Chapter :3

Report Painter/Report Writer

Contents
Learning the Basics of Report Painter/Report Writer.........................................32

In this chapter you will:

Understand the difference

between Report Painter
and Report Writer

Learn how to create a

simple report with Report
Painter

Explore helpful hints and

information on the
Report/Report Interface,
formula variables, and
creating your own
evaluation structures

Creating a Report with Report Painter.................................................................37

Understanding the Report List...........................................................................326
Getting the Most from Report Painter/Report Writer: Tips & Tricks................326
Review.................................................................................................................. 338
Where to Learn More........................................................................................... 338

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Learning the Basics of Report Painter/Report Writer

In this chapter you will learn about Report Painter/Report Writer, tools that let
you report on data from multiple applications. Before jumping into how you can
use Report Painter/Report Writer to create reports, it is important to understand
its features and basic organization.

Overview
Report Painter/Report Writer can be used to easily create currency- or quantitytype reports in the R/3 System. Examples of such reports include, financial
statements, sales reports, and inventory reports.
Earlier releases of the R/3 System were delivered only with Report Writer. Later,
the user interface of Report Writer was enhanced and offered to users as Report
Painter. As shown in the graphic below, Report Painter adds an easy-to-use
graphical interface to the core functionality of Report Writer.

Report Writer

Graphical
Graphical
Interface
Interface

Report Painter

What Is Report Painter?

With Report Painter you can report on data from multiple applications. It uses a
graphical report structure which forms the basis for report definition. When
defining a report, you work with a structure that corresponds to the final
structure of the report. With Report Painters intuitive WYSIWYG approach to
report design, you define a report on a form that displays the rows and columns
as they will appear in the report output.

What Is Report Writer?

Just like Report Painter, Report Writer lets you report on data from multiple
applications. Using elements such as sets, variables, formulas, cells, and key
figures, you can create complex reports that meet specific reporting
requirements.
Note: Since Report Painter provides the core functionality of Report Writer,
most users may not need to use Report Writer. A general understanding of
Report Writer should suffice for most users.

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How Is Report Painter Different From Report Writer?

Although there are a few differences between the two tools, both Report Painter
and Report Writer share the same execution engine. Since both tools work with
the same reporting control tables, you can use either tool to create reports on
the configured tables.
Here are some of the important differences between Report Painter and Report
Writer:
Report Painter

Report Writer

Page breaks occur only between row

elements

Page breaks occur at arbitrary

summation-levels within a report.

Allows use of single lines (--) only for

over- and underscoring

Allows use of any characters (for

example, double-line ==) for overand under-scoring

Before 4.0A, authorization groups for

report handling are not supported.
Refer to OSS note 69090 for a
workaround. Starting in Release 4.0A
it is possible to maintain the header of
a Report Painter report via the menu
path: Environment report header.

Allows set up of authorization groups

for report handling

Key figures can only be used in

columns

Key figures can also be used in rows

and data selection

Row-detail is restricted to three levels:

No explosion, single values, and all
levels

In addition to the levels supported by

Report Painter, you can also select
intermediate levels

Copying reports between Report Painter and Report Writer

If you want to build a report using features that are only available in Report
Writer, then the report must be created in Report Writernot Report Painter.
As shown in the graphic on the following page, Report Painter reports can only
be changed or displayed using Report Painter.
Later, if you want to change a Report Painter report using Report Writer, you
must first copy it into a Report Writer report (with a different name) and then
modify the copied report. When the report is copied, the necessary sets are
automatically generated; you can define a 5-character prefix for the set
name.
Note: In Release 4.5 you no longer have to define a prefix since the system
automatically attaches one to your automatically created sets. The systemcreated set is deleted when you delete the report.
Reports written in Report Writer cannot be edited using Report Painter.

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R e p o rt
P a in te r

D is p la y
or
C hange
R e p o rt

Data tables
supported

C o p y to a
R e p o r t W r ite r
R e p o rt

D is p la y
or
C hange
R e p o rt

R e p o rt
W r ite r

Both Report Painter and Report Writer can be used to report on the following
tables and tables types:
Evaluation structures set up in the Logistics Information System (LIS).
These structures normally begin with an S or ZF. Several different
tables and views within the R/3 System can be added as evaluation
structures.
Note: You cannot add cluster tables, such as BSEG.
CCSS is used for Cost Center Accounting (CO-CCA), Internal Orders (COOPA), Activity Based Costing (CO-ABC) and for cost element reports in
Project Systems (PS).
GLFUNCT is used for functional area reporting in cost-of-sales accounting.
GLPCT and GLPCOP are used for Profit Center Accounting (CO-PCA/EC-PCA).
FILC is used for Legal Consolidations (FI-LC).
COFIT is used for the Controlling Reconciliation Ledger (CO-CEL).
ZZ tables are created for the Special Purpose Ledger (FI-SL).
FIMC is used for consolidations in the Enterprise Controlling module (ECLC).
GLT0 is used for Financial Accounting (General Ledger) reports by account,
company, and business area (FI-GL).
KKBC, KKBE, and KKBU are used for the Controlling Product Costing module
(CO-Costing).
New in Release 4.0A: RWCOOM is used for CO-CCA, CO-OPA and CO-ABC.
RWCOOM is used for special standard reports like internal order budget
reports, cost center budget reports and cost component reports.
Note: RPPS was used for Project Systems (PS). However, it is obsolete and is
no longer supported in Release 4.0. In Release 3.x there were only two special
reports (6P70 and 6P71) using RPPS. These reports cannot be called directly,

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but via ABAP reports RKOPLAN0 and RKOPLAN1.

How Is Report Painter/Report Writer Organized?

