Report Painter in SAP: Introduction

In SAP R/3 and SAP ECC, report painter is one of the reporting functionalities. In this presentation an introduction is given to report painter in SAP.

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Jonathan Eemans JE Consulting
Report Painter
Introduction

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Report Painter
Introduction
How’s the architecture of report painter?
How to create report with report painter?
Some additional functionalities
How to format reports?
How to allow drilldown in your reports?
How to transfer reports?

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Introduction
In SAP R/3 and SAP ECC, report painter is a tool for creating reports that meet
specific business and reporting requirements. When defining the report, you
work with a structure that corresponds to the final structure of the report when
the report data is output.

As from SAP S/4HANA other reporting functionalities are available.

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Introduction
What are the advantages?
+ Online data.
+ Easy to adopt (What You See Is What You Get).
+ No ABAP knowledge required.
+ Drilldown functionalities (if executing online).
+ Usage of hierarchies.
+ Formatting possibilities (colours, lines, sorting, totals, etc.).
+ Integration with MS products
+ Extract management.

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Introduction
What are the disadvantages?
- Performance is somewhat slaved.
- No tools available for optimising performance
(only creation of entire new reporting table).
- No drag & drop capabilities.
- No interactive report output.
- Not available for all SAP modules

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Introduction
How does this functionality compare with others?

Capabilities InfoSet Query
Drilldown
Reporting
Report Painter /
Writer
Available for all SAP modules +++ + ++
Easy to create +++ + +++
User-friendly ++ + +++
Interactive report output +++ +
Formatting possibilities ++ +++
Integration with MS products +++ +++ +++

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Introduction
When can I use report painter?

Reporting can be done (without creation of a new reporting table) on the
following data…

1.General Ledger (FI-GL)
2.Cost Center Accounting (CO-CCA)
3.Internal Orders (CO-OPA)
4.Project System (PS)
5.Profit Center Accounting (EC-PCA)
6.Product Costing (CO-Costing)
7.Activity-based costing (CO-ABC)

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How’s the architecture of report painter?
Database Tables (FAGLFLEXT, COSS, COSP, ..)
Reporting Tables (CCSS, FAGLFLEXT, YCO_TOTAL …)
Library (1VK, ZFL, ZCO …)
Report Report group
Models
Variables
Sets

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Reporting tables
Reporting tables specify the data tables available for, and the reporting
structure used for report writer / painter reports.
These tables are defined with GRCT, and can include various ABAP
routines for authorisation exits, data filler and conversion routines for
presentation and texts etc.
In the reporting tables you define the characteristics (non-numerical
fields such as accounts, cost centers, etc.) and key figures (amounts
and quantities) available for reporting.

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Reporting libraries
•Libraries are set up to further define the data required for reports.
Libraries are linked to exactly one reporting table.
Report painter reports which require similar data or run by a specific
group of users can share a library. Many libraries can be linked to the
same reporting table.

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Reports and report groups
•Reports contain a definition if the rows, columns, and overall data selection.
They also include the texts (header, footer, etc.) and layout settings.

•Reports are assigned to report groups. The report group is what you
execute, not the actual report.
One report group can contain several reports; several reports in one
report group can be useful if reports are intended to evaluate the same
dataset but with different formatting.
For performance reasons it’s sometimes better to assign one report to
exactly to one report group.

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Models, characteristics, key figures, variables & sets
•A model is useful if you often use similar row or column definition.
Previously created rows and columns are overwritten!
Models can only be used in reports within the same library.

•Characteristics are non-numerical fields such as accounts, cost centers,
etc. defined in your reporting table and library.

•Key figures are amounts or quantities such as total cost etc.
Basic key figure: numerical value field
E.g. total cost
Key figure: basic key figure with one or more characteristic values
E.g. actual cost

•Sets are logical groupings of characteristic values.
Groups in controlling (cost element groups, etc.) are automatically
created as set.
Financial statements can be created as set using transaction KE5B
(EC-PCA: Copy Balance Sheet Acct Grps).

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How to create report with report painter?
•Report painter menu
The report painter menu can be accessed via transaction FGRP.

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How to create report with report painter?
•Report layout
Column 1
Key figure with characteristics
Column 2
Key figure with characteristics
Formula
Row 1
Characteristics
Row 2
Characteristics
Formula
General data selection
(for entire report)

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Some additional functionalities

• Exploding rows (1)

Cost element group PERSONNEL
-- WAGES 420000
421000
-- SALERIES 430000
449000
-- INC COSTS 434000
440000
Actuals Plan
420000 € €
421000 € €
WAGES € €
430000 € €
449000 € €
SALERIES € €
434000 € €
440000 € €
INC COSTS € €
PERSONNEL € €
Actuals Plan
420000 € €
421000 € €
430000 € €
449000 € €
434000 € €
440000 € €
Actuals Plan
PERSONNEL € €

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Some additional functionalities

• Exploding rows (2)
If you use a combination of several characteristics in a row block and this
row block is exploded, you can choose the hierarchical sequence.

Actuals Plan
cctr 1 € €
cctr 2 € €
420000 € €
cctr 1 € €
cctr 2 € €
421000 € €
TOTAL € €
1Cost Element
2Cost Center
Actuals Plan
420000 € €
421000 € €
CCTR 1 € €
420000 € €
421000 € €
CCTR 2 € €
TOTAL € €
1Cost Center
2Cost Element

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Some additional functionalities

• Variation
A navigation pane can be displayed for characteristics assigned to variables in general data
selection.

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Some additional functionalities

• Horizontal pages

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Some additional functionalities

• Sections

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Some additional functionalities

• Use cell value in a formula (1)
The value of a cell can be used in formulas in report

STEP 1: create cell to be included in formula as element

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Some additional functionalities

• Use cell value in a formula (2)
STEP 2: include cell value in formula

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Some additional functionalities

• Hidden rows and columns

Both rows and columns can be hidden.
Example: row used in formula is hidden







=> Hide row

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Some additional functionalities

• Data extracts

Data displayed can be saved in extracts in the SAP system.





Data extracts saved before can be selected as data source in the
selection screen.




Useful for “point-in-time’ reporting.
ATTENTION: check with BC team before starting to use extracts.

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How to format reports?

• General formatting can be applied for entire report or section.

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How to format reports?

• E.g. Print zero rows

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How to format reports?

• E.g. Display key and description in lead column and change length of lead
column.

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How to format reports?

• Colours and other formatting of rows in report
STEP 1: select row to be changed

STEP2: change formatting of row

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How to format reports?

• Colours and other formatting of columns in report

STEP 1: assign format group to column in report

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How to format reports?

• Colours and other formatting of columns in report

 STEP 2: change formatting of format group

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How to format reports?

• Additional texts in reports
 The following texts can be added to reports…






 In these texts variable data can be used such as variables selected in
selection screen, system date and time, etc.

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How to allow drilldown in your reports?

• Drilldown reports can be assigned at …
Library
Report group

• E.g. Line item report RGBSIS01 in report group ZFI_GLT0

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How to transfer reports?

• Reports can be transferred from one SAP system to another SAP system
via…
Export / Import
Transport requests

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Attention points


Performance of reports needs to be checked before
transporting to production !

Prevent high maintenance in order to avoid hard
coding as much as possible  Usage of variables !


Avoid proliferation of reports by verifying standard
report is not already available for business request !