differences between normal list and ALV list

[Former Member]

Hi All,

where can i find the differences between a Normal SAP List and ALV List(Documentation part).

[Former Member]

I don't think there is any such documentation which compares the two. What specifically are you looking for?

[Former Member]

Hi Srinivas,

nothing specific. i too searched for the documentation as it is a common interview question but in vain.

can anyone just brief out the main differences??

[Former Member]

as i mentioned in the earlier post,you try to execute standard ALV programs,

the output of the programs will have different buttons on Application tool bar of the LIST.

for example :

1. SORT

Ascending & descending

2. filter

you can filter the fields

3. sums

4. sub totals

5. select multiple records in the output

6. deselection of multiple records

etc.. like this many built features are available in ALV.

regards,

srikanth

[Former Member]

Imagine you have to write a report that lists out customer addresses. You will write code to get the input from the user via selection screen and then read the data based on the seletion from the database into an internal table(or a set of internal tables). Now once you have the data you will need to output this. In normal list reports, you will have to use 'WRITE' statements to format the output into columns and rows. Now suppose user wants some interactivity in it. Then you will have to provide some buttons and/or menu options through custom pf-status and then write logic for reacting to the user actions. After writing many such reportsm, you will feel like some of this can generalized and reused in every report.

That is exactly what ALV does. It takes out most of repeated sections of the code from out of you and provides you with excellent outputting functionality. It provides many standard functions like 'print', 'sort', 'filter', 'sum' etc by default. Imagine writing code yourself for all these if you were writing normal list program. One more major difference is the editing feature. If you were write a program that gives the user with editing features, then you will have to write a lot of logic. But with ALV, all the features like adding a row, deleting a row, copying a row, editing some fields of a row etc come by default.

Likewise, interactivity has become quite easy to implement. Like double clicking on a customer number, if the user wants to go to display customer transaction, it is very easy using ALV.

As pointed out here by others, go through the documentation of ALV and go through some of those demo programs and you will know the difference. ALV takes out a lot of burden of coding everything away from you and lets you worry about the business functionality that your report provides, rather than formatting the output or providing interactivity to the output.

Hope this helps,

Srinivas

[Former Member]

execute standard alv programs ,you can see the difference.

standard ALV programs starts with BCALV

so check this & let me know are you looking for any specific part ??

regards,

srikanth

Message was edited by: Srikanth Kidambi Maruthi

[Former Member]

Check this Link,may be helpful for you..

https://www.sdn.sap.com/irj/servlet/prt/portal/prtroot/com.sap.km.cm.docs/library/webas/abap/an easy reference for alv grid control.pdf

rgs,

srikanth