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Using Temporary Variants

Temporary variants are used to schedule an ABAP program without saving a variant. The variant is created at runtime and deleted once the ABAP program has completed.

There are two ways to use temporary variants:

  • You make a copy of one of the SAP_AbapRun process definitions and specify the parameters and select options in parameters on the process definition - these can optionally be modified at submit time.
  • You import a variant definition for a given ABAP program, modify it in Redwood Server and submit a job with the ABAP/Variant combination, setting the Create Temporary Variant? or TEMPORARY_VARIANT parameter to Y.

Temporary Variants in a Process Definition

By duplicating the process definition and adding parameters, you can make use of temporary variants. A temporary variant is created for the job and deleted once the job has finished.

You specify the values and select options by creating parameters with names matching the technical name of the parameter or select option, with PAR_ and SEL_ prefixes, respectively, and setting Create Temporary Variant? or TEMPORARY_VARIANT to Y. You can use the SAP Object Editor to inspect previously imported variants for the specific names, see Creating and Modifying Variants in Redwood Server for more information.

You can also specify free selections ( freie Abgrenzungen in German) by the FSL_ parameter prefix, note that you must know the technical name of the table and fields concerned. The parameter name must match FSL_<table>/<field>, where <table> and <field> are the technical names of the table and field, respectively. The parameter values syntax is the same as for other select options.

See Creating and Modifying Variants for step-by-step instructions on how to modify variants using the Redwood Server user interface and the syntax to specify parameters and select options.

Prerequisites

  • An SAP System that features XBP 3.0 or has the latest Redwood transport files installed

Procedure

Use an edited Variant in SAP_AbapRun as temporary variant

  1. Navigate to _"Definitions > Processes".
  2. Choose Submit from the context-menu of the process definition SAP_AbapRun.
  3. Fill in SAP System, SAP Client, SAP Job Name, ABAP Program, ABAP Variant, and Create Temporary Variant? to Y.
  4. Choose Next two times, set a Queue and choose Submit.
note

The edited variant will only be used if Create Temporary Variant? is set to Y, if you do not set that parameter, the variant definition in the SAP system will be used.

Use parameters to specify parameters and select options. These parameter names must be all upper case.

  1. Navigate to "Definitions > Processes".
  2. Duplicate the SAP_AbapRun process definition.
  3. Choose Edit from the context-menu of the newly created process definition.
  4. On the Parameters tab, specify the following:
  5. PAR_<parameter_name> for parameters.
  6. SEL_<select_option_name for select options.
  7. Choose Save & Close.
  8. Choose Submit from the context-menu of the newly edited process definition.
  9. Set the Create Temporary Variant? to Y and fill other required parameters.
  10. Choose Submit.

See Also

← Maintaining Variants Automatically (Advanced)Default SAP Process Definitions →