Skip to main content

Module 3: Output Table Builder - build_output_table_new Form

← Back to Overview | ← Previous: Data Processing | Next: ALV Display →

Module Overview​

Lines: 6566-7060
Importance: Tier 1 (Critical) - Data structuring and presentation engine
Purpose: Transforms aggregated forecast data into the final ALV display structure with time-bucketed columns

Business Context - The "Report Assembly Line"​

Think of this module as a sophisticated report assembly line that:

  • Takes processed demand data (ingredients) from t_matfcast
  • Organizes it into a grid format with time periods as columns
  • Handles duplicate materials and follow-up material logic
  • Adds safety stock, pricing, and vendor information
  • Produces the final t_output table ready for ALV display

High-Level Processing Flow​

Detailed Section Analysis​

Section 1: Data Consolidation and Cleanup (Lines 6566-6690)​

SORT t_matfcast BY lifnr werks matnr dat01 mng01 extra.

DATA: lt_matfcast  TYPE type_t_matfcast,
      lw_matfcast2 TYPE type_matfcast,
      lv_qty1      TYPE mng01,
      lv_qty2      TYPE mng01,
      ...
      lv_qty19     TYPE mng01

What happens:

  1. Lines 6596-6600: Sorts forecast data for efficient processing
  2. Lines 6625-6686: Consolidates multiple forecast entries for the same date
  3. Lines 6631-6634: Optionally excludes safety stock based on user selection

Key Business Logic:

Section 2: Follow-up Material Duplicate Handling (Lines 6709-6799)​

This is one of the most complex business logic sections:

LOOP AT t_output ASSIGNING <wa_output>.
  READ TABLE t_output INTO lw_output WITH KEY
                            lifnr = <wa_output>-lifnr
                            werks = <wa_output>-werks
                            matnr = <wa_output>-matnr
                            delete_flag  = ' '.
  IF sy-subrc = 0.
    " Handle duplicate follow-up materials

Business Problem: When Material A has follow-up Material B, and Material B has follow-up Material C, we can get:

  • Entry 1: Material A (followup = B)
  • Entry 2: Material B (followup = C)
  • Entry 3: Material B (as standalone)

Solution Logic:

Section 3: Material Valuation and Pricing (Lines 6800-6846)​

SELECT matnr
       bwkey  
       verpr
       stprs
       peinh
  FROM mbew INTO TABLE t_mbew
  FOR ALL ENTRIES IN lt_mbew_temp

Purpose:

  • Gets standard price (stprs) and moving average price (verpr)
  • Calculates per-unit prices using price unit (peinh)
  • Provides cost information for each material

Price Calculation Logic:

<wa_output>-stprs = lw_mbew-stprs / lw_mbew-peinh.
<wa_output>-verpr = lw_mbew-verpr / lw_mbew-peinh.

Section 4: Time Bucket Processing - Weekly Mode (Lines 6848-6892)​

When r_weeks = 'X':

DO w_columns TIMES VARYING lw_qty FROM <wa_output>-qty1
                                  NEXT <wa_output>-qty2.
  READ TABLE r_dates INDEX sy-index.
  CLEAR lr_range[].
  APPEND r_dates TO lr_range.
  
  LOOP AT t_matfcast ASSIGNING <lw_matfcast> FROM lv_indx.
    IF <lw_matfcast>-dat01 IN lr_range.
      lw_qty = lw_qty + <lw_matfcast>-mng01.

Processing Flow:

Section 5: Time Bucket Processing - Period Mode (Lines 6894-6980)​

When r_accprd = 'X' or r_calprd = 'X':

IF r_accprd = c_x.
  lv_prd   = p_prd1_l.    " Starting accounting period
  lv_bdatj = p_yr1_l.     " Starting year
ELSEIF r_calprd = c_x.
  lv_prd   = p_prd2_l.    " Starting calendar period  
  lv_bdatj = p_yr2_l.     " Starting year
ENDIF.

DO w_columns TIMES.
  IF lv_prd GT 12.          " Handle year rollover
    lv_prd = 1.
    lv_bdatj = lv_bdatj + 1.
  ENDIF.

