Tips&Tricks

This is a collection of tips and  tricks,  both for GuiXT scripts and for InputScripts, including  sample codes that you can cut&paste into your own script. We welcome your own suggestions, in the form of solutions that you have come up with, or questions relating to particular problems. Simply send an email to tips@synactive.com. 

If you have an unanswered question, our Q&A section (where you may well find the answer) is worth a visit as well. See also our Style Tips

We will test each tip before we publish it here. But please understand that we cannot guarantee that it will work in all SAP releases and for each and every transaction. If you point out a problem, we will describe it here under "Restrictions" , or perhaps we can find a better solution.  Please understand that we have to exclude any  warranty or liability  pertaining to "Tips & Tricks". 

40 Reading grid rows (without using SAP GUI scripting)
Many SAP grid controls offer the possibility to store the whole content to a local file or to the Windows clipboard. We can use this function in an InputScript in order to read the grid content. The trick here is   ...  more

39 Using "Enter" in a GuiXT script
The "Enter" command can be used in a GuiXT script. Please note that it does not terminate the script processing, contrary to what one might assume. In most cases it makes sense to put a "Stop script" command  ...  more

38 Using an XML web service: city from postal code
In an SAP transaction where the user is required to enter an address (e.g. in transaction XD01), we add a button that when clicked determines the city from the postal code via a Web service. We use the Google Map Web Service; the technique we describe can be used for any HTTP based XML web service.  ...  more

37 Dependent dropdown lists
The content of a dropdown list sometimes depends on the value the user has selected in another dropdown list. For example, the user selects a country in one dropdown list and then a region in another one. ...  more

36 Adding a browser back button to an HTML view
When you display an HTML page within the SAP GUI window using the View command, the browser toolbar with the "Back" button is not available. It is still possible to execute a "back" navigation step via the right mouse menu. An alternative ...  more

35 Opening an email window with a multi-line text in an InputScript
In an InputScript you can start the user's default email program and specify the address, title and text (and other attributes) of a new email. ...  more

34 Debugging SAP GUI Scripting
If you use the ApplyGUIScript command to start a VB Script (SAP GUI scripting interface), you may wish to use a debugger to step through a complex VB script. Solution: You need a VB Script debugger installed on your PC, for example ...  more

33 Installing a new GuiXT version "on the fly"
You can install a new GuiXT version (i.e. guixt.exe and guix.dll) in the logon script (or another GuiXT script or InputScript) from a central location, e.g. from the SAP Web repository. The only disadvantage is that the user needs to ...  more

32 Displaying a progress indicator with GuiXT Viewer
If a GuiXT script or InputScript executes "Call" statements that can take longer than 1 or 2 seconds, it is desirable to give the user some kind of feedback during this waiting time, indicating that the system is still working. ...  more

31 Creating a new column with larger maximum input size than visible width
When you create a new table column with the Column command, the size= parameter describes both the visible column width and the maximum input size of your new column. Additional ColumnWidth or ColumnSize commands for this column will also ...  more

30 Debugging a GuiXT script like an InputScript
For InputScripts you can use a number of debugging functions (line by line processing, breakpoints, variable display); simply click the "Debug" button before you execute the InputScript.  ...  more

29 Displaying a pdf document as help file
With the "Viewer" component you can easily display your own help in html format, either using the "help views" catalog in GuiXT profile, or with the viewhelp option of the image command, e.g. ...  more

28 Displaying company-specific help in SAP GUI for HTML
In SAP GUI for Windows, the "GuiXT Viewer" component offers a convenient way to display company-specific documentation for individual transactions (see :"Help Views" directory in GuiXT profile) without the need to write a script for each ...  more

27 Checking the format of a "time" value
Your InputField is defined as follows: InputField (10,10) "Time" (10,18) size=8 name="mytime". When the user clicks a "Save" or "Check" button, you first want ...  more

26 Display a numeric keypad
For a certain user group, you want to display a numeric keypad on the SAP screen so that the material number can be entered directly on a touchmonitor. ...  more

25 Using image maps
Image maps, which are popular in websites, enable users to perform an action by clicking on a portion of the graphic ("hotspot"). With GuiXT Viewer, you can embed an image map into an SAP screen and define separate actions for each link. ...  more

