SAP CRM: Webclient UI - Framework: BPath.

Lesson 10. Aggregations

Posted by Juergen Gatter Aug 5, 2014

Table of Contents ... ... Table of Code Examples
<< Lesson 09. Groupings Lesson 11. Enhancements on sub-queries

Hello everybody,

as indicated in the last lesson groupings and aggregations somehow belong together. So I speeded a bit
up with this lesson, which is a available a bit earlier. Content will be aggregations solely, with just one small
exception. Nevertheless it will be an extensive lesson.

First and Last and Always...Aggregations. Theory.

Aggregations are aggregating a number of datasets to one value. The most prominent representants here
are the COUNT, SUM and the AVERAGE function. But one should not forget "easy" aggregations like MIN,
MAX, FIRST or LAST. On the other side there are also a couple of more complex aggregations as SEARCH,
GEOAVG and STDEV. The full list can be obtained in the table at the end of this blog post.

Some general remarks to the usage of aggregations:

• All aggregations refer to a group, technically they can only be used in the Loop-Block of a group
definition. Attempts to use it in other locations will cause a dump.
• Aggregations on a full dataset (not on a group) always have to be done via $(*::....)-approach. Either
in the main-query or in a sub query.
• The initialization part is automatically done by the aggregation. Unlike the examples of the hand-
made aggregations, the Initblock of the group definition will typically remain empty.
• Aggregations can be built upon every valid BPATH expression.
• Any aggregation which is at the intermediate state of processing row i ( smaller then the total number
of rows in that group) will have the value as if i would be the last row in that group. This has the
consequence that nested aggregations may return different results then anticipated. E.g. the inner
statement in COUNT(@AMOUNT=MAX(@AMOUNT)), is true for all rows, which have no bigger
AMOUNT in a row smaller then its row. In case you really want to count the rows which are equal to
the global maximum, the used approach is not sufficient. In this case a hand-made solution has to be
taken (For the sake of completeness: $(MyGroup:!t=0;!a=0:!t=iff(@AMOUNT>!a,1,!t+iff(@AMOUNT=!
a,1,0);!a=iff(@AMOUNT>!t,@AMOUNT,!a))

Aggregations. Practice

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Basic aggregations: Count, Sum() & Product()

~*[!CLASS]/SearchResFlightRel/FlightBookRel$(@CLASS::!COUNT=Count();!SUM=Sum(@LOCCURAM))

Code Example 43,$(@GROUP::!X=Count();!Y=Sum(@FELD)), Count() and Sum()

Well, that's easy now, isn't it? Slightly easier compared to the hand-made approach.

The code explains itself. Hopefully. Count can be enhanced with a condition, so only rows
fullfilling the condition are counted. As with the sum() function the same can be achieved using a
sum(iff(condition,@Feld,0)) construction.

Product() works similar to Sum() but muliplies all available parameters. Might be useful for probabilities. Since
the result may be a fracture, possibility to round result is provided.

Advanced Aggregations: Conc, Avg() / Geoavg() and Stddev()

~*[!CLASS_LONG,!FORCURKEY]/SearchResFlightRel/FlightBookRel$(@@CLASS,@FORCURKEY::!
Average=AVG(@LOCCURAM,2);!PASSENGERLIST=CONC(@PASSNAME,",",@PASSNAME<>""))

Code Example 44,$(@@GROUP::!X=Avg(@Feld,Prec);!Y=Conc(@FELD,Sep,Cond)), Avg() and Conc()

The Average function without second parameter returns the value with 34 digits. This is probably more
exact than you need, so it is possible to add the number of decimal places (supported by all 3 "advanced
aggregations" which work on Numbers).

Conc() (please distinguish with the concatenate function, which is not an aggregation function) concatenates
the handed over (with parameter 1) value separated by parameter 2. As third parameter it is possible to specify
a condition. In this case it is used to sort out non-filled entries. In contrast to the LIST() function, this is not done
automatically.

Please note that the Group condition is a long text field here, consequently the sort condition has to reflect this
also.

Geoavg() calculates the geometrical average (nth root on the product of all elements). Calculation is done
using logarithm. All numbers in the calculations must be positive.

Stddev() calculates the standard deviation.

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Minima. Maxima.

~*/SearchResFlightRel/FlightBookRel$(@@CLASS,@FORCURKEY::!
R=Min(@LOCCURAM,concatenate(@PASSNAME," paid ",""+@FORCURAM," ",@FORCURKEY)))

Code Example 45, $(@GROUP::!X=Min(@Feld,Returnvalue)), Min() and Max()

The example shows the usage of the Min/Max method. The result is assembled based on the first Min/Max row
found with the second parameter. If no second parameter is provided, the min/max value is returned directly.

Example 46 shows, that aggregations are not necesarilly basing on attributes directly. The example calculates
the maximum paid for a kilogram of luggage, with the side condition that the weight should be bigger than zero.
Using the iff() function is a standard way to deal with these side condition, but please note that in this case it is
actually not needed since the division is anyway defined in a way that 0 is returned if it is attempted to divide by
zero. This is done to avoid dumps at run time which can not be detected at design time.

