The Status Bar

Use

The status bar provides general information on the SAP System and transaction or task you are working on. At the left of the status bar, system messages are displayed. The right end of the status bar contains three fields: one with server information, the other two with status information.

Features

The status fields, shown below, are described from left to right:

• At the far left,

¡ identifies error messages. ¡ identifies other system messages.

• To hide (or display) the status fields, choose to their left (or right, respectively).

• To display the following system information, choose in the first status field:

¡ System ¡ Client ¡ User ¡ Program ¡ Transaction ¡ Response time

• The second status field displays the server to which you are connected.

• The third status field specifies your data entry mode. By clicking this field, you can

toggle between the Insert (INS) and Overwrite (OVR) modes. For more information, see Insert and Overwrite Modes [Seite 80].

Tabs

Use

Tabs enable you to enter, display, and alternate between multiple screens. In transactions containing multiple screens, they provide a clearer overview. In addition, tabs enable you to proceed from one tab page to the next without having completed all the data. To access a tab page, select the corresponding tab header.

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In some cases, you must complete all required input fields on a tab page before you can move to the next tab page.

Features

• In the case of longer tabstrips, not all of the tabs appear on the screen. The left and right arrows at the top of the tabstrip allow you to scroll to all the tabs.

• If you choose the button at the right of the tabstrip, the system displays a list of all the tabs on the tabstrip. If you select a tab from this list, the selected tab page moves to the foreground.

• Tabs are arranged in order of importance or in the process order of the transaction.

• Tab headers can contain text, icons, or both.

Table Controls

Use

The table control function enables you to modify standard SAP table format as necessary. This is especially useful when standard SAP tables contain columns you do not use.

Features

Table controls provide the following features:

• Fixed and variable columns. Variable columns have a horizontal scrollbar at the bottom.

• Columns you can resize: When you move the cursor to the gridline between two columns, the cursor changes to

a double-headed arrow. To change column width, click the left mouse button, and move the gridline to the desired width.

• Columns you can rearrange using drag and drop: Place the cursor in the header of the column you want to move, hold the left mouse

button, and move the column to the desired position.

• If you move the cursor along the horizontal scrollbar, quick infos appear indicating the column that would jump to the first display position (after the fixed columns) if you click the scrollbar at that location.

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• You can set the optimal column width (as defined in the SAP System) by pressing and holding the Shift key, and clicking the left mouse button within any column header.

• Icons at the bottom of a table are specific to that table. Some icons commonly used in tables are:

Icon Name Description

Choose detail Create line Delete line

Select all Deselect all

Displays all information currently available on the selected item Adds a line Deletes a line

Selects all table entries Deselects all table entries

Creating Table Control Variants

Prerequisites

The table control icon must be present in the upper right-hand corner of the table.

Procedure

...

1. Start the transaction containing the table control you want to change, and go to the appropriate screen.

2. Set the table controls as desired:

...

a. To change column width, place the cursor between two columns, click the left

mouse button, and drag the column border to the left or right until you have the desired size.

b. To change column position, select and hold the column header, and drag it to

the desired position.

3. Choose . The Table Settings dialog box appears.

4. Enter a name for the table control variant. Choose Create.

5. If applicable, select Use as standard setting.

6. To delete a variant, choose Delete.

Result

You have created a table control variant. You can repeat this procedure to create new variants.

The first item in the variant list is Basic setting, the default SAP table control. It is set by the system and cannot be deleted.

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Activating Table Control Variants

Prerequisites

• The table control icon must be present in the upper right-hand corner of the table.

• You must have created a table control variant.

Procedure

...

1. Start the transaction containing the table control you want to change, and go to the appropriate screen.

2. Choose . The Table Settings dialog box appears.

3. Specify the variant you want for the table control and how it should be used:

¡ To make the variant the standard setting, choose Set standard.

This table control variant now appears each time you use this table.

¡ To make the variant the current setting, choose Set active.

This table control variant will only be used while you have the transaction open. If you exit the transaction, and return to it later, the system uses the standard setting for the table control.

4. Choose Close. The settings are now complete.

Radio Buttons and Checkboxes

Use

To enter information in the SAP System, you must sometimes select among several options. In some cases, you can select only one option; in others, you can select more than one.

When you can select only one, the options are identified by radio buttons:

When you can select more than one, the options are identified by checkboxes:

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Activities

Choosing Options with Radio Buttons

• To select an option, click the radio button next to that option. The selected radio button is now filled in.

• To change your selection, click a different radio button. The original button is now empty and the new selection is filled in.

• To select a radio button using the keyboard, use the Tab key to move to the group of options. Use the ↑ and ↓ keys to move to the desired option, and press the spacebar.

Choosing Options with Checkboxes

• To select one or more options, click the checkbox next to each desired option. The selected checkboxes now contain a checkmark.

• To deselect a checkbox containing a checkmark, click it again. The checkmark disappears.

• To select a checkbox using the keyboard, use the Tab key to go to the group of options. Use the ↑ and ↓ keys to go to each desired option, and press the spacebar.

• To deselect a checkbox containing a checkmark, use the ↑ and ↓ keys to go to the option, and press the spacebar. The checkmark disappears.

Dialog Boxes

Use

The SAP System displays dialog boxes when it:

• Requires more information before it can proceed

• Is providing information, such as messages or specific information about your current

task

Before you can continue, you must choose an action from a dialog box. To choose an action, choose one of the buttons at the bottom of the dialog box.

A sample dialog box is shown here:

When you end a task without saving your data, or you choose a function that may cause you to lose data, the SAP System usually displays a dialog box in which you are asked to confirm or cancel your action.

Scrolling to View Information

Use

When you view information (for example, a list or online help), not all of the information may fit in your window. To see the additional information, you use scrollbars. To move:

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• Up and down, use the vertical scrollbar

• Left and right, use the horizontal scrollbar

Procedure

To move Do this

Up or down one line Choose the up or down scroll arrow on the

vertical scrollbar.

Left or right one character Choose the left or right scroll arrow on the

horizontal scrollbar.

Up or down one page Click above or below the slider box on the

vertical scrollbar.

Left or right the width of the page Click to the right or left of the slider box on the

horizontal scrollbar.

To a certain position in the information (up or down)

To a certain position in the information (left or right)

You can also:

Move to By choosing Or pressing Or pressing

First page Last page

Previous page Next page

Drag the slider box on the vertical scrollbar to the approximate location of the desired information, and release the mouse button.

Drag the slider box on the horizontal scrollbar to the approximate location of the desired information, and release the mouse button.

Shift + F9 CTRL+PageUp

Shift + F12 CTRL+PageDown

Shift + F10 PageUp Shift + F11 PageDown

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Customizing the Display Options

If you are using the “classic” SAP graphical user interface (GUI) and you need information on customizing the display options, see the Online Help for SAP Releases up to and including 4.5B.

Use

After you have logged on, you can change the appearance of various elements of the SAP window by customizing the display options.

As of Release 4.6B, you access the display options by choosing:

• The layout menu icon at the far right of the standard toolbar, for various SAP window settings, or

• The SAP GUI customizing icon in the system tray (that is, the corner of the Windows task bar), for SAP graphical user interface (GUI) settings such as color customizing and sound settings

Prerequisite

You have installed the new SAP GUI for Release 4.6.

Features

In the layout menu, you can:

• Customize the SAP window (for example, set the display options for quick infos and system messages, or return to the default window size)

• Enable or disable automatic tabbing between fields

• Define where the cursor should appear when you click a field

• Create a hard copy of the current screen

Using the SAP GUI customizing options, you can change:

• Color settings

• Sound and animation settings

Additional Information

Configuring the SAP GUI [Seite 39] Using SAP Shortcuts [Seite 67] Customizing the SAP Window [Seite 46] Tabbing Between Fields Automatically [Seite 48] Cursor Position and Width [Seite 49] Creating Screen Shots [Seite 50] SAP GUI Color Settings [Seite 41] SAP GUI Sound and Animation Settings [Seite 44]

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Configuring the SAP GUI

Use

When you configure the SAP graphical user interface (GUI), you can alternate between:

• The “classic” (that is, pre-Release 4.6) SAP GUI

and

• The new (that is, redesigned) SAP GUI delivered as of Release 4.6

These settings are also available for other SAP applications and executable programs.

Prerequisite

You have installed the new SAP GUI for Release 4.6.

Procedure

1. On your Windows desktop, choose Start ? Settings ? Control Panel.

2. Choose the SAP Configuration icon.

You can create a shortcut to this function by dragging the icon to your desktop.

The following dialog box appears:

By default, the new visual design setting is activated.

3. To switch to the “classic” SAP GUI configuration, click the screen shot at the left. You now see:

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4. Choose OK.

5. Open a new session for the “classic” setting to take effect.

6. To reverse the setting, use the same procedure.

7. When you choose the Applications tab, the following dialog box appears:

Here you can enter (by choosing Add) or delete (by choosing Remove) the names of applications and programs to which you want to apply the specified setting. When you have finished making your settings, choose Apply or OK.

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SAP GUI Color Settings

If you are using the “classic” SAP graphical user interface (GUI) and you need information on customizing the color settings, see the Online Help for SAP Releases up to and including 4.5B.

Use

You can customize your SAP graphical user interface (GUI) color settings by:

• Choosing from among a number of predefined (default) color schemes, or

• Defining your own (custom) colors

Only the SAP-defined default color schemes ensure optimal readability of all items on a screen.

Prerequisite

You have installed the new SAP GUI for Release 4.6.

Procedure

Accessing the SAP GUI Customizing Functions

To access the SAP GUI Customizing functions:

...

1. In the system tray (in the corner of your Windows task bar),

...

a. Choose the SAP GUI customizing icon .

This icon appears on the task bar when you log on or open a new session (and stays there when you move between sessions).

When you log off the last session you were working with, the icon disappears.

b. Or, right-click .

The following context menu appears:

When you choose Close, the SAP GUI customizing icon disappears from the system tray. You can restore it by opening another session.