Report Painter/Report Writer has four main components:
Sets: Logical groupings of characteristic values. For example, a cash line
on a balance sheet is made up of a set of cash accounts, or an energy
product line on an inventory report is made up of a set of the energy
products. Variables can also be created which are placeholders for sets, or
values within sets.
Libraries: Control what characteristics and key figures from a table are
available for reporting.
Reports: Hold a definition of the rows, columns, and overall data
selection. They also include the header and footer texts and layout settings.
Report Groups: Can contain one or more reports. The report group is
what you executenot the actual report. A report group is generated to
create a set of ABAP programs that produce the reports.

Related Terminology
The following is a list of key terms you need to understand when working with
Report Painter/Report Writer tools.

Report Definition
A report definition has three main components:
Rows: The rows of a Report Painter report contain characteristics that
determine how the rows will appear in the report. In the first report example
on page 8, materials and material types drive the outcome of the rows,
therefore only these characteristics are included in the rows of the report.
Columns: The columns of a Report Painter report must have key figures.
If needed, columns may also contain characteristics. In the second report
example on page 19, plants are shown across the page, which means the
plant characteristic is included in the columns as well as a key figure for net
value of a billing document.
General Data Selection: The general data selection area contains the
additional characteristics that should control the data included in the report.
In the second example on page 19, you may want to limit the selected data
by material group or industry. Since these fields do not affect the outcome of
the rows or columns, they are included in the general data selection as
additional selection criteria. Any required fields that are not in the rows or
columns are also included in the general data selection. In the first example
on page 8, ledger, version, and record-type are all required but not included
in the rows or columns. Therefore, these fields must be included in the
general data selection in order for the report to run. Each table has certain
required fields. To check your report for missing fields, choose the Check icon
in Report maintenance.

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Key Figures
Key figures are the currency or quantity buckets for a report. Some examples of
key figures include the local currency amount in profit center accounting, the
costs bucket in cost center accounting, the net value of a billing line item, and
the quantity of materials sold in a sales order.

Characteristics
Characteristics are the fieldsother than currency or quantityneeded to build
the report. For example, company code, plant, sales organization, G/L account,
cost center, or period. In a balance sheet report, G/L accounts probably appear in
the rows of your report. In a customer sales report, customers are likely to
appear in the rows of the report.

How to Access Report Painter/Report Writer?

To access Report Painter, choose the following menu path from the SAP main
menu:
Information systems Ad hoc reports Report painter
Report Writer functions can be accessed from within Report Painter. To access
Report Writer, choose the following menu path from the SAP main menu:
Information systems Ad hoc reports Report painter Report Writer.

How Does Report Painter Differ from Other Reporting Tools?

With the exception of row titles which have text fields, Report
Painter/Report Writer reports display numerical fields only (for example, dollar
and quantity fields). This is not a requirement for ABAP Query and typical line
item reporting tools, which can display arbitrary text columns.
The printed Report Painter/Report Writer reports appear much the same
way on paper as they do on screen. In contrast, the Drilldown reporting tool
produces a different output format. Drilldown is an online analytical tool
which can be used to drilldown to different levels of detail but is infrequently
used for printing. For more information, see chapter 4.
Report Painter/Report Writer reports are hierarchical and take advantage
of configured hierarchies (for example, with cost center hierarchies). You can
also execute Report Painter/Report Writer reports from each level within a
hierarchy.
Report Painter/Report Writer reports can handle multiple currency/quantity
units within a single column.
Report Painter/Report Writer is well-suited to handle reports which require
mass production. For example, Report Painter/Report Writer is a particularly
effective tool for creating month-end reports.

What Are the Prerequisites?

Table: You must know the table you need for the report as well as the
data within the table. Every table has characteristics and key figures, or
evaluation structures that are required for a report. Each tables
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characteristics and key figures are different. For example, in the Special
Ledger the key figures are based on currency: transaction, local, and group. In
Cost Center Accounting structure CCSS, the key figures are based on currency
and the type of cost: cost, quantity, statistical quantity, and variances.
Sets: You will need to build sets that include the values for the
characteristics that are needed for your report. Although the values can be
directly entered into the report, it is recommended that you use sets. Sets
can be used in multiple reports because when values change, only the sets
are changed and not each individual report. As an example, cost center
hierarchies (groups) are sets and can be used directly (as with profit center
groups). The same holds true for cost elements, activity types, statistical key
figures, orders, and business processes (you do not have to create technical
sets for these characteristics in order to use Report Painter).
Library: You must create a library for the table or evaluation structure.
Most tables supported by Report Painter/Report Writer have one or more
libraries you can use. When creating evaluation structures in the Logistics
Information System, the system creates a library beginning with a 2. Since
the Special Ledger is not delivered with the libraries, you will need to create a
library on each new special ledger table.

Creating a Report with Report Painter

The main steps in creating a report are shown in the graphic below:

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Determine
Determine the
the table
table you
you need
need for
for your
your report
report

Find
Find or
or create
create aa library
library for
for the
the table
table

Find
Find or
or create
create required
required sets
sets for
for your
your reports
reports

4Trained
Find
create
for
Find or
orEmployee
create variables
variables
for the
the fields
fields in
in your
your report
report
Available?
5

Create
Create your
your report
report

Add
Add your
your report
report to
to aa report
report group
group

In this section you learn how to create the following two reports with Report
Painter:
Profit Center Accounting report

Billing report

For these sample reports, you should focus on the tables that correspond to the
SAP application areas you are working with. For example, if your expertise is PCA
(Profit Center Accounting), you should work with table GLPCT. Take a few minutes
to familiarize yourself with the scenario and the desired report. For more
information, see page 3-4.
The examples shown in this section were created in Release 4.0B.

Example 1: Gross Profit Margin Report

Bungee Corporation wants to use Report Painter to create a Gross Margin
Report. This Profit Center Accounting report will use data table GLPCT. The
desired PCA report displays the gross margin for each profit center. The
following general data selection values were used: Fields version (0), Record
type (0), Period (1-12), Company code (3000), Profit center (3010N999), and
Ledger (8A).

