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Module 4: UI Display Controller - alv_report and Related Forms

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Module Overview​

Lines: 3799-3963
Importance: Tier 3 (Medium) - User interface and interaction handling
Purpose: Controls ALV grid display, user interactions, and drill-down functionality

Business Context - The "Report Theater"​

Think of this module as a theater presentation system that:

  • Sets up the "stage" (ALV grid layout and appearance)
  • Presents the "show" (data in a user-friendly format)
  • Handles "audience interaction" (user clicks, drill-downs, toolbar actions)
  • Provides "program notes" (detailed views and popups)

Module Structure and Components​

Detailed Form Analysis​

Form 1: alv_report (Lines 3799-3802)​

FORM alv_report.
  PERFORM fill_layo_ind.
  CALL SCREEN 100.
ENDFORM.

Purpose: Main entry point for ALV display Function:

  1. Sets up the grid layout settings
  2. Calls the dynpro screen that contains the ALV container

Analogy: Like a theater manager who sets up the stage and opens the curtains

Form 2: fill_layo_ind (Lines 3811-3840)​

FORM fill_layo_ind.
  DATA: lw_title  TYPE char34.

  IF p_pd = true.
    lw_title = 'Production Demand'(t01).
  ELSEIF p_co = true.
    lw_title = 'Planned Supply'(t02).
  ELSE.
    lw_title = 'Schedule lines/Purchase Orders'(t03).
  ENDIF.
  
  wa_layo-cwidth_opt = 'X'.    " Optimize column width
  wa_layo-grid_title = lw_title.
  wa_layo-no_totarr  = 'X'.    " No totals button
  wa_layo-sel_mode = 'A'.      " Multiple selection allowed
ENDFORM.

Key Settings Explained:

SettingValueBusiness Impact
cwidth_opt = 'X'Auto-optimize columnsColumns resize to fit content
grid_titleDynamic titleShows report type to user
no_totarr = 'X'No totals toolbarPrevents confusing summary calculations
sel_mode = 'A'Multiple selectionUsers can select multiple rows

Dynamic Title Logic:

Form 3: display_list (Lines 3849-3963)​

This form handles drill-down functionality when users click on quantity cells:

FORM display_list.
  DATA: lw_index     LIKE sy-tabix,
        lv_index     LIKE sy-tabix,
        lw_qty       LIKE mdez-mng01,
        lv_fieldname TYPE char2.
  
  IF r_weeks = c_x.
    " Weekly drill-down logic
    DO w_columns TIMES VARYING lw_qty FROM wa_output-qty1
                                      NEXT wa_output-qty2.
      READ TABLE t_fcat INTO wa_fcat INDEX lw_index.
      t_item-text = wa_fcat-coltext.    " Period name
      t_item-qty  = lw_qty.             " Period quantity
      APPEND t_item.
    ENDDO.
  ELSE.
    " Monthly/Period drill-down logic
    " Similar logic for accounting/calendar periods
  ENDIF.
  
  " Display popup with period details
  CALL SCREEN 200 STARTING AT 10 10.
ENDFORM.

Drill-Down Processing Flow:

Screen Processing Modules​

MODULE display_alv OUTPUT (Line 1162)​

MODULE display_alv OUTPUT.
  IF w_container IS INITIAL.
    " First time setup
    CREATE OBJECT w_container
      EXPORTING
        container_name = 'CONTAINER1'.
    
    CREATE OBJECT w_grid
      EXPORTING
        i_parent = w_container.
    
    " Register event handlers
    CREATE OBJECT w_event_receiver.
    SET HANDLER w_event_receiver->handle_hotspot_click FOR w_grid.
    SET HANDLER w_event_receiver->handle_toolbar FOR w_grid.
    SET HANDLER w_event_receiver->handle_user_command FOR w_grid.
  ENDIF.
  
  " Display the data
  CALL METHOD w_grid->set_table_for_first_display
    EXPORTING
      is_layout       = wa_layo
      is_variant      = w_xvariant
      i_save          = v_save
    CHANGING
      it_fieldcatalog = t_fcat[]
      it_outtab       = t_output[].
ENDMODULE.

ALV Setup Sequence:

Event Handling Class - lcl_event_receiver​

Method: handle_hotspot_click (Lines 1070-1077)​

METHOD handle_hotspot_click.
  CHECK NOT e_row_id-index        IS INITIAL
  AND       e_row_id-rowtype      IS INITIAL  
  AND   NOT e_column_id-fieldname IS INITIAL.
  
