ABAP FAQ - User Exits

 

What are user exits? What is involved in writing them? What precautions are needed?

User defined functionality included to predefined SAP standards. Point in an SAP program where a customer's own program can be called. In contrast to customer exits, user exits allow developers to access and modify program components and data objects in the standard system. On upgrade, each user exit must be checked to ensure that it conforms to the standard system.

There are two types of user exit:

User exits that use INCLUDEs.

These are customer enhancements that are called directly in the program.

User exits that use tables.

These are used and managed using Customizing.

Should find the customer enhancements belonging to particular development class.

 

 

 

What  are  the  different  ways  in  which  you  can  make  changes  to  SAP  standard  software  ?

Customizing

Enhancements to the SAP Standard

Modifications to the SAP Standard

Customer Development

 

What  is  customizing ?

Customizing is the setting of system parameters via SAP's own interface.

 

Why  do  you  need  enhancements  ?

The standard applications do not offer some of the functionality you need.  The R/3 enchancement concept allows you to add your own functionality to SAP's standard business applications.

 

What are  the  different  types  of  enhancements  ?

Enhancements using customer exits

Customers' potential requirements which are not included in the standard software are incorporated in the standard as empty modification 'shells'. Customers can then fill these with their own coding. Enhancements can relate to programs, menus and screens. Upward compatibility is assured. In other words, SAP guarantees that the jump from the standard software to the exit and the interface which call the exit will remain valid in future releases.

 

Enhancements to ABAP/4 Dictionary elements

These are ABAP/4 Dictionary enhancements (creation of table appends), text enhancements (customer-specific key words and documentation for data elements) and field exits (creation of additional coding for data elements).

 

What  is  customer  development  ?

Creating customer-specific objects within the customer name range.

 

What  is  SSCR ?

SSCR (SAP Software Change Registration) is a procedure, for registering all manual changes to SAP source coding and SAP Dictionary objects.

 

What is the difference between modifications and enhancements ?

Modifications mean making changes to the SAP standard functionality. 

Enhancements mean adding some functionality to SAP standard functionality.

 

What  are  the  disadvantages  of  modification ?

Modifying standard code can lead to errors

Modifications mean more work during software upgrades

 

What  are  the  advantages  of  enhancements ?

Do not affect standard SAP source code

Do not affect software upgrades

 

when  do  you  opt  for  modification  ?      

Customer exits are not available for all programs and screens within the R/3 standard applications.  You can only use exits if they already exist within the SAP R/3 System . Otherwise  you  have  to  opt  for modifications .

 

What  are  the  various  types  of  customer  exits  ?

Menu exits

Screen exits

Function module exits

Keyword exits

 

What  is  a  menu  exit ?

Adding   items to the pulldown menus in standard R/3 applications .

 

13.What  is  a  screen  exit  ?

Adding   fields to the screens within R/3 applications.  SAP creates screen exits by placing special subscreen areas within a standard R/3 screen and calling a customer subscreen from within the standard dynpro's flow logic.

 

What  is  a  function  module  exit  ?

Adding   functionality  to R/3 applications.  Function module exits play a role in both menu and screen exits. 

 

What  is  a  keyword  exit  ?

Add documentation to the data elements of key words defined in the ABAP/4 Dictionary.  The system displays this documentation whenever a user presses F1 to get online help for a screen field.

 

How  do  SAP  organizes  its  exits  ?

SAP organizes its exits in packages that are called SAP enhancements.  Each SAP enhancement can contain many individual exits.

 

What  is  an  add-on  project  ?

To take advantage of the exits available within standard R/3 applications, you need to create an add-on project.  This project lets you organize the enhancement packages and exits you want to use.  The add-on project also allows you to hang add-on functionality onto the exit hooks contained with SAP enhancements.