An Easy Way to Control the Formula Editor View by a UserSpecific Parameter

by Maria Nikolova, SAP Senior Expert, National Electricity Company April 15, 2008 Share | You can assign formulas and logical statements to validations and substitutions in Asset Accounting via Formula Editor. You can control the view of this tool by a standard user-specific parameter.

Key Concept
You can maintain substitutions for mass changes to assets via transaction code SM30 (maintain table views), table view V_T093SB_2 (change view substitution in bulk changes), or directly via transaction code OA02 (substitution: mass changes to assets). To have access to maintain data via OA02, you need the following authorizations:

Authorization object S_TCODE field TCD: transaction code OA02

Authorization object S_TABU_DIS field ACTVT: 01 (create), 02 (change), 03 (display), and field DICBERCLS: AS (this value is for the authorization group; it is defined by SAP for maintenance of table view V_T093SB_2). You can define authorization groups based on your own needs. Typically they are authorization objects combined with an activity.

Every person who uses Formula Editor for creating a business logic in Asset Accounting (FI-AA) substitutions and validations should be familiar with the user-specific parameter that controls the view of Formula Editor. It allows you to enter formulas by using the available mathematical functions. It is a standard R/3 tool and you do not need to know any ABAP coding to apply business logic to data records. This article applies to R/3 4.6C and higher.

Note
Be careful when entering business logic to substitutions and validations. Substitution is a process of replacing values and validation is a process of defining your own individual checks for specific fields when the system processes a business transaction. Substitution occurs before the system writes data to the database. Substitutions are valid for different application areas, including FI-AA, Cost Accounting, FI, Special Purpose Ledger, and Profit Center Accounting. For more information about substitutions, refer to the SDN guide, Enhancement Technique: How to Use Substitutions, available at www.sdn.sap.com/irj/sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/uuid/707439da-ead9-2910-5c97-af6ca0b6fbb1. For more information about validations, refer to the SDN guide, Enhancement Technique: How-To-Guide on the usage of Validations, available at www.sdn.sap.com/irj/ sdn/go/portal/prtroot/docs/library/ uuid/c0bc693c-76d8-2910-fd81e891248a02c5. Ill describe four cases for the user-specific parameter GBD (validation: user-specific customizing). The choice you make for the parameter is often a matter of preference, and Ill discuss those in the beginning of each section. The four cases are:

GBD = D (D stands for description) GBD = T (T stands for technical names) GBD = E (E stands for expert mode) GBD = (no value)

You can set the value of parameter ID GBD via transaction codes SU2, SU3 (menu path from every SAP screen: System>User profile>Own data), or SU01 (user maintenance transaction code available for user administrators). Figure 1 provides a screen for editing user-specific parameters via transaction code SU3.

Figure 1

Maintain user-specific parameters (transaction code SU3)

A similar transaction code for changing the records of a user profile is SU2. You can see some differences between SU2 and SU3 in Table 1.

Transaction code
SU2

Transaction code text

Maintain own user parameters

Tabs
Address Parameter Address

Mode
Display Change Change (but without email address) Change Change

SU3

Maintain users own data

Defaults Parameters

Table 1

Comparison of transaction codes SU2 and SU3

First Case: Parameter Value GBD=D (Descriptions)

Lets assume that Company A would like to have a specific validation or substitution and the users who have to do the business logic have just started to work with Formula Editor. As a result, they are not very familiar with technical names. In this case, they should set GBD to value D. First go to transaction SU3 and insert value D for parameter GBD. Then enter transaction OA02. Follow menu path Goto>Substitutions>AM- Master data mass change>TAXDEPR>Step 003>Prerequisite. The result is that the users can display the logic not with technical names but with descriptions. Additionally, they cannot edit user-defined text entries via Formula Editor. The buttons for inserting formulas are in gray before you start to enter a formula (Figure 2). If you put the formula together with the mouse the buttons change their mode from inactive to active.

There is an icon circled in Figure 2 that switches from the description mode to technical names mode of the table display. This does not pass to the field in which you enter the business logic.

