One Web Table Interface Class Fits All

by Jin Freda, BW Developer, Becton Dickinson

Implement a flexible custom table interface class for enhancing BW Web reports to meet new and changing business requirements.

Categories: ABAP, BEx, Reporting, Web Application Designer

Key Concept

The table interface is a gateway for modifying ABAP- based object-oriented classes for use with Web templates. You can use the table interface to modify the presentation of a Web template or specific data sets. The key to the technique described in this article is to build all key elements in the custom table interface dynamically rather than hard coding them. This makes your table interface generic and flexible and allows you to avoid changing the coding in your table interface class when requirements change.

Many companies use custom Web reporting table interface classes to modify presentations and data sets. For example, a customer may need a high-level metrics dashboard containing one or multiple metrics summary reports (tables) with active exceptions (colored light bulbs). Each key figure in each table has a different icon. When you click on any one of them, a different detailed report displays. Each report has a different template and possibly a different data provider that may be restricted by a different combined characteristic filter based on the row you select. In the current practice, you hard code the key figure name, template ID, and data provider name, special icons path, and similar details in your table interface class. Therefore, you need to change the code when a requirement changes, but this process is tedious and time consuming.

I’ll introduce you to an innovative one-size-fits-all technique using object-oriented ABAP (ABAP Objects). No matter how often your business requirements change, you can avoid changing the coding in your table interface class by building a filtering string, JavaScript functions, and a hyperlink string, as well as changing a data cell dynamically. This one table interface class fits all needs. This technique works for BW 3.x.

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