Ask the Experts

Ask the Experts

SAP ABAP

• Signal 11 in OS

  Signal 11 means your processes are misbehaving. Our resident expert explains why.  Continue Reading

• Suspending and restarting batch jobs

  Our expert shows how jobs are stored and how to update those tables directly.  Continue Reading

• How to handle a dialog program during multiple user hits

  Help on SAP transactions and logical units of work.  Continue Reading

• Identifying transparent tables used by a structure

  In this expert response, Bert Vanstechelman discusses how to identify transparent tables used by a structure.  Continue Reading

• What is the best way of finding a list of SRM tables?

  A readers wants to look at data types and field lengths for the Purchase Order header and line items table. Application development expert Matt Billingham explains the options.  Continue Reading

• How do I perform maintenance on Table DDPRS?

  Can I perform maintenance on Table DDPRS? Application development expert Matt Billingham answers.  Continue Reading

• Can VA05 (underlying program SAPMV75A), be scheduled and run as a job?

  When this user tried creating a job for SAPMV75A, it would not allow it, citing a problem with the program type (M). Expert Matt Billingham explains why.  Continue Reading

• How to change ABAP program package from $TMP to a z* package

  A user wants to change his ABAP program package from $TMP to z* package in my development environment so it can transport to QA. Application development expert answers.  Continue Reading

• What's next for an ABAPer interested in functional SAP?

  I am stuck in mid-career. I don't know what to do or how to do it. I have nine years of IT experience with more than four years of SAP as an ABAP programmer. I am interested in becoming a functional SAP consultant. I'm having difficulty figuring out...  Continue Reading

• Where does MDM fit into an ABAP career?

  I have been working in ABAP for a period of more than two years. Now I have an opportunity to be in an MDM project. I have heard that there is not much scope for ABAPers in future. What are the skills I need to pick up to be in the SAP flow? I have ...  Continue Reading

• XI vs. Portal for ABAP consultants

  XI or Portal? I have been an ABAP consultant for 12 years (nine of them as an independent) and would like to know which of these two technologies would offer better contracting prospects in the medium- to long-term (and which would be a better fit ...  Continue Reading

• What is the difference between user-exits and BADIs?

  Expert Matt Billingham explains the difference between user-exits and BADIs.  Continue Reading

• How can an ABAP developer add BW skills?

  I am 23 years old. I am a computer engineer and I've started my career as an ABAP developer. My company is not giving me any advanced knowledge in SAP technologies. I want to grow in technical skills and want to work in BW or move to the functional ...  Continue Reading

• Work in ABAP or learn J2EE and Enterprise Portal?

  I have just completed my graduation and have started working in SAP. I have an option to work in ABAP or learn J2EE and Enterprise Portal. Which one has a better future and which should I choose?  Continue Reading

• Is the ABAP market ripe for consultants?

  I have been a Basis administrator for eight and a half years in a non-consulting position at a very large organization now running R/3 4.7, BW 3.5 on Oracle 9i. Noticing that no one was filling the need for performance tuning, I took this task upon ...  Continue Reading

• Why does my SAP workflow work in debugging mode, but not normal mode

  Workflow expert Alon Raskin describes how to resolve an error message when the SAP workflow is not working in normal mode.  Continue Reading

• How to send a spool request as a PDF to an SAP inbox

  Matt Billingham, application development expert, responds to a reader question on how to send a spool request as a PDF document to an SAP inbox in this expert tip.  Continue Reading

• Outbound deliveries: Can we use BAPIs?

  Application development expert Matt Billingham discusses an unreleased function module that can be used for outbound deliveries in this expert tip.  Continue Reading

• Tricks for finding an exit for a particular Tcode

  Learn tricks for finding an exit for a particular Tcode in this expert tip from application development guru Matt Billingham.  Continue Reading

• What's the best way to find a list of tables for CRM 4.0?

  Learn how to find a list of tables for SAP CRM 4.0 and how to find where data is stored in the SAP system in this expert Q and A with Matt Billingham.  Continue Reading

• How do I add an authorization object to a transaction?

