Report Painter

Purpose
You use the Report Painter to create reports from data in the Special Purpose Ledger (FI-SL) application
component and other SAP application components to meet your specific reporting requirements.
Many reporting requirements can be met using the standard reports provided by various SAP application
components. However, if your reporting requirements are not fulfilled by SAPs standard reports, you can
use the Report Painter to quickly and easily define your own reports.
Note
The Special Purpose Ledger (FI-SL) application component does not provide any standard Report Painter
reports because you must first install your FI-SL system setup (database tables and so on) to meet your
specific business requirements.
End of the note.
Advantages of the Report Painter include:
Easy and flexible report definition
Report definition without using sets
Direct layout control

Integration
The Report Painter is similar to the Report Writer , but is easier to use. Many of the Report Writer
functions are available in the Report Painter, but you do not need to be familiar with Report Writer
concepts (such as sets) to be able to use the Report Painter.
To facilitate report definition, you can use many of the standard reporting objects provided by SAP (such
as libraries, row/column models, and standard layouts) in your own specific reports. When you create a
Report Painter report, you can use groups (sets), but you can also enter characteristic values directly.

Features
You define Report Painter reports using a graphical report structure, which forms the basis for the report
definition. This graphical structure displays the report rows and columns as they will appear in the final
report when the report data is output. When you execute a Report Painter report, the system
automatically converts the Report Painter report into Report Writer format.

Creating a Report Painter Report

Procedure
1. From the relevant application, choose

Tools Report Painter Report Create .

The Report Painter: Create Report screen appears.

Note
You can also create Report Painter reports from any Report Writer screen. To do so, choose

Report

Writer Report Painter Create report .

End of the note.
Enter the name of the library the report is to use, and a name and description for the report. The report
name can be a maximum of eight characters long.
If you want to create your report using an existing Report Painter report as a basis, enter the name of the
report that you want to copy under Copy from . Both reports must use the same library.
1. Choose Create .
The next screen displays an empty report containing four rows and four columns (this is the basic
structure for a report). You define your report on this screen.
1. Enter or change the description for the report by double-clicking the report description field.
A dialog box appears in which you can enter a short, medium, and long text for the report description.
1. Define the rows of your report (see Defining Rows ).
Rows contain a combination of characteristic values or formulas. Note the lead column at the first position
of the rows. The Report Painter uses the lead column to access the rows. You can replace the description
Lead column with a different term.
1. Define the columns of your report (see Defining Columns ).
Columns contain a combination of a basic key figure and optional restricting characteristic values. You
can also use predefined key figures to present key figures and characteristics that make business sense.
For example, a number of predefined key figures are delivered for the libraries in Overhead Cost
Controlling that can be copied directly into the reports, where they can be modified as required.
1. Define general data selection criteria (see General Data Selection )
The general data selection criteria restrict data selection for the report.
1. Choose Save and then Execute to create the report.
2. Assign the report to a report group .
Note
You have to display the report before you execute it, so that you can later change the report layout
directly from the report list.

()
Once you have defined a report, you can display and print out a table of contents with

Extras

Overview .
The overview contains the characteristics and characteristic values used in the individual sections,
column blocks, and general data selection criteria. It also provides general information such as the user
who last changed the report, the report name, and the standard layout assigned to the report, as well as
details on the report formats.
If you double-click an individual characteristic, you can see where this characteristic is used in the report
definition.