2. Choose Customize SAP GUI Settings. The SAP GUI Settings dialog box appears, as shown below.

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On the Color Settings tab page, you can:

• Activate the default color schemes

• Create customized color schemes, by adjusting hues, saturation, and luminosity

• Have your color settings shift gradually in the course of the day

3. You define your settings as described in the following sections.

Activating a Default Color Scheme

The default color schemes listed on the Color Settings tab page are based on either of two predefined color combinations:

• Complementary, which uses two different colors (default: blue/tan)

• Harmonic, which uses several shades of the same color (default: blue)

Each of these types also has a bright version, which has a higher contrast than the SAP delivery standard default setting. For maximum contrast, select High Contrast Blue.

When you log on to the SAP delivery standard, the default setting is Complementary. To activate another default color scheme on the Color Settings list, place the cursor on the

desired setting. The name of your selection now appears at the top of the list, and you see a preview in the simulated SAP window to the right. Then,

• Choose Apply. The color scheme takes effect, and the dialog box stays open. You can now make additional changes to your color settings.

• Or, choose OK. The color scheme takes effect, and the dialog box closes.

Creating a Customized Color Scheme

Foreground and Background Hues

In the Foreground Color and Background Color frames, you can use the slider box to create your own color schemes.

By default, the foreground and background hues are linked – that is, as you adjust the slider, the predefined intervals between the shades in a default color scheme stay the same.

• To change your color scheme while keeping these default intervals, select a predefined color scheme, and adjust the slider to the desired hue.

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• To change the foreground and background hues individually, you must first deselect the Link checkbox.

As you are trying out colors, you can preview the results:

• In the simulated SAP window at the right (for the complete color scheme)

• In the shaded bar in the top right-hand corner of either slider box (for individual hues)

Color Saturation and Luminosity

In the Foreground Color and Background Color frames, you can fine-tune the hue, saturation, and luminosity of the respective colors individually.

To do this, double-click the shaded bar in the top right-hand corner of either slider box:

The Color Picker dialog box appears, as shown below:

To fine-tune the foreground and background hue, you use the slider box as before. In the color palette to the right, a small ring localizes the selected color in relation to

neighboring shades, with respect to:

• Saturation (vertical axis)

• Luminosity (horizontal axis)

To adjust either of these variables, click inside this palette, and drag the cursor to the desired position. The localizer disappears until you let go of the cursor. As before, you can preview the results.

Gradual Color Shift

You can choose to have your color settings shift gradually in the course of the day. To do this, select the Activate Time Settings checkbox. The following additional options now

appear in the lower part of the SAP GUI Settings dialog box:

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SAP Online Help

To set the time frame in which you want your colors to shift:

...

1. Select the Start or End radio button at the right, and use the time buttons to define the respective time settings.

2. In the subsequent dialog box, enter the desired time (hh:mm) in the Custom field. If applicable, choose Set As Default.

3. Refer to the the Start... End preview bar when adjusting the colors for the respective times of day.

Saving and Deleting Your SAP GUI Customizing Settings

When you have finished defining your settings, the new color scheme takes effect for all SAP sessions that are currently open.

To save your new color scheme, choose Save As..., and enter a name in the subsequent dialog box. Choose OK. To delete a color scheme from the list, choose Delete. If you have customized any of the default color schemes, and you want to revert to the default originals, choose Restore. This restores the original default settings without affecting the settings you have created. To exit the SAP GUI Settings dialog box, choose OK.

SAP GUI Sound and Animation Settings

Use

You can customize sound and animation settings for the SAP graphical user interface (GUI).

Prerequisite

You have installed the new SAP GUI for Release 4.6.

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Procedure

In the system tray (in the corner of your Windows task bar), choose . (You can also right-click this icon, and choose Customize SAP GUI Settings from the context

menu.) The SAP GUI Settings dialog box appears:

Choose the General tab. The following dialog box appears:

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SAP Online Help

Here, you can customize:

• The sound settings (default: On) When you select Off, you deactivate certain SAP-defined sounds that are designed to

complement standard Windows sounds. These sounds provide subtle feedback for user actions such as those resulting in system messages. This setting applies only to SAP applications.

• The logon video (default: On) When you log on to the SAP System (for the first time after you have started your

computer), a logon video appears. You can deactivate the first part of this video:

− Permanently, by selecting Off for this setting, or

− Case by case, by pressing Esc while the video is running

Customizing the SAP Window

If you are using the “classic” SAP graphical user interface (GUI) and you need information on customizing the SAP window, see the Online Help for SAP Releases up to and including 4.5B.

Use

The layout menu contains customizing options for:

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SAP Online Help

• Quick infos:

¡ On/off ¡ Speed of display

• System messages:

¡ Sound feedback ¡ Display as dialog boxes

• System programs for SAP graphics: performance options

• Automation timeout period (for programs triggered by OLE automation)

• Cursor:

¡ Automatic tabbing ¡ Position, width, and display in lists

• Trace:

¡ Select type of trace ¡ Enable trace file ¡ Display trace output in window

Using this menu, you can also:

• Create SAP shortcuts. (For more information, see Creating an SAP Shortcut [Seite 65].)

• Activate GuiXT, an alternative to transaction variants, for the screen output of any transaction. (For more information on GuiXT, see http://www.synactive.com.)

• Set the window to default size (for batch input only)

• Create screen shots. (For more information, see Creating Screen Shots [Seite 50].)

Prerequisite

You have installed the new SAP GUI for Release 4.6.

Procedure

In the standard toolbar, choose the layout menu icon .

Layout Menu: Options

...

1. Choose Options....

2. On the General tab, you can:

• Deactivate the quick infos on your screen, or set the speed at which they appear

• Have system messages appear as dialog boxes, with or without sound feedback

• Set performance options for SAP graphics system programs:

By default, the Libraries option, which refers to SAP graphics system programs, is set to Keep loaded. This means that SAP graphics stay loaded in the main memory even if they are not used. If you encounter performance problems during graphics loading – that is, if a graphic terminates before it has finished loading for the first time – you can prevent this from happening again by changing the setting to Preload. To have graphics unloaded after use, choose Free after use.

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• Specify an automation timeout period for OLE connections to external programs (such as MS Word or Excel):

If you get System busy messages with external programs that are triggered by OLE automation, SAP recommends that you set the number of seconds to a higher value.

3. On the Cursor tab, you can set automatic tabbing, and define cursor position, width, and display in lists.

For more information, see:

Tabbing Between Fields Automatically [Seite 48] Cursor Position and Width [Seite 49]

4. You use the Trace tab primarily when you are working with a hotline. On this tab, you can:

• Select the type of trace. To obtain the log:

− For screen layout, select Monitor.

− For OLE controls, select Automation.

• Enable trace files

• Display the trace output in your window

5. Choose OK to confirm your choices, or Cancel to reset the options to the previous settings.

Layout Menu: Additional Customizing Items

• For information on creating an SAP shortcut, see Creating an SAP Shortcut [Seite 65].

• To activate GuiXT for screen output, choose Activate GuiXT.

• To change the default window size (for batch input only), choose Default Size.

• For information on creating a screen shot, see Creating Screen Shots [Seite 50].

Tabbing Between Fields Automatically

Use

You can set automatic tabbing (AutoTAB) to have the cursor move between input fields automatically. This function is useful when you are entering a large amount of data and you do not want to press the TAB key to move from field to field.

AutoTAB only works at the end of an input field. For example, if the Material field can hold 12 characters, but the material number you enter is only 7 characters long, you must still press the TAB key to move to the next input field.

Procedure

To turn automatic tabbing on or off:

...

1. In the standard toolbar, choose the layout menu icon ? Options.... ? Cursor.

2. To enable AutoTAB, select Automatic TAB at Field End. To disable AutoTAB, deselect this option.

3. Choose OK to confirm your choice, or Cancel to reset the AutoTAB option to the previous setting.

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Cursor Position and Width

Use

You can change the following default cursor settings:

• Position when you select an input field with a mouse-click or tab

• Width

• Display in lists, so that the cursor marks:

¡ Only one character ¡ An entire column

Procedure

To change your cursor settings, choose the layout menu icon ? Options... ? Cursor. The following dialog box appears:

Cursor Position

Setting Function

Note Cursor Position in Field at TAB On: Places the cursor exactly where you last clicked

within an input field

Off: Places the cursor at the beginning of the input field

Position Cursor to End of Text On: Places the cursor at the end of a text in an input field

when you click to the right of the text

Off: Places the cursor exactly where you click

Selecting the text in Editfield

Cursor in Lists On: Marks only one character

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Selects and highlights the text when you tab to an input field. Any input in this field will clear the field.

Off: Marks an entire column

SAP Online Help

Creating Screen Shots

Use

You can print the content of any SAP window.

Prerequisite

You are working with a Microsoft Windows 32-bit operating system.

Procedure

In the standard toolbar, choose the layout menu icon ? Hardcopy. At the default printer specified for your PC, the window's content is printed.

Multiple SAP Sessions

Use

A session is basically another SAP instance on your screen. Multiple sessions allow you to work on more than one task at a time. This can save you time and reduces the need to jump from screen to screen.

Features

You can open up to six sessions, and do a different task, or even the same task, in each one. You can move around between the open sessions, and you can close any session without having to log off from the system.

If you try to work on the same record (for example, the material master record for a specific material) at the same time on multiple sessions, you may "lock yourself out" of one of the sessions. If this happens, choose Exit or Back to move out of the transaction. Then you will be able to proceed.

Additional Information

Creating a New Session [Seite 50] Creating a New Session and a Task at Once [Seite 51] Moving Among Sessions [Seite 52] Ending a Session [Seite 52]

Creating a New Session

Use

You can create a session at any time. You do not lose any data in sessions that are already open.

You can create up to six sessions. Each session you create is as if you logged on to the system again. Each session is independent of the others. For example, closing the first session does not cause the other sessions to close.

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Too many open sessions can result in slower system performance. For this reason, your system administrator may limit the number of sessions you can create to fewer than six.

Procedure

To create a new session from anywhere in the system:

• Choose System → Create session from the menu bar, or

• Choose .

Result

The system opens an additional window. The new session becomes the active session and remains the active session unless you click on a different (open or new) session.

Each session has a session number, which appears in that session’s status bar. It appears in parentheses next to the system name.

This graphic shows the new session window on top of the original window. Note the session number in parentheses in the status bar.

Session number

Additional Information

Creating a New Session and a Task at Once [Seite 51].