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Below is an illustration of the completed gross margin report.

The rows in this report list the G/L accounts and the columns contain the current
as well as prior years (with the company code currency key figure).

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Guided Tour

Step 1: Determine the Table

Before you can start creating the report, you must select the table you need to use. In this
example, we use table GLPCT in Profit Center Accounting.

Step 2: Find the Library

Select the library you want to use for the table chosen in step 1. If necessary, choose the
following menu path to create a library: Information systems Ad hoc reports Report
painter Report Writer Libraries Create.
As shown in step 5, we use an existing library 8A2 for this report.

Step 3: Create Sets

Create required sets for your report. To create a set, choose: Information systems Ad hoc
reports Report painter Report Writer Set Create.
Note that this step is not necessary for this sample report.

Step 4: Create Variables

Create any variables for the fields that must be entered before the report is executed. To
create a variable, choose: Information systems Ad hoc reports Report painter Report
Writer Variable Create.
Note that this step is not necessary for the sample report.

Step 5: Create Report

1. From the SAP main menu,
choose Information Systems
Ad hoc reports Report painter
4
Report Create.
2. In Library, enter the name of
the library to be used for the
report (for this example, we use
8A2).

2
3

3. In the Report field, enter a

name for your report and a
short text description.
4. Choose Continue.

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To help you better understand how to create a report in Report Painter, this step has been
divided into the following substeps:
Define the rows
Define the columns
Define the general data selection
Define Rows

1. When defining the rows of a

report, notice the Lead column
at the top of the rows. Report
Painter refers to the rows of a
report as the Lead column. You
can type over this with your
own description.
1. To start defining the rows,
double-click on Row 1.

1. In Row 1: Choose
Characteristics, select the
desired characteristics. For this
example, select Account
number from the list of
available characteristics.

1
2

2. Choose Enter to continue.

3. Enter the account number(s)

you want to include in the row
definition. Either enter to/from
values or a group (set). See
Tips&Tricks on page 3-12 for
more information.

4. Choose Enter.

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5. Enter a name for the row you

are defining. In this example,
Row 1 is defined as Revenue.
6. Choose Enter.

You have now defined the first row.

Repeat steps 1-8 shown above to
8
add the second row titled Cost of
Goods Sold (not shown here). For
Row 2, use accounts 400000490000.
9. In the Report Painter: Create
Report screen, double-click on
Row 3.
10.Select Formula as the row
element type.
11.Choose Enter.

10
11

12.Enter the formula for Row 3. You

can either type it in or use your
mouse and the formula
components buttons. If you type
the formula, do not forget the
spaces. In this example, Y001
and Y002 represent Revenue
and Cost of Goods Sold
respectively.

12

13.Choose Enter.
14.In the popup screen (not shown
here), enter the text Gross
Margin.
You have now defined the three
rows (Revenue, Cost of Goods Sold,
and Gross Margin) you will need for
this report.

13

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Creating a set
Instead of separately defining each row, you can also create a set to save you
time. The set you use in a report row is referred to as a row block and may
consist of one or more physical rows. If you create a basic set containing
account numbers as a row block, then the system automatically creates a
physical row for each account number in the set.
In this example, you could have skipped steps 5 through 14 simply by
creating a basic set called Gross Margin in step 3. This set (row block) would
include the account numbers for Revenue (800000) and Cost of Goods Sold
(400000-490000). The system automatically generates a physical row for
Revenue and Cost of Goods Sold without requiring you to define it from
scratch. To do this, you must set the explode option to explode or single
values. After that, one will automatically get one line for each account, not 2
lines for each single value (800000) and the interval. You will only get 2 lines
if the standard layout parameter form print is setbut this is not the default
setting.
For more information on how to use sets, refer to the online documentation in
the R/3 Library.
Define Columns

1. Double-click on the first column,

Column 1.
2. In the Select Element Type
window, select Key Figure with
characteristics.
3. Choose Enter.

2
3

4. In the Key figures window,

select Amount in company code
currency.
4
5. Choose Enter.

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6. In the Choose Characteristics

window, select Fiscal Year as
the desired characteristic for
column 1.
7. Choose Enter.

If you want to be prompted for the

fiscal year at the time of running
the report, you must make this a
variable instead of a value.
8. Place your cursor in the From
value field and choose Variable
on/of.

10

9. Select from the list of available

variables or enter a variable for
Current year.
10.Choose Enter.
11.Enter the texts for the column
header.

11

12.Choose Enter.
Column 1 has now been defined for
your report.
12

Since the following steps are similar to those shown above, they have not been pictured in
this guided tour.
13.Define column 2 (Prior Year): You can define column 2 either by repeating steps 1
through 12, or by copying columns. For column 2, choose Prior year as the desired
variable.
14.Define column 3 (Variance): Enter a formula that calculates the difference between
column 1 (current year) and column 2 (prior year). The column text should read Variance.
Adding a column or formula is similar to adding a row formula. Follow steps 10 through 13
shown in the section Define Rows.
You have now defined the three columns (Current Year, Prior Year, and Variance) needed for
your report.

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General Data Selection

Now that you have defined the rows

and columns, you are ready to enter
the general data selection.

1. From the menu on the Report

Painter: Create Report screen,
choose Edit General data
selection Display/Change.
2. Select the fields to add to the
general data selection.
3. Choose Enter.
4. Enter the values for each field.
The standard ledger for PCA is
8A.The U.S. company code in
IDES is 3000.

4
4

5. In the Profit center field, we want

to include a set variable so that
we can enter the profit centers
or profit center group when
executing the report. Place your
cursor in the group field for the
profit center.