  Matt Billingham, development expert, describes the methodology for adding an authorization object to an SAP transaction.  Continue Reading

• ABAP trick for converting a floating point number to a packed field

  Learn a trick for converting a floating point number to a packed field in this expert Q and A with development guru Matt Billingham.  Continue Reading

• I know ABAP -- should I learn Java or .NET next?

  Wondering the best language to learn after ABAP? Application development expert Matt Billingham gives his opinion to an SAP developer looking to move on to Java.  Continue Reading

• Can I use ABAP to insert Excel graphs into a Word document?

  Looking for best practices for inserting Excel graphs into a Word document with SAP? Application development expert Matt Billingham describes how.  Continue Reading

• Put a call to an SAP function module for additional customer checks

  Application development expert Matt Billingham describes how to put a call to an SAP function module in UPDATE TASK, for additional functionality during a save.  Continue Reading

• What are the benefits of using work areas with tables, as opposed to header lines?

  Curious about the benefits of using work areas with tables, as opposed to header lines? Learn from application development expert Matt Billingham. Also learn where work areas will be used in the future, and where header lines will continue to remain.  Continue Reading

• Is there a way to debug field exit functions?

  Looking for information about debugging field exit functions? Application development expert Matt Billingham describes a workaround for this problem.  Continue Reading

• Will Java replace ABAP in the future?

  Wondering about the future of ABAP and Java? Learn Matt Billingham's expert opinion on what the future holds for ABAP and Java as development languages.  Continue Reading

• Finding language-dependent statements in SAP ABAP

  Need to find language-dependent statements in SAP ABAP? Learn how from application development expert Matt Billingham.  Continue Reading

• What types of user exits are there in SAP?

  What types of user exits are there in SAP? Learn the top three options from NetWeaver, IDoc and ALE expert Axel Angeli.  Continue Reading

• Set up the SAP XI System Landscape (SLD) to send third-party data to an R/3 system

  Curious how to set up the SAP XI System Landscape (SLD) to send third-party data to an R/3 system using ABAP proxies? Axel Angeli will tell you how.  Continue Reading

• After ABAP, should I move on to .NET or Java?

  I am a developer who has been working in ABAP for six years and now would like to move to another language. Should I learn VB.NET or Java? Which one has more potential?  Continue Reading

• Write ABAP code that will validate the field using a field exit

  Learn how to write code that will validate the field using a field exit. Application development expert Matt Billingham describes how.  Continue Reading

• Work area vs. header lines for developing tables

  Wondering about the difference between work areas and header lines in tables? Application development expert Matt Billingham advises a user who is developing tables.  Continue Reading

• Defining the development terms SELECT SINGLE and SELECT UP TO 1 ROWS

  Learn the difference between two common development terms. Matt Billingham, SAP application development expert, defines the terms.  Continue Reading

• Are there advantages of BAPIs over BDCs?

  Wondering if there are advantages of BAPIs over BDCs? Matt Billingham, SAP application development guru, tells one reader about those advantages.  Continue Reading

• How to output ABAP information into a flat file

  How can I output ABAP information into a flat file? Application development expert Matt Billingham explains.  Continue Reading

• Error occuring with message type 'E'

  Learn how to troubleshoot an error occuring with SAP message type 'E'. Application development guru Matt Billingham advises a reader who is encountering this problem.  Continue Reading

• What is the ABAP Coverage Analyzer?

  Wondering about the ABAP Coverage Analyzer and what it can do for you? Application development expert Matt Billingham explains.  Continue Reading

• Automated system for finding Tcodes/programs and the tables/structures they utilize

  Is there a tabular link between Tcodes/programs and the tables/structures they utilize? This tip describes how to find Tcodes/programs and the tables/structures they utilize.  Continue Reading

• Finding item details for an incoming invoice using workflow

  Are you trying to find item details for an incoming invoice using workflow? Workflow/webflow expert Alon Raskin can help. Here he advises a user who is trying to find item details and display the details in the work item.  Continue Reading

• Identifying the user exit in a transaction

  Learn how to identify the user exit in a transaction yb opening a program and running a search. NetWeaver guru Axel Angeli describes the process for finding a user exit in SE38.  Continue Reading

• Best way to transfer a transaction

  What's best for multiple transactions, the transaction or the session method? Site expert Matt Billingham provides advice for developers looking to transfer multiple transactions.  Continue Reading

• Do I need a copyright to market my ABAP subsystem?