Creating a New Session and a Task at Once

Use

You can create a session and start a task in one step by using a transaction code. When you open a session with a transaction code, the system displays the initial screen of the task in a new session. To use this method, you must know which transaction code to use for the task you want to perform.

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For more information, see Finding the Transaction Code for the Task You Want to Start [Seite 74].

Procedure

To create a new session and a task simultaneously:

...

1. In the command field, enter /o (the forward slash and the letter o) followed by the transaction code for the task you want to start.

For example, to create a customer master record in the Accounts Receivable application, you use Transaction FD01. To open a session and start this task at the same time, you enter /ofd01 in the command field.

2. Choose Enter.

Result

The system opens an additional window for the new session and displays the initial screen of the transaction.

Moving Among Sessions

Prerequisites

You can move among sessions as often as you like without losing any data. As long as you remain logged on to the SAP System, you can leave a session for as long as

you like. Moving to a different session is like putting a telephone call on hold: You can resume the call whenever you are ready.

Procedure

To move from one session to another, click any part of the window that contains the session you want to go to (or use the key(s) specified for changing windows).

The window you choose becomes the active window: it moves in front of all the other windows on your screen.

If you have several sessions open, you can minimize the sessions you are not using. When you need to use one of these sessions later, you can restore it by clicking the appropriate symbol in the status bar, making it the active session.

By minimizing the sessions you are not using, you can significantly reduce the system load.

Ending a Session

Use

After you are done using a session, it is a good idea to end it. Each session uses system resources that can affect how fast the SAP System responds to your requests.

Before you end a session, save any data you want to keep. When you end a session, the system does NOT prompt you to save your data.

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If you have only one session open and you end it, you will log off from the system. However, before logging you off, the system prompts you to save your data.

Procedure

You can either

• Choose System → End session from the menu bar, or

• Choose in the upper right-hand corner of the active session.

The session is closed and you return to the previous session.

Startup and Shutdown of the SAP System

Use

Before you can use the SAP System, you must log on. When you are finished using the SAP System, you log off. The first time you log on, and at regular intervals thereafter, you should change your password.

Activities

• Regardless of the tasks you will be performing in the SAP System, you will always be starting up and shutting down the SAP System.

• You start the SAP System by selecting the logon icon on your desktop.

• You log on to the SAP System.

• If this is your first time logging on, you will have to change the initial password provided

by your system administrator. If this is not your first time logging on, you may have to change your password in accordance with the security policies at your company.

• When you are finished working with the SAP System, you log off.

Additional Information

The SAP Logon [Seite 58]

Starting the SAP System

Procedure

To start the SAP System, choose the icon for the SAP System. For example, start the SAP System by double-clicking the SAP icon in your SAP application

window.

Result

The logon screen (in the example below, with the title SAP R/3) appears in a new window. You are now ready to log on.

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For more information on starting the SAP System, contact your system administrator.

Logging On

Prerequisites

Before you log on, make sure you know:

• Your client number

• Your user ID

• Your password

If you want to work in a language other than English, make sure you know the language key for your desired language. For more information, contact your system administrator.

After you have entered data in a field, you can move the cursor to the beginning of the next field by pressing the TAB key.

If you have set the Autotab option, you do not have to press the TAB key if you enter the maximum number of characters possible in a field. For example, the maximum number of characters you can enter in the Client field is three. If you enter 001 in the Client field, the cursor automatically moves to the beginning of

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the next field. For more information, see Tabbing Between Fields Automatically

[Seite 48].

Procedure

If you are logging on for the first time, see Logging On the First Time [Seite 55]. If you have logged on previously, but cannot remember how:

...

1. Check the Client field. This field may already contain a default client number. You can either accept the client number, or change it by typing over it. To move the cursor to the Client field, press the TAB key.

2. If necessary, move the cursor to the User ID field by pressing the TAB key. In the User ID field, enter your user ID. To move the cursor to the Password field, press the TAB key.

3. In the Password field, enter your password. As you type your password, the asterisks remain in the field, and only the cursor

moves. As a security measure, the system does not display what you type.

4. To display screens, menus, and fields in a language other than English, move the cursor to the Language field by pressing the TAB key. Enter the language key for the desired language.

5. Choose Enter. In the standard SAP System, the Copyright dialog box appears. If you do not see this dialog box, check the status bar for a system message. You may

have entered an incorrect client number, password, user ID, or language key. If this is the case, repeat steps 1 through 5.

6. In the Copyright dialog box, choose Continue. If there are systemwide messages – for example, from your system administrator – the

System Messages dialog box is displayed. After you have read the messages, choose Continue to close the dialog box.

Result

You have successfully logged on to the SAP System.

Additional Information

Passwords [Seite 62] The SAP Logon [Seite 58]

Logging On the First Time

Prerequisites

Before you log on the first time, your system administrator will give you an initial password. During the logon process, you should create a new password, one that you alone will know. After that, you use your own password whenever you log on. (These procedures may differ somewhat at your company; for more information, contact your system administrator.)

To log on, you must first open the SAP Logon Menu by double-clicking its icon. For more information, see The SAP Logon [Seite 58].

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The SAP logon icon now appears in both the task bar (together with the SAP Release number) and the system tray (that is, the bottom right-hand corner of your desktop).

After you start the SAP System (see Starting the SAP System [Seite 53]), the first screen you see is the logon screen (in this case, with the title SAP R/3).

When you press the TAB key after you have entered data in a field, the cursor moves to the beginning of the next field. However, if you enter the maximum number of characters possible in a field, you do not have to press the TAB key. For example, the maximum number of characters you can enter in the Client field is three. If you enter 001 in the Client field, the cursor automatically moves to the beginning of the next field. For more information on automatic tabbing, see Tabbing Between Fields Automatically [Seite 48].

For more information on entering data, see Entering Data in Fields [Seite 78].

Procedure

The logon screen is shown above. To log on to the SAP System:

...

1. In the Client field, enter the client number. If a default client number appears in the field, you can either accept it, or change it by

typing over it. To move the cursor to the User ID field, press the TAB key.

2. In the User ID field, enter your user ID.

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To move the cursor to the Password field, press the TAB key.

3. In the Password field, enter the initial password provided by your system administrator. As you type the initial password, the asterisks remain in the field, and only the cursor

moves. As a security measure, the system does not display what you type.

In the SAP System, passwords are not case-sensitive.

4. To display screens, menus, and fields in another language, move the cursor to the Language field by pressing the TAB key. Enter the language key for the desired language.

5. Choose Enter.

6. The system automatically displays the new password dialog box. You must change your initial password.

If you do not see the new password dialog box, check the status bar for a system message. You may have entered an incorrect client number, password, user ID, or language key. If this is the case, repeat steps 1 through 5.

7. In the New password field, enter a new password. (If you need help, see Passwords

[Seite 62].)

Memorize your password. You cannot log on to the SAP System without it.

As you type the new password, the asterisks remain in the field, and only the cursor moves. As a security measure, the system does not display what you type.

To move the cursor to the Repeat password field, press the TAB key.

8. In the Repeat password field, enter the new password again, exactly as you entered it the first time.

9. Choose Confirm (or choose Enter). If you have successfully changed your password, the Copyright dialog box appears.

10. In the Copyright dialog box, choose Continue (or choose Enter). If there are systemwide messages, the System Messages dialog box appears. After

you have read the messages, choose Continue (or choose Enter) to close the dialog box.

You can display the system messages later by choosing Tools → Administration →

Administration → System Messages.

Result

In the standard SAP System, the SAP Easy Access initial screen appears, as shown here.

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Additional Information

The SAP Logon [Seite 58]

The SAP Logon

Definition

The SAP Logon is the Windows program that you use to log on to SAP Systems on Windows PCs. It mediates between the SAP System and the SAPgui user interface. The SAP Logon displays a list of available SAP Systems and automatically selects servers with the best current response times. You can add available systems or servers to this menu.

Use

When you log on to the SAP System, you can:

• Log on to a specific application server.

• Log on to a group. In this case, the application server with the best response time is

selected automatically.

From Release 4.6A, when you log on to the SAP Logon, the SAP Logon icon is displayed in the system tray of the system taskbar (in the bottom right-hand corner of the screen). You can maximize or minimize the SAP Logon by clicking the icon using the left mouse button.

If you click the icon using the right mouse button, you can display a list of connections to SAP Systems that are already open.

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From 4.6A you can also use the mouse to increase the size of the SAP Logon. This enables you to see all of the following information:

• Description of the SAP System and its system ID

• The group or server

• The system number

• The message server

• SAP routers.

See also:

Adding a New Logon User Group [Seite 60] Adding an Application Server [Seite 60] Configuring the SAP Logon [Seite 61] Questions and Answers: Logon Load Balancing [Extern]

Adding and Editing Entries Manually

Procedure

To add a new entry:

...

1. Display the SAP Logon by choosing Start Õ SAP Frontend Õ SAPlogon

2. Choose New... to display the New Entry dialog box.

3. Enter the following information:

Description: A short description of the system Application Server: The name of the host that you want to connect to SAP Router String: A routing entry (for example, saproute.ini.) SAP System: Specify whether the new SAP System is an R/2 or an R/3 System System Number: Specify the system number of the SAP System that you want to

connect to

To change an existing entry:

From the SAP Logon, select a system and choose Properties.

For server entries, you can change all data. For logon group entries, you cannot change the Application Server, the SAP System or the System Number.

To remove an entry:

From the SAP Logon, select a system and choose Delete.

To exit:

To exit the SAP Logon, choose Close.

See also:

Configuring Logon Groups [Extern] Recommendations for Logon Groups [Extern]

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Adding a New Logon User Group

Use

Most users only have one group in their selection. You can add additional groups to the SAP Logon.

Procedure

...

1. Display the SAP Logon by choosing Start Õ SAP Frontend Õ SAPlogon.

2. Choose Groups… to display the Group Selection dialog box.

3. In the System ID field, enter the system that you want to log on to.

If a SAP Router is used to connect to the message server, select the SAP router in the SAP Router for field.

4. Choose Generate list. The system displays the logon groups that are active.

5. Select a logon group and then choose:

• Logon to log on without adding the logon group to the list

• Add to add the logon group to the list without logging on

• Add and Logon to add a logon group to the list and log on immediately.

