ALV Reports

What ALV gives you for free, the three implementation styles, and how to build and adjust a field catalog.

ALV (ABAP List Viewer) displays internal tables as tables. Any reporting in ABAP will use it.

What you get without writing it

Column sorting, filtering, rearranging and resizing
Automatic subtotals and totals
Export to Excel, CSV and PDF
Saved display layouts (variants)
Row selection and double-click navigation
Print layout

Three implementations

Approach	Entry point	Character	Recommended?
Function module	REUSE_ALV_GRID_DISPLAY	Classic, verbose	Legacy
CL_GUI_ALV_GRID	Control based	Fine control, more code	For complex needs
CL_SALV_TABLE	SALV	Concise, covers most needs	Yes

A minimal SALV report

Displaying a table

DATA lo_alv TYPE REF TO cl_salv_table.

SELECT matnr, mtart, meins FROM mara
  INTO TABLE @DATA(lt_mara) UP TO 100 ROWS.

TRY.
    cl_salv_table=>factory(
      IMPORTING r_salv_table = lo_alv
      CHANGING  t_table      = lt_mara ).

    lo_alv->get_functions( )->set_all( abap_true ).
    lo_alv->get_columns( )->set_optimize( abap_true ).
    lo_alv->display( ).

  CATCH cx_salv_msg INTO DATA(lx_msg).
    MESSAGE lx_msg->get_text( ) TYPE 'E'.
ENDTRY.

Adjusting the display

Columns, totals and sorting

DATA(lo_columns) = lo_alv->get_columns( ).
lo_columns->get_column( 'MANDT' )->set_visible( abap_false ).

DATA(lo_agg) = lo_alv->get_aggregations( ).
lo_agg->add_aggregation( columnname  = 'MENGE'
                         aggregation = if_salv_c_aggregation=>total ).

DATA(lo_sorts) = lo_alv->get_sorts( ).
lo_sorts->add_sort( columnname = 'MATNR'
                    sequence   = if_salv_c_sort=>sort_up ).

Field catalogs

Key field catalog fields

Field	Meaning
FIELDNAME	The internal table field
SELTEXT_L / M / S	Column headings
OUTPUTLEN	Display width
NO_OUT	Hidden initially but available to the user
DO_SUM	Total this column
HOTSPOT	Make it clickable
REF_TABLE / REF_FIELD	The Dictionary definition to inherit from