  Site expert Matt Billingham describes the process involved in marketing an ABAP subsystem.  Continue Reading

• Using a BAPI in JCo, the data in the database isn't updated. Why?

  While reading data from SAP database using JCo, a reader invoked BAPIs and RFCs, but the database simply wouldn't update. Application development expert Matt Billingham sheds some light on what's going on in this article.  Continue Reading

• Difficulties with parameter values

  This reader has a problem fetching the right data for different parameters in his ABAP program. SAP application development expert Matt Billingham is on the case.  Continue Reading

• Error message while trying to transfer assets

  A reader attempted to transfer assets within a company code, did everything by the book yet ended up with a nasty error message. Fortunately, our resident application development expert had a quick fix.  Continue Reading

• How can I find low-usage reports in SAP?

  Need to create usage reports in SAP? This reader asked our application development expert about the best approach.  Continue Reading

• OLE functionality for populating Excel files

  Need a manual/reference of all functionalities for OLE? This reader was using ABAP to populate Excel files, and now is asking SAP development expert Matt Billingham for help.  Continue Reading

• ALV defined

  What is an ALV, and how does ALV work? Application development expert Matt Billingham answers.  Continue Reading

• How can we manipulate an Excel report through ABAP?

  Looking for ways to produce an Excel report from an SAP ABAP program into a pivot table format? Learn how here.  Continue Reading

• What is the best way to encrypt messages?

  Want to encrypt a particular message? SAP expert Axel Angeli explains how.  Continue Reading

• Accessing the NetWeaver Developer Studio

  A reader asks, "How can I get SAP NetWeaver Developer Studio to develop my skills for educational purposes?" Find out here.  Continue Reading

• What is SAP's extension capability?

  Curious about SAP's extension capability? This reader was tasked with finding out all there was to know about it; SAP application development expert Matt Billingham explained the options.  Continue Reading

• What is the run time difference of query vs. ABAP?

  There can be a significant time difference between queries and ABAP reports. Why is this, and what are the benefits of these methods?  Continue Reading

• Can I output a CSV file in an ABAP program?

  Learn how to output a CSV file in an ABAP program.  Continue Reading

• Are there tools in ABAP for petri net designing?

  I am new to SAP/ABAP and I have a project at my university where I have to implement alpha algorithm for workflow mining in ABAP. I have to deal with petri nets for this purpose. I wanted to know if there are any tools in ABAP with which I can do ...  Continue Reading

• Uploading data for testing purposes

  What's the best approach for uploading already existing data (material master records) in production to the test server? Find out here.  Continue Reading

• Can we break the document number range into two-point breaks?

  Learn how to break the number range into two-point breaks?  Continue Reading

• How to make an ABAP field invisible

  SAP developers may want to make ABAP fields invisible from time to time. Get the code you need here.  Continue Reading

• Is certification the way to get into SAP?

  Certification is not enough to guarantee a path into the SAP field, says our SAP careers expert Jon Reed. And NetWeaver might be an easier path in than ABAP.  Continue Reading

• Best way to create an internal table with different record types

  What is the best way to create an internal table with different record types? Find out here.  Continue Reading

• Translating multiple transactions into French

  What's the best approach for translating multiple transaction screens from English to French? SAP application development expert Matt Billingham answers.  Continue Reading

• Should we encrypt or hide ABAP source code from customers?

  Is there any way to encrypt or hide the source code from customers once they have purchased the product, asks a reader? This may not be a good idea, says Matt Billingham.  Continue Reading

• Rewriting applications before an upgrade

  What's the best way to rewrite applications that are incompatible with a pending upgrade? The best method might be to wait, says expert Matt Billingham.  Continue Reading

• Find out if a report exists with ABAP

  I'm trying to check if a report exists before I do a "submit" but I don't know how, writes a reader. Expert Matt Billingham's advice solves the problem.  Continue Reading

• ALE/ IDoc scenarios with a practical approach

  I would like to know the ALE/IDoc scenarios with practical approach. Can you help?  Continue Reading

• Sort a table to find value for a field

  I want to get the number of records in an internal table with a particular value for a field. Can it be done by using the "describe" statement?  Continue Reading

• How to assign a subscreen in the controls framework

  I am just starting to work with the SAP controls framework to build screens. Is there a way to assign a subscreen to a container?  Continue Reading

• ABAP for reading/writing files in XML format

  Our client indicated that two external SAP systems are ONLY able to generate and read XML format files. We need to establish a bi-directional interface with these two systems, reading and writing files in XML format. Where can we find an example of ...  Continue Reading

• Is Business Connector a useful tool?

