Developing Crystal Reports on ECC

Applies to:
SAP Business Objects Crystal Reports. For more information, visit the Business Objects homepage.

Summary
This white paper explores various methods of accessing ECC/R3 data through Crystal Reports.

Author:

Arka Roy Chowdhury

Company: Cognizant
Created on: 1 February 2011

Author Bio
The author has worked in various support and development projects in SAP BW and Business Objects for
over three years. He currently works for Cognizant.

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Developing Crystal Reports on ECC

Table of Contents
Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 3
Connecting Crystal Reports to ECC ................................................................................................................... 3
Accessing Data through Function Module .......................................................................................................... 3
Import Parameters .......................................................................................................................................... 3
Tables.............................................................................................................................................................. 3
Exceptions ....................................................................................................................................................... 3
Source Code ................................................................................................................................................... 4
Accessing Function module through Crystal Reports ........................................................................................ 5
Step 1: ............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Step 2: ............................................................................................................................................................. 5
Accessing Data through Standard Tables or Views ........................................................................................... 6
Step 1: ............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Step 2: ............................................................................................................................................................. 6
Step 3: ............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Step 4: ............................................................................................................................................................. 7
Creating Crystal Report through InfoSet or Query ............................................................................................. 8
How to Create an Infoset ................................................................................................................................ 8
Step 1: ............................................................................................................................................................. 8
Step 2: ............................................................................................................................................................. 8
Step 3: ............................................................................................................................................................. 8
Step 4: ............................................................................................................................................................. 9
Step 5: ............................................................................................................................................................. 9
Step 6: ........................................................................................................................................................... 10
Step 7: ........................................................................................................................................................... 10
Related Content ................................................................................................................................................ 11
Disclaimer and Liability Notice .......................................................................................................................... 12

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Developing Crystal Reports on ECC

Introduction
This white paper explores various methods of accessing ECC/R3 data through Crystal Reports.

Connecting Crystal Reports to ECC

The following is discussed as to how data is extracted from ECC to Crystal Reports.

Function Module

Table and Table joins

InfoSet and Query

Accessing Data through Function Module

There is a Function module z_salesorder_item_getdata that extracts header-level data for a particular
document number. This FM data can easily be accessed by Crystal Reports.
Here are some details of the Function Module under consideration:
Import Parameters

Note: Export parameters are blank.

Tables

Exceptions

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Developing Crystal Reports on ECC

Source Code
FUNCTION Z_SALESORDER_ITEM_GETDATA.
*"---------------------------------------------------------------------*"*"Local Interface:
*" IMPORTING
*"
REFERENCE(I_VBELN) LIKE VBAK-VBELN OPTIONAL
*" TABLES
*"
IT_VBELN STRUCTURE ZVBELN_STRU OPTIONAL
*"
ET_VBAP STRUCTURE VBAP OPTIONAL
*" EXCEPTIONS
*"
RECORD_NOT_FOUND
*"---------------------------------------------------------------------DATA : LV_VBELN(10) TYPE N,
L_VBELN TYPE VBELN.
DATA : LS_VBELN TYPE ZVBELN_STRU.
DATA : IT_VBAP TYPE TABLE OF VBAP.

CALL FUNCTION 'WB2_VBAP_READ_WITH_VBELN'

EXPORTING
I_VBELN
= I_VBELN
*
I_BYPASSING_BUFFER
= ' '
*
I_REFRESH_BUFFER
=
TABLES
*
ET_VBAPVB
=
ET_VBAP
= IT_VBAP
EXCEPTIONS
RECORD_NOT_FOUND
= 1
OTHERS
= 2.
IF SY-SUBRC <> 0.
RAISE RECORD_NOT_FOUND.
ENDIF.
APPEND LINES OF IT_VBAP TO ET_VBAP.
ENDFUNCTION.

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Developing Crystal Reports on ECC

Accessing Function module through Crystal Reports

Here are the steps:
Step 1:
Go to the database expert. Navigate to the Function module.

The Function module is listed in the data source tree (Sap Tables, Cluster or Function).

Step 2:
Copy it to the right hand space as shown in the figure below:

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Developing Crystal Reports on ECC

The function module is now ready to be used for the report. The available fields appear inside the Function
module in the Field Explorer.

Accessing Data through Standard Tables or Views

Crystal Reports can also access tables or views just like the function modules. Joins can even be created
directly in the database expert just by selecting more than one table.
The following example will create a table join between the VBAP and VBAK table
Step 1:
Go to the database expert.
Step 2:
Select the two tables as shown in the figure below:

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Developing Crystal Reports on ECC

The join is automatically generated.

Step 3:
Click OK. The table fields are in the field explorer.

Step 4:
Drag and drop the field in the canvas to create the report.

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Developing Crystal Reports on ECC

Creating Crystal Report through InfoSet or Query

InfoSet Query is suitable for reporting in all areas of the SAP R/3 system.
How to Create an Infoset
Step 1:
Go to tcode SQ02.
Step 2:
Give a suitable name to the InfoSet. Click Create.

Step 3:
Provide the description and the name of the base table.

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Developing Crystal Reports on ECC

Step 4:
Click Insert table on the InfoSet design canvas to select the appropriate table to be joined.

A join is automatically created, but it can be modified.

Step 5:
Provide the field group details.

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Developing Crystal Reports on ECC

Step 6:
Click Generate on the InfoSet manage screen.
The infoset is now ready

Remember to assign roles and user groups to the infoset. Otherwise, it will not appear in the Crystal Reports
database expert.
After assigning the roles and user group to the infoset (these should also be mapped to the user ID being
used), the infoset appears in the database expert.

Since the query area is in global, the test infoset just created appears under the group of G.
G = global
L = local
I = infoset
Q = query
Step 7:
Click Finish. The infoset is ready in the field explorer of the Crystal report.
Similarly, access an infoset query.

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Developing Crystal Reports on ECC

Related Content
SAP Query Guide
Creating Function module
Crystal install Guide
For more information, visit the Business Objects homepage

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Developing Crystal Reports on ECC

Disclaimer and Liability Notice

This document may discuss sample coding or other information that does not include SAP official interfaces and therefore is not
supported by SAP. Changes made based on this information are not supported and can be overwritten during an upgrade.
SAP will not be held liable for any damages caused by using or misusing the information, code or methods suggested in this document,
and anyone using these methods does so at his/her own risk.
SAP offers no guarantees and assumes no responsibility or liability of any type with respect to the content of this technical article or
code sample, including any liability resulting from incompatibility between the content within this document and the materials and
services offered by SAP. You agree that you will not hold, or seek to hold, SAP responsible or liable with respect to the content of this
document.

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