~*/SearchResFlightRel/FlightBookRel$(*::!R=Max(iff(@LUGGWEIGHT>0,@LOCCURAM
%@LUGGWEIGHT,0)))

Code Example 46, $(*::!X=Max(function(@Feld1,@Feld2))), Max based on complex expression

First(), Last(), GrpIndex(), Any()

Some "easy" aggregations. First() returns the value corresponding to the first row, the aggregation may be
equiped with a condition . Last() basically does ... nothing. It is just included for the sake of completeness, you
will have the same effect if you state the parameter directly.

With GrpIndex() you might access the nth row (n is the first parameter, second parameter specifies the value
to be returned). In contrast to direct indexing, n has to be positive here.

Any() uses the randomizer library to choose an arbitrary row from which the return is assembled.

Search(), SearchFirst()

SearchFirst() and Search() are searching for specific rows fullfilling the specified search condition. SearchFirst
chooses the first found entry, Search all - or if no self linking is used, in consequence the last row.

~*/SearchResFlightRel/FlightBookRel$(*::!R=SearchFirst(@LUGGWEIGHT>30,@Passname))

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Code Example 47, $(*::!X=SearchFirst(@F1,@F2)), SearchFirst

The following example shows the teamwork of the Search and the list function. The search function searches
all bookings with "overweight" (considered to be above 24) and adds the name of the passenger to the list of
overweighted passengers:

~*/SearchResFlightRel/FlightBookRel$(@@CLASS::!OVERWGHT=Search(@LUGGWEIGHT>24,LIST(!
OVERWGHT,",",@PASSNAME)))
Code Example 48, $(*::!X=Search(Cond,func(!X))), Searches returning lists

Median()

Median() sorts the attributes and chooses the one in the middle (respectively one of the middle pair). Median is
supported for Numeric Values, Strings and Dates. Median() has no optional rounding parameter.

Even though it sounds similar to the average, technically it is a bit more costly. For all other aggregations it is
sufficient to keep one value per group, for the Median the complete list has to be kept. Performance seems to
be harmed only by a smaller factor as the sort_in features of ABAP tables are used.

A Small leftover: ToRoot-Relation ("...")

~*/SearchResFlightRel/FlightBookRel/...$/*

Code Example 49,..., to root

Additional to the relation to the object itself ("."), the relation to the parent (".."), the relation to the root object is
now available using the ... syntax. In contrast to the parent, the root is unambigous.

Aggregation Table
The letters refer to the 4 possible datatypes ( String, Date, Boolean, Number ). The GRPINDEX function for
example has a first parameter of type Number follwed by a second parameter of any type. Conc has either two
parameters of type String, or two string parameters followed by a Boolean parameter as third parameter.
Name Main Parameters Optional Parmeters Description
COUNT no B counts all elements where
the condition evals to true
SUM N no sums up handed over
value

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PRODUCT N N multiplizes handed

over entries. Optional
parameter provided
possibility to round the
return
MIN SDNB SDNB returns second parameter
for the first found global
minimum. If second
parameter is not supplied
first parameter will be
returned
MAX SDNB SDNB maximum, equivalent to
minimum
AVG DN N returns arithmetical
average. Optional
parameter provided
possibility to round the
return (not in case of date
values), e.g. 0 rounds
to whole digits, 2 to 2
decimal places.
GEOAVG DN N returns geometrical
average. Optional
parameter see AVG.
FIRST SDNB no returns entry from first
row
LAST SDNB no returns entry from last
row (equivalent to the
usage of the parameter
directly)
GRPINDEX N, SDNB no returns entry from row
specified with parameter
1. Negative indexing is
not possible here, since
the size of the group is
not known.
ANY SDNB no returns one of the
rows chosen by equal
probability
STDEV N N returns standard
deviation. Optional
parameter provided
possibility to round the
return.
CONC S, S B concatenates first
parameter separated
by second parameter.

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Optionally only rows

which fullfill the condition
specified as third
parameter are taken
into account. If all rows
evaluate to false, an
empty string will be
returned.
SEARCH B SNDB returns parameter 2
belonging to row where
condition is met. This
means typically the last
row fulfilling the condition,
or, in case parameter 2
includes its own target an
hand-made aggregation
of all found rows (see
examples)
SEARCHFIRST B SNDB returns parameter 2
belonging to first row
where condition is met.
MEDIAN SND no returns median element
from the list of attributes

Lesson 11 will deal with enhancements done mainly on the sub-function.

1048 Views

Juergen Gatter in response to Kien Weng Chan on page 6

Sep 23, 2015 10:00 AM
Hello Kien Weng,

you actually caught me on the wrong foot, as I thought I finished the series. But you are right, I missed about
lesson 11, which I think will be the last lesson. As I have quite some work due to a conference next week, I
might take a look in October what I am going to publish.

Hope that's fine. Please apologize the long waiting period for the lesson.

Best Regards, Juergen

Kien Weng Chan

Sep 22, 2015 6:03 PM
Hey Jürgen,

thank you very much for your blog! I am very interessted in the next lesson 11 about sub-fuctions. When do
plan to publish it? I did some work arounds because I do not know how to use the sub-functions.

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Thanks and best regards

Kien Weng

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