Handy CL_GUI_ALV_GRID wrapper

CL_SALV_TABLE or CL_GUI_ALV_GRID which class is better to use in 2021 ?

Probably old abapers remember that more than decades ago that there was shift from the “old-fashioned” CL_GUI_ALV_GRID class & ‘REUSE*’ function modules towards new up-to-date & OOP style class CL_SALV_TABLE. At 2020 I decided to move backwards to CL_GUI_ALV_GRID. At the small article below I try to explain why I made that decision. And it is not related to nostalgia.

One of the reasons to use CL_SALV_TABLE was small amount of code compared to CL_GUI_ALV_GRID. Also, there was no need to create new screen & containers to display a grid. But then new syntax 7.40 was introduced and passing parameters to any method via structures & tables simplified drastically. I decided to fill a gap and just add nested screens functionality for CL_GUI_ALV_GRID.

Let’s jump to new syntax & display table data without annoying screen painter.

  " Sample data

  SELECT * INTO TABLE @DATA(lt_flight)

  FROM sflight.

  " Create ALV & pass table

  NEW zcl_eui_alv( REF #( lt_flight ) )->show( ).

As I was mentioned earlier calling methods of CL_SALV_TABLE class is not the shortest and handiest available form of tuning a ALV GRID. Let’s try to pass parameters via structures (lvc_s_layo) & tables (lvc_t_fcat).

" Sample data

SELECT * INTO TABLE @DATA(lt_flight) FROM sflight.

" Create ALV & pass table

DATA(lo_alv) = NEW zcl_eui_alv(

  ir_table = REF #( lt_flight )

  " Set title

  is_layout = VALUE lvc_s_layo( grid_title = `Demo title`

                                smalltitle = 'X' )

  " Hot spot & totals by mask

  it_mod_catalog = VALUE lvc_t_fcat( ( fieldname = 'CONNID' hotspot = 'X' )

                                     ( fieldname = 'SEATS*' do_sum  = 'X' ) ) ).

" Show in full screen

lo_alv->show( ).

*No new API from my side for tuning an alv grid catalog & layout. Just small enhancements to change default field catalog (Not creating one from the scratch).

What about other parameters of CL_GUI_ALV_GRID? They are here in ZCL_EUI_ALV constructor’s parameters.

constructor

IT_TOOLBAR parameter is used mainly to avoid creating PF-STATUS. Creating it by copying was not so pleasant and fast thing to do.

constructor parameters

The other most common used by me parameters of constructor are:

◉ IT_FILTER

◉ IT_SORT

They are used with popup( ) method, which can create nested screens for “drilldown” to a sum. Usually, to check calculated sum I try to show items which were used during calculation and display one alv grid upon another one.

drilldown to sum with LVC_T_SORT parameter supplied

In code it takes just to add popup( ) method call before show( ).

popup( ) method

The show( ) method itself accepts an handler object, which should contain event handlers of CL_GUI_ALV_GRID class.

set handlers

In handlers you could get access to instance of CL_GUI_ALV_GRID via sender reference or by calling get_grid( ) of ZCL_EUI_ALV class.

Also, could change default behavior in special PAI & PBO events