Working with Field Symbols:

Field Symbols are similar to the reference variable available in most programming language.  The primary purpose of using field symbols is to facilitate dynamic access to variables and work areas during programming execution.

Though a lot has been discussed about the use of field symbols, not much has been discussed about the risk while working with them.

In this discussion I will focus on some of the statements which caused the program to dump even though these statements pass the syntax check of the compiler.

Field symbols are commonly used for referring work areas during internal table operations.  For example we need to modify the content of any internal table while looping through the same. Field symbol will reduce the number of operations carried out, as changes made to the values accessed using field symbol will help get rid of the MODIFY statement.

The syntax for the same is : LOOP AT  <ITAB> ASSIGINING <FS_WA>.

But the statement  LOOP AT <ITAB> INTO <FS_WA> is a valid statement , atleast syntactically. 

During the compile time the program does not indicate any error.

This statement leads to immediate dump at run time execution of the program.

The reason for this to be dumping is not basically due  to incorrect syntax but because the field symbol will be used (consumed) in the further lines of the code, and accessing a field-symbol without assigning the same to a memory location lead to the programming dumping at runtime.

Similar issue is again commonly encountered when using the popular

 ASSIGN COMPNENT <count> OF <STR> TO <field symbol>

The common mistake that occurs here is the count variable if not tracked correctly will lead to a situation where the field symbol is assigned to no field, and further down in the program logic we try to use this variable.

Will continue with similar challenges in further blog discussion.

Unisid technologies  www.unisidtechnologies.com is a leading online training provider offering extensive and indepth training for SAP-ABAP and SAP-FICO. The trainer's at Unisid have years of industry experience, which enables trainees to get exposed to the best in Online Training. 

ABAP for Functional Consultants

Having spent over a decade training people on ABAP, I have come across scores of student who have asked me if it is necessary for a functional consultant be know ABAP. Student who are basically from different Functional domain register for my training sessions to pick up ABAP programming. I should say that almost 40% of all my online ABAP training students are functional consultants.  So, the big question remains "Should Functional Consultants need to know ABAP?"

Before we can get into this question, I want to talk about an incident I have gone through a few weeks back. One late evening while driving back home from Ameerpet, my bike stopped suddenly in the middle of the road. Initially I thought the fuel was over, and I tried the typical stunts we do here in India.  Soon I realised the problem was not lack of fuel, but something else. Though I have been driving the bike for almost 15 years, I have never ever thought of understanding how it functions.  All I have known is to start drive and stop...... :) My mechanic Pasha would take care of maintaining the bike.  It was at that point in time late in the night with no help around, pushing my bike for almost 6 km to reach home, the single constant thought that went around in my mind was, If only I could open up and check for the issue. If only I could open up and fix the issue.

Well as a functional consultant you don't have to be an expert in writing complex ABAP code, but the ability to debug the code, to understand the flow of the code developed,  to figure out if the developer has converted the functional requirement correctly can go a long way in making the life of the functional consultant easy, and also help reduce the number of iterations development go through during the developments.

But the question that get's poped up now is ....... can I a IT guy, repair a motor-bike. Well, it will be impossible for me to be good mechanic like Pasha, but I can atleast learn the basic of the bike mechanics, so that if there are any minor problems I can fix the same easily.  I learnt it the hard way, when I took the bike to Pasha for repair. It was soon figured out that the issue for my bike for not starting was a very minor problem with the spark plug.  Had I been able to fix the same, I might not have had to go through the agony of pushing the bike long distances.

The idea is pretty much the same, basic technical skill help enrich the experience of a functional consultant working in the ERP system.  Basic knowledge of ABAP help identify the root cause of the issues correctly and thus help in better solutions and reduce the turn-a-round time effectively.

So, my friends, functional consultants out there having doubts about the need for learning ABAP, my sincere suggestion is to take the step forward, overcome your basic fear of programming and plunge into ABAP. I very sure it will surely enrich your experience and understanding of the SAP system forever.

Online Training.....Road ahead or Waste of time?

As I saw my 12 year old nephew surf through SnapDeal searching for his favorite XBOX games I stood by focusing on his search pattern  trying to understand what are the key criteria’s he was using to lay his hands  on the best game for himself.  One important factor I realized when I looked through his shopping cart was that he has picked mostly action/adventure games,  but why only these as the site was providing a large collection of Action games. On careful analysis I could figure the primary search pattern was the attractiveness of the game's cover images and characters it depicted. But video games real flavors come up as we go deeper into the level, where in the game should be able to keep the interest of the player, rather than being just a repetitive stage.

Online trainings are very similar to video games; the quality of the service to be provided can be rated only as we go deeper into the training program.

So, what are the key factors to keep in mind while picking up online training programs:

1. Reason for Learning: Over the years as a trainer, I have come across multiple instances where students join up courses just because some of their friends are doing it, or there is a sudden demand in the industry for it. These reasons are unrealistic and will not be able to retain the interest of the student as the training progresses into deeper levels, thus leading to drop-outs.  Pick up program that interest you, program you are ready invest time into and brings in a level of joy and satisfaction as we learn it.

2. Time allocation and Planning: Once we have identified our area of interest and short listed the training program, the next important factor is allocation of time. A through planning should be done with respect to the current and future work load/engagement we are having and the possibility for increase or decrease in the work load.  One of the most common mistake trainees do, is to enroll for a program but leave it halfway due to other commitments/responsibilities. These results in a situation were in we never master the subject and also will never again attend the training as our minds keep telling us that we had already participated in the program.  Also we tend to loose interest in the subject and may end up leaving something one's and for all though it was a subject of interest and may have given us a much better future opportunities.

3. Medium of communication: I have always believed that training can only be imparted in an environment where the trainer and the trainee are together and the trainer can pass on his knowledge and experiences to the trainee. But today the meaning of togetherness has been transformed. Technology has change the way we meet and communication forever. Today people are together even when they are thousands of miles apart physically. The art of training and learning is about building up the wavelength at which the information passed on from the trainer is reaching to the trainee without any interruption. Classroom or Online, this is the key factor in a succeeding in the training program.  So, as the world move ahead exploring newer mediums of communication and knowledge transfer, understand your core reason for learning and pick up the right master to get trained.

Putting an end to my thought process, dreaming of a day when we will be able to download the subject directly into our brains .......but until then let the relation between the trainer and the trainee flourish and newer medium of communications evolve helping in better knowledge transfer mechanism.


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