See also:

Adding an Application Server [Seite 60]

Adding an Application Server

Procedure

...

1. Display the SAP Logon by choosing Start Õ SAP Frontend Õ SAPlogon.

2. Choose Server… to display the Server Selection dialog box.

3. In the System ID field, enter the system that you want to log on to.

If a SAP router is used to connect to the message server, select the SAP Router in the SAP Router for field.

4. Choose Generate list to display the active servers.

5. Select a server and choose:

• Logon to log on without adding the server to the list

• Add to add the server to the list without logging on

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• Add and Logon to add a server to the list and log on immediately

See also:

Adding a New Logon User Group [Seite 60] Adding and Editing Entries Manually [Seite 59] [Seite 59] Configuring Logon Groups [Extern]

Configuring the SAP Logon

Use

You can change the following settings in the SAP Logon:

Language

You can display the SAP Logon in the language that you select. To use this option, the SAP Logon language file must be installed by the system administrator.

Message Server Timeout: ____ secs

Specifies how long the SAP Logon waits for a response from the R/3 Message Server. The default value, ten seconds, is normally sufficient, even with slow wide-area network connections.

If you experience repeated timeout connection errors, increase this value. If the error persists, there is probably a network installation problem.

Confirmation of listbox entry delete

Check this box if you want to display a warning before you delete a system or logon group from the SAP Logon.

Disable editing functionality

Check this box if you want to prevent logon entries from being changed. If editing functionality is disabled, you cannot use the options Properties, Groups, Server, New and Delete in the SAP Logon.

Activate SAPgui trace level

Check this box if you want to define and activate a network trace (SAPGUI trace). For reasons of security and performance, you should only activate the trace options to diagnose the system.

When you choose this option, you can select the trace level that is used. If you select level 2 or 3, an additional log file is generated that records all incoming data in an encrypted binary code.

Additional data hexdump in trace

Check this box if you want to list additional memory areas in the SAPgui trace. This option is only available if you choose trace level 2 or 3, since these trace the data that must be checked against the hexdump when errors occur.

This option can result in both considerable losses in performance and very large trace files.

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Additional command line arguments

You can enter any additional command lines arguments in this input field.

The additional information that appears here can help solve particular frontend problems. Only perform the network trace options if the SAP Hotlines requests you to. You should cancel the network trace options as quickly as possible and remove the trace files.

Procedure

...

1. Display the SAP Logon by choosing Start Õ SAP Frontend Õ SAPlogon.

2. Click on the SAP Logon icon in the top left-hand corner of the window and choose

Options. You can then change the settings that are described above in the SAP Logon configuration dialog box.

3. Choose OK to return to the initial screen of the SAP Logon.

When you change the SAP Logon language, the system asks you to restart the SAP Logon that is affected by the new language setting. You should then close the SAP Logon and restart it.

Passwords

Definition

A password is a combination of characters that you enter every time you log on to the SAP System.

Use

Your password prevents other people from accessing or changing your work.

Memorize your password. You cannot log on to the SAP System without it.

Structure

When creating a password:

• You must use at least 3 but no more than 8 characters.

• You can use any combination of alphanumeric characters, including:

¡ The letters a through z ¡ The numbers 0 through 9 ¡ Punctuation marks

Do not begin a password with:

• A question mark (?)

• An exclamation point (!)

• A blank space

• Three identical characters (for example, bbbat)

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jullo=6

• Any sequence of three characters contained in your user ID (for example, man, if your user ID is Friedman).

Do not use:

• pass or init as your password

• Any of the last five passwords you used

In the SAP System, passwords are not case-sensitive. For example, the password blue is the same as Blue or BLUE.

The table below gives examples of valid and invalid passwords.

Valid Invalid

frtas !brex (begins with an invalid character)

aaab (begins with three identical characters)

3bar me (contains fewer than three characters)

Changing Your Password

Prerequisites

You can change your password whenever you log on to the SAP System. For security reasons, however, your system administrator may require that you change your password at regular intervals, for example, every 30 days. In this case, you will receive a message from the SAP System when it is time to change your password.

You can only change your password from the logon screen. To check the rules for creating a new password, see Passwords [Seite 62]. In the steps below, you are instructed to press the TAB key after you enter data in a field. In

the standard system, when you press the TAB key, the cursor moves to the beginning of the next field. However, you do not have to press the TAB key if you enter the maximum number of characters possible in a field. For example, the maximum number of characters that you can enter in the Client field is three. If you enter 001 in the Client field, the cursor automatically moves to the beginning of the next field.

For more information about entering data, see Entering Data in Fields [Seite 78].

Procedure

...

1. Enter the following data in the respective fields on the logon screen:

...

a. Client number b. User ID

c. Your current password

d. Language key, if you want to work in a language other than English

For more details, see Logging On [Seite 54].

2. In the application toolbar, choose New password.

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The new password dialog box appears, as shown here.

If you do not see this dialog box, check the status bar for a system message. You may have entered an incorrect client number, password, user ID, or language key. If this is the case, repeat steps 1 through 5.

3. In the New password field, enter a new password. (If you need help, see Passwords

[Seite 62].)

As you type the new password, the asterisks remain in the field and only the cursor moves. As a security measure, the system does not display what you type.

Press the TAB key to move the cursor to the Repeat password field.

4. In the Repeat password field, enter the new password again, exactly as you entered it the first time.

Memorize your password. You cannot log on to the SAP System without it. If you forget your password, contact your system administrator.

5. Choose Enter. In the standard SAP System, the Copyright dialog box appears. If a different dialog box appears, you have either made a mistake entering your new

password, or it is not a valid password. The dialog box contains a message describing the mistake. In this case:

...

a. Remove the dialog box by choosing Confirm.

The new password dialog box reappears.

b. Repeat steps 3 through 5. (If you need help creating a valid password, see

Passwords [Seite 62].)

6. In the Copyright dialog box, choose Continue. The copyright notice disappears. If there are systemwide messages, they appear. After you have read the messages,

choose Continue in the dialog box to close it.

Result

In the standard system, the SAP Easy Access initial screen appears.

SAP Shortcuts

Use

Using SAP Shortcuts, you can start an SAP transaction, run a report, or execute a system command directly from your Microsoft Windows desktop. Shortcuts eliminate the need to navigate through menus to access screens. This is particularly useful for tasks you run regularly.

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Prerequisites

To use SAP Shortcuts, you must be running a Windows 32-bit operating system.

Features

• You can create SAP Shortcuts for direct access to:

¡ Transactions ¡ Reports ¡ System commands

• You can use SAP Shortcuts even if you have the SAP System running with an open dialog box.

• You can store your SAP Shortcuts either directly on your desktop, or in a directory on your system.

• There is no limit to the number of SAP Shortcuts you create.

Creating an SAP Shortcut

Prerequisites

• You are running a Microsoft Windows 32-bit operating system.

• The SAP Shortcut file type has been registered in your Windows registry. This happens

automatically during successful installation of an SAP graphical user interface (SAP GUI).

• You have received an SAP user ID from your system administrator, and created a password.

• You know the transaction code for the screen for which you want to create an SAP Shortcut.

Procedure

Creating an SAP Shortcut from Your Desktop

...

1. Place the cursor anywhere on the desktop (not on an open Windows application), and click the right mouse button.

2. Choose New → Sapgui Shortcut.

3. Enter the name of the shortcut as desired, but keep the .SAP file extension. Choose Enter.

You have now created a file for your shortcut. Next, you must define this file.

4. Click the right mouse button. Choose Edit. A dialog box appears. The title bar contains the complete path of the shortcut file.

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5. From the dropdown list for the System field, select the system ID. Complete the Client field. If you do not remember your client, check the SAP GUI logon dialog box you were using previously.

6. Complete the User name and Language fields. If you leave User name blank, the system automatically uses your Windows user ID. The Password field is normally deactivated, for security reasons. Only your PC administrator can activate this field.

7. In the Type field, specify whether the shortcut is for a:

¡ Transaction ¡ Report ¡ System command

8. In the Title field, enter the shortcut title.

9. In the Command field, enter the appropriate code. For example:

...

a. To create a shortcut that takes you to the Create Material: General screen, enter

Transaction code MM01.

b. To create a shortcut for the Archiving Check Data report, enter report name

RFCHKA00.

c. To create a shortcut that immediately logs you off, enter system command

/nex.

To obtain the transaction code for the Command field, go to the status bar of the task for which you are creating a shortcut, and click the list arrow. If you do not enter a code, the system defaults to Transaction code S000, which is the initial screen of the SAP System.

10. Choose OK. The shortcut appears on your desktop.

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11. The system automatically saves the <NAME>.SAP file corresponding to this shortcut in your desktop directory under your operating system directory. If you prefer to keep all your SAP Shortcut files in one place, you can move this file to a directory of your choice.

Creating an SAP Shortcut from a Specific Screen in the SAP System

...

1. Go to the screen for the task you want to run, and choose or . The New Sapgui Shortcut dialog box appears.

2. Check that the information in the dialog box (User name, Language, Type, Title, Command) is correct.

3. Choose OK. The shortcut appears on your desktop.

4. The system automatically saves the <NAME>.SAP file corresponding to this shortcut in your desktop directory under your operating system directory. If you prefer to keep all your SAP Shortcut files in one place, you can move this file to a directory of your choice.

If the Password field of the New Sapgui Shortcut dialog box has been activated, you can specify a password. However, for security reasons, this is not recommended, and a warning appears. You should only include your password in an SAP Shortcut if you are certain no one can access your PC or your disk/directory.

Using SAP Shortcuts

Prerequisites

• You have received an SAP user ID from your system administrator, and created a password.

• You have created an SAP Shortcut. It is available on your desktop.

Procedure

If you do not have an SAP session running

...

1. Double-click the SAP Shortcut for the task you want to run. A logon dialog box is displayed. The title bar specifies the system ID, client, language,

and task.

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2. Enter your password. Choose Logon, or choose Enter. The SAP session starts.

3. To view or change your shortcut definition while you are logging on, position the cursor anywhere in this logon dialog box (not on the title bar, input fields, or pushbuttons), and click the right mouse button. The context menu is displayed.