Figure 2

Change prerequisite screen for user parameter GBD=D (transaction code OA02)

Second Case: Parameter Value GBD=T (Technical Names)

In this instance, lets assume Company A has users who have to use Formula Editor for entering business logic for validations and substitutions, and are familiar with the technical names of the table fields. In this case, it is preferable for them to set parameter GBD to T. Go to transaction code SU3 and insert value T for parameter GBD. Then enter transaction code OA02. Follow menu path Goto>Substitutions>AM- Master data mass change>TAXDEPR>Step 003>Prerequisite (Figure 3). After doing this, you can display the logic with technical names and short descriptions, but you cannot edit user-defined text entries via Formula Editor. As with the first case, the buttons for inserting formulas are in gray before you start to enter a formula with the mouse. After you put the formula together the buttons bec ome active.

Figure 3

Change prerequisite screen for user parameter GBD=T (transaction code OA02)

Third Case: Parameter Value GBD=E (Expert Mode)

Expert mode presents a different situation for Company A. In this case, the users are advanced. They use Formula Editor for entering business logic in substitutions and validations, and are familiar with technical names of the table fields and with entering user-defined text in the Formula Editor area. In this case it is preferable for them to set parameter GBD to E. This mode is also the best if the users want to be able to upload from or download to a local file. In expert mode, you cannot call up an operand. Only user-defined text entry is supported in expert mode. Expert mode is primarily intended for fast formula entry using the keyboard. If the GBD parameter is set in your own user settings to value E, you have to switch into one of the other editor modes to put the formula together with the mouse, or you have to enter the operand name using the keyboard. In expert mode, you also can load a logic from a local file or download the logic to a local file. This option is not valid for all other editor modes. First go to transaction code SU3 and insert value E for parameter GBD. Then enter transaction code OA02 and follow menu path Goto>Substitutions>AM- Master data mass change>TAXDEPR>Step 003>Prerequisite (Figure 4). You can display the logic with technical names and a short description. You can also edit user-defined text entries with Formula Editor. All buttons for inserting formulas are active, unlike in the first two cases (Figure 4).

Figure 4

Change prerequisite screen for user parameter GBD=E (transaction code OA02)

Fourth Case: No Value for Parameter Value GBD

The fourth case is used if the users in Company A are not as advanced, and prefer to work with descriptions instead of working with technical names. Generally, these are users who have just started to work with Formula Editor and who are not so familiar with technical names, as with the first case. The result is the same as the first case. In this case, you can call up an operand with the mouse. You cant use user-defined text entry. Go to transaction code SU3 and define parameter GBD with no value. Enter transaction code OA02. Follow menu path Goto>Substitutions>AMMaster data mass change>TAXDEPR>Step 003>Prerequisite. In this case, you can display the logic not with technical names but with a description and you cannot edit a user-defined text entry via Formula Editor. The buttons for inserting formulas are in gray (Figure 2) before you start to enter a formula. If you put the formula together with the mouse the buttons change their mode from inactive to active step-by-step. Tables 2 and 3 summarize the results for all four cases.

Parameter ID

Value Description

Action
You can call up an operand. User-defined text entry is not supported. You cannot upload from or download to a local file. You can call up an operand. User-defined text entry is not supported. You cannot upload from or download to a local file You cannot call up an operand. Only user-defined text entry is supported. You can upload from or download to a local

GBD

Description

GBD

Technical names

GBD

Expert mode

file. GBD n/a You can call up an operand. User-defined text entry is not supported. You cannot upload from or download to a local file.

Table 2

Available values for user-parameter GBD

Case

Table field Table field technical description names

Yes Yes Yes Yes No Yes Yes No

Technical names exist in the Formula Editor area

No Yes Yes No

Formula Editor is active for user-defined text entry

No No Yes No

GBD=D GBD=T GBD=E GBD= (No value)

Table 3

Results for all four example cases

Note
The standard SAP single authorization role SAP_FI_AA_ASSET_ENVIRONMENT (worklist and tools in FI-AA) includes transaction code OA02. SAP_FI_AA_ASSET_ENVIRONMENT might help the security administrator if he wants to grant this access to a specific user or to a specific user group. The authorization administrators usually check the transactions in which SAP standard roles are included.