Key Features:

  1. Year Rollover: Automatically handles period 13 → period 1 of next year
  2. Period Lookup: Uses t_future_periods to get exact date ranges
  3. Overdue Handling: First period includes overdue requirements

Period Processing Logic:

Section 6: Safety Stock Integration (Lines 6881-6885)​

IF p_sftstk <> 'X' AND
  <lw_matfcast>-extra = 'Safety Stock'.
  <lw_matfcast>-mng01 = <lw_matfcast>-mng01 + lv_safety_stk.
ENDIF.

Business Logic:

  • Safety stock can be included or excluded from the first period
  • When excluded (p_sftstk <> 'X'), it's added back to prevent double-counting
  • Safety stock affects the total demand calculation

Data Structures and Relationships​

Input Tables:​

TableSourcePurpose
t_matfcastprocess_dataAggregated demand by date
t_outputPre-populatedMaterial master info
t_safety_stkselect_dataSafety stock quantities
r_datesPeriod calculationsWeek/month definitions

Output Structure:​

FieldPurposeSource
qty1-qty19Time bucket quantitiesAggregated from t_matfcast
total_qtySum of all periodsCalculated during processing
eisbeSafety stock levelt_safety_stk
stprs/verprMaterial pricesmbew table

Processing Variables:​

Algorithm Deep-Dive: Time Bucket Aggregation​

Core Algorithm:​

  1. For each material in the output table
  2. For each time period (week/month/accounting period)
    • Define the date range for this period
    • Find all forecast entries that fall within this range
    • Sum the quantities
    • Store in the appropriate column (qty1, qty2, etc.)
  3. Mark processed entries to avoid double-counting
  4. Calculate totals across all periods

Efficiency Optimizations:​

  • BINARY SEARCH: Used for t_matfcast lookups
  • FROM clause: Starts loop from last known position
  • Date range filtering: Uses IN operator for fast date matching
  • Process flag: dflg = 'X' prevents double-counting

Common Beginner Challenges​

Challenge 1: Understanding VARYING​

DO w_columns TIMES VARYING lw_qty FROM <wa_output>-qty1 
                                  NEXT <wa_output>-qty2.

Explanation: This ABAP construct automatically moves from qty1 to qty2 to qty3, etc., without manual field specification.

Challenge 2: Date Range Logic​

The program handles three different time bucketing approaches:

  • Weekly: Fixed 7-day periods
  • Accounting: Company fiscal periods (may be 4-4-5 weeks)
  • Calendar: Standard months

Challenge 3: Follow-up Material Logic​

The duplicate detection logic ensures that if Material A is replaced by Material B, both entries are shown but duplicates of Material B are removed.

Performance Considerations​

Critical Performance Sections:​

  1. Lines 6869-6890: Nested loops through t_matfcast (potentially large)
  2. Lines 6944-6970: Similar nested processing for period mode
  3. Lines 6714-6765: Complex duplicate checking logic

Optimization Techniques Used:​

  • Pre-sorting of tables for binary search
  • Using index positions to start loops from last known position
  • Date range operations instead of individual date checks
  • Process flags to avoid re-processing data

Error Handling and Edge Cases​

  1. Year Rollover: Lines 6909-6912 handle period 13 becoming period 1
  2. Missing Periods: Lines 6930-6941 handle cases where period data is missing
  3. Empty Forecast Data: sy-subrc checks prevent processing empty results
  4. Safety Stock Toggle: Conditional logic handles inclusion/exclusion

Integration Points​

Incoming Dependencies:

  • t_matfcast from process_data
  • t_output structure pre-built with material info
  • Time period definitions from period calculation forms
  • User parameters for safety stock and time bucket type

Outgoing Results:

  • t_output with populated quantity columns → Used by ALV display
  • Hotspot-enabled fields → Enable drill-down functionality
  • Total quantities → Used for summary reporting

Next Module Connection​

The completed t_output table becomes the input for fill_field_catalog which defines the ALV display structure and column headers.

← Back to Overview | ← Previous: Data Processing | Next: ALV Display →