  READ TABLE t_output INDEX e_row_id-index INTO wa_output.
  CHECK sy-subrc = 0.
  
  PERFORM display_list.
ENDMETHOD.

What this does:

  1. Validates click: Ensures user clicked on a data cell (not header)
  2. Gets row data: Retrieves the material information for the clicked row
  3. Shows drill-down: Calls display_list to show period breakdown

Method: handle_toolbar (Lines 1079-1092)​

METHOD handle_toolbar.
  DATA: ls_toolbar  TYPE stb_button.
  
  " Add separator
  CLEAR ls_toolbar.
  MOVE 3 TO ls_toolbar-butn_type.
  APPEND ls_toolbar TO e_object->mt_toolbar.
  
  " Add download button
  CLEAR ls_toolbar.
  MOVE 'DWNL' TO ls_toolbar-function.
  MOVE icon_export TO ls_toolbar-icon.
  MOVE 'Download to local file'(tb1) TO ls_toolbar-quickinfo.
  MOVE 'Download'(tb2) TO ls_toolbar-text.
  APPEND ls_toolbar TO e_object->mt_toolbar.
ENDMETHOD.

Toolbar Customization:

Method: handle_user_command (Lines 1094-1137)​

METHOD handle_user_command.
  DATA: lt_rows TYPE lvc_t_row.
  
  CALL METHOD w_grid->get_selected_rows
    IMPORTING
      et_index_rows = lt_rows.
  
  CALL METHOD cl_gui_cfw=>flush.
  
  CASE e_ucomm.
    WHEN 'DWNL'.
      PERFORM download_file.
    WHEN OTHERS.
  ENDCASE.
ENDMETHOD.

Command Processing Flow:

Screen Flow and User Experience​

Screen 100 (Main ALV Display)​

  • Purpose: Contains the ALV grid container
  • Layout: Full screen with maximized grid
  • Navigation: OK/Back buttons for exit

Screen 200 (Drill-down Popup)​

  • Purpose: Shows period-by-period breakdown
  • Layout: Popup window (STARTING AT 10 10)
  • Content: Simple list of periods and quantities

User Interaction Patterns:​

  1. Normal View: User sees aggregated data in grid format
  2. Drill-down: User clicks quantity cell to see period details
  3. Download: User clicks toolbar button to export data
  4. Multi-select: User can select multiple rows for operations

Data Flow in Display Module​

Configuration and Customization​

Layout Variant Support:​

The ALV supports saving user-specific layouts:

  • Variant ID: Stored in w_xvariant
  • Save Mode: Controlled by v_save (user/global)
  • Layout Fields: Column width, sorting, filtering

Field Catalog Integration:​

  • Column headers come from t_fcat
  • Column properties (width, type, hotspot) defined in field catalog
  • Dynamic columns based on time periods selected

Performance Considerations​

Efficient Event Handling:​

  • Events only fire for actual user interactions
  • CHECK statements prevent unnecessary processing
  • Single event receiver handles all grid events

Memory Management:​

  • Container and grid objects created once
  • Reused for subsequent displays
  • Proper cleanup on program exit

Common User Experience Issues​

Issue 1: Column Width​

Problem: Too many time periods make columns too narrow Solution: cwidth_opt = 'X' allows auto-sizing

Issue 2: Confusing Totals​

Problem: Standard ALV totals don't make sense for time-based data
Solution: no_totarr = 'X' removes totals button

Issue 3: Period Identification​

Problem: Users can't tell which period a column represents Solution: Hotspot click shows detailed period breakdown

Integration Points​

Incoming Dependencies:

  • t_output table with complete data from build_output_table_new
  • t_fcat field catalog from fill_field_catalog
  • Layout settings from user parameters and selection screen

Outgoing Results:

  • Interactive ALV report for business users
  • Export functionality to local files
  • Drill-down capability for detailed analysis

User Workflow Integration:

  1. User runs report with selection criteria
  2. Sees summarized data in ALV grid
  3. Clicks on specific cells for details
  4. Downloads data for further analysis
  5. Saves personalized layout variants

This module completes the user-facing aspect of the aggregate demand report, providing both overview and detailed analysis capabilities in an intuitive interface.

← Back to Overview | ← Previous: Output Builder | Next: Period Utilities →