24 Choosing an icon
Pushbuttons and texts can start with an SAP icon. Each icon has a certain 2-character id, e.g. "8G". The notation "@8G@Push" displays the icon "8G" followed by the text "Push". Or, with an additional quickinfo "This button...", you can  ...  more

23 Changing the screen title during InputScript processing
If the processing time of an InputScript exceeds around 3-5 seconds, users tend to get impatient. It is a good idea to indicate clearly that the system is currently carrying out a reasonable task and that therefore no further user action is  ...  more

22 Opening a mail message window
You want to display an icon in an SAP screen that allows the user to open a mail message window with a predefined mail address. Example: ...  more

21 Displaying dynamic internet information
When you display www pages within SAP screens (Viewer component), you can also insert variables into the URL: either SAP field values or your own entry fields or InputScript variables. For example, you can display the current shipment status, ...  more

20 Reading user parameters
In the SAP system you can set user specific values for various field types ("Parameters" in transaction SU01). In some cases it makes sense to use these values in a GuiXT script or InputScript ...  more

19 Handling GuiXT activation in ABAP
In the SAP GUI options, the menu item "Activate GuiXT" allows the user to activate and to deactivate GuiXT. The option can be checked and manipulated on the application server as well, using a desktop interface in ABAP. ...  more

18 Finding a searchhelp name
When you define your own InputField, you can refer to SAP standard matchcode with the techname="..." parameter. 
How do you get the technical field name, e.g. "MARA-IDNRA"?  ...  more

17 Structured parameters in function calls
hen you call function modules (e.g. BAPIs) in an InputScript, you often need to handle structured parameters, both in imported and exported parameters. GuiXT does not support data dictionary based symbolic fields; instead you have to use ...  more

16 Displaying a drop down menu for your own input field
For your own input fields, the "drop down menu" style is not available. Using "local value help" you can define a value list together with a text for each value ...  more

15 Processing multiple transactions in one script
You want to create a simple user interface for a certain task that, in SAP standard, requires 2 or more different transactions. For example, you implement a "Create customer" form that fits on one screen, ...  more

14 Determine the week for a given date
or a given date you want to determine the week 1...53 and the year corresponding to this week. The date is specified in one of the external date formats (like dd.mm.yyyy or mm/dd/yyyy).  ...  more

13 Checking a special material number layout
You created an InputField for the material number: InputField (12,1) "Material" (12,20) size=9 name="matnr" -numerical -required
In your InputScript, you want to check that the entered value is of format ...  more

12 Marking a specific table line
You want to mark a line in a table control whose position id is known. A problem is that the position id is aligned right in the "position" column. ...  more

11 Dynamic image position and size
Depending on the data displayed on screen, you want to use images in order to highlight some aspects. For example, if the "Old material number" contains a hyphen "-", you want to emphasize the two parts.  ...  more

10 Mark a column in a table
On a screen with one or more tables you want to mark a column. Solution The command mark is not available for table columns. Use the command ColumnHeader where you can ...  more

9 Scrolling through a table
On a screen with one or more tables you want to read all lines of one of the tables, not just its visible part. Solution Use the commands ...  more

8 Dynamic values in input sets
You want to offer input sets in the toolbar that enter values automatically. Some of the values can only be determined dynamically. ...  more

7 Improve performance and decrease net traffic
The guixt.ini file contains a command "replication Yes" and its application makes a copy of each script in the directory ...  more

6 Date comparison: before and after
You want to compare the current date with a certain fixed date ...  more

5 Foreground display of a transaction started in alternative mode
You have created a new pushbutton that starts a transaction in alternative mode, using the "/O..." notation. This opens a new window, but the window is shown in the background, i.e. behind the window with the pushbutton. It would be better to ...  more

4 Displaying additional information
You need to display in an SAP screen additional information that is not contained in the standard SAP transaction. It would not be a problem for you to read this information directly from the database ...  more

3 Entering screen element names in GuiXT scripts
You want to perform this operation quickly and easily. ...  more

2 Display product images on request
You want to display product images for all products that a user marked during order entry. The user marks several table lines and then presses a pushbutton "Product image".  ...  more

1 Reading a marked table line
You want to add a new function in a screen containing a table control. The user marks a table line and then presses a pushbutton that invokes an InputScript. The problem is how ...  more