In this context menu, if you do not enter a password, only the Edit option is activated. After you have entered the first character of your password, both the Open and Edit options are activated.

If you have an SAP session running

Double-click the SAP Shortcut for the task you want to run.

• If an application is already running, a new SAP session starts.

• Otherwise, the current SAP session starts the task you want to run.

To start a shortcut from within an open SAP session, drag and drop the shortcut onto the open session. The system starts the task you want to run. The following functions are also available:

Key + Drag and Drop Result: You can now...

Shift + Drag and Drop Edit the shortcut. CTRL + Drag and Drop Open a new session, and start the task you want to run.

Logging Off

Procedure

You can log off from the SAP System from any screen.

...

1. From the menu bar, choose System → Log off.

2. Click the button at the upper right-hand corner of the screen (if you only have one session running).

The Log off dialog box appears (as shown here), informing you that any data you have not yet saved will be lost if you proceed with logging off.

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3. If you are not certain that you have saved all of your data, and you do not want to log off after all, choose No. You return to the screen in which you were working.

If you are certain that you have saved all of the data you want to save, choose Yes. All of your SAP System sessions close. You have successfully logged off.

What Are the Steps in a Typical Task?

Use

In the SAP System, a task consists of one or more screens on which you enter data. Some typical tasks might be creating customer master records, entering invoices, or creating sales documents.

Activities

To perform a task in the SAP System, you typically:

...

1. Choose the task that you want to work on. (See Accessing Tasks in the SAP System

[Seite 69].)

2. Enter data on the initial screen of your task. Each screen contains input fields in which you enter data. Some fields require entries,

others do not. (See Entering Data on a Screen [Seite 80].)

3. Go to the next screen. When you go to the next screen, the SAP System temporarily stores the data you have

just entered. (See Moving Through Tasks [Seite 85].)

4. Enter data on the next screen of your task. You can:

• Return to previous screens to make changes

• Skip screens that are not required

• Go to a related task to get information or to complete additional screens

(See Moving Through Tasks [Seite 85].)

5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until all the screens that make up your task are completed.

6. Save your data for the entire task. The system saves the data from all the screens you have completed. (See Saving the

Data on a Screen [Seite 85].)

Accessing Tasks in the SAP System

Procedure

After you log on to the SAP System, you choose the task that you want to work on. You can switch to different tasks at any time.

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In the SAP System, you can:

• Choose a task from the SAP Easy Access workplace menu. With this menu, you can easily find your application without having to memorize transaction codes.

For more information, see:

SAP Easy Access [Seite 18] Navigating in the Workplace Menu [Seite 20] Choosing Menus and Functions with the Mouse [Seite 70] Choosing Menus and Functions with the Keyboard [Seite 72]

• Enter a transaction code in the command field. With transaction codes, you can go directly to a task without having to navigate through several different menus.

Choosing Menus and Functions with the Mouse

Prerequisites

You choose menus, submenus, and functions by clicking them.

Procedure

Choosing from a Menu

To choose a menu with the mouse, click the desired menu in the menu bar or SAP Easy Access workplace menu.

The menu opens – that is, its contents (functions, submenus, or both) appear. In the menu bar of the SAP window, the dropdown arrows indicating submenu options are to

the right of each menu item, as in the following example:

In the SAP Easy Access workplace menu, the dropdown arrows indicating submenu choices are to the left of each menu item, as in the following example. (After you have opened a submenu, the dropdown arrow you have just used points downward.) If there is no arrow next to a menu item, you go directly to the transaction screen.

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Choosing a Submenu

To choose a submenu with the mouse, click the desired submenu. The submenu opens next to the original menu, as shown in the above example. If your

system is busy, it may take a few seconds to display the submenu.

Canceling a Menu or Submenu Choice

You can cancel, or close, any menu with its submenus by clicking any blank area of the screen.

Choosing a Function from a Menu or Submenu

To choose a function from an open menu or submenu, click the desired function. The selected menu and any submenus close, and the system executes the function of your

choice.

Choosing Functions from the Toolbars (Shortcut)

Depending on your current task, various buttons are available on the standard toolbar and on the application toolbar. To choose a function with one of these buttons, you click the appropriate button.

In the standard toolbar, these buttons can include functions such as Save, Display, or Exit. A typical application toolbar is shown here:

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Choosing Functions from the Context Menu (Shortcut)

The SAP System uses the function keys on your keyboard. Depending on your task, certain function keys are active – that is, various functions from your application and task are assigned to them.

You can display a context menu with these function keys and their assigned functions. By default, this context menu is not visible. To display it, click the the right mouse button. Since the only other way to access some of these functions may be to navigate the menus, you can use the context menu as a shortcut.

To choose a function from the context menu on any screen:

...

1. Place the cursor anywhere below the toolbars.

2. Click the right mouse button. The context menu opens, as shown in this example:

3. Choose the desired function.

Choosing Menus and Functions with the Keyboard

Use

To navigate in the SAP Easy Access workplace menu, you use the up and down cursors as well as the Delete and Enter keys.

To choose a menu from the menu bar, you use the F10 key, the cursors, and the Enter key.

Procedure

Using the Keyboard to Navigate in the SAP Easy Access Workplace Menu

• To move up and down in the workplace menu, use the up and down cursors (↑ and ↓).

• To delete a favorite from your favorites list, choose Delete.

• To open a folder or start a transaction, choose Enter.

Choosing a Menu in the Menu Bar

To choose a menu with the keyboard:

...

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1. Press F10. The system activates the menu bar and highlights the first menu on the left.

2. To highlight the menu of your choice, use the left and right cursors (← and →).

3. Press the down cursor (↓). The menu opens. If your system is busy, it may take a few seconds for the contents to

appear. The system highlights the first item in the menu. Submenus are indicated by dropdown

arrows to the right of menu items.

Choosing a Submenu

To choose a submenu with the keyboard:

...

1. From the open menu, use the up and down cursors (↑ and ↓) to move the highlight to the desired submenu.

2. Press the right cursor (→). The submenu opens next to the original menu, and its contents (functions, submenus,

or both) appear. If your system is busy, it may take a few seconds to display the contents.

The system highlights the first item in the submenu.

Canceling a Menu or Submenu Choice

To cancel, or close, any menu or submenu, press ESC. Or, press F10. The system closes the respective menu and submenus, and deactivates the menu bar. To

choose another menu, press F10 again.

Choosing a Function from a Menu or Submenu

To choose a function from an open menu or submenu:

...

1. From the open menu or submenu, use the up and down cursors (↑ and ↓) to highlight the desired function.

2. Choose Enter. The system closes the respective menu and any submenus, and executes the selected

function.

Choosing Functions with Function Keys (Shortcut)

The SAP System uses the function keys on your keyboard. Depending on your task, certain function keys are active – that is, they are assigned various functions from your application and task.

To choose a function using a function key:

...

1. Display a list of the function keys available in your current task, press and hold CTRL, and press F.

2. Press the function key for that function.

Task Selection with Transaction Codes

Use

After you have logged on to the SAP System, you choose the task that you want to work on. You can switch to different tasks at any time.

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Each function in the SAP System has a transaction code associated with it. A transaction code consists of letters, numbers, or both, for example, FB05 or SUSR. You enter transaction codes in the command field. For more information on the command field, see Release 4.6:

The New SAP GUI [Seite 28].

By entering a transaction code instead of using the workplace menu, you can go to a task and start the function in a single step. Although using transaction codes efficiently requires some memorization of codes, it is also a quicker way to get around in the SAP System.

For example, entering transaction code FD01 takes you directly to the screen for creating a customer master record in Accounts Receivable.

You can use a transaction code to go to any task in any SAP application. For example, if you are working in the Accounts Receivable application, you can go to a task in the Accounts Payable application.

Prerequisites

Before you can use a transaction code, you have to find the right transaction code for the task you want to start.

Additional Information

Finding the Transaction Code for the Task You Want to Start [Seite 74] Finding the Transaction Code for the Current Task [Seite 75] Entering a Transaction Code [Seite 76] Choosing a Transaction Code from the History List [Seite 77]

Finding the Transaction Code for the Task You

Want to Start

Prerequisites

Before you can use a transaction code, you must find the transaction code for the task you want to start.

Procedure

To find a transaction code for a certain task, place the cursor on the appropriate function (that is, menu item) in the SAP Easy Access workplace menu, and either:

• Choose Extras → Technical details. A dialog box appears displaying the details for the selected menu item, as in the

following example:

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• Or, choose Extras → Settings → Show technical name. The menu closes. When you reopen it, the system displays the transaction code (not

only for the selected item, but throughout the workplace menu), as in the following example:

Result

You can start the task now by double-clicking it, or by choosing Enter. You can also use the transaction code to start this task from any screen in the SAP System. When you use a transaction code to start a task, the SAP System ends your current task and then displays the initial screen of the new task.

Finding the Transaction Code for the Current Task

Procedure

To find the transaction code for the current task:

• Choose the arrow at the far right of the first status field, as in this example:

The transaction code appears, along with other system information:

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• Or, from the menu bar, choose System → Status. The System Status dialog box appears. You can find the transaction code for the

current task in the Repository data frame of the SAP data screen area, as in this example:

To find the transaction code for a different task, you can either:

• Open the task, and choose System → Status.

• Or, activate the appropriate options on the SAP Easy Access workplace menu (see

Finding the Transaction Code for the Task You Want to Start [Seite 74]).

Entering a Transaction Code

Procedure

To enter a transaction code and start a task:

...

1. Place the cursor in the command field.

As of Release 4.6, the command field is closed by default. To display it, choose the arrow to the left of the Save icon: .

The command field appears: To hide it, choose the arrow to the right (outside) of the field. To display a list of the transactions you used last, choose the dropdown arrow

at the right-hand end of the command field.

2. Enter /n (to end the current task) followed by a transaction code. For example, for Transaction code MB01, you would enter /nmb01, as shown here.

3. Choose Enter.

You exit the current task, and the initial screen of the new task appears.

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If you do not want to end your current task, but you need to do another task, you can create a new session.

For example, suppose you are creating a purchase order and you need to look at a table with exchange rates. You can open a session to look at the exchange rate table without having to end your first task of creating a purchase order.