5 7
8

6. Choose Variable on/of.

7. Enter the variable name 8A-PC-1
in the group field.
8. This is a year-to-date report, so
all 12 periods are in the range.
The standard Version in PCA is
000 and the Record type for
actual dollars is 0.

9. Choose Enter.
10.Choose Edit General data
selection Variation (not shown
here)

11

11.To create multiple lists for the

characteristics, select Explode.
12.Choose Enter.

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Your report is now ready.

14

13.Choose Save to save the report.

13

14.To go to the display mode of the

report, choose Report Display.

15.Make sure the correct Library

and Report names have been
selected.
16.Choose Continue.

16
15

17.Review the report display.

18

18.To execute the report, choose

Report Execute.

17

You need to display the report

before you execute it so that you
can later change the report layout
directly from the report list.

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You are prompted to include the

report in a report group.
19.Choose Yes.
19

20.Enter the name of a report

group. It must be four characters
long and start with a letter.
21.Choose Enter.
20
21

22.Enter the variables used to

execute the report. We will
execute the report for fiscal year 23
1998 and profit centers 3010
through N999.

22

23.Choose Execute.

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Change Layout

1. After executing the report, add

the headers and footers while
you are still viewing the report.
Since there is no automatic
centering, text blocks are easier
to work with at this point. From
the report choose Settings
Texts Headers (or Footers).

2. Enter the title of the report and

any text such as Date:, Time:,
and so on.
3. To add the variables for the
report, place your cursor where
the variable should start, then
click the Standard variables
button. Select the variable by
double-clicking on it. The
variable will be included in the
header.
4. To include the profit centers in
the report, enter Profit
Center, then click your cursor
where the profit center is to be
inserted.
5. Choose Characteristics. Select
the profit center characteristic,
the text type is Value, and the
value is Value/Group.
6. Choose Save to save the
headers.
Layout settings
To change the layout settings in the report, choose Settings Layout. There
are six layout screens to choose various settings such as the number of
decimal places, column width, text column width, and rounding. Review each
screen and make the necessary changes.
To prevent report users from making permanent layout changes, deselect the
Change allowed during execution field in the Layout: Page/Control screen.
You have now successfully created a report in Report Painter!

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Example 2: Billing Report

Bungee Corporation needs a billing report which is built on an evaluation structure in LIS.
The structure includes characteristics and key figures from tables VBRP (Billing line item
table) and MARA (Client-level material master table). These tables were combined into a
view which was then used to build the evaluation structure.
Shown here is the final output
of the billing report we are
about to create. This report is a
billing report of all materials by
material type for each plant.
The dollar values are based on
the net value of each billing line
item. The rows of the report
contain materials and material
types, and the columns contain
plants and the net value key
figure. The general data
selection contains the sales
division (01-99) and industry
(00-99).
Note that this report is built on
a nonstandard evaluation
structure.

Note: Before you start with this example, you may want to review LIS Evaluation
Structures discussed on page 27. It describes how to create a view that combines tables
and creates an evaluation structure.

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Guided Tour

1. From the SAP main menu,

choose Information Systems
Ad hoc reports Report
painter Report Create.
2. In Library, enter the name of
the library (for example,
2AF) to be used for the
report.

4
2
3

3. In Report, enter the report

name and a description.
4. Choose Continue.

5. When defining the rows of

the report, notice the Lead
column at the top of the
rows. Report Painter refers
to the rows of a report as
the lead column. You can
type over this with your own
description.
6. To start defining the rows,
double-click on Row 1.

5
6

To insert a row between two

existing rows, select the lower
row and choose Insert.

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8. Select the characteristics to

include in the first row of the
report.
9. Choose Enter.
8

10.Enter the values for the

Material field and the
Material type field. If you
have built a set in advance,
enter the set name in the
group field.

10

Note: You may use the asterisk

12
(*) to specify all values for
material and material type. To
specify the empty
value/space/blank, you may use
#.

11

11.To be prompted to enter the

field value at the time of
report execution, place your
cursor in either the value
field for a value variable
(enter one value only) or in
the group field for a set
variable (enter one or more
values). Then, choose
Variable on/of.
12.Choose Enter.
13.Enter the row heading.
Remember, this row totals
all values entered in the
section above for material
number and material type.
14.Choose Enter.

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15.To explode the row-detail

and view the individual
material numbers and
material types, select the
row.
16.Choose Explode.
17.Select Explode for Material
type to view the individual
values as well as the totals.
Turn on Sing. Val option for
Material to get all the
individual material numbers.
This selection for Material
type will give you the
subtotals you want.

16
15
17

18

19

18.To control the sort sequence

of the fields in the row,
review the number in the
checkbox to the left of the
field. Material should be
sorted first and Material
type second.
19.Choose Enter.
You have defined the rows and
are now ready to move onto the
columns.
20.Double-click on Column 1.

20

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21.Select the Key Figure with

characteristics option.
22.Choose Enter.

21
22

23.Select the Net value key

figure.
24.Choose Enter.

23

24

25.Select Plant to include plant

in the columns of the report.
26.Choose Enter.

25

26

27.In Plant, enter the plant(s) to

be included in the first
column of the report.

27

28.Choose Enter.
28

29.Enter the column header

text for the column.

29

30.Choose Enter.

30

31.You can enter column 2 by repeating steps 22 through 30 (and enter plants 3100 and
3200), or you can copy columns.

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32.To calculate the Total column,

you must enter a formula.
Double-click on the next
available column and select
32
Formula.
33.Choose Enter.

33

34.Enter the formula to total the

first three columns of the
report. You may type in the
formula or use the mouse to
click on the formula
components at the bottom of
the screen. If typing in the
formula, do not forget the
spaces!

34

35.Choose Enter.

35

36.To enter the general data

selection of the report, choose
Edit Gen. data selection
Display/Change.
37.Select the characteristics you
want to include.

37

38.Choose Enter.

38

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39.Enter the values to be

included in the report for
Division and Industry sector.

39

40.To enter multiple ranges or

multiple single values for one
of the fields, place your cursor
in the from or to fields.
42
Choose the More icon.

41

40

41.If a field should be a variable,

place the cursor in the field
and choose Variable on/of.
42.Choose Enter.
43.Save the report.
44.Go to the display mode of the
report: Report Display.
45.Choose the Continue button
on the display screen.
46.To execute the report, choose
Report Execute. A window
prompts you to include the
report in a report group.
Choose Yes.
47.Enter the name of the report
group.
48.Choose Enter.
A window prompts you to create
the report group if it does not
exist. Choose Yes to
automatically create and
generate the report group.

47
48

49.Choose Execute to run the report.

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50.After executing the report,

add the headers and footers
while viewing the report. From
the report, choose Settings
Texts Headers (or Footers). 51
51.Enter the title of the report
and any text such as Date:,
Time:, Report:. To add
variables for the report, place
your cursor where the variable
should start then choose
Standard Variables. Select the
variable by double clicking.
The variable will appear in the
header. All titles can also be
entered as text type
description.

52

52.Choose Save.

53.To change the layout settings in the report, choose Settings Layout. There are six layout
screens containing various settings such as the number of decimal places, column width,
text column width, and rounding. Make necessary changes and save your report.
Your billing report is now ready.

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Understanding the Report List

After executing a Report Painter
report, there are several
additional functions you can
perform on the output:
Sort on each column.
Highlight rows that meet the
threshold criteria, for example
any amount greater than
6,000.
Drill down from any line item.
Drilldown can access ABAP
programs, transaction codes,
ABAP queries, Drilldown
reports, or other Report
Painter/Writer reports.
Launch SAP Graphics.
Send the report through SAP
mail.
Save as an extract to be
brought up later.
Download output to Microsoft
Excel for further processing.

Getting the Most from Report Painter/Report Writer: Tips &

Tricks
LIS Evaluation Structures
A common misconception among users is that Report Painter/Report Writer only
supports FI-CO applications. However, the Report Painter/Report Writer tool can
also be used against user-defined evaluation structures created in LIS. These
structures can be created on many of the tables in the R/3 System, allowing
Report Painter/Report Writer to be used across most SAP applications.
Adding your own evaluation structures
Make sure you have checked all the standard tables and LIS structures and
are certain that the report cannot be created using one of these standard
options. The Report Painter/Report Writer tool works with system-generated
code. Reading detailed line item tables without additional indexes to help with
performance can cause performance problems! Most standard tables are
summarized and contain a fraction of the data in the line item tables; these
tables should be used whenever possible.

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Below is an example of how to add an evaluation structure in LIS using a user-defined view.
Guided Tour

1. From the SAP main menu,

choose Logistics Logistics
controlling Logistics
information system
Flexible analyses
Evaluation structure
Create.

4
2
3

2. Select the application for

which you are building the
evaluation structure.
Note that this is for reference
purposes only.
3. Enter the name and
description of the new
evaluation structure. The
structure must begin with a
ZF.
4. Choose DD table ref to
continue.

Using views
In the next step, a view is used as the data dictionary reference table. Views
should only be created when all other options have been exhausted. It is also
recommended that you check with an experienced basis/tools consultant before
creating the new view.
To create a view in SAP, choose Tools ABAP Workbench Dictionary. Enter
the name of the new view beginning with a 'Z'. Select the View option and
Create.

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5. Enter the data dictionary table

from which you want to build
the evaluation structure. This
choice may be virtually any
table or view in the data
6
dictionary with the exception
of cluster tables and tables
without key figure fields.
ZZ_BILL is a view that
combines tables VBRP and
MARA.

6. Choose Enter.
In the next step, the system determines the classification of fields from the table
or view as characteristics or key figures. This is not configurable.
Most currency and quantity fields are considered key figures while the other field
types are considered characteristics.

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7. When you first enter this

screen, the Characteristics
and Key Figures columns will
be empty. To select the
characteristics from the data
dictionary table or view to be
used in the evaluation
structure, choose
Characteristics. Select the
fields from the list and copy
them into the evaluation
structure definition.

8. To enter the key figures from

the data dictionary table or
view to be used in the
evaluation structure, choose
Key Figures. Select the key
figures you want from the list
and copy them into the
evaluation structure
definition.
9. Choose Back. A window
prompts you to save and
generate the evaluation
structure. When the structure
is generated, it also adds the
structure to the Report
Painter/Writer control tables
and creates a library for
reporting. The library name
will begin with the number 2.

Report/Report Interface
Report Call or Report/Report Interface allows for drilldown functionality from a
report group. Remember that a report group contains one or many reports and is
executed using Report Painter/Report Writer. All reports within the report group
have access to the Report/Report Interface setup in the report group. Report
Calls may also be assigned to a library. This means all reports created for that
library have access to the reports/transactions that are assigned to the
Report/Report Interface.
To set up the Report/Report Interface, follow these steps:
1. To maintain a report group: Information Systems Ad hoc reports
Report painter Report Writer Report group Change.
2. To maintain a library: Information Systems Ad hoc reports Report
painter Report Writer Library Change.

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3. Enter the name of the report group or library that you would like to add report
call capability to. Choose Header.
4. From the Header screen, choose the Report/Report Interface button.
5. If any reports or transactions have been assigned to the report group or
library, they will show up in the Report assignments list.
6. To add additional reports or transactions, choose Insert.
7. To view the technical name of the report or transaction, choose Tech name on
<-> of.

8. When inserting a new report, the system automatically assumes you wish to
add a report of the same type. In the example, it assumes report group
because we are adding reports to a report group. To add a different type of
report, choose Other report type.

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9. Double-click on the type of report you would like to add to the Report/Report
Interface.

10.In the example below, we are adding a transaction code. Transaction code
FB03 is an FI document display transaction. This addition means you will be
able to drill down to display an FI document. Note that there must be an FI
document number and company code available from the sender report for
this drilldown to be successful!
11.Choose Enter.
12.Choose Save to save the new report assignment.

10
11

Background on Using the Report/Report Interface

Report Writer allows you to mark data on a report output and call up another
report that would select data based on what was marked in the calling report
(drilldown). In Release 3.0 and later there is a new standardized cross-application
report/report interface.

Report/Report Interface
This interface spans applications by automatically converting field names and
values.
Example: A Report Writer report for an FI-SL table can directly call a Report
Painter report from the CO module (Table CCSS). The interface converts field
names (for example, G/L account RACCT to cost element KSTAR) and values
(for example, get controlling area CCSS-KOKRS from company code GLT1BUKRS).
When calling an ABAP program, the interface retrieves the selection parameters
of the program and automatically fills these parameters from the selected data

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of the sender report. This way any program can be called without the need to
adapt the program for the report/report interfaceprovided, of course, that all
relevant selection fields are part of the selection parameters of the program. As
an example, consider the new line items RGUGLS12 and RGUGLS11. These
programs have all the necessary fields as selection parameters. There is no
specific coding for the report/report interface.
If you need to actively read the interface data, there are a number of function
modules available in function group RSTI. The online documentation of function
group RSTI gives detailed information on how the report/report interface works
and what function modules are available.

Working With Formula Variables

With formula variables you can customize the report selection screen by
providing suitable default values. With the help of formula variables you can also
create several new types of reports.
We will now highlight some of the ways you can work with formula variables:
Rolling periods (fixed number of periods up to period p across fiscal years)

Display periods of quarter q

Display periods of a quarter containing period p

Display a variable number of columns for periods p1 to p2

Working with a shifted a fiscal year

Creating user exits for formula variables

Creating a report with actual/budget values depending on period p

General notes on formula variables

Rolling Periods: Fixed Number of Periods up to Period p Across Fiscal

Years
Example: A report with 12 periods (see report 0R-FOVAR in library 0R1; copy
from Client 000).
Create 12 formula variables for the 12 periods and 12 formula variables for the
corresponding fiscal year.
Create the variables in the order listed in the table on the next page. You can
create a data-set entry for each pair of variables or use directly in report
definition (Report Painter). The only independent variables are &0R-RP00 (period
of last column) and &0R-RY00 (fiscal year of last column). Each pair of variables
calculates the period and fiscal year of the preceding period. The year will
change when going back from period 1.

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Column

Period Variable

Formula

Year Variable

Formula

Column 12

&0R-RP00

'#S002'

&0R-RY00

'#S001'

Column 11

&0R-RP01

IF '0R-RP00' > 1 THEN '0R-RP00' 1 ELSE 12

&0R-RY01

IF '0R-RP01' < '0R-RP00' THEN '0RRY00' ELSE '0R-RY00' - 1

Column 10

&0R-RP02

IF '0R-RP01' > 1 THEN '0R-RP01' 1 ELSE 12

&0R-RY02

IF '0R-RP02' < '0R-RP01' THEN '0RRY01' ELSE '0R-RY01' - 1

Column 9

&0R-RP03

IF '0R-RP02' > 1 THEN '0R-RP02' 1 ELSE 12

&0R-RY03

IF '0R-RP03' < '0R-RP02' THEN '0RRY02' ELSE '0R-RY02' - 1

Column 8

&0R-RP04

IF '0R-RP03' > 1 THEN '0R-RP03' 1 ELSE 12

&0R-RY04

IF '0R-RP04' < '0R-RP03' THEN '0RRY03' ELSE '0R-RY03' - 1

Column 7

&0R-RP05

IF '0R-RP04' > 1 THEN '0R-RP04' 1 ELSE 12

&0R-RY05

IF '0R-RP05' < '0R-RP04' THEN '0RRY04' ELSE '0R-RY04' - 1

Column 6

&0R-RP06

IF '0R-RP05' > 1 THEN '0R-RP05' 1 ELSE 12

&0R-RY06

IF '0R-RP06' < '0R-RP05' THEN '0RRY05' ELSE '0R-RY05' - 1

Column 5

&0R-RP07

IF '0R-RP06' > 1 THEN '0R-RP06' 1 ELSE 12

&0R-RY07

IF '0R-RP07' < '0R-RP06' THEN '0RRY06' ELSE '0R-RY06' - 1

Column 4

&0R-RP08

IF '0R-RP07' > 1 THEN '0R-RP07' 1 ELSE 12

&0R-RY08

IF '0R-RP08' < '0R-RP07' THEN '0RRY07' ELSE '0R-RY07' - 1

Column 3

&0R-RP09

IF '0R-RP08' > 1 THEN '0R-RP08' 1 ELSE 12

&0R-RY09

IF '0R-RP09' < '0R-RP08' THEN '0RRY08' ELSE '0R-RY08' - 1

Column 2

&0R-RP10

IF '0R-RP09' > 1 THEN '0R-RP09' 1 ELSE 12

&0R-RY10

IF '0R-RP10' < '0R-RP09' THEN '0RRY09' ELSE '0R-RY09' - 1

Column 1

&0R-RP11

IF '0R-RP10' > 1 THEN '0R-RP10' 1 ELSE 12

&0R-RY11

IF '0R-RP11' < '0R-RP10' THEN '0RRY10' ELSE '0R-RY10' - 1

If you only need one column with the total for all periods, create an additional
formula column that adds up all period columns. Hide the period columns (In
Report Writer, you must set the column width to zero).

Display Periods of Quarter q

Example: A report with three columns for the periods of quarter q.
Create a value variable &QUARTER for the period and call it Quarter. This will be
the independent variable. Create three formula variables for the three periods of
the quarter.

34

Column

Period Variable

Formula

Column 1

&QPER1

'QUARTER' * 3 - 2

Column 2

&QPER2

'QUARTER' * 3 - 1

Column 3

&QPER3

'QUARTER' * 3

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This example assumes that the first quarter consists of periods 1, 2, and 3, etc.
You can use the formula variables &QPER1, &QPER2, and &QPER3 in data-set
entries or directly in the column definition (Report Painter). The independent
variable &QUARTER is not used directly in the report, only indirectly through the
formula variables. When running the report, only the independent variable
&QUARTER leads to the input field Quarter on the selection screen. The user is
expected to enter quarter 1, 2, 3, or 4.

Display Periods of a Quarter Containing Period p

Example: A report with three columns for the periods of the quarter which
contain the period p.
Create a value variable &PERIOD for period as the independent variable. The
formula variables have to derive the three periods for the quarter containing the
period from the independent variable. The following formula variables
accomplish the task.
Column

Period Variable

Formula

Column 1

&QPER1

(('PERIOD'-1) DIV 3)*3 + 1

Column 2

&QPER2

(('PERIOD'-1) DIV 3)*3 + 2

Column 3

&QPER3

(('PERIOD'-1) DIV 3)*3 + 3

Again, this assumes that the first quarter consists of periods 1, 2, and 3, etc. The
DIV operator in the formula denotes division without a remainder (for example, 8
DIV 3 = 2).

Display Variable Number of Columns for Periods p1 to p2

Create 12 formula variables which map the unwanted periods to period 16. If
period 16 has data in your system, use any other period with no data (for
example, period 17). Refer all formula variables to the independent period
variables &PER_FROM (period from) and &PER_TO (period to). These variables
will be the independent input variables for the report selection screen. They
determine the period range.

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Column

Period Variable

Formula

Column 1

&PER01

IF 1 < '&PER_FROM' OR 1 > '&PERI_TO' THEN 16 ELSE 1

Column 2

&PER02

IF 2 < '&PER_FROM' OR 2 > '&PERI_TO' THEN 16 ELSE 2

Column 3

&PER03

IF 3 < '&PER_FROM' OR 3 > '&PERI_TO' THEN 16 ELSE 3

Column 4

&PER04

IF 4 < '&PER_FROM' OR 4 > '&PERI_TO' THEN 16 ELSE 4

Column 5

&PER05

IF 5 < '&PER_FROM' OR 5 > '&PERI_TO' THEN 16 ELSE 5

Column 6

&PER06

IF 6 < '&PER_FROM' OR 6 > '&PERI_TO' THEN 16 ELSE 6

Column 7

&PER07

IF 7 < '&PER_FROM' OR 7 > '&PERI_TO' THEN 16 ELSE 7

Column 8

&PER08

IF 8 < '&PER_FROM' OR 8 > '&PERI_TO' THEN 16 ELSE 8

Column 9

&PER09

IF 9 < '&PER_FROM' OR 9 > '&PERI_TO' THEN 16 ELSE 9

Column 10

&PER10

IF 10 < '&PER_FROM' OR 10 > '&PERI_TO' THEN 16 ELSE 10

Column 11

&PER11

IF 11 < '&PER_FROM' OR 11 > '&PERI_TO' THEN 16 ELSE 11

Column 12

&PER12

IF 12 < '&PER_FROM' OR 12 > '&PERI_TO' THEN 16 ELSE 12

Create a basic set for period and enter the 12 formula variables (or enter in the
column definition in Report Painter). In the report layout, select the parameter
Suppress zero columns.
If the from-period is always 1, the formulas simplify to IF p > '&PERI_TO' THEN 16
ELSE p
p stands for the period (values 1 to 12).
If you only need four columns for quarters 1 to 4, create four additional columns
with formulas that add up the necessary columns for each quarter, and also
suppress the individual period columns by assigning a column width of zero.

Working With a Shifted Fiscal Year

You can create formula variables that default to the current period and fiscal
year taken from the system date. In addition, for a shifted fiscal year, you can
create formula variables that calculate the proper period and fiscal year from the
system date. The following examples assumes that fiscal year 1999 starts in
October 1998:

36

Description

Formula

Calendar year from system date

'#S001'

Calendar month from system date

'#S002'

Shifted fiscal year from system date

IF '#S002' > 9 THEN '#S001' + 1 ELSE '#S001'

Period from system date

IF '#S002' > 9 THEN '#S002' - 9 ELSE '#S002' + 3

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You can define formula variables so that the user enters calendar year and
period and these values are internally converted to the fiscal year and period.
You need the following formula variables (the example assumes that fiscal year
1999 starts in October 1998):
Description

Variable

Formula

Calendar year from system date

&CYEAR

'#S001'

Calendar month from system date

&CPER

'#S002'

Shifted fiscal year

&FYEAR

IF '&CPER ' > 9 THEN '&CYEAR' + 1 ELSE '&CYEAR'

Fiscal period

&FPER

IF '&CPER' > 9 THEN '&CPER' - 9 ELSE '&CPER' + 3

The report can now be defined using the variables &FYEAR and &FPER (fiscal
year and period). When running the report, the selection screen has input fields
only for the independent variables &CYEAR and &CPER (calendar year and
period) with defaults taken from the system date. Upon execution, the calendar
values are converted to the fiscal values.

Creating User Exits for Formula Variables

You can only enter formulas directly for numerical fields, for example, period and
fiscal year. If you need to create formula variables for nonnumerical fields, or if
you cannot solve your problem with a formula, you can create a user exit to be
used with a formula variable.
User exit
A user exit is a programmable link into the R/3 source code. You can link
programs to user exits. Linked programs remain available even after you
upgrade to a higher version of the R/3 System.
As a model for your user exits you can use the formpool RGSVU000. Create your
own formpool and enter the name in table T80U (up to Release 3.0B) or T80I
(Release 3.0C and greater) (overtype RGSVU000 with name of your formpool).
OSS note 22878 gives detailed instructions how such an exit can reference the
value of other value variables. Also see OSS note 21084 for general instructions.

Creating a Report With Actual/Budget Values Depending on Period p

A report should display actual data for up to period p and budget data beyond.
To this end you need a variable which sets the version to 000 (= actual version)
for periods less than or equal to p, and for a plan version for periods greater than
p. OSS note 22878 describes how to create a such a formula variable. If the
report has 12 columns for periods p = 1 through 12, you need to create 12 such
variables.

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General Notes on Formula Variables

On the report selection screen, Report Painter/Report Writer will only
generate input fields for independent variables, that is variables that do not
depend on the value of another variable. Always define your variables such
that the user only has to enter independent values. Example: A report
displays data for the current year as well as the previous year. If you define
two independent variables for the current and previous year, respectively, the
user has to enter both years on the selection screen. If you define the
previous year variable as a formula variable, which derives its value from the
current year variable, the user only has to enter the current year.
The independent variable need not be used directly in a report. If a report
only uses dependent variables, Report Painter/Report Writer figures out the
independent value variables and creates input fields for those variables.
You can only use explicit formulas in formula variables for numerical fields.
For alphanumerical fields you have to define ABAP exits. See OSS note 22878
for more details.

Web Interface to Report Writer Reports

With the internet-enabled Release 3.1G, Report Painter/Report Writer also speaks
the language of the Web! You have the following possibilities:
Export reports in HTML format from within the R/3 System (also available
as of Release 3.0F)
Call reports from a web page

Call reports via the Web Reporting Browser

For details, see the 3.1G Release note and the online documentation for the
function modules mentioned there. Also, see appendix D for information about
the web reporting browser and the ability to customize HTML reports.

More Report Painter/Report Writer Tips & Tricks

Use Report Groups
When building a report and including it in a report group, consider the
performance and processing issues for that report and report group. If you have
a series of reports (written on the same table and library) that are always
executed at month-end, put these reports in a single report group for processing.
By grouping them, the system only reads the data from the table once and then
produces each report. If the reports were all in individual report groups, the
system would read the data once for each report group and then produce the
report.
Exception: If all the reports are very large they may need to be broken up into
smaller groups. Timeout errors may occur if you are executing too many large
reports online in a single report group.

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Consider Background Processing

Background processing is often a good way to prevent overuse of system
processing. Report groups can be executed in the background and saved as
extracts or sent to the print queue for printing. If saved as an extract, the end
user can bring the report up online and still have report call, Microsoft Excel,
graphics, printing, mail, and download capability. If sent to the print queue, the
report may be printed or viewed.

Copy Before You Create

SAP delivers several reports in the CO applications and a few reports in the EC
and FI applications. You may want to copy some reports from Client 000 when
you first get started. Check out these reports before you decide to build your
own reports to see if any of the standard reports match your requirements. If one
is close, copy it into a new report and make changes.
Changing standard reports
Do not change a standard delivered report. All changed reports will be
overwritten when you upgrade the R/3 System to a newer release.

Use Variation
Variation is useful in a Report Painter/Writer report. Variation can be performed
on any field in the general data selection of a report. This functionality allows an
individual report to be created for each level and single value of any field in the
general data selection area. If the report contains multiple cost centers and you
would like to see an individual report for each cost center as well as the total,
variation accomplishes this for you. To use variation for a Report Painter report
definition, choose Edit General Data Selection Variation.
Note: Variation can be used in combination with the creation of an extract. As
of Release 4.0A, the system finds extracts by checking the selection criteria
the user filled in on the selection screen. The crucial point is: if there is an
extract created with variation, the system will find the extract even if the user
specifies any of the nodes or single values that have been part of the varied
hierarchy. If the user chooses to display the extract, the user will be directly
guided to the users node or value. Before Release 4.0, extracts with variation
could only be entered at the top node. Thus, the best scenario is to create an
extract with variation for the complete hierarchy by starting a batch job at
night. The next day each end user will be able to get their report from the
extract just by filling out the selection screen according to their responsibilities
(e.g. month-end-reporting scenario).

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Naming Conventions
All customer-defined reporting elements within Report Painter/Writer should
begin with an alpha character. Numerical prefixes are reserved for SAP-delivered
elements, including libraries, sets, variables, reports, and report groups.

Review
Report Painter/Report Writer is a user-friendly tool for currency and quantity type
reports from the R/3 System. You can use Report Painter/Report Writer with
various tables, both standard and user-defined. Because of this flexibility, several
applications can benefit from the tool. Reports can be printed, downloaded, used
with graphics, saved as extracts, mailed via SAP mail, faxed, or simply viewed on
the screen.
The following steps are necessary to create a report with the Report
Painter/Writer tool:
1. Determine the table needed for the report.
2. Find the library for that table, or create one if necessary.
3. Find or create required sets and variables that may be needed for the
characteristics in the report.
4. Create the report, including the row and column definitions and general data
selection.
5. Add the report to a report group for execution. While viewing the executed
report, add texts (headers and footers) and adjust the layout settings.
Additionally, the drilldown function can also be used to access reports
throughout R/3. Similarly, you can create evaluation structures which let you
view data in LIS information structures.

Where to Learn More

The R/3 online documentation for Report Painter and Report Writer:
In the R/3 Library for Release 4.0B, go to: AC-Financials FI Financial
Accounting FI Special Purpose Ledger, then follow the links for Report
Writer.
SAP training courses offered by SAP Education and Training:
CA705 for Report Painter and CA710 for Report Writer courses.

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