  A reader questions the usefulness of SAP Business Corrector as a tool to read EDI 810 transactions or send files directly with e-mail.  Continue Reading

• Editing in table maintenance

  I created a Z-table via SE11 and added all fields via "Direct Type" rather than via "Data Element". Then I used the Table Maintenance Generator to create table maintenance screens. However, SM30 and SM31 only show plus signs (+) instead of field ...  Continue Reading

• ABAP report with pop-ups

  How do I schedule an ABAP report which is displaying pop-up windows while executing, asks a reader? Expert Matt Billingham answers.  Continue Reading

• How do I avoid running ABAP programs more than once?

  Try creating your own method if the current object is causing problems, says expert Matt Billingham.  Continue Reading

• Using a field exit

  On release 4.7 Enterprise, is it possible to use a field-exit? On release 4.0 B we are using one of them, but after upgrade this field-exit doesn't work.  Continue Reading

• Attach an extract file to email

  Is there a way, in an ABAP program, to send an email and attach an extract file to the email? We are currently running the 4.7 version of SAP.  Continue Reading

• Sending an IDoc from SAP-ISU to SAP R/3

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• Error with IDocs

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• 6.40 personality ABAP for NetWeaver

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• Change pointer key values

  Using change pointer method, I have to send product number(matnr) and its text (Creation or delete) from R/3 to WGTS(SAP). All configuration for change pointer has been done. In change pointer table(BDCP)on creation/change pointer key, I'm not ...  Continue Reading

• Upload fx rates into SAP using BAPI Exchange

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• Password protected e-mails

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• White space errors in ABAP editor

  Lengthy SELECT SINGLE statements result in white space errors. Could the ABAP editor be to blame?  Continue Reading

• Employee addresses missing from SQ01

  How can I create a query that will give me only those employees who do not have a subtype permanent address in Info Address, asks a reader? Use ABAP, says SAP HR expert Brian Stewart.  Continue Reading

• Error enhancing SAP infotypes

  When this reader clicks the Create ALL button, there is an error message: "The length of object CI_P0102 is 1208; the allowed maximum is 500." Expert Brian Stewart offers some possible solutions.  Continue Reading

• Changing the default directory

  A reader running SAP release 4.0B using the 620 GUI sees a default, my list, save, local file, directory as C:SapWorkDir. Expert Giovanni Davila explains how to change this to something else.  Continue Reading

• When to use transactions SM66, SM50, SM51, STAD, ST05 and ST04

  When should ABAP developers use transactions such as SM66, SM50, SM51, STAD, ST05 and ST04? Giovanni Davila weighs in.  Continue Reading

• How to properly debug codes

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• Can another LOOP..ENDLOOP be written?

  Inside a LOOP..ENDLOOP of an internal table that has control level codes such as AT NEW.., AT END OF.., can I write another LOOP..ENDLOOP within any of the control levels AT..ENDAT? Is this kind of coding valid or will there be any unpredictable ...  Continue Reading

• Dollar and yen symbols in an ABAP report

  Application development expert Matt Billingham explains how to print an ABAP report that would contain the dollar sign when the amount is US dollars and the yen sign when it is yen.  Continue Reading

• How do I write the export directly onto the tape?

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• Creating the repository object

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• Displaying numeric output without changing format

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• How can I display a selection screen based on a TCode?

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• Problem migrating the vendor master object

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• Error processing inbound IDocs

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• How do I secure an IDoc?

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• Which IDoc do I use to automatically create a Purchase Order?

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• Problem processing ZORDERS05

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• How to determine the primary keys of a table

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