See Creating a New Session and a Task at Once [Seite 51].

Choosing a Transaction Code from the History List

Use

You can display a list of the transaction codes processed since you logged on (called a history list), and then choose a transaction code from that list.

Procedure

...

1. In the standard toolbar, open the command field.

As of Release 4.6, the command field is closed by default. To display it, choose the arrow to the left of the Save icon:

The command field appears: To hide it, choose the arrow to the right (outside) of the field.

2. Choose the dropdown arrow at the right-hand end of the command field. The history list appears, displaying the transaction codes for all the transactions you

have accessed in all of your sessions since you logged on. A sample history list is shown here.

3. Choose the desired transaction code.

4. Choose Enter.

This takes you to the initial screen of the task associated with that transaction code.

Entering Data on a Screen

Procedure

Most of the tasks you perform in the SAP System involve data entry on a screen.

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To enter data on a screen:

...

1. Enter data in all of the appropriate input fields on the screen. For details about fields and data entry, see Fields [Seite 78].

2. To have the system check the entries and proceed to the next screen in the task, choose Enter.

The system checks your entries. If the system finds any errors, for example entries whose format is incorrect, it displays a message in the status bar and places the cursor in the field you need to correct.

If the system does not find any errors, the next screen appears.

3. If the system found errors, change the incorrect entries. If you need help determining valid entries for an input field, see Help on Possible

Entries for a Field [Seite 127].

4. When you are done making changes, choose Enter. The system checks your entries again. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until the system does not

find any more errors and the next screen appears.

At this point, you can either save your data or cancel the task. For more information, see

Saving the Data on a Screen [Seite 85] and Canceling All the Data on a Screen [Seite 84].

Fields

Definition

A field consists of:

• A field name

• Field data

Field data is a single unit of information, such as a customer's name or account number.

Use

Most of the tasks you perform in the SAP System involve data entry. Typically, you enter data in the system in fields.

Most screens in the SAP System contain fields in which you enter data (input fields) or that provide information (display fields). Here is an example of the different field types:

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Structure

Input fields vary in length. In some cases, the length of an input field determines how many characters you can enter in the field. In other cases, input fields are scrollable – that is, you only see part of the entry in the field.

Activities

Working in Fields Using the Keyboard

As an alternative to using the mouse, the following table shows the key combinations you use to work with fields. These functions are identical to the corresponding MS Windows functions.

Key combination Result

↓ ↑

àß Ctrl+à Moves the cursor word-by-word to the right Ctrl+ß Moves the cursor word-by-word to the left Home Moves the cursor to the beginning of the input field End Moves the cursor to the end of the input field Shift+à Marks text character-by-character to the right Shift+ß Marks text character-by-character to the left Shift+Ctrl+à Marks text word-by-word to the right Shift+Ctrl+ß Marks text word-by-word to the left Shift+Home Marks texts from the cursor position to the beginning of the line Shift+End Marks text from the cursor position to the end of the line Ctrl+C, Shift+Insert Copies marked text to the clipboard Ctrl+V, Shift+Delete Inserts text stored on the clipboard Ctrl+X, Shift+Delete Deletes marked text from the input field and copies it to the clipboard

Moves the cursor to the beginning of the next input field or next line. Moves the cursor to the beginning of the previous input field or previous

line. Moves the cursor to the left or right within the input field

Delete Deletes text to the right of or highlighted by the cursor Backspace Deletes text to the left of the cursor Insert Toggles between insert and overwrite modes

Additional Information

Insert and Overwrite Modes [Seite 80] Typing Data into an Input Field [Seite 80] Changing the Data in an Input Field [Seite 80] Moving from Field to Field [Seite 81] Using the Clipboard [Seite 82] Required Input Fields [Seite 83] Help on Possible Entries for a Field [Seite 127]

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Insert and Overwrite Modes

Use

You can enter data in two modes:

• Insert: Any data to the right of the cursor moves to the right as you type.

• Overwrite: You type over any data to the right of the cursor.

Typically, you use the Overwrite mode to enter data, and the Insert mode to enter data between existing data (for example, if you left out a letter in the middle of a word).

In the standard system, the default entry mode is Insert. However, you can to switch to Overwrite at any time.

The status bar shows which mode you are currently in. It displays INS when you are in the Insert mode and OVR when you are in the Overwrite mode. For more information, see The

Status Bar [Seite 32].

Activities

To switch entry modes, press INS (insert). The current entry mode changes to the new entry mode. The INS key is a toggle between the two modes, that is, the entry mode changes each time

you press INS. You can also toggle between modes by clicking the entry mode status field at the far right of

the status bar.

Typing Data into an Input Field

Procedure

In the standard system, when you place the cursor anywhere in an empty input field, the cursor jumps to the beginning of the field.

...

1. Click anywhere in the empty input field. The cursor jumps to the beginning of the field.

2. Type in the data. (If you need help determining valid entries for the field, see Help on

Possible Entries for a Field [Seite 127].)

If the data fills the input field, the cursor automatically moves to the next input field. Otherwise, the cursor remains in the input field until you press the TAB key to move it or you click another input field.

Changing the Data in an Input Field

Use

You can change data in an input field by either:

• Switching the data entry mode to Overwrite, and typing over the data in the field, or

• Highlighting the entry in the Insert mode and typing the new data

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Some input fields contain data that is for display only; you cannot change or delete the data in these input fields. Input fields whose background is the same color as the background of the screen contain data that you cannot change.

Procedure

Insert Mode

...

1. Use the cursor to highlight the existing content of the field.

2. Type in the new data.

The entire content of the field is replaced by whatever you type.

Overwrite Mode

...

1. Make sure you are in the Overwrite mode (OVR in the status bar). If you are not, press INS to switch to this mode.

2. Place the cursor at the point in the data where you want to start overwriting.

3. Type over the old data. You can use the DEL key to delete data to the right of the cursor.

To change other input fields on the screen, repeat steps 2 and 3.

Moving from Field to Field

Procedure

Moving from Field to Field with the Mouse

Click the input field that you want to move to. The cursor now appears in that field.

Moving from Field to Field with the Keyboard

To move the cursor with the keyboard, use any of the following keys:

Key Moves the cursor to the beginning of

TAB SHIFT+TAB

↓ ↑

In the standard SAP System, the cursor automatically moves to the next input field when it reaches the end of the current input field. This feature is called automatic tabbing (AutoTAB). It is useful when you are entering data in many fields and you want to avoid having to press the TAB key to move among these fields.

The next input field The previous input field The next input field or next line The previous input field or previous line

However, AutoTAB only works at the end of an input field. For example, if the Material field can hold 12 characters, but the material number you enter is only 7 characters long, you must press the TAB key to move to the next input field.

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For information on activating AutoTAB, see Tabbing Between Fields

Automatically [Seite 48].

Using the Clipboard

Prerequisites

You can transfer the contents of fields onto the clipboard of your operating system and then paste them into other fields of the SAP System or into other applications. To do this, you use the Clipboard functions.

There is a difference between the functions described here and similar functions you may sometimes find in the Edit menu. The Clipboard functions, though limited, work for the clipboard of your windowing environment, which means you can use them to move or copy contents between the SAP System and other applications. The functions in the Edit menu, though more extensive, only work within the SAP System.

Procedure

...

1. To select a field or the text you want to copy or move, click and drag the cursor over the desired text. The selected text is highlighted.

...

a. To remove the information from an input field and place it onto the clipboard of

your operating system, choose Cut (CTRL+X) The field is now blank.

b. To copy the selected information onto the clipboard, choose Copy (CTRL+C)

Data remains in the field.

2. To paste the text, position the cursor where you want the information and then choose Paste (CTRL+V). The text is pasted at the current cursor position.

The transferred data remains in the clipboard until you use Cut or Copy again to move or copy new texts onto the clipboard. You can insert the texts into fields on another SAP screen or an external application.

To copy the data from several fields or different field types of the screen onto the clipboard, you must turn on the selection mode:

...

1. Select Clipboard → Mark (CTRL+Y) in the Layout menu. The pointer changes into a crosshair cursor.

2. Click in one corner of the area you want to copy, hold the mouse button down and drag the cursor to the diagonally opposite corner (for example, from top left to bottom right). The system displays a rectangle to indicate the selected area.

3. Release the mouse button when the rectangle covers the entire text you want to copy.

4. Select Copy (CTRL+C) or Cut (CTRL+X). The selected text is copied onto the clipboard. When you choose Cut, the selected texts are deleted from the input fields.

The clipboard now holds all the information from the fields you have selected, including the field names and short descriptions. For this reason, you usually cannot insert the contents of the clipboard in the current screen. This feature is primarily intended for copying SAP information and pasting it into an external program, such as Microsoft Word.

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Required Input Fields

Definition

When you work in the SAP System, you will sometimes encounter input fields containing a question mark (?). These are required input fields. An example is shown below:

As of Release 4.6, required input fields are identified by a checkmark icon:

Use

If the screen you are working in contains any required input fields, you must enter data in these input fields before you can proceed to the next screen or tab (if the screen is using tabs).

Generally, if a screen has no required input fields, you can go to the next screen or tab without entering data in any fields. Some screens, however, have required input fields that are not identified. This situation can occur when

• You enter data in an optional field that has required fields associated with it

• You need to enter data in one of several input fields For example, freight can be delivered by a specific day or week. Neither the Day field nor the Week field are identified as required input fields; however, you must complete one of the fields (not both).

When you choose OK to proceed to another screen, if you have not completed all the required input fields on a screen, the SAP System displays an error message in the status bar. At the same time, it places the cursor in the required input field so that you can make the necessary data entry.

Hold Data and Set Data

Use

When you want to create a group of objects that contain similar data or the same data (say, a group of purchase orders), you use the functions Hold data or Set data. Both of these functions automatically enter the specified data for a specified field, with only one difference:

• Hold data: You can change the held data.

• Set data: You cannot change the held data.

For example, suppose you want to enter 20 purchase orders (POs). Each PO has the same delivery date, and the ordered goods will be delivered to the same plant and storage location. Instead of entering the same data 20 times, you can enter the data in the input fields once and "hold" it on the screen. Then, every time you create an invoice, the system enters the same data – the held data – in the appropriate input fields.

When you use Hold data, you can change the held data when it appears in the input fields; when you use Set data, you cannot. For example, if you are entering invoices, suppose the date and document type are the same for most of the invoices, but not all. If you use Hold data, you can change (that is, overwrite) the date or document type for the few invoices that

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differ. If you use Set data, you cannot change the date or document type for the few invoices that differ.

Using Set data also has an advantage, however. When you use Set data, the cursor skips over input fields with held data, so that you do not always have to press TAB to move to the next input field.

You can hold data for as many different screens as you like. The data you enter and hold on a screen is held for that screen until you delete it or until you log off the SAP System.

The functions Hold data and Set data are not available for every task. If you try to use them in a task where they are not available, the SAP System displays a message in the status bar.

Holding Data on a Screen

Procedure

To avoid having to enter the same data repeatedly, hold the data on the screen, as follows:

...

1. On the screen, enter the data that you want to hold in the input fields.

2. From the menu bar, choose System → User profile. The User profile menu appears.

...

a. To hold data with the option of changing it, from the User profile menu, choose

Hold data.

a) To hold data with the option of automatically skipping fields with held data, from

the User profile menu, choose Set data. You will not be able to change the data.

If Hold data and Set data are not available, a message appears in the status bar. Otherwise, the data you entered is held on the screen. It will be held on the screen until you delete it or until you log off the SAP System.

Deleting Data Held on a Screen

...

1. Go to the screen that contains the data you want to delete.

2. Choose System → User profile → Delete data.

The data is deleted. The next time you access the screen, no held data will be displayed.

You can also simplify the input of repeated data using user parameters.

Canceling All the Data on a Screen

Use

You may want to cancel, or delete, the data you just entered. For example, you are missing a piece of required data and cannot proceed until you locate it.

Procedure

To cancel all the data you just entered on a screen, choose or choose Edit → Cancel.

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The system removes the data on your current screen, closes the current screen, and returns you to the previous screen. Depending on the situation, the system may display a dialog box prompting you to confirm your action.

Saving the Data on a Screen

Prerequisites

When you are working in a task that consists of several screens, the system temporarily stores the data that you enter on each screen. After you complete all the necessary screens in your task, you need to save your data.

Procedure

To save the data for a task you are working in, choose or press CTRL + S. The system processes the stored data and saves it in the appropriate database.

If you are doing a task for the first time and you do not know which screen is the last screen, the system prompts you to save when you reach the last screen. For example, if you are on the last screen of your task and you choose Enter instead of choosing Save or Post, a dialog box appears. The dialog box prompts you to save your data.

Going to Related Tasks

Use

When you are working in a task, you can use certain menus and functions to go to other screens within your task, as well as to screens in related tasks.

To find out which other screens and related tasks are available, check the Goto, Extras, and Environment menus in the menu bar. The contents of these menus change depending on the task you are doing.

Activities

Use In order to

Goto

Extras

Environment

Move among the different screens within your task Often you do not need to complete every screen in your task, or you may

want to return to a screen to make changes. Access additional information and fields Sometimes you need additional information to complete a screen. Or you

may need to complete fields that are used less frequently. Go to a related task Often, when doing a task, you need to do a related task. The related task

can be either in your current application or in another application. For example, suppose you are checking an invoice (Invoice Verification application) and you want to compare it to the purchase order (Purchasing application). From the Environment menu, you can display the purchase order, check the data on the purchase order, and then return to the

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invoice.

Depending on the application, you can often move from one screen to the next by choosing or by choosing Enter. If you have not filled out all required

input fields, however, this will not work.

Ending a Task

Use

After you have completed a task, you will want to end it. Sometimes you may want to end a task without completing it.

Procedure

To end a task:

...

1. In the standard toolbar, choose or press Shift+F3. If you have already saved the data, or if you have not entered any data, the system

ends the task and returns to the initial screen of your application.

2. If you have entered data while working in this task, but have not saved it yet, the system displays a dialog box prompting you to save your data.

¡ To save the data and end the task, choose Yes. ¡ To end the task without saving the data, choose No. ¡ To return to the task, choose Cancel.

Reports

Use

When you are working in the SAP System, you may want to access information from the database. To do this, you use reports.

In this documentation, report refers to the report program, and list refers to the

output – that is, the results of the report. Some reports display information; others allow you to perform analyses. A report must be started, or executed. In many cases, the SAP System automatically

executes a report. Sometimes, however, you will want to execute a report yourself. In addition to report programs, the SAP System provides numerous reporting tools, each of

which has its own set of procedures for executing report programs. This documentation describes report programs only. For an introduction to the SAP reporting

tools, refer to the Reporting Made Easy guidebooks (Release 4.0B). You can find these guidebooks at: www.saplabs.com/rme.

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Executing a Report

Prerequisites

To display or analyze information from the database, you execute a report. Some reports are linked directly to tasks in the SAP System, and can be executed from one of the menus on the screen you are working with.

Reports that are directly linked to your task sometimes use the data already entered on your screen as selection criteria. This means you do not have to enter selection criteria when the report is executed.

Procedure

Accessing Reports in the SAP Easy Access Workplace Menu

To access the reports used most frequently in the SAP System, go to the SAP standard menu, and choose Information Systems. In this directory, the reports are grouped by application:

Alternatively, you can access the reports belonging to a particular application by choosing the relevant application from the SAP standard menu, and choosing Information System, as shown in the example below:

Not all applications have this menu option.

Executing a Report in Your Task

To execute a report in your task:

...

1. Navigate to the function that corresponds to the report you want to execute, and choose that function. For example, to display a report of purchase orders issued to

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particular vendors, you would go to the Purchasing menu, and choose Purchase order → List displays → By vendor.

2. If no additional selection criteria are required, the system executes the report and displays the resulting list.

3. If additional selection criteria are required, the system displays the selection criteria screen. For more information, see Selection Criteria [Seite 91].

Accessing Tool-Based Reports

ABAP Query

To execute a report using the ABAP Query, choose Information Systems → Ad Hoc Reports → ABAP Query.

QuickViewer

To execute a report using the QuickViewer, go to the menu bar of the SAP Easy Access initial screen, and choose System → Services → QuickViewer.

You can also start QuickViewer reports by using the ABAP Query.

Report Painter and Report Writer

To access the Report Painter and Report Writer, choose Information Systems → Ad Hoc Reports → Report Painter → Report Writer → Report group → Execute.

Executing All Other Reports

If a report is not available directly from the task you are working in, you can execute it by starting the Reporting function.

...

1. From the menu bar of the SAP Easy Access initial screen, choose System → Services → Reporting.

The report selection screen appears:

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2. In the Program field, enter the report name. If you do not know the name, see Finding

the Name of a Report You Want to Execute [Seite 89].

3. Choose Execute. The system displays the selection criteria screen. An example is shown here:

4. Enter the selection criteria. To enter your selection criteria using a variant, you can choose a variant from the

dropdown list of possible entries. This list only contains entries if variants were created earlier. For more information on variants, see Report Variants [Seite 93].

5. To start the report, choose Program → Execute. The system executes the report and displays the resulting list. If you receive the message No data exists, recheck your selection criteria, including the

From/To Date.

Additional Information

Selection Criteria [Seite 91] Displaying Available Report Variants [Seite 95]

Finding the Name of a Report You Want to Execute

Prerequisites

You can search for a report name even when you do not know the exact name of a report.

Procedure

...

1. Choose System → Services → Reporting.

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The report selection screen appears.

2. Choose Utilities → Find Program. Or, choose the possible entries icon for Program, and select an entry from the dropdown list box.

The report search screen (ABAP Program Directory) appears:

3. In the Program field, enter any part of the report name that you know, plus any wildcards (* or +), as needed.

Wildcard Represents

* and +

* +

Use the * and + anywhere in the report name, as often as necessary. For example:

Character Represents all report names...

*sale*

*f+

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Characters you do not know Multiple characters Exactly one character

Starting with z Containing the character string sale, such as rvsale07 Containing an f as the second-to-last character, such as rmlogifa

SAP Online Help

rp+++sch

The report name can be upper- or lowercase; for example, RF is the same as rf.

4. Choose Execute. A list of reports appears.

5. Place the cursor on the report name, and choose Choose. Or, double-click the report name.

6. Choose Program → Execute. If the report does not require a variant, the selection criteria screen for the report

appears. If the report requires a variant, the system displays a message stating that you cannot

select the report from this screen. Return to the report selection screen (choose , or press F3), and then enter the report and variant name. Before leaving this screen, note the name of the report. (For more information, see Report Variants [Seite 93].)

7. Enter the selection criteria.

8. Choose Program → Execute. The system executes the report and displays the resulting data.

Starting with rp, ending in sch, and containing any three characters in between, such as rp012sch or rpinvsch

Additional Information

Selection Criteria [Seite 91]

Finding the Name of a Current Report

Procedure

...

1. Execute the report.

2. From the menu bar, choose System → Status.

The name of the report appears in the Program field.

Selection Criteria

Definition

Fields you use to define the type and amount of information you want a report to process. Reports are generated using selection criteria. For example, a selection criterion for a report on vendors would be the vendor number. This means that you can select a single vendor number or a range of numbers.

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Use

You enter delimiting values in the selection criteria input fields. Only the data that matches these limits appears in the list. For example, to obtain data from customer accounts between 600 and 700 only, you enter those values in the input field for the Customer account selection criteria. If you do not enter any values for the Customer account selection criteria, the system uses data from all of the customer accounts when it executes the report.

You should aim for precision when specifying selection criteria. Your lists will be smaller, and the system will process them faster. Otherwise, the amount of data may be very large, and the system may not be able to process it all. In this case, a message indicating processing limitations appears in the status bar.

If you receive the error message No data exists after executing a report using a selection criterion, recheck the selection criteria input fields.

Entering Values for Selection Criteria

Procedure

Entering a Single Value for a Selection Criterion

...

1. Place the cursor on the input field for the desired selection criterion.

2. Enter the value. For more information on entering data in fields, see Fields [Seite 78].

3. To further qualify this selection criterion, choose Selection options.

4. You can specify that only the records greater than or less than a value should appear in the list. You can also specify that all records meeting the selection criteria should be excluded; in this case, the system displays all records that do not meet the selection criteria.

You have entered a value for a selection criterion. Repeat this procedure for all other selection criteria desired for this report.

Entering a Range of Values for a Selection Criterion

...

1. Place the cursor on the input field for the desired selection criterion.

2. Enter the lower limit of the range in this field. This is the “from” value for the range. For example, for storage types from 007 to 014, you would enter 007. For more information on entering data in fields, see Fields [Seite 78].

3. Place the cursor in the adjacent To input field.

4. Enter the upper limit of the range in this field. This is the “to” value for the range.

5. To further qualify this selection criterion, choose Selection options.

Repeat this procedure for all other ranges of selection criteria desired for this report.

Multiple Selection

If you choose next to a selection criterion, the system displays a multiple selection screen. On this screen you can enter multiple single values or value ranges for each selection criterion.

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Report Variants

Definition

Group of selection criteria that has been saved. A report can have several different variants, with each variant retrieving different types of information. For example, a vendor report might have one variant for U.S. vendors and another variant for European vendors.

Use

Instead of entering the same values in the selection criteria input fields each time you execute a report, you can enter the values once and then save the selection criteria as a variant. The next time you execute the report, you only need to enter the variant name, not the selection criteria. If you use variants, the selection criteria screen is already filled with data.

To execute certain reports, you must use a variant. In this case, a system message prompts you to do so. Although you are not always required to use variants or selection criteria, it is a good idea to use them when possible. Your resulting lists will be smaller and take less time for the system to process.

Creating Report Variants

Use

Instead of entering the same values in selection criteria fields each time you execute a report, you can create a variant. Using variants reduces both data entry time and system processing time.

Prerequisites

You must have the proper authorization to create a variant. For information on authorizations, see your system administrator.

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A report can have any number of variants attached to it.

Procedure

...

1. From the menu bar, choose System → Services → Reporting.

2. In the Program field, enter the name of the report that the variant will be attached to. If you do not know the name, see Finding the Name of a Report You Want to Execute

[Seite 89].

3. From the menu bar, choose Goto → Variants. The ABAP Variants initial screen appears, as shown here:

4. In the Variant field, enter a name for this variant, and choose Create. You can use any combination of characters to create the variant name except for special characters, such as the percent sign (%) or dollar sign ($).

The selection criteria screen for the report appears.

5. Enter values in the selection criteria input fields. For information on entering or changing values, see Entering Values for Selection

Criteria [Seite 92].

6. Choose Continue. The Save variant screen appears. The name you entered for the variant is displayed in

the Variant field.

7. In the Description field, enter a short description of the variant.

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8. Choose any of the following environment options by selecting the checkbox to the left of the option. Your choices will affect the variant as a whole.

Only for background processing

Protect variant

Only display in catalog

System variant (automatic transport)

9. Choose any of the following characteristics for the individual selection criteria by selecting the appropriate checkbox:

• Type protected

• Invisible

• Selection variable

• Without value SPA/GPA

10. Save the variant by choosing or pressing CTRL+S.

The variant is saved and its values appear on the selection criteria screen.

To print the list using background processing. You should always print large lists in the background.

To protect the entire variant. Only the person who created the variant can change or delete it.

To reduce the number of variants displayed when using possible entries help.

To make the variant a system variant.

Additional Information

Displaying Available Report Variants [Seite 95] Using Report Variants [Seite 96]

Displaying Available Report Variants

Use

Many reports have variants. If you do not know which variants are available, you can display a list of variants attached to a report. You can also view the contents of a variant before you choose it.

Procedure

...

1. From the menu bar, choose System → Services → Reporting.

2. In the Program field, enter the report name. (If you do not know the name, see Finding

the Name of a Report You Want to Execute [Seite 89].)

3. From the application toolbar, choose Overview of variants.

4. All the variants attached to the report appear.

5. To view the contents of the variant, place the cursor on a variant and choose Variants → Display values.

6. To use the variant, highlight the variant and choose Execute with variant.

7. The system displays the selection screen for the report, complete with data.

If a variant has not been created for this report, you receive the error message Variant for program <program name> does not exist.

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Additional Information

Creating Report Variants [Seite 93] Using Report Variants [Seite 96]

Using Report Variants

Procedure

...

1. From the menu bar, choose System → Services → Reporting.

2. In the Program field, enter the report name. (If you do not know the name, see Finding

the Name of a Report You Want to Execute [Seite 89].)

3. Choose With variant. The Execute program with variant dialog box appears:

4. In the Variant field, enter the desired variant. To obtain a list of available variants, choose the possible entries button.

5. To execute the report with the variant, choose Execute. The system displays the selection screen filled with data.

6. Choose Execute. The system executes the report and displays the resulting list.

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Additional Information

Creating Report Variants [Seite 93] Displaying Available Report Variants [Seite 95]

Report List Output

Use

You can display and print a report list by executing a report from within your task or from the System menu.

Most of the reports you need are available in your application, where you can choose them from the menus. The menu that contains the reports varies from application to application; however, many reports are available from the Environment menu. To choose a report in some applications, you may first need to enter a value, for example, a material number. Your application documentation describes which menus contain the reports, and provides instructions for choosing them.

You can find a complete list of report programs and report lists in the so-called report tree. To access the report tree from the SAP Easy Access standard menu, choose Information Systems → General Report Selection. To display your report program and report list options, choose the application from which you want to execute the report or report list.

To execute a report, double-click the report name. The selection criteria screen appears. Enter your selection criteria, and choose Execute. See also Executing a Report [Seite 87].

Activities

To choose a report from the System menu, you must know the program name for the report. This applies only to the System menu. Using the System menu, you can execute reports:

• That are not available from menus

• From anywhere in the SAP System

For more information on report names, see Finding the Name of a Report You Want to

Execute [Seite 89].

You can either print a list, or display a list and then print it. If you have large lists, you should print them using background processing.

Displaying and Printing Report Lists

Procedure

Displaying a List

To display a list:

...

1. Execute the report from your task or from the System menu. See Executing a Report [Seite 87].

2. In the selection criteria screen, enter the selection criteria in the appropriate input fields. See Selection Criteria [Seite 91]. To enter your selection criteria using a variant, you can select a variant from the

dropdown list of possible entries. See Displaying Available Report Variants [Seite 95].

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3. From the selection criteria screen, choose Program → Execute. The list appears. A sample list is shown here:

If your list is large, the SAP System takes longer to process all the data. If the SAP System cannot process all the data, a message indicating processing limitations appears in the status bar. In that case, you must:

• Execute the report with a variant, or

• Enter more selection criteria values, or

• Print the list using background processing

Printing a List

To print a list:

...

1. Execute the report from your task or from the System menu. See Executing a Report [Seite 87].

2. In the selection criteria screen, enter the selection criteria in the appropriate fields. See Selection Criteria [Seite 91]. To enter your selection criteria using a variant, you can select a variant from the

dropdown list of possible entries. See Displaying Available Report Variants [Seite 95].

3. Choose Program → Execute + print. The print screen appears. Complete the appropriate input fields. The system displays default values that you can overwrite. If your list is large, you may

want to store it in the output controller and print it later, outside of business hours.

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Printing large lists can slow down the system and tie up printers. See Printing from the

SAP System [Seite 100].

In general, after you start printing a list, you cannot cancel it. You can cancel a list (that is, a spool request) only if you delete it immediately, before it leaves the SAP spool system.

4. On the print screen, choose Output → Print from the menu bar. A print summary screen appears.

• Execute the report with a variant, or

• Enter more selection criteria values, or

• Print the list using background processing

Lists

Use

Lists are used to present hierarchical data. In the SAP System, lists present the results of

• Reports

• Searches

• Queries for possible entries (in some cases)

Features

To save a list:

• To SAPoffice, choose System → List → Save → Office folders. In the subsequent dialog box, specify the folder where the list should be stored.

• To an external file format such as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet or an HTML page, choose System → List → Save → Local file. Specify the external format type.

• In a report tree, choose System → List → Save → Report tree. The system saves this list to the node and report tree you specify.

Lists can be interactive:

• Double-clicking a list entry automatically opens the entry.

• Clicking a hotspot triggers an action in the system. The most common example of a

hotspot is a hyperlink; when you click a hyperlink, you jump to a different topic or page.

Navigating Through Lists with the Keyboard

In addition to using the mouse, you can also use the following key combinations to work with lists:

Key combination Result

àß áâ

PgUp PgDn Home

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Moves the cursor to the left or right Moves the cursor up and down Scrolls back one screen Scrolls forward one screen Scrolls to the first column

SAP Online Help

End Alt+PageDown Alt+PageUp Ctrl+PageUp Ctrl+PageDown Tab Shift+Tab Ctrl+Tab F2 Ctrl+Y

Ctrl+C, Ctrl+Insert

Ctrl+X, Ctrl+Delete

Scrolls to the last column Scrolls one screen to the left Scrolls one screen to the right Scrolls to the first line Scrolls to the last line Moves to the next input field Moves to the previous input field Toggles between the list and command field Chooses an entry Switches to the highlight mode, which lets you highlight sections of the

screen Copies marked text to the clipboard

Deletes marked text and copies it to the clipboard

Printing from the SAP System

Features

Using the SAP output system, you can output many types of documents on output devices such as printers or fax machines: purchase orders, invoices, delivery note, payroll documents, e-mails, report lists, and so on.

Process Flow

Unlike most other programs, which forward print requests directly to the printer, the SAP System temporarily stores the print data. If you want to print data in an SAP System (online or

in the background [Seite 105]) and choose a print function, such as , the SAP output system creates two types of print requests:

...

1. a spool request [Extern], which temporarily stores the data to be printed in the system

2. an output request [Extern], which sends the data to the desired output device

If you want your document to be printed immediately on your printer without temporary storage, you must have made a setting in the print window [Seite 101] for immediate output

[Extern]. In this case, the spool request and output request are generated immediately, and

the data is printed. If you want to temporarily store the data, do not choose print out immediately. You can display

the temporarily stored print request (spool request) in the output controller [Seite 104] and/or print it at a later time.

More Information

Print Window [Seite 101] BC - SAP-Printing Manual